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A girl from the Mexican state of Morelia sleeps in front of a sign for Tijuana as her family's CBP One application appointments to apply for asylum in the United States were declared not valid on the application Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Tijuana, Mexico, shortly after President Donald Trump was sworn-in. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)2025-01-24T05:05:02Z ATOTONILCO DE TULA, Mexico (AP) When Dayana Castro heard that the U.S. asylum appointment she waited over a year for was canceled in an instant, she had no doubt: She was heading north any way she could.The 25-year-old migrant, her husband and their 4- and 7-year-old children had nothing left at home in Venezuela. They already had trekked the perilous Darien Gap jungle dividing Colombia and Panama and criminal groups that prey on migrants like them.Castro was one of tens of thousands of migrants across Mexico with appointments to apply for U.S. asylum at the border scheduled out through February until President Donald Trump took office and issued a series of executive orders to beef up border security and slash migration. One ended the use of the CBP One app that had allowed nearly 1 million people, many seeking asylum, to legally enter the U.S. since January 2023. Were going to keep going. We cant go home after all weve been through, after all the countries weve fought our way through, only to give up now, she said from a small shelter in central Mexico beside a freight train line they were riding north. Now, migrants like her are adjusting to a new and uncertain reality. Many remain determined to reach the U.S. through more dangerous means, riding freight trains, hiring smugglers and dodging authorities. Some lined up in Mexicos refugee offices to seek asylum in that country, while others contemplated finding a way back home. Trump on Monday declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and announced plans to send U.S. troops and restrict refugees and asylum, saying he wants to halt illegal entry and border crime. The measures follow a drop in illegal crossings in recent months.Supporters of the CBP One app that people like Castro used to try to enter legally say it brought order to a chaotic border. Critics say it was magnet for more people to come. Adam Isacson, defense oversight analyst for the human rights organization Washington Office on Latin America, said Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration will surely deter migrants in the short term but will also have cascading humanitarian consequences. People with valid asylum claims may die in their own countries, he said, while migrants fleeing countries like Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti who cannot easily return home may end up floating around the Americas completely unprotected. Isacson and other analysts expect Trumps policies will lead to increased demand for smugglers and push migrants many of whom are children and families to more dangerous terrain to avoid capture. By Tuesday, Castro was wrapping her mind around the fact that continuing on after her Feb. 18 appointment with U.S. authorities was canceled would likely mean putting her life, and the lives of her family, at risk as cartels are increasingly extorting and kidnapping vulnerable migrants. Theres the train, the cartels, migration police, and they all make you pay them, she said as she fed her children bread beside a small shelter where they slept. But if we dont put ourselves at risk, well never arrive. Along Mexicos southern border with Guatemala another group of migrants in Tapachula took a different approach.Cuban migrant Rosal Martnez waited in line outside the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid in the sweltering southern city. Traveling with her child, she had hoped to reunite with her husband in the U.S.Now, she was biding her time, joining an increasing number of migrants who have sought asylum in Mexico in recent years, either temporarily due to shifting American restrictions or more permanently.Like many Cubans in recent years, Martnez was fleeing a spiraling economic crisis. Im going to stay here and see what happens, she said. But Im not going back to Cuba. Ill become a Mexican citizen, but theres no way Im going back to Cuba.Others like 42-year-old Jomaris Figuera and her husband want to throw in the towel after years trying to build a life outside Venezuela, where economic and political crises have prompted nearly 8 million people to flee in recent years. They spent more than four years picking coffee in neighboring Colombia, but struggling to make ends meet, they decided to traverse the Darien Gap. They waited nearly a year and a half for a legal pathway to the U.S. in a wooden shelter in a crime-riddled migrant camp in the center of Mexico City.But due to Venezuelas crises, they have no passports. And without money, they fear their only pathway back will be traveling south through Mexico and Central America, and walking days through the same rugged mountains of the Darien Gap.Anything would be better than staying in Mexico, said Figuera.Its like abandoning everything after everything thats happened to us, she said. But after trying to get an appointment, and this happens, weve given up.Clemente reported from Tapachula, Mexico. Janetsky reported from Atotonilco de Tula and Mexico City.

Elon Musk reacts as President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a rally ahead of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-01-24T12:06:59Z WASHINGTON (AP) Americans see the federal government as rife with corruption, inefficiency and red tape but theyre less sure about whether Elon Musk is the right person to fix it. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults strongly or somewhat approve of President Trumps creation of an advisory body on government efficiency, which Musk is helming. About 4 in 10 disapprove, while the rest were neutral or didnt know enough to say. (The poll was conducted before Vivek Ramaswamy announced he would no longer be involved in the group.)The goal of the advisory body, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is to expose fraudulent and wasteful spending across the federal bureaucracy, and its leaders have floated a range of possible ways to cut costs, including eliminating entire agencies. But although most agree that the federal government is facing major problems, many Americans also have an unfavorable view of Musk and are hesitant about the Republican president relying on billionaires for advice about government policy. As the plans take more concrete shape, the poll shows that Americans are ambivalent about some of the changes that Trump and his team have mentioned in the past few months including eliminating large numbers of federal jobs and moving federal agencies outside Washington. Substantial shares dont have an opinion, indicating that theres plenty of room for opinion to shift in either direction.A return-to-office policy for federal workers which was one of Trumps first executive actions on Inauguration Day is fairly popular. Americans see a broken federal government but arent as concerned about the deep stateAs Trump sweeps into his second term with promises to cut regulations and reduce the role of government bureaucrats, most Americans think the federal government has serious problems. About two-thirds of U.S. adults say corruption and inefficiency are major problems in the federal government, and roughly 6 in 10 say the same about red tape, such as government regulations and bureaucracy. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to think these are major problems but a majority of Democrats still agree that corruption and inefficiency are significant challenges for the government.But despite Trumps claims that career federal workers resisted his policies during his first term, concern about civil servants who are unwilling to implement the presidents agenda is not as high. Only about one-third of Americans say this is a big problem in the government.Many dislike Musk and mistrust billionaires influence broadlyMusk was a prominent part of Trumps inauguration ceremonies given a seat inside the Capitol Rotunda for the event, then speaking at a rally shortly after Trump was sworn in.About one-third of Americans have a favorable view of Musk a billionaire and the worlds richest person which is down slightly from December. Americans views of Musk and Trump have a fair amount of overlap: About 8 in 10 Americans share the same view of both men, whether positive or negative. About half of Americans have an unfavorable view of both Musk and Trump. Some Americans may also be wary of Musks prominence. U.S. adults broadly think its a bad thing if the president relies on billionaires for advice about government policy, according to the poll. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say this would be a very or somewhat bad thing, while only about 1 in 10 call it a very or somewhat good thing, and about 3 in 10 are neutral.Return-to-office for federal workers is more popular than cutting federal jobsOne of Trumps first executive orders on Monday was a broad directive for federal employees to return to the office. That was one of several policies aimed at increasing government efficiency that Trump and Musk floated before his inauguration, including a broader push to eliminate federal jobs.A sizable share of Americans dont have an opinion on either proposal, which means theres plenty of room for views to shift as Trump begins to take action. But firings are less popular than a broad return-to-work mandate. About 4 in 10 Americans oppose eliminating a large number of federal jobs, according to the poll, while about 3 in 10 are in favor. But about 4 in 10 favor requiring federal workers to return to the office five days a week, and only about 2 in 10 are opposed. Trump has said moving agencies outside Washington will help him shatter the deep state, a supposed network of mainly nonelected government officials influencing government policy, and he began moving some federal jobs out of the area toward the end of his first term. But he may need to attempt this on a larger scale before Americans decide what they think about it. Nearly half of U.S. adults in the poll were neutral on moving federal agencies outside Washington, while about one-quarter were in favor and a similar share were opposed.___The AP-NORC poll of 1,147 adults was conducted Jan. 9-13, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. LINLEY SANDERS Sanders is a polls and surveys reporter for The Associated Press. She develops and writes about polls conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and works on AP VoteCast. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A banner announcing Dad's Place is displayed on the church's back entrance, in Bryan, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos, File)2025-01-24T05:05:15Z BRYAN, Ohio (AP) For more than a year, a pastor who opened his church around the clock to shelter and give hope to homeless people has been at odds with an Ohio city over the building housing his ministry.On Tuesday, a city judge found Pastor Chris Avell guilty of violating zoning and fire codes in a criminal case. But his battle is not over. His attorneys, who last year filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city of harassing and humiliating the church and its congregants, have vowed to appeal the conviction.The church, called Dads Place, remains open to temporarily shelter people while it also appeals a separate civil case allowing the city of Bryan to enforce its zoning and fire codes on the building. Why did the city take on the church?Bryan Fire Chief Douglas Pool says the citys main concern is that the building does not have the proper permits for people to be sleeping inside Dads Place.Inspectors first noticed people sleeping in the church a year ago after earlier finding a mix of code violations. Some of the issues have been fixed, but the city says the church still lacks a permit that would allow people to stay overnight. Securing the permit would require costly improvements, including fire sprinklers. The fire chief says the city is obligated to enforce the codes, otherwise it could be at fault if disaster strikes.If we dont do anything, whos going to get blamed? Pool said. Were in a position where we need to enforce the code. How has the church responded? Attorneys for the church argue the Constitution protects churches helping those in need and that a federal law shields religious institutions from being discriminated against in zoning decisions. Dads Places lawyers also say the city has unfairly singled out the church, carrying out a string of surprise inspections to intimidate the people who are seeking shelter. They say the citys three hotels and two other shelters are not required to have sprinklers. The city says those places were in operation before the state fire code began requiring sprinklers in residential buildings.In a very real way, this city is trying to criminalize compassion, said Jeremy Dys, a lawyer with First Liberty Institute, which is representing the church. If this place goes away, people are very much going to be out in the cold. How many people stay at the church?This week as temperatures dipped into the single digits, about 14 people stayed at the church, which sits next to another shelter and a block from Bryans town square and county courthouse.The city is home to just under 9,000 residents. The surrounding county has low unemployment along with some of the areas lowest rents, according to a 2023 housing study.But there is a scarcity of available housing across all income levels and the number of new homes and apartments has not kept up with demand over the past two decades, said Dawn Fitzcharles, who works on housing issues for the county. Its compounded the issue of homelessness as well as the working homeless, she said. What comes next for the shelter?The judge in the case has issued a 30-day stay in his $200 fine against the pastor because of the expected appeal. Avell anticipates the church will continue operating the shelter while the legal fight continues.Our calling and our mission hasnt changed so far throughout this process. Nothing has changed it, he said Thursday. We just continue to do the work Gods called us to do, and trust him with the outcome.The people they serve, he said, dont just need a place to lay their head, but where they can actually find hope and transformation.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS Aftoora-Orsagos is a video journalist covering breaking news for The Associated Press. He is based in Columbus, Ohio. twitter mailto JOHN SEEWER Seewer covers state and national news for The Associated Press and is based in Toledo, Ohio. twitter mailto

People participating in the March for Life walk past the Supreme Court, Jan. 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-01-24T05:03:24Z Thousands of anti-abortion activists are coming to Washington Friday for the annual March for Life, seeking to build momentum after a string of victories and maintain pressure on legislators. After decades of fighting to overturn Roe v. Wade, organizers are seeking to focus on the multiple state-by-state battles taking place over abortion rights. Heres what to know about the 52nd March for Life:Whats the expected turnout?Organizers have estimated around 150,000 marchers and previous years in the March for Lifes 52-year history have certainly drawn those kinds of numbers. But the turnout may be limited by continued harsh winter weather that already forced President Donald Trumps inauguration indoors Monday. Attendance may also be impacted by a natural relaxation among abortion opponents after the historic June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade which had guaranteed a nationwide right to abortion. Whats the post-Roe v. Wade focus?Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, organizers and activists are focusing on the multiple state-level battles over abortion rights. As in the past, the march will start with a rally on the National Mall and end in the space separating the Capitol building from the Supreme Court. For decades, the protesters focus was on the courthouse, but now the main target is the domed complex across the street. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said there is still work to be done, despite the Supreme Court decision. Theres no silver bullet to ending abortion, she said. The march now ends on the backside of the U.S. Capitol to remind our representatives that abortion is not only a state issue, but also a local issue and also a federal issue.Looking forward, Hawkins added that she would like to see Trump defund Planned Parenthood and put more government focus on making sure women with unplanned pregnancies have the resources to have the child, such as paid family leave and expanded child tax care credits. Where does the Trump administration stand?Trump disappointed some hardcore abortion advocates in the campaign last year by refusing to back the idea of a federal abortion ban and opposing some of the harsher state-level bans. But Trump has claimed credit for the fall of Roe v. Wade since his three Supreme Court nominees in his first term swung the balance. This should be a victory lap for Trump, who was out of office by the time Roe v. Wade was overturned. Hell be out of town but is expected to address the rally via prerecorded video message, and Vice President JD Vance will be a featured speaker. Among his flurry of initial actions and orders this week, Trump on Thursday pardoned several activists who had been jailed for blockading a Washington abortion provider. This is a significant moment in history, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America. Yes, we have a march every year, but this one is pretty special. We have just been through the first presidential election since the Dobbs decision. There is a trifecta of pro-life Republicans in the White House and the House and the Senate.___ ASHRAF KHALIL Khalil writes about local issues in Washington, D.C., for The Associated Press and covers the social safety net around the country. twitter instagram mailto

A man walks through a street affected by floods in Valencia, Spain, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)2025-01-24T11:00:36Z Economic losses from hurricanes and other natural disasters soared in the U.S. last year and were above average globally, reflecting another year of costly severe storms, floods and droughts.Damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton helped push total economic losses from natural disasters in the U.S. to $217.8 billion last year, according to insurance broker Aon PLC. That figure represents an 85.3% increase from 2023, when losses totaled about $117.5 billion. Its also the largest annual tally of economic losses from natural disasters since 2017.Insured losses, or the portion of economic losses that are covered by insurance, also rose last year. They climbed 36% to $112.7 billion, the most since 2022.Hurricane Helene tore across six southeastern states last fall, costing $75 billion in economic losses, mainly due to inland and coastal flooding. according to Aon. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida, causing some $25 billion in economic losses. In 2024, one of the big differences is we had significant U.S. hurricane events that happened, said Liz Henderson, global head of climate risk advisory at Aon. When those events happen, they affect a large area and they affect areas with large values in terms of properties and people and content. So the losses from those events tend to be significantly higher.At least two other hurricanes, several severe convective storms and a draught contributed to the losses from natural disasters in the U.S. last year. In addition to the severe storms in the U.S., deadly floods in the Valencia region of Spain and other natural disasters drove worldwide economic losses from natural disasters to $368 billion last year, according to Aon. Thats a 7.3% decline from 2023, but about 14% higher than the annual average going back to 2000. Global insured losses, meanwhile, climbed 15.1% to $145 billion. While its impossible to predict the timing, location and losses from natural disasters, 2025 is not off to an encouraging start. The devastating wildfires that erupted in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 14,000 structures, are already projected to be among the costliest natural disasters.In a separate report last week, Aon estimated that total economic and insured losses for the two largest wildfires the Palisades fire and the Eaton blaze burning just outside Los Angeles could reach into the lower tens of billions of dollars, likely making them the costliest wildfires in U.S. history. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Rev. Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service attended by President Donald Trump at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-24T14:47:30Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Right Rev. Mariann Budde made headlines this week after she angered President Donald Trump with her sermon during an inaugural prayer service.It was not the first time the cleric has publicly disagreed with Trump, but it became a striking moment in what is usually a staid and scripted event.Heres more about the Episcopal bishop of Washington, who has continued to speak out in the wake of the presidents derision.What did Bishop Budde and President Trump say?Let me make one final plea, Mr. President, the soft-spoken bishop said from the pulpit of Washington National Cathedral.I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now, she said.There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives, Budde preached.She said the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, calling them good neighbors and faithful members of religious communities. The Trump administration has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughening immigration policies.Trump and Vice President JD Vance looked visibly disgruntled at times as they sat in the front pew with their wives. Vance raised his eyebrows and said something to second lady Usha Vance, who stared straight ahead. At the White House afterward, Trump said he didnt think it was a good service.He later called Budde a Radical Left hard line Trump hater on his Truth Social site and demanded an apology for her inappropriate statements. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Budde said she would continue to pray for the president, as is custom in Episcopal worship.I dont agree with many of his values and assumptions about American society and how to respond to the challenges of our time, she said. I strongly disagree, actually. But I believe we can disagree respectfully. She is the first woman to hold her church position Budde, 65, is the first woman to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, a position she has held since 2011. She oversees 86 churches across Washington, D.C., and Maryland, with 38,000 members. National spokespeople for the Episcopal Church called Budde a valued and trusted pastor. They said, We stand by Bishop Budde and her appeal for the Christian values of mercy and compassion.Before her current post, she served as a parish priest at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years.Budde grew up in New Jersey and Colorado, and for a time as a teenager, she identified as an evangelical. Later she returned to the Episcopal Church, the mainline Protestant denomination of her childhood.She graduated from the University of Rochester and Virginia Theological Seminary, an Episcopal institution just outside Washington.Im a mom. Im a grandmother. I really care about the people in our communities, Budde said. A different kind of prayer serviceShe revised her sermon over and over again.Budde knew last summer that the theme of the inaugural service would be unity after a divisive election season.Couldnt we just acknowledge that we cant paint whole groups of people in one broad stroke? Thats the stuff of political campaigning. I understand that. But were running the country now, she said. And as she watched the inauguration the day before she was set to preach, she noted Trump-supporting clergy offered a different Christian perspective in their prayers than her own. She hoped to show another way to interpret the world through the lens of faith.More than a dozen religious leaders spoke during the cathedrals interfaith service, including those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions.Notably absent from the invited clergy with speaking roles were conservative evangelicals, who are among Trumps strongest supporters and now among Buddes loudest critics.The strong reactions to Buddes sermon largely fell along predictable political and religious lines. Progressive people of faith found in her an inspiring example of speaking truth to power. Some conservative religious voices found her plea confrontational and disrespectful. Others took issue with a woman in a powerful church leadership role, which their traditions reserve for men. Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, a prominent Trump supporter, was at the service and posted on X that Budde insulted rather than encouraged our great president and there was palpable disgust in the audience with her words.Budde felt some of that pushback when she processed down the aisle of the cathedral after the service. The president did not acknowledge her when she passed.She thought phrasing her words to the president as a plea for mercy was a very gentle way to do it because I was acknowledging his authority and his power.I guess I had that wrong, she said. Budde has clashed with Trump beforeThe national cathedral has long been the ceremonial home of high-profile political events. But in 2017, it faced criticism from liberal-leaning Episcopalians for hosting Trumps first inaugural prayer service. While Budde spoke at the service, there was no sermon that year at Trumps request.The content of Buddes words this time should come as no surprise to those who have watched her career.Budde has joined other cathedral leaders in rebuking Trumps racialized rhetoric and blaming him for inciting violence on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to keep him in power.Most notably, she said she was outraged in 2020 after Trump staged an appearance in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church, which is near the White House. He held up a Bible after the area had been cleared of peaceful protesters.In 2023, Budde published a book that reflected on that summer of 2020 after George Floyds death, when she criticized the sitting president. Its titled, How We Learn to Be Brave.The capacity to respond in such a moment doesnt drop from the sky, nor is its significance measured by a weeks worth of media coverage, Budde wrote.That kind of boldness, she argued, is preceded by countless, smaller decisions that summon bravery.Its ultimate significance is determined by how we live after the moment passes.___Associated Press reporters Darlene Superville and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. TIFFANY STANLEY Stanley is a reporter and editor on The Associated Press Global Religion team. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Rev. Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service attended by President Donald Trump at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-24T14:26:53Z LONDON (AP) A London judge on Friday rejected a U.S. mothers challenge to be extradited to Colorado to face murder charges in the deaths of two of her young children. Judge John Zani said in Westminster Magistrates Court that it would now be up to the British Home Secretary to order Kimberlee Singler returned to the U.S.Singler, 36, is accused of two counts of first-degree murder in the December 2023 shooting and stabbings of her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, and one count of attempted murder in the slashing of her 11-year-old daughter with a knife. She also faces three counts of child abuse and one count of assault.Singlers attorney had argued that sending her back to the U.S. would violate European human rights law, in part, because she faces a sentence of life in prison without parole in Colorado if convicted of first-degree murder. Such a sentence would be inhumane because it offers no prospect for release even if she is rehabilitated, attorney Edward Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald said that despite an option for a Colorado governor to commute her sentence at some point, it was political suicide to do so. Experts for the defense had originally said that a life sentence had never been commuted in Colorado. But prosecutors later found that Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2018 commuted life sentences of five men convicted of murder.The defense countered that three of those sentences were not life without parole and two were for men who committed their crime between the ages of 18 and 21, which is sometimes considered a mitigating factor at sentencing because of their relative youth. This defendant, Kimberlee Singler, has no real prospect of release no matter what progress she makes behind bars, Fitzgerald said.Prosecutor Joel Smith said the judge only had to consider if there is a mechanism that could allow Singler to be freed someday. Prospect of release that is not your concern, Smith told the judge at a hearing in December.Singler has denied that she harmed her children. She told police that her ex-husband had either carried out the killings or hired a hitman.Singler had superficial knife wounds and was initially treated as a victim.But that changed when her surviving daughter, who initially said she had been attacked by an intruder, told police her mother tried to kill her.The girl said her mother gave the children milk with a powdery substance to drink and told them to close their eyes as she guided them into a siblings bedroom, prosecutors said.Singler cut her neck and, as the girl begged her to stop, she slashed her again. The girl said her mother had a gun.The defendant told her that God was telling her to do it, and that the childrens father would take them away, Smith said at a previous hearing.Police found Aden Wentz, 7, and Elianna Ellie Wentz, 9, dead when they entered the Colorado Springs apartment on Dec. 19. They had been shot and stabbed.Smith said her husband had a solid alibi. He had been driving a truck at the time that had GPS tracking.

President Donald Trump supporter Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, convicted on charges relating to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, talks to reporters after meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 (AP Photo Nathan Ellgren)2025-01-24T15:45:18Z WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the courts approval after President Donald Trump commuted the far-right extremist group leaders 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Capitol four years ago.U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued the order two days after Rhodes visited the Capitol, where he met with at least one lawmaker, chatted with others and defended his actions during a mobs attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Rhodes was released from a Maryland prison a day earlier. Mehtas order also applies to other Oath Keepers members who were convicted of charges that they participated in a violent plot to attack the Capitol. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures as he leaves Rod Laver Arena after retiring in his semifinal match against against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.(AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)2025-01-24T05:22:00Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Spectators booed an injured Novak Djokovic as he left the court in Rod Laver Arena after quitting one set into his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev on Friday.Dealing with what he said was a torn muscle, Djokovic lost the opening set 7-6 (5) when he put a forehand volley into the net, then began shaking his head and immediately walked over to tell Zverev the match was over. The 37-year-old Djokovic packed up his equipment and walked off toward the locker room, pausing to respond to the jeers by giving two thumbs-up. Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More At his news conference, Djokovic said the pain in his taped left leg was getting worse and worse. He hurt it during his quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night.I knew, Djokovic said, even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me. He was bidding for an 11th championship at the Australian Open and record 25th Grand Slam title overall. Instead, it will be No. 1 seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner facing No. 2 Alexander Zverev in Sundays final.Sinner overcame some third-set cramping and beat No. 21 Ben Shelton of the United States 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 in Fridays second semifinal to return to the Australian Open final as he seeks a third Grand Slam title. Zverev is 0-2 in major finals; this will be his first at Melbourne Park.Everything can happen, said Sinner, who is on a 20-match unbeaten run. Hes an incredible player. Novak Djokovic wipes the sweat from his face during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Novak Djokovic wipes the sweat from his face during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Alexander Zverev, right, embraces Novak Djokovic after Djokovic retired from their semifinal match in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Alexander Zverev, right, embraces Novak Djokovic after Djokovic retired from their semifinal match in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More For Djokovic, this is the second time in the past four major tournaments he was unable to finish because of an injury: He withdrew from last years French Open before the quarterfinals because he tore the meniscus in his right knee during a match.Djokovic underwent surgery in Paris and, less than two months later, reached the final at Wimbledon, then won a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics. Zverev, a 27-year-old German, lost finals in five sets at the 2020 U.S. Open and 2024 French Open.My goal is still to compete with the big guys and to compete for these kind of tournaments and try to win them, Zverev said. For that, I need to get better. I need to improve on the court. I need to improve physically. Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand return to Alexander Zverev of Germany during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand return to Alexander Zverev of Germany during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More During his on-court interview, Zverev pleaded with the fans not to give Djokovic a hard time.I know that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see hopefully a great five-set match, he said. But youve got to understand Novak Djokovic is somebody that has given this sport, for the past 20 years, absolutely everything of his life.The only set of Djokovic vs. Zverev lasted 1 hour, 21 minutes and included 19 points that lasted nine strokes or more apiece. The first four games alone lasted 31 minutes, slowed both by the lengthy baseline exchanges and Djokovics deliberate pacing between points, taking the 25-second serve clock down to and occasionally slightly beyond the full allotment.The match was grueling and would have been even without dealing with a leg problem that initially became an issue late in the first set against Alcaraz. I didnt hit the ball (from after the) Alcaraz match until like an hour before todays match, Djokovic said. I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications and, I guess, the (tape) and the physio work helped to some extent today, he added. But towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain and it was too much for me to handle. Unfortunate ending, but I tried.Zverev said he could sense some dents on the other side of the net in the tiebreaker and noticed that Djokovic was struggling maybe a bit more.Two years ago at Melbourne Park, Djokovic hurt his left hamstring but still managed to depart with the trophy. Against Alcaraz, he was down a set against someone who is 16 years his junior but won. Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts at a press conference after retiring in his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts at a press conference after retiring in his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More This time, Djokovic could not pull off a similar escape.And afterward, there was a lot Djokovic was unsure about.Might this have been his last appearance at Melbourne Park? There is a chance. Who knows? Djokovic replied. Ill just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going.He said its too soon to know how long he might be sidelined.He said he isnt sure yet what will happen to his coaching arrangement with former on-court rival Andy Murray. What Djokovic did make clear: His focus and goals will not waver.Its not like Im worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether Im going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years, he said. But Ill keep going. Ill keep striving to win more Slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, Ill be around.___Howard Fendrich has been the APs tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis HOWARD FENDRICH Fendrich is an Associated Press national writer based in Washington, D.C. He reports on tennis and other sports. twitter mailto

Nour Abu Al Zamar salvage items from under the rubble of her destroyed family home, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-01-24T11:09:47Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Relatives of hostages still being held by militants in Gaza called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday to ensure all remaining captives are freed, while also appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to continue pressing for their release.As a fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered its sixth day, Israelis waited anxiously for the names of the next four hostages who will be released from among the more than 90 still held in Gaza. In the Palestinian enclave, civilians in the central and southern part of the Gaza Strip hoping to return to the remnants of their home in the battered north faced an agonizing wait.Israel believes about a third, or possibly as many as half, of the more than 90 hostages still in Gaza have died. Hamas has not released definitive information on how many captives are still alive or the names of those who have died. Dear President Trump, first of all we want to say thank you for the happy moments we felt this week. But we want to tell you we still have 94 hostages, we need them all at home, said Ayelet Samerano, whose son Yonatan Samerano is among those still being held. Please do not stop. Please continue to press and do everything so that all the 94 hostages will come home immediately. In the first phase of the ceasefire deal, 33 hostages are expected to be released gradually in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The first three Israeli hostages were freed in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the first day of the ceasefire that has halted the 15-month war that has devastated Gaza. Wide swathes of the territory have been destroyed, while more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, who do not differentiate between combatants and civilians but say more than half are women and children. According to the deal, on Friday Hamas is to announce the names of the next four hostages to be released on Saturday, after which Israel will also release a list of which Palestinian prisoners will be freed.The hostages were among about 250 men, women and children captured by militants who burst across the border into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people in an attack that sparked the war in Gaza. About 100 were released during a brief ceasefire in November that year, while the bodies of around three dozen hostages have been recovered in Gaza and eight hostages have been rescued by the army.I call from here to the Prime Minister and negotiating team -- youre doing excellent work -- do whatever is necessary to bring everyone back, to the last hostage, Samerano said. We ask you to ensure phase two of the deal is agreed upon before finishing the current phrase. We cannot continue living in uncertainty. All hostages must return, and none of them has time left.The 33 to be released in the first phase will include women, children, sick people and those over 50 almost all civilians, though the deal also commits Hamas to freeing all living female soldiers in Phase 1. Hamas will release living hostages first, but could release some bodies if they dont have enough living hostages in this category. Male soldiers are not expected to be released in the first phase. This week we were moved to watch images of mothers embracing their daughters, but our hearts break thinking that my son Nimrod and other men remain behind, and each day theyre there poses a real danger to their lives, said Vicky Cohen, whose son Nimrod Cohen is among the hostages. The worry that the deal wont be fully implemented gnaws at us all. All senior officials openly say that stopping the deal means a death sentence for those left behind.Under the terms of the deal, Palestinians in Gaza will have more freedom of movement from the north to the south of the enclave. Civilians in the south will be allowed to take a coastal road to northern Gaza from Saturday, when Israeli troops are expected to withdraw from the key route and Hamas is set to release the next four Israeli hostages. Those in other parts of the strip seized on the ceasefire this week to reunite with scattered family members, picking their way through vast swaths of rubble and trying to salvage what remained of their homes and their belongings. But those displaced from the north have had to wait.The first thing Ill do, Ill kiss the dirt of the land on which I was born and raised, said Nadia Al-Debs, one of the many people gathered in makeshift tents in Gazas central city of Deir al-Balah preparing to set out for home in Gaza City the next day. Well return so my children can see their father. Nafouz al-Rabai, another displaced woman in Deir al-Balah from al-Shati, along the coast in Gaza City, said the day she walks home will be a day of joy for us.The return stirs bittersweet emotions. Al-Rabai acknowledged it would be painful to absorb the scale of damage to the home and the urban refugee camp she knew and loved. God knows if Ill find (my house) standing or not, she said. Its a very bad life. ___Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Migrants line up to board boats to continue their journey north hoping to reach the United States after walking across the Darien Gap from Colombia in Bajo Chiquito, Panama, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)2025-01-24T16:31:17Z NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The Trump administration announced Friday that it is expanding a fast-track deportation authority nationwide, allowing immigration officers to deport migrants without appearing before a judge as the president seeks to make good on a sweeping agenda of removing everyone who is in the U.S. illegally.The news of the expanded use of expedited removal comes as Newark, New Jersey, officials lashed out over what they say were illegal arrests by federal immigration officers at a local business. At a news conference Friday, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who showed up at the business Thursday detained three undocumented residents as well as some U.S. citizens. He said one person was questioned even after showing military identification.When I got this information I was appalled, upset, angry that this would happen here, in this state, in this country, said Baraka, a Democrat who is seeking the partys nomination for governor. Were going to fight for all of our residents in this city, no matter what that looks like for us. About half of the citys population of 305,000 is Black and nearly 40% is Hispanic, according to census figures. ICE has described what happened Thursday as a targeted enforcement operation and said agents may ask other people for identification when theyre conducting field work. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individuals identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite ... in Newark, New Jersey, the agency said in a statement. ICE said it could not comment further because the investigation is active.President Donald Trumps administration has taken action on a number of fronts on his signature campaign promise of cracking down on illegal immigration. And in executive orders signed after he took office Monday, Trump laid out a vision for future actions designed to dramatically boost immigration enforcement in the interior of the country while ratcheting down access at the southern border. After declaring a national emergency and describing immigration at the southern border as an invasion, Trump sent military troops to the border; lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools and churches; indefinitely suspended the refugee program; and halted key Biden-era immigration pathways. On Friday, the administration said it was expanding the use of expedited removal authority so it can be used across the country and that it would take immediate effect.The effect of this change will be to enhance national security and public safety while reducing government costs by facilitating prompt immigration determinations, the administration said in a notice in the Federal Register outlining the new rules. Expedited removal gives enforcement agencies broad authority to deport people without requiring them to appear before an immigration judge. There are limited exceptions, including if they express fear of returning home and pass an initial screening interview for asylum. Critics have said theres too much risk that people who have the right to be in the country will be mistakenly swept up by agents and officers and that not enough is done to protect migrants who have genuine reason to fear being sent home. Fridays notice said the person put into expedited removal bears the affirmative burden to show to the satisfaction of an immigration officer that they have the right to be in the U.S.The powers were created under a 1996 law. But they werent really widely used until 2004, when Homeland Security said it would use expedited removal authority for people arrested within two weeks of entering the U.S. by land and caught within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the border. That meant it was used mostly against migrants who recently arrived.___Santana reported from Washington. MIKE CATALINI Catalini covers government, elections and news primarily in New Jersey for The Associated Press. He focuses on accountability and how policy affects people. twitter REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto

A Ukrainian brigade fires a self-propelled howitzer toward Russian front-line positions in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-01-24T16:19:17Z With Russia wearing down Ukraines stretched forces and new U.S. President Donald Trump pressuring the two sides to end their nearly 3-year-old war, Kyiv and some of its European allies are discussing how that might be achieved in a way that would guarantee Ukraines future security.Several ideas have been floated in the past, but the one currently gaining currency would station thousands of European troops in Ukraine, though not under a NATO banner, to serve as a deterrent and rapid reaction force should Russia invade again an apparent non-starter for Moscow.Kyiv has signaled a willingness to consider ceasefire terms, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said security promises from Kyivs allies would be key to a just peace and that without them, it would only be a matter of time before Russia invaded again. Ukrainian officials say past agreements with the Kremlin were worthless, pointing to 2014 and 2015 pacts Russia signed after illegally annexing Crimea but then broke with its 2022 invasion. It remains to be seen whether Russia would want to end the war while its forces appear to be on the front foot, even if theyre sustaining heavy losses, or what terms the Kremlin might seek. But the rest of Europe is coming to terms with what a Ukrainian defeat would mean for its security.This isnt just about Ukraines sovereignty. Because if Russia succeeds in this aggression, it will impact all of us for a very, very long time, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said during a recent visit to Kyiv. What ceasefire plans have been discussed?With Trumps return to the White House and his threats to withdraw crucial U.S. support from Kyiv unless Europe bears more of the Ukraine burden, some European leaders have pledged their resolve. French President Emmanuel Macron said building security guarantees for Ukraine is a key responsibility for European nations, while Starmer said the U.K. would play a full part in any peacekeeping efforts.Ukraine considers NATO to be the most robust deterrent to Russia, but Trump and some top European leaders have poured cold water on the idea of a NATO-led peacekeeping presence in Ukraine.Among the ideas that apparently havent gained traction was one in which allies would invest massively to arm Ukraine to the hilt to deter a future Russian assault. It would almost surely require major American support that might not be forthcoming under Trump. Another idea, suggested by Ukrainians, would have Ukraines allies defend it from large-scale Russian air attacks, similar to how the U.S. helped defend Israel from an Iranian drone attack last year. Experts say one possible downside to this approach would be that it would expose sophisticated Western defense technology to Russian military learning.A third idea, which is getting attention, is one Macron floated nearly a year ago and is modeled on the Korean armistice. It envisages Western troops being stationed in Ukraine as a deterrent and rapid reaction force. Zelenskyy said there would need to be enough allied troops stationed in Ukraine to overcome Russias manpower advantage. Furthermore, he said, Kyiv would need sufficient flows of weapons, including long-range capabilities able to strike Moscows defense industrial complex, including some that are more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) deep inside Russian territory. Trump opposes the idea. Although Trump is pushing Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a deal, European leaders are grappling with questions over how much military and financial support they could theoretically offer, and the amount of political risk they would be prepared to take domestically if they were to send troops to Ukraine and possibly put them in harms way. Allied troops in Ukraine?The discussions could be for naught. Russia views Ukraine as part of its geopolitical backyard, not the Wests. Putin believes hes winning the war and can outlast Kyiv, and he wont stomach a proposal that would put Western troops in Ukraine, current and former senior European and Russian officials told The Associated Press.Putin would never say yes to this, and European nations would be unlikely to go ahead if Putin makes it clear its a red line, said Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who quit his role in protest after the war started.Maria Zakharova, Russias Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Thursday that NATO troops in Ukraine would be categorically unacceptable and provoke uncontrolled escalation. Nevertheless, an advisor to the Ukrainian government said technical discussions with allies are ongoing and speculated that Moscow might accept such scenario depending on what concessions Ukraine is willing to make. The official spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about sensitive matters.Zelenskyy indicated this week that he wants foreign support and that Ukraine would need tens of thousands of allied troops at a minimum. If European nations were to agree to send troops to Ukraine, it would send a strong signal to Russia that Europe intends to have skin in the game, said Camille Grand, a former NATO official now with the European Council on Foreign Relations. But even if European nations were to agree, there are questions around Europes military production capacity, manpower and ability to fill a potential vacuum if theres an expected reduction in U.S. aid under Trump. The U.S. provides Kyiv with 40% of its military support.Europes defense production is fragmented along national lines and is underfunded, and there are questions around national governments ability to defend their own people, let alone meet Ukraines enormous needs.Peacekeepers or a tripwire?There are many aspects of the Macron proposal that would need to be ironed out, including where in Ukraine allied forces would be deployed, which countries would send troops and what capabilities they would have because that would also be a signal of their ability to fight, said Marie Dumoulin, program director for Wider Europe at the European Council on Foreign Relations.In conversations with the AP, Ukrainian officials described such allied troops as serving as a peacekeeping mission but also as a tripwire force, in which they would be committed to counterattacking in the event of a Russian assault. There are misrepresentations when people describe this as potential peacekeeping, said Dumoulin. A senior Ukrainian official and two Western official both concurred. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about sensitive talks. A traditional peacekeeping mission requires a UN vote, one that Russia can easily veto. It would also not include a guarantee to counterattack in the event of a Russian strike a key component of the type of security guarantee Kyiv is seeking. Though the initiative would occur outside of the NATO format, one Western official pointed to NATOs multinational battalions in the Baltic countries which, unlike Ukraine, are members of the alliance as a possible model. Others have also alluded to stabilization forces in Bosnia as an example.The Ukrainian president said he discussed the French proposal for foreign contingents with the U.K., France, Poland and the Baltic states, but the reality is, it would meet fierce resistance from Putin. Even so, opening negotiations with a proposal for a Western troop presence in Ukraine could leave European nations with negotiating room to maneuver with Putin, who would see such a suggestion as NATO in Ukraine anyway, Dumoulin said. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss Nazis celebrating Elon Musks salute, Zuckerberg as a kook, dictating your own threat model and a good block/mute ethos.EMANUEL: The first week of Trumps second term is in the books and were off to a terrible start. A flurry of executive orders is filled with symbolic and potentially impotent threats, but is also already causing real harm and fear. Local police and schools are preparing for the possibility of ICE raids coming for children. It feels like a return to Trump's first term time dilation effect and if the first term is a guide to the second well probably see more shocking headlines before the weekend.People I know who dont usually ask me about work reached out this week asking what I thought about Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other big tech company CEOs showing up prominently during Trumps inauguration, if that will impact 404 Media, and if we were scared. I do think there is currently more interest in what we cover but that this surge of interest will fade, as it did during Trumps first term. I also think that it is probably about to become a more hostile environment for journalists, but I dont feel like journalists are a particularly vulnerable group under the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump is briefed on the effects of Hurricane Helene at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, as first lady Melania Trump looks on. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-24T18:36:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) Like most presidents, Donald Trump faces an economy that seldom bends to political ambitions.The Republican has promised strong growth, high tariffs, income tax cuts and booming oilfields. But despite the solid job market and low 4.1% unemployment rate, he has to contend with headwinds like inflation, a budget deficit, increased tensions over trade, the fallout from his plans to curtail immigration and a persistent wealth gap.Each of these issues could help to shape how voters feel about a president they returned to the White House with the specific goal of fixing the economy.For his part, Trump wants to blame all the challenges before him on his predecessor, Joe Biden, who in turn blamed Trump in 2021 for the problems his own administration had to tackle.This begins with confronting the economic chaos caused by the failed policies of the last administration, Trump told the World Economic Forum on Thursday.Here are five economic forces that could shape the first year of Trumps presidency: For voters, the price still isnt rightWhipping inflation is easier said than done.In AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of last years electorate, 4 in 10 voters called inflation the single most important factor in their choice for president. About two-thirds of this group voted for Trump a sign he owes his victory in large part to the high cost of groceries, gasoline, housing, autos and other goods. Going forward, monthly reports on the consumer price index will be a clear measure of whether Trump can deliver. But inflation has actually increased in recent months. Consumer prices were increasing at a healthy 2.4% annual rate in September, compared with 2.9% in December. Economists say inflation could worsen if Trump imposes tariffs and uses deficit-funded income tax cuts. Republicans often hit Biden hard on egg prices. But Democrats could use similar attacks on Trump. Over the past year, coffee costs have risen just 1% for U.S. consumers, but the International Monetary Fund has the price of the actual beans climbing 55% in a sign that lattes, espressos and plain old cups of joe could soon cost more. Then theres housing. Voters are still frustrated by high mortgage rates and prices staying elevated due to a shortage of properties. Shelter is 37% of the consumer price index. Price increases for housing have eased, but shelter costs are still rising at 4.6% a year, compared with annual increases averaging 3.3% before the pandemic.Trump is betting that more energy production can cut into inflation rates, but domestic production is already near record levels, according to the government. Which tariffs are really comingTrump says 25% tariffs are coming for Mexican and Canadian imports as soon as Feb. 1. Hes also talked about additional tariffs of 10% on Chinese goods. His stated goal is to stop illegal border crossings and the flow of chemicals used to make drugs such as fentanyl.For Trump, tariffs are a diplomatic tool for his policy goals. But theyre also a threat possibly meant to jumpstart trade talks. Theyre also a revenue raiser that he claims could bring trillions of dollars into the treasury.Trump did increase tariffs during his first term, with revenue collection more than doubling to an annual rate of $85.4 billion, which might sound like a lot but was equal to just 0.4% of the gross domestic product. Multiple analyses by the Budget Lab at Yale and the Peterson Institute for International Economics, among others, say the threatened tariffs would increase costs for a typical family in a way that effectively raises taxes.What really matters is whether Trump delivers on his threats. That is why Ben Harris, a former Biden adviser who is now director of economic studies at the Brookings Institution, says voters should focus on average tariff rates.Trade is really tricky Harris said. But in broad terms, look at what he does and not what he says. What happens with the national debtTrump likes to blame inflation on the national debt, saying Bidens policies flooded the U.S. economy with more money than it could absorb. But about 22% of the $36 trillion outstanding total debt originated from the policies of Trumps first term, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog.Paul Winfree, a former Trump staffer who is now president and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, warned in a recent analysis that the U.S. is getting too close for comfort to its fiscal limits. His analysis suggests that if Trump can preserve 3% growth he could extend his expiring 2017 tax cuts while keeping the debt sufficiently stable by cutting spending $100 billion to $140 billion a year.The risk is that higher borrowing costs and debt can limit what Trump does while keeping borrowing costs high for consumers. Lawmakers who once viewed the debt as problem years away increasingly see it as something to address now. One of the biggest vibe shifts Im picking up on now among policymakers is theyre beginning to realize the long-term is today, Winfree said.Winfree said the key number to watch is the interest rates charged on U.S. debt which will tell the public if investors think the amount of borrowing is problematic. Interest on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note is at roughly 4.6%, up a full percentage point since September.Immigrants are still needed to fill jobsTrumps executive orders are a clear crackdown on immigration and that could be a drag on economic growth and cause monthly job gains to slow. Trump often frames immigration as a criminal and national security issue by focusing on people crossing the border illegally.But economies that cant add enough workers are at risk of stagnating and the U.S. labor market at this stage needs immigrants as part of the jobs mix. About 84% of Americas net population growth last year came from immigrants, according to the Census Bureau. Thats 2.8 million immigrants.They not only work in the economy, but they spend in the economy, said Satyam Panday, chief U.S. economist at S&P Global Ratings. Their spending is somebody elses income in the economy.If Trump were simply to put immigration back at his 2017 and 2019 averages of 750,000 immigrants annually, growth could slow from an estimated 2.7% last year to 2% going forward, Pandays analysis found. The construction, agriculture and leisure and hospitality industries would probably struggle to find employees.In other words, its worth monitoring the monthly jobs report and immigration flows.Mind the wealth gapTrump is going to have to figure out how to balance the interests of billionaires with those of his blue- collar voters. His inaugural events included several of the worlds wealthiest men: Teslas Elon Musk, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Metas Mark Zuckerberg and LVMHs Bernard Arnault. Each is worth roughly $200 billion or more, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Scott Ellis, a member of the group Patriotic Millionaires, said its worth monitoring just how much their wealth increases under Trump. This year, as of Friday, Arnaults net worth has risen $23 billion, Bezos is up by $15 billion, Zuckerberg is up by $18 billion and Musks wealth has risen by $6 billion. Those are all monthly increases.By contrast, the most recent available Census Bureau data show that the median U.S. household wealth rose $9,600 in 2021-2022, to $176,500. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Police patrol in Tibu, Colombia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, following guerrilla attacks that have killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee their homes in the Catatumbo region. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)2025-01-24T13:33:38Z BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Colombias president issued a decree Friday giving him emergency powers to restore order in a coca-growing region bordering Venezuela wracked in recent days by a deadly turf war among dissident rebel groups.President Gustavo Petros decree gives him 90 days, which can be extend, to impose curfews, restrict traffic and take other steps that would normally violate Colombians civil rights or require congressional approval.It is the first time in more than a decade that a Colombian president has used such an extreme measure and underscores the seriousness of the current conflict in a country that for decades was paralyzed by political violence. However, it applies only to the rural Catatumbo region near the border with Venezuela, where the Colombian state has struggled for decades to gain a foothold. In the past week, at least 80 people have been killed and an estimated 36,000 more displaced as fighting intensifies between the National Liberation Army, or ELN, and holdouts from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Petros conservative opponents have criticized the move, accusing the former guerrilla of riding roughshod over the constitution. But some activists have celebrated it, saying they are hopeful the move translates into better infrastructure, health care and schools in the traditionally lawless region. Why are the armed groups here? Because the last government hasnt made investments. Theyve abandoned us, Jaime Botero, an activist in the town of Tibu, told The Associated Press. Earlier this week Petro reactivated arrest orders against 31 top ELN commanders that had been suspended as part of an effort to woo the the Cuban revolution-inspired insurgency into a peace deal to end its 60 year war against the state. Petro also suspended all peace talks, which have advanced slowly since he took office in 2022. The ELN has traditionally dominated in Catatumbo but has been losing ground to holdouts from the FARC, a guerrilla group that largely disbanded after signing a peace deal in 2016 with the government. The current conflict is spilling across the border into Venezuela, where some of those fleeing the violence have sought refuge.The current whereabouts of the ELN peace negotiators is unknown. But Cubas government this week said they are not there, leading some to speculate they may be hiding in Venezuela, which is one of the sponsors of Petros peace initiative with the ELN.

A person heads into a Target store Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Lakewood, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)2025-01-24T18:20:31Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trumps return to Washington NEW YORK (AP) Discount store chain Target said Friday that it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House. The Minneapolis-based retailer said the changes to its Belonging at the Bulleye strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles. The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities. In a memo to employees, Kiera Fernandez, Targets chief community impact and equity officer, as a next chapter in a decades-long process to create inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all. Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy, Fernandez wrote in the memo, which Target shared Friday. And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future. Theres no doubt the U.S. civil rights landscape has undergone a massive transformation in the five years since much of corporate America adopted DEI goals in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that followed Floyds death in Minneapolis. A 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions emboldened conservative groups to bring or threaten lawsuits targeting corporate initiatives such as employee resource groups and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups. Walmart, McDonalds , Ford, Harley-Davison and John Deere are among the well-known consumer brands that reduced or phased out their DEI commitments in recent months. President Donald Trump this week signaled his administrations agreement with conservatives who argue that policies designed to increase minority representation by considering factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation are unconstitutional. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending DEI programs across the federal government. The order calls for revoking all DEI mandates, policies, preferences and activities, along with the review and revision of existing employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs. Unlike some of the companies retooling or retiring their diversity initiatives, Targets work to build a more inclusive workforce predated 2020, and the company also was long seen as a trailblazer with respect to LGBTQ+ inclusion. But the employee memo shared Friday said Target no longer would participate in surveys designed to gauge the effectiveness of its actions, including an annual index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ rights organization. Target said it would further evaluate corporate partnerships to ensure theyre connected directly to business objectives, but declined to share details.Getting corporations to withdraw from the Human Rights Campaigns Corporate Equality Index and to stop sponsoring Pride activities have been goals of DEI opponents. Steering clear of a backlash from conservative customers and organizations is something that Target has tried to navigate for a while. As transgender rights became a more prominent issue in 2016, the company declared that inclusivity is a core belief at Target and said it supported transgender employees and customers using whichever restroom or fitting room corresponds with their gender identity. But after some customers threatened to boycott Target stores, the company said that more stores would make available a single-toilet bathroom with a door that could be locked.In 2023, Target removed some of its Pride Month merchandise after online complaints and in-store confrontations that the retailer said threatened employees well-being. The company decided last year not to stock Pride Month products at every U.S. store. Still, some prominent companies have resisted public pressure to retreat from their diversity plans. On Thursday, Costco shareholders rejected a proposal urging the wholesale club operator to evaluate any risks posed by its diversity, equity and inclusion practices.According to preliminary results shared by Costco executives, more than 98% of shares voted against the proposal submitted by a conservative think tank based in Washington. Costcos board of directors had recommended a no vote. ANNE DINNOCENZIO DInnocenzio writes about retail, trends, the consumer economy and hourly workers for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)2025-01-24T17:57:05Z FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) President Donald Trump has ended the federal security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who advised him on the COVID-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.Fauci is the latest in a string of former Trump aides-turned-critics to see their federal protection canceled despite ongoing threats to their lives.Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Friday, Trump said he wouldnt feel any responsibility if harm befell the former government officials. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, said that Faucis federal security detail was ended on Thursday and that he has since hired private security.When asked about Fauci and former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump said, They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security, too. Trump, a Republican, earlier this week revoked protection details for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well as Bolton. All have faced threats from Iran since they took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic during Trumps first administration and fell out with him in the years after he left office in 2021. Fauci was a regular at Trumps side early in the COVID-19 outbreak but grew critical of Trump after the president tried to undermine public health guidance. Fauci faced regular threats to his life and has received federal protection for years. Bolton, Hook and Pompeo had their security details repeatedly renewed by the Biden administration because of credible and ongoing threats from Iran. Faucis was also repeatedly renewed by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, because of domestic threats.You cant have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government, Trump said. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll watches play in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)2025-01-24T15:53:16Z The Las Vegas Raiders are negotiating a deal to hire Pete Carroll to be their new head coach, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract hasnt been finalized.The 73-year-old Carroll returns to the sideline after leading Seattle to two NFC championships and the franchises only Super Bowl title during a 14-year stretch that ended following the 2023 season.He joins a team thats partly owned by Tom Brady, who beat Carroll and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl 10 years ago. Brady watched from the sideline as Malcolm Butler picked off Russell Wilsons pass at the goal line to seal the victory for the New England Patriots.Brady is believed to have a major hand in the hiring process for this job and the general manager spot, which was filled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek on Wednesday. The club, however, has not announced Spyteks hire. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, finished his career with the Bucs. The Raiders fired coach Antonio Pierce after going 4-13 in his first full season. Pierce was 5-4 as an interim coach in 2023 after replacing Josh McDaniels. Carroll becomes the teams 14th head coach since Jon Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay in 2002. He will become the fifth coach, including those in an interim role, since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020. The once-proud organization with three Super Bowl trophies and the motto Commitment to Excellence has appeared in just two playoffs since making the championship game in the 2002 season. The Raiders lost in the wild-card round in both years.Carroll has the demanding job of trying to revive an organization in an AFC West loaded with proven coaches and quarterbacks who appear to be in place for years to come. It will become the first division to open a season in which each head coach has appeared in a Super Bowl. One of his chief challenges will be what to do at quarterback in a division that includes the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes, the Chargers Justin Herbert and the Broncos Bo Nix. Mahomes is pursuing his fourth Super Bowl title and third in a row. Herbert is considered a potentially top-level QB and Nix just completed a largely successful rookie season.The Raiders pick sixth in the draft this year and likely wont be in position to take one of the top two QBs Colorados Shedeur Sanders and Miamis Cam Ward barring a trade. The free-agent market doesnt appear robust, so the Raiders options might be limited and could return to Aidan OConnell as the starter.If the Raiders are unable to make a major move at quarterback, they will have nearly $100 million in salary-cap space, according to Over The Cap, to bolster the rest of the roster.Carroll began his NFL head coaching career with the New York Jets in 1994, going 6-10. He was 27-21 in three seasons with the Patriots from 1997-99 and joined Seattle in 2010 after nine seasons at Southern California. He led the 2004 Trojans to a national championship and also the 2003 AP national title.Overall, Carroll is 170-120-1 in the NFL.He will become the third coach since 1940 to lead at least four teams, joining Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer.___AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Henderson, Nevada, contributed to this report.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl ROB MAADDI Maaddi is senior NFL writer for The Associated Press. Hes covered the league for 24 years, including the first two decades as the Eagles beat writer. mailto

Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, center, attends the Commander in Chief Ball, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, after the 60th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-01-24T20:33:11Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate is muscling Pete Hegseths nomination as defense secretary toward confirmation Friday, prioritizing his vow to create a warrior culture at the Pentagon over allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.With votes expected late in the evening, the Republican-led Senate is determined to install Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran, and round out President Donald Trumps top national security Cabinet officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe won confirmation within days of Trumps return to the White House. Senate Majority Leader John Thune opened Fridays session saying that Hegseth, as a veteran of the Army National Guard who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, will bring a warriors perspective to the top military job.Gone will be the days of woke distractions, Thune said, referring to the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives being slashed across the federal government. The Pentagons focus will be on war fighting. The Senates ability to confirm Hegseth despite a grave series of allegations against him will provide a measure of Trumps political power and ability to get what he wants from the GOP-led Congress, and use the potency of the culture wars to fuel his agenda at the White House. Next week senators will be facing Trumps other outside Cabinet choices including particularly Kash Patel, a Trump ally who has published an enemies list, as the FBI director; Tulsi Gabbard as director of the office of national intelligence; and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the anti-vaccine advocate at Health and Human Services. So far, Trumps nominees are largely on track.Democrats, as the minority party, have little power to stop Hegesth, and instead have resorted to dragging out the process.Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said during the debate there are few Trump nominees as dangerously and woefully unqualified as Hegesth. Hegseth faces allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at a Republican conference in California, though he has denied the claims and said the encounter was consensual. He later paid $50,000 to the woman. Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trumps nominee for defense secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided to a senator during his confirmation process that The Associated Press has obtained. More recently, Hegseths former sister-in-law said in an affidavit that he was abusive to his second wife to the point that she feared for her safety. Hegseth has denied the allegation, and in divorce proceedings, neither Hegseth nor the woman claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. But Republican senators have stood by Hegseth, echoing his claims of a smear campaign against him. A Princeton and Harvard graduate, Hegseth represents a newer generation of veterans who came of age in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He went on to a career at Fox News as the host of a weekend show, and was unknown to many on Capitol Hill until Trump tapped him for the top Defense job.Hegseths comments that women should have no role in military combat drew particular concern on Capitol Hill, including from lawmakers who themselves served. He has since tempered those views as he met with senators during the confirmation process. All but two Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, have stood by Hegseth amid an avalanche of pressure from Trumps allies and their own fellow GOP senators to back Trumps nominees or face recrimination.Murkowski said in a lengthy statement ahead of a test vote on Hegseth that his behaviors starkly contrast with what is expected of the military.I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join, Murkowski wrote on social media.Collins said that after a lengthy discussion with Hegseth, I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.But one prominent Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, came under harsh criticism for her skepticism toward Hegseth and eventually announced she would back him.Itd sure be helpful if Republicans stood together to confirm Trumps cabinet, fellow GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted online ahead of Fridays voting. Hegseth would lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.During a fiery confirmation hearing, Hegseth dismissed allegations of wrongdoing one by one, and vowed to bring warrior culture to the top Pentagon post.Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job if confirmed.In exercising its advise and consent role over Trumps nominees, the Senate is also trying to stave off his suggestion that the GOP leaders simply do away with the confirmation process altogether, and allow him to appoint his Cabinet choices when the Congress is on recess. Trump raised the idea of so-called recess appointments during a private White House meeting with Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson. But that is an extreme, and potentially difficult, step that some GOP senators want but several other senators on both sides of the aisle are trying to avoid.___

A TikTok logo is shown on a phone in San Francisco, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)2025-01-24T20:34:55Z People are listing phones preloaded with TikTok for tens of thousands of dollars on eBay, Facebook marketplace and other online storefronts though it is not clear if there are many buyers at those prices. TikTok was briefly unavailable to U.S. users over the weekend, but as of Sunday anyone who had previously downloaded it has been able to use it. But the app is still not available for download on Apple and Googles app stores, so anyone who didnt think to get TikTok before Sunday is out of luck. As a result, some entrepreneurial spirits are selling phones and tablets that have TikTok and other apps from its parent company ByteDance, such as Lemon8 and video editor CapCut. On eBay, listings could be found for as much as $50,000 (or as little as $340) on Friday. While its not clear how many such phones have sold, the ones selling for hundreds have received the most bids. One seller, Nicholas Matthews, who lives in New York, said he decided to sell the phone when he saw that TikTok was in high demand. He listed an iPhone 14 Plus with TikTok for $10,000. As of Friday, Matthews said his highest bid was for $4,550. Im just expecting to sell this one phone, he said.TikTok has about 170 million users in the U.S. The ban does not target individual users, who are technically free to use it as long as they could. Ebay did not immediately respond to a message for comment on the listings on Friday. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump directed his Justice Department to pause enforcement of the ban until early April. But a host of questions remain - including whether Trump has the authority to issue such an order and if TikToks China-based parent would be amenable to selling the popular social media platform.

The Supreme Court in Washington, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)2025-01-24T21:37:01Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court agreed Friday to take on a new culture war dispute: whether the nations first publicly funded religious charter school should be allowed to open in Oklahoma.The justices said they would review an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that invalidated a state boards approval of an application by the Catholic Church in Oklahoma to open a charter school.The conservative-dominated high court has issued several decisions in recent years signaling a willingness to allow public funds to flow to religious entities. At the same time, conservative-led states have sought to insert religion into public schools, including Louisianas requirement that the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms.The case probably will be argued in late April and decided by early summer. Justice Amy Coney Barrett is not taking part in the case, but did not explain why. Last June, Oklahomas top court held by a 7-1 vote that a taxpayer-funded religious charter school would violate the part of the First Amendment that prohibits government from making any law respecting an establishment of religion. The decision followed a 3-2 vote in 2023 by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to approve an application by the archdiocese for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School. The K-12 online school had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith. A group of Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and a public education nonprofit sued to block the school.Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school, Justice James Winchester, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, wrote in the courts majority opinion. As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian.However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic school curriculum while sponsored by the state. In dissent, Justice Dana Kuehn wrote that excluding St. Isidore from operating a charter school based solely on its religious affiliation would violate a different part of the First Amendment that protects religious freedom.The case puts Oklahomas Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, and its Republican attorney general, Gentner Drummond, on opposing sides. Stitt favors the school. Drummond reversed the advice given to the charter school board by his Republican predecessor, warning that the Catholic charter school would in his view violate the Constitution.___Follow the APs coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-24T22:48:15Z President Donald Trump stepped back into the presidency this week moving quickly to set a new agenda, but from his inaugural address continuing through a flurry of executive actions, press conferences and interviews Trump relied on an array of false and misleading information to support his case. Heres a closer look at the facts.Trump misrepresents election resultsCLAIM: Speaking to attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, Trump said he won by millions of votes in the 2024 election, which gave him a massive mandate from the American people, like hasnt been seen in many years.THE FACTS: Trumps margin of victory in the 2024 election was not as large as he makes it seem. He won the electoral vote 312 to 226, including all seven swing states. The popular vote, however, was far closer, with Trump receiving 49.9% of the vote with 77,303,573 votes cast to Harris 75,019,257 votes (48.4%), according to AP Vote Cast. Thats a difference of 2,284,316 votes. In 2020, Joe Biden defeated Trump by more than 7 million votes. ___CLAIM: In an interview Wednesday night with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump said that he won youth by 36 points.THE FACTS: Thats false. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the 18 to 29 age group by 4 percentage points, 51% to 47%; and the 30 to 44 age group 50% to 47%, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters in the November election. Trump won voters over 45 against Harris, with 52% supporting him. Slightly fewer than half, 47%, voted for Harris.Like all surveys, AP VoteCast results are not an official count of how young people voted, instead providing an estimate that is subject to sampling error. However, other survey estimates also provide no signal that supports Trumps claims. California water policies misrepresented around wildfiresCLAIM: Trump told Hannity that rather than let it go into the Pacific Ocean, California Gov. Gavin Newsom can release the water that comes from north to help fight ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. There is massive amounts of water, rainwater and mountain water that comes due with the snow, comes down when it as it melts, he continued. Trump also claimed that they turned off the spigot from up north in order to protect the Delta smelt.THE FACTS: About 40 percent of Los Angeles city water comes from state-controlled projects connected to northern California, where the Delta smelt fish live, and the state has limited the water it delivers this year. Yet the southern California reservoirs these canals help feed are at above-average levels for this time of year.The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has enough water in storage to meet roughly three years of water demand, said Deven Upadhyay, the agencys interim general manager.We can deliver what our agencies need, he said.Some fire hydrants in Los Angeles ran dry in early efforts to fight the fires, prompting a swirl of criticism on social media, including from Trump. But state water supplies are not to blame for hydrants running dry and a key reservoir near Pacific Palisades that was not filled. The problem with the hydrants was that they were overstressed, and the Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty because it was undergoing maintenance. Newsom has called for an investigation into how the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power managed both issues.The farms-versus-fish debate is one of the most well-worn in California water politics and doesnt always fall along party lines. Some environmentalists think Newsom is too friendly to farming interests. But that debate is not connected to fire-related water troubles in Los Angeles.Two complex systems of dams and canals channel rain and snowmelt from the mountains in northern California and route it south. Both transport water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an estuary that provides critical habitat to fish and wildlife including salmon and the delta smelt.The delta connects inland waterways to the Pacific, and keeping a certain amount of water flowing through helps support fish populations and the waterway itself. Jan. 6 attacks on police downplayedCLAIM: Asked by Hannity why he pardoned Jan. 6 rioters who attacked police at the Capitol, Trump said, They were treated like the worst criminals in history. And you know what they were there for? They were protesting the vote because they knew the election was rigged and they were protesting the vote. He noted that some of the rioters engaged with police, but they were very minor incidents.THE FACTS: Rioters at the Capitol engaged in hand-to-hand combat with police and many of the rioters were carrying weapons, including firearms, knives, brass knuckle gloves, a pitchfork, a hatchet, a sledgehammer and a bow. They also used makeshift weapons, such as flagpoles, a table leg, a hockey stick and a crutch, to attack officers. One officer was crushed in a doorframe and another suffered a heart attack after a rioter pressed a stun gun against his neck and repeatedly shocked him. One rioter was charged with climbing scaffolding and firing a gun in the air during the melee. The rioters broke through windows and doors, ransacking the Capitol and briefly occupying the Senate chamber. Senators had evacuated minutes earlier. They also tried to break into the House chamber, breaking glass windows and beating on the doors. But police held them off with guns drawn.About 1,100 of the rioters had been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds of them receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years, before Trump on Tuesday pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the riot. Approximately one-quarter had been charged with assault or physical violence.It is true, however, that hundreds of people who went into the Capitol but did not attack police or damage the building were charged only with misdemeanors.Inflated immigration numbers CLAIM: Trump said during his interview with Hannity that it was a gross miscarriage of common sense to let 21 million enter the U.S. illegally.THE FACTS: That figure is highly inflated. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports more than 10.8 million arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico from January 2021 through December 2024.Thats arrests, not people. Under pandemic-era asylum restrictions, many people crossed more than once until they succeeded because there were no legal consequences for getting turned back to Mexico. So the number of people is lower than the number of arrests.According to the Department of Homeland Securitys latest available estimate, at least 11 million people were living illegally in the U.S. as of January 2022, 79% of whom entered before January 2010.FEMA did not end temporary housing assistance for Helene survivorsCLAIM: The government wouldnt do it any longer, which is ridiculous, Trump said during a visit to North Carolina on Friday, referencing temporary housing in hotels provided to survivors of Hurricane Helene by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.THE FACTS: FEMA is still paying for survivors to stay temporarily in hotels through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.I want to be clear, this program is not ending for Western North Carolina, Brett Howard, federal coordinating officer, said in a statement on Monday. We understand the great need survivors have at the time and this program will last as long as necessary.The agency reviews the eligibility of households in the program every two weeks to ensure they still meet the requirements for receiving temporary housing in hotels. Households deemed ineligible can petition the decision.As part of its most recent review, FEMA found that out of 2,700 households it checked in on, approximately 740 were no longer eligible for the Temporary Sheltering Assistance program, according to Mondays statement.Survivors are now given three weeks notice before they must check out of their hotel room, rather than seven days, due to the extenuating circumstances in Western North Carolina, the statement reads.The length of eligibility for an individual survivor will be based on their individual circumstances, Howard added. FEMA staff are working daily with survivors and on their cases to help them find permanent housing solutions.___Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck. MELISSA GOLDIN Goldin debunks, analyzes and tracks misinformation for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This U.S. Department of Education website page is seen on Jan. 24, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-01-24T16:26:40Z WASHINGTON (AP) Federal agencies have begun removing resources for underrepresented Americans from their webpages following President Donald Trumps executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Agencies also have been cancelling staff trainings and shuttering diversity offices to comply with the order from Trump, who has called for all DEI staff to be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.Documents on DEI have been removed from websites at agencies including the Office of Personnel Management, State Department and Department of Homeland Security. Web addresses that once led to DEI pages now display Page Not Found 404 messages or notes above archived material explaining the change. At some agencies, the drive to remove diversity mentions was creating widespread questions and confusion. Lacking clear guidance, Defense Department staff members were pulling websites down in often inconsistent ways. The Army, as an example, temporarily removed its sexual assault guidelines raising questions about what message that might be sending, considering that Trumps defense nominee Pete Hegseth has been involved in sex assault allegations, which he denies. The guidelines were back up late Thursday. Some of the materials that vanished aimed to help agencies recruit diverse workforces and foster a sense of belonging for employees and students in schools across America. Critics say the rollbacks could result in dramatic shifts in hiring and a return to discriminatory practices of the past. Among the sites taken down was a page dedicated to the Inaugural Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity created during the Biden administration. Dorothy Brown, a Georgetown law professor who served on the committee, said the order has far-reaching implications for workforce diversity.Conservatives would say it is wrong to target someone based on their race but that is exactly what Trump is doing, she said. The State Department on Wednesday dismantled its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and removed the link to it from its website. The office had been created by former Secretary of State Antony Blinken with fanfare shortly after he took office and had produced reports identifying strategies for attracting minorities and women into the departments workforce.Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable this week to all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad barring them from flying anything other than the American flag or flags to honor prisoners of war or the wrongfully detained. The directive effectively banned the display of LGBTQ+ pride or Black Lives Matter flags, which had been permitted under the Biden administration.On Thursday night, the Education Department announced it had removed or archived hundreds of guidance documents, reports and training materials. The department said it cancelled contracts totaling more than $2.6 million for staff DEI training.The pages that were taken down include Resources for LGBTQI+ Students, an overview of civil rights laws related to Race, Color, or National Origin Discrimination, and guidance titled Avoid the Discriminatory Use of Artificial Intelligence. An Education Department statement said the deleted pages encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs.Trump has called DEI programs discrimination and insisted on restoring strictly merit-based hiring. Conservative groups have praised the rollback. Parents Defending Education, an organization that has filed lawsuits challenging diversity initiatives at schools, applauded Trump for taking steps to root out these programs permanently.Attacks on DEI often target pipeline programs, which do not change the standards of hiring but simply encourage recruiters to look at different hiring pools, said Antonio Ingram, senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense fund. The disparities based on race and gender seen today are a result of the historical exclusion of women and people of color from opportunities, he said, and are not an arbitrary outcome. The elimination of programs to ensure a diverse government workforce could be felt for years, he said. There will be generations who dont even know what they missed out on because there has been such an erasure and such a revision and such a redirection of federal resources, he said. I guess the real tragedy is that there were tools that could have been used to create more belonging, more justice.At schools, advocates say the crackdown will mean a loss of resources that foster success for students who historically were deprived of adequate learning opportunities, including tools that help teachers address achievement gaps. The now-dissolved Education Department bodies include the Diversity & Inclusion Council, established under President Barack Obama, and the Employee Engagement Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Council, which had been housed under its Office for Civil Rights. The departments Equity Action Plan has also been withdrawn. According to a snapshot of the plans former webpage, the initiative intended in part to improve college access, affordability and completion for underserved students.Also Friday, the departments Office for Civil Rights announced it dismissed 11 complaints alleging book bans had created a hostile environment for kids. The department said the complaints over restrictions on titles about race or LGBTQ+ issues were meritless. The office also rescinded all guidance that framed book bans as a violation of civil rights laws. ___Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein, Lolita C. Baldor, and Matthew Lee in Washington; Sharon Lurye in New Orleans; and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. ANNIE MA Ma is an Associated Press national writer who covers K-12 education. twitter mailto

Dr. Eithan Haim walks out of the Bob Casey United States Courthouse after appearing for an arraignment hearing, June 17, 2024, in Houston. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)2025-01-24T23:33:10Z DALLAS (AP) Federal prosecutors on Friday dropped the case against a Texas doctor who called himself a whistleblower on transgender care for minors and was accused of illegally obtaining private information on patients who werent under his care.The dismissal of the case against Dr. Eithan Haim in U.S. district court in Houston comes as the Trump administration in its first week has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights. Prosecutors had said that Haim, a 34-year-old surgeon, took the information and shared it with a conservative activist with intent to cause malicious harm to Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston, one of the nations largest pediatric hospitals. Haim pleaded not guilty in June to four counts of wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information, saying outside the courthouse that he had done nothing wrong. Were going to fight this tooth and nail, stand up for whistleblowers everywhere, Haim said in June.Ryan Patrick, one of Haims attorneys, said the dismissal speaks to the veracity of their case, and they are very happy for Dr. Haim and his family that this ordeal is finally over. Haim works in the Dallas area but had previously worked at Texas Childrens Hospital as part of his residency. The indictment alleged that Haim asked to reactivate his login there and in 2023 began accessing information on pediatric patients not under his care and then turned it over to a media contact. Haim has publicly identified himself as the person who gave the information about patients at Texas Childrens to a conservative activist, who published a story that the hospital was providing transgender care for minors in secret. At the time, transgender care for minors was legal in Texas, but the hospital had announced in 2022 that it would stop would stop gender-affirming care. A ban in Texas on transgender care for minors went into effect in September 2023. Texas Childrens said in a statement Friday that they defer to and respect the Justice Departments decisions in the case. In previous statements, hospital officials said its doctors have always provided care within the law. Haim, who had been released on bond, faced up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this April 10, 2015, file photo, Richard Lapointe, center, raises his arms with Kate Germond, left, and Paul Casteleiro, both of Centurion Ministries, after he was granted bail and released at the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford Conn. (Jared Ramsdell/Journal Inquirer via AP, File)2025-01-24T21:09:06Z HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) More than four years after his death, Richard Lapointes family is set to receive a nearly $5.9 million award from Connecticut for his wrongful, quarter-century imprisonment that ended in 2015 when his murder conviction was overturned in the rape and killing of his wifes 88-year-old grandmother.Lapointes case became a cause celebre, receiving widespread publicity from advocates for the disabled and celebrities, including writers Arthur Miller and William Styron, who called for his release. Lapointe, who died at age 74 in 2020, had Dandy-Walker syndrome, a rare congenital brain malformation that his lawyers believe was a factor in his falsely confessing to the crime.The award by the state claims commissioners office, which now moves to the legislature for approval, was issued Jan. 2 after years of legal battles between Lapointes lawyers and the state attorney generals office. Lapointe was never declared innocent, but the two sides eventually agreed to settle, leading to the award. The award is by no means adequate compensation for what was done to Richard Lapointe, his attorney, Paul Casteleiro, said Friday. He said the state destroyed his life for a crime he did not commit.The award, he said, is a recognition by the state of the wrong it committed in prosecuting and imprisoning an innocent man. Sadly, Richard did not live long enough to witness his final vindication. Asked about the award and Lapointes case, the attorney generals office released a brief statement Friday saying it negotiated a resolution of this claim in the interests of all parties. This reflects that process.In his decision, Claims Commissioner Robert Shea Jr. said his office agreed that the award is reasonable and appropriate. The agency decides whether people can file lawsuits against the state or receive money under the states wrongful incarceration law. A spokesperson for the claims commissioners office did not immediately return an email message seeking additional comment.Bernice Martin, the grandmother of Lapointes wife, was found stabbed, raped and strangled in 1987 in her burning apartment in Manchester, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Hartford.Lapointe, a dishwasher, was convicted of murder in 1992 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release, with key evidence including confessions he made during a 9 1/2-hour interrogation by Manchester police. His lawyers argued his mental disability made him vulnerable to giving false confessions, and alleged the confession was coerced without any defense lawyers present.The state Supreme Court ruled 4-2 in 2015 that Lapointe was deprived of a fair trial because prosecutors failed to disclose notes by a police officer that may have supported an alibi defense. Later the same year, prosecutors said new DNA testing did not implicate Lapointe and all the charges were dropped. No one else has been charged in the killing.Ten days after the courts ruling, Lapointe was freed and emerged from the Hartford courthouse wearing a black T-shirt that read I didnt do it. He threw his hands into the air in triumph. Of course I didnt do it, Lapointe said. That wasnt me. I wouldnt do nothing like that to nobody. I wouldnt even kill my worst enemy.Casteleiro said the case destroyed Lapointes family, who shunned him. Before the killing, Lapointe and his wife, who has cerebral palsy, were making a life together. They were doing OK, Casteleiro said. She divorced him after his arrest, and he lost all contact with his son, who was young at the time.After he was released from prison, Lapointe began suffering from dementia, was placed in a nursing home in East Hartford and died after a bout with COVID-19, his lawyers said.Through the years, he was supported by an array of advocates, including the groups Friends of Richard Lapointe and Centurion, a Princeton, New Jersey-based organization for whom Casteleiro works that helps the wrongly convicted.

A mural of female Israeli soldiers held hostage by the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip is displayed in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)2025-01-25T03:41:50Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel and Hamas were expected to swap more hostages for Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, the second such exchange since a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip last weekend and another test for the deal.The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group. The fragile deal has so far held, quieting airstrikes and rockets and allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory.When the ceasefire started Sunday, three hostages held by the militants were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. On Saturday, four hostages are expected to be freed for 200 prisoners, including 120 who are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis. They will likely be released into Gaza or sent abroad. The four Israeli soldiers, Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19, were captured in Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.They were taken from Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza when Palestinian militants overran it, killing more than 60 soldiers there. The female abductees had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border. A fifth female soldier in their unit, Agam Berger, 20, was abducted with them but not included in the list. After the swap, Israel is expected to begin pulling back from the Netzarim corridor an east-west road dividing Gaza in two and allowing displaced Palestinians in the south to return to their former homes in the north for the first time since the beginning of the war. Palestinians will only be allowed to move north on foot, with vehicular traffic restricted until later in the ceasefire.What happens after the deals initial six-week phase is uncertain, but many hope it will lead to the end of a war that has leveled wide swaths of Gaza, displaced the vast majority of its population, and left hundreds of thousands of people at risk of famine. The conflict began with a cross-border attack led by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 others hostage. More than 100 hostages were freed in a weeklong truce the following month. But dozens have remained in captivity for over a year with no contact with the outside world. Israel believes at least a third of the more than 90 captives still inside Gaza were killed in the initial attack or died in captivity.Israels air and ground war, one of the deadliest and most destructive in decades, has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were militants. They say women and children make up more than half the fatalities.___Follow coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks after being sworn in by Vice President JD Vance in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-24T19:11:02Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trumps return to Washington WASHINGTON (AP) The State Department ordered a sweeping freeze Friday on new funding for almost all U.S. foreign assistance, making exceptions for emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt.The order threatened a quick halt to many of the billions of dollars in U.S.-funded projects globally to support health, education, development, job training, anti-corruption, security assistance and other efforts.The U.S. provides more foreign aid globally than any other country, budgeting about $60 billion in 2023, or about 1% of the U.S. budget.Secretary of State Marco Rubios order, delivered in a cable sent to U.S. embassies worldwide, specifically exempted emergency food programs, such as those helping to feed millions in a widening famine in warring Sudan. The cable spells out the execution of the aid-freezing executive order President Donald Trump signed on Monday. But Fridays order especially disappointed humanitarian officials by not including specific exemptions for life-saving health programs, such as clinics and immunization programs. A globally acclaimed anti-HIV program, the Presidents Emergency Relief Plan for AIDS Relief, was among those included in the spending freeze, slated to last at least three months. Known as PEPFAR, the program is credited with saving 25 million lives, including those of 5.5 million children, since it was started by Republican President George W. Bush. Some aid projects began receiving their first stop-work orders under the freeze Friday afternoon. Some leading aid organizations also were interpreting the directive as an immediate stop-work order for U.S.-funded aid work globally, a former senior U.S. Agency for International Development official said. Many would likely cease operations immediately so as not to incur more costs, the official said. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Suspending funding could have life or death consequences for children and families around the world, said Abby Maxman, head of Oxfam America.By suspending foreign development assistance, the Trump administration is threatening the lives and futures of communities in crisis, and abandoning the United States long-held bipartisan approach to foreign assistance which supports people based on need, regardless of politics, Maxman said in a statement.At the United Nations, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said: These are bilateral decisions but nonetheless we expect those nations who have the capability to generously fund development assistance.While Rubios order exempted military assistance to allies Israel and Egypt from the freeze, there was no indication of a similar waiver to allow vital U.S. military assistance to Ukraine through. The Biden administration pushed military aid to Ukraine out the door before leaving office because of doubts about whether Trump would continue it. But there is still about $3.85 billion in congressionally authorized funding for any future arms shipments to Ukraine and it is now up to Trump to decide whether or not to spend it. The sweeping freeze begins enforcement of a pledge from Trump and other Republicans to crack down on U.S. aid programs. Also on Friday, the State Department agency overseeing refugee and resettlement sent guidance to the resettlement agencies it works with, saying they had to immediately suspend all work under the foreign assistance they were receiving. While there was little clarity in the guidance, the notification suggests resettlement agencies that work with refugees, including Afghans who arrived on special immigrant visas, might have to halt their work at least temporarily.Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast, the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, promised this week that Republicans would question every dollar and every diplomat in the State Departments budget to ensure it met their standards for strictly necessary.The freeze was necessary to ensure that appropriations are not duplicated, are effective, and are consistent with President Trumps foreign policy, the global cable stated. Within the next month, standards for a review of all foreign assistance are expected to be set to ensure that it is aligned with President Trumps foreign policy agenda, the cable said. And within three months, the government-wide review is expected to be completed with a subsequent report to be produced for Rubio to make recommendations to the president.___Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Rebecca Santana contributed. ELLEN KNICKMEYER Foreign policy, national security, foreign policy & climate twitter FARNOUSH AMIRI Amiri covers Congress for The Associated Press, with a focus on foreign policy and congressional investigations. She previously covered politics for AP as a statehouse reporter based in Columbus, Ohio. twitter mailto

Members of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of America sit during a news conference in the Chinatown district of San Francisco on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)2025-01-25T05:05:50Z President Donald Trump has said since his first administration that he wants to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional right for everyone born in the United States. This week he issued an executive order that would eliminate it, upending more than a century of precedent. On Thursday, however, a federal judge temporarily blocked it after 22 states quickly mounted a legal challenge. Over the years the right to citizenship has been won by various oppressed or marginalized groups after hard-fought legal battles. Heres a look at how birthright citizenship has applied to some of those cases and how the Justice Department is using them today to defend Trumps order.Citizenship for Native AmericansNative Americans were given U.S. citizenship in 1924. The Justice Department has cited their status as a legal analogy to justify Trumps executive order in court. Arguing that birth in the United States does not by itself entitle a person to citizenship, the person must also be subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. It raised a case from 1884 that found members of Indian tribes are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and are not constitutionally entitled to Citizenship, the department said. Many scholars take a dim view of the validity of that analogy. Its not a good or even new legal argument, said Gerald L. Neuman, a professor of international, foreign and comparative law at Harvard Law School. But its got a bigger political movement behind it, and its embedded in a degree of openly expressed xenophobia and prejudice. Some say the legal analogy to the citizens of tribal nations plays directly into that. Its not a valid comparison, said Leo Chavez, a professor and author at the University of California, Irvine, who studies international migration. Its using the heat of race to make a political argument rather than a legal argument. Theyre digging into old, archaic Indian law cases, finding the most racist points they can in order to win, said Matthew Fletcher, a professor of law at the University of Michigan and a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Theres nothing sacred in the Department of Justice. Theyll do anything they can to win. For Spanish and Mexican descendantsIn addition to his order on birthright citizenship, Trump has directed immigration arrests to be expanded to sensitive locations such as schools. That holds special implications in the border state of New Mexico, where U.S. citizenship was extended in 1848 to residents of Mexican and Spanish descent under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the U.S.-Mexico war.The states 1912 Constitution includes a guarantee saying children of Spanish descent in the state of New Mexico shall never be denied the right and privilege of admission and attendance at public schools and they shall never be classed in separate schools, but shall forever enjoy perfect equality with other children.State Attorney General Ral Torrez has highlighted that provision in guidance to K-12 schools about how to respond to possible surveillance, warrants and subpoenas by immigration authorities. The guidance notes that children cannot be denied access to public education based on immigration status, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent. For enslaved peopleThe issue of whether enslaved people were eligible for U.S. citizenship came to the forefront in 1857 when the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 against Dred Scott, a slave, and his bid to sue for freedom. In their decision, the court said Black people were not entitled to citizenship and even claimed they were inferior to white people.The Dred Scott decision contributed to the start of the Civil War. With the Norths victory over the South, slavery became outlawed. Among the constitutional protections put in place for formerly enslaved people, Congress ratified the 14th Amendment in 1868, guaranteeing citizenship for all, including Black people.All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside, the 14th Amendment says. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.That effectively nullified the Dred Scott ruling. For children of immigrantsAll children born in the U.S. to immigrants have the right to citizenship thanks to a Chinese man whose landmark 1898 case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco to parents from China. But when he tried to return to the U.S. after a visit to that country, the government denied him reentry under the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which restricted immigration from China and barred Chinese immigrants from ever becoming U.S. citizens.Wong argued that he was a citizen because he was born in the U.S. In siding with him, the Supreme Court made explicit that the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment automatically confers citizenship to all U.S.-born people regardless of their parents status. In its 6-2 decision, the court said that to deny Wong citizenship because of his parentage would be to deny citizenship to thousands of persons of English, Scotch, Irish, German, or other European parentage who have always been considered and treated as citizens of the United States.The ruling was a huge relief for the Chinese community as there was evidence that others were being denied entry, said Bill Ong Hing, a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law. They carried birth certificates and applied for passports proving they were born in the U.S.All the Supreme Court concentrated on was, Are you subject to the jurisdiction to the United States when youre born here? Hing said. And the answer is yes.Hing was among Chinese American leaders who criticized Trumps order during a news conference Friday at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in San Franciscos Chinatown. The association helped Wong with his legal case.Annie Lee, policy director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, said that Trumps executive order affects all immigrants and children of immigrants, regardless of legal status.When a racist man screams at me to go back to my country, he does not know or care if I am a U.S. citizen, if I am here on a work visa or if I am undocumented, she said. He looks at me and feels like I do not belong here. So make no mistake that the white supremacy which animates this illegal executive order impacts us all.___Associated Press writer Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed. GRAHAM LEE BREWER Brewer reports for the APs Race and Ethnicity team, focusing on Indigenous communities and tribal nations. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is based in Oklahoma. twitter mailto

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)2025-01-25T08:21:14Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Yemens Houthi rebels unilaterally released 153 war detainees Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.They had signaled Friday night they planned a release of prisoners, part of their efforts to ease tensions after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. However, the release follows the Houthis detaining another seven Yemeni workers from the United Nations, sparking anger from the world body. The Red Cross said it welcomes this unilateral release as another positive step towards reviving negotiations over ending the countrys long-running war. This operation has brought much-needed relief and joy to families who have been anxiously waiting for the return of their loved ones, said Christine Cipolla, the ICRCs head of delegation in Yemen. We know that many other families are also waiting for their chance to be reunited. We hope that todays release will lead to many more moments like this. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the release had happened. The rebels said earlier this week they would limit their attacks on ships in the Red Sea corridor and released the 25-member crew of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they seized back in November 2023 as the Gaza ceasefire took hold. They have previously detained U.N. staffers, as well as individuals associated with the once-open U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemens capital, aid groups and civil society. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late Friday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the seven, as well as all other U.N. workers held by the Houthis, some since 2021. The continued targeting of U.N. personnel and its partners negatively impacts our ability to assist millions of people in need in Yemen, he warned in a statement. The Houthis must deliver on their previous commitments and act in the best interests of the Yemeni people and the overall efforts to achieve peace in Yemen. The U.N. has halted work in Yemen, which provides food, medicine and other aid to the impoverished nation.U.S. President Donald Trump separately has moved to reinstate a terrorism designation he made on the group late in his first term that had been revoked by President Joe Biden, potentially setting the stage for new tensions with the rebels. It isnt clear if the Houthis viewed the U.N. detentions as being linked to the decision. 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 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters are deployed in central Gaza City ahead of the planned release of four Israeli female hostages set to be handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Abed Hajjar)2025-01-25T09:15:59Z Hamas militants on Saturday released four female Israeli soldiers they held captive for 15 months in a planned exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees in Israel. Its the second exchange since a fragile ceasefire took effect last weekend, halting the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks during which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed while more aid flows in. In return for the four soldiers, Israel should free 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 militants serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners. Israels war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The ministry doesnt distinguish between combatants and civilians. The war was sparked by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people. ___Heres the latest: Palestinians release a list of 200 prisoners to be released from Israel RAMALLAH, West Bank Palestinian authorities have released a list of 200 Palestinian prisoners and detainees expected to be released from Israel in exchange for four female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in Gaza. The list includes 120 militants serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. The rest are serving lengthy sentences.The list shows that 70 of the prisoners will not be allowed to return to their homes in the occupied West Bank or Jerusalem and will be required to live in exile. Its unclear exactly where they will go. The more notorious militants being released include Mohammad Odeh, 52, and Wael Qassim, 54, both from east Jerusalem. They were accused of carrying out a series of deadly Hamas attacks against Israelis, including a bombing at a cafeteria at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2002 that killed nine people, including five U.S. citizens. Another prisoner set to be released is Mohammed Aradeh, 42, an Islamic Jihad militant, who become something of a Palestinian folk hero in 2021 along with five other prisoners after they used spoons to tunnel their way out of Israels most secure prison in an extraordinary escape that stunned Israelis and Palestinians alike.4 female soldiers freed by Hamas as part of Gaza ceasefire are with Israeli forcesDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Four female soldiers freed from captivity in the Gaza Strip are with Israeli forces, the second such release as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.Israel confirmed it had received the freed hostages on Saturday. The truce, which began Sunday, is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group. The four Israeli soldiers, Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were captured in Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. Lebanese army blames Israel for delay in deploying troops in southern Lebanon BEIRUT The Lebanese army on Saturday said it has been unable to deploy its forces throughout southern Lebanon as laid out in a ceasefire agreement that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war because of Israels procrastination in withdrawal from the area.Under the deal reached in November, Israel is supposed to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by Sunday, after which the Lebanese armed forces would patrol the buffer zone in southern Lebanon alongside U.N. peacekeepers to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing a military presence there.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Friday that Israel might not withdraw by the deadline, and Washington appears prepared to push for an extension. Netanyahu said the Lebanese government hasnt yet fully enforced the agreement, an apparent reference to the deployment of Lebanese troops.The Lebanese army statement said procrastination in the withdrawal by the Israeli enemy complicates the armys deployment mission. It said it maintains readiness to complete its deployment immediately after the Israeli enemy withdraws.It called on displaced Lebanese not to return to their areas until they receive instructions, citing the danger of landmines and explosives. Some 112,000 Lebanese remain displaced. There have been calls for protests on Sunday if Israel does not fully withdraw. Crowds gather in Tel Aviv and Gaza City ahead of the release of hostages and prisoners DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Crowds began to gather in Tel Aviv and Gaza City on Saturday ahead of the expected swap between Israel and Hamas of more hostages for Palestinian prisoners. In Tel Avivs Hostages Square, a big screen showed the faces of the four female soldiers expected to be released. Some in the growing crowd wore Israeli flags, others held posters with the hostages faces.Im extremely excited, exhilarated, said onlooker Gili Roman. In a heartbeat, in a split of a second, their lives are going to turn upside again, but right now for a positive and a good side.He said his sister was released in the only other ceasefire in November, but another relative was killed in captivity. In Gaza Citys central Palestine Square, a crowd began to gather early as militants worked to cordon off an area where the hostages were expected to be handed over to the Red Cross.Dozens of armed and masked militants also paraded in vehicles through the streets of the city, said resident Radwan Abu Rawiya who was part of the Palestine Square crowd.Children ran alongside the militants vehicles as celebratory gunfire rang out, he said in a telephone interview.People are celebrating and waiting to see the hostages, he said.

Border Patrol Agent Gutierrez walks past four men detained after crossing the border illegally in a gap in two walls separating Mexico from the United States before turning themselves in, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)2025-01-25T05:05:32Z SAN DIEGO (AP) Long stretches of silence on a Border Patrol scanner are punctuated with updates on tracking a single migrant for hours. The radio traffic sounds like a throwback to earlier times, before the United States became the largest destination for asylum-seekers in 2017.Theres a pair way down there. Well see if they start moving up, one agent says.Yeah, maybe theyll try to move north in a bit, another responds.Saying that Americas sovereignty is under attack, President Donald Trumps declaration of a border emergency comes at a time of relative calm after years of deep turmoil. Active-duty military arrived Thursday in San Diego and in El Paso, Texas, as part of an initial deployment of 1,500 troops. Arrests for illegal border crossings plummeted more than 80% to about 47,000 in December from an all-time high of 250,000 the same period a year earlier. Arrests fell by about half when Mexican authorities increased enforcement within their own borders a year ago and by about half again when former President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June. For Trump, Biden didnt go nearly far enough. The last monthly gauge of border arrests under Biden hovered near 4 1/2-year lows and was below much of 2019, during Trumps first term, but about triple from April 2017, early in Trumps presidency and a low point that he highlighted on giant charts at campaign rallies. The Associated Press joined the Border Patrol for six hours Thursday in San Diego, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings much of the last year, and found no migrants until the last half-hour. Three Chinese men and one Malaysian turned themselves in to agents minutes after walking through a gap in the border wall. Almost simultaneously, eight from India and one from Nepal crossed and waited for agents. The men were taken for processing to large white tents that opened during Bidens presidency. It was unclear what happened to them after that, but one of Trumps biggest challenges is the enormous cost and diplomatic challenge of deporting people to faraway places. The governments of Venezuela and Nicaragua, both U.S. adversaries, refuse to take their citizens back, for example. Cuba allows only limited flights. The job of a Border Patrol agent has changed dramatically in recent months, away from quickly processing and releasing asylum-seekers with notices to appear in immigration court. Agents are returning to a more traditional role tracking individuals and small groups trying to elude capture. Many agents chafed under Biden as arrests topped 2 million for two straight years, though traffic slowed sharply before Trump took office on Monday. The Border Patrol released fewer than 7,000 migrants in the U.S. in December, down 96% from nearly 192,000 a year earlier. El Paso reported 211 were released there in the third week of January, down from more than 10,000 a week in December 2023. In San Diego on Thursday, agents focused on an area of deceptively treacherous mountain trails with expansive views of Tijuana, Mexico, its urban sprawl and industrial warehouses in San Diego. Migrants who elude capture walk as long as two days in the wilderness before arriving at smugglers vehicles. Agents parked in staging areas follow their movements and discuss when to move in. Does anyone have eyes on them? You cant miss them, one agent says on the radio. Potentially two so far, another chimes in. Less than a year ago, agents were overwhelmed by surrendering asylum-seekers who waited up to several days in the heat or cold, with the exposure of children to the dangerous temperatures inviting a judges scrutiny. On some nights hundreds were gathered border walls in San Diego, as volunteers passed bandages, aspirin, juice and sandwiches between slats in the barrier.In remote, boulder-strewn mountains east of San Diego, large groups crossed nightly, many from China and South America. Within a day or two, asylum-seekers were dropped off at a bus stop in San Diego. Karen Parker provides support and medical attention to migrants in the mountains, such as treating broken ankles, cuts and parasite wounds. She said she encountered 600 to 800 people per night a year ago, but by early January there were mostly small groups with an occasional larger one of around 40. Since Trump took office, Parker said, it has been a dead standstill, perhaps partly a result of freezing temperatures and wildfires.Parker sees more people getting picked up in sedans, a likely sign of smuggling activity, than last year when border crossers generally waited for the patrol to release them with notices to appear in immigration court. Arrests in the San Diego sector plunged to an average of 236 a day during the last week of Bidens presidency, from more than 1,400 a day in April. Wednesdays arrest tally was 136. Trumps orders will hinge to a large extent on how he pays for detention and transportation, as well as how he manages countries that wont take back their citizens. During his first term, he used emergency powers to divert billions of dollars from the Defense Department for a border wall.To protect the security and safety of United States citizens, to protect each of the States against invasion, and to uphold my duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, it is my responsibility as President to ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the United States via the southern border be immediately and entirely stopped, Trump said Monday in his emergency declaration.In Arizona, Pima County said Thursday it was closing two migrant shelters in Tucson because the government has stopped releasing people to them. Since 2019, the county had sheltered more than 518,000 migrants. Jewish Family of Service of San Diego said Friday its shelter had not received any migrants since the Trump administration ended use of the online border app, CBP One, for migrants to legally enter. It served 791 people the week before Trump took office. ___Associated Press writer Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio greets State Department staff during a welcome event at the State Department, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-01-25T08:30:55Z BEIJING (AP) Chinas veteran foreign minister has issued a veiled warning to Americas new secretary of state: Behave yourself.Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed the message in a phone call Friday, their first conversation since Marco Rubios confirmation as President Donald Trumps top diplomat four days earlier.I hope you will act accordingly, Wang told Rubio, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, employing a Chinese phrase typically used by a teacher or a boss warning a student or employee to behave and be responsible for their actions.The short phrase seemed aimed at Rubios vocal criticism of China and its human rights record when he was a U.S. senator, which prompted the Chinese government to put sanctions on him twice in 2020.It can be translated in various ways in the past, the Foreign Ministry has used make the right choice and be very prudent about what they say or do rather than act accordingly. The vagueness allows the phrase to express an expectation and deliver a veiled warning, while also maintaining the courtesy necessary for further diplomatic engagement, said Zichen Wang, a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, a Chinese think tank. What could appear to be confusing is thus an intended effect originating from Chinese traditional wisdom and classic practice of speech, said Wang, who is currently in a mid-career masters program at Princeton University. Rubio, during his confirmation hearing, cited the importance of referring to the original Chinese to understand the words of Chinas leader Xi Jinping.Dont read the English translation that they put out because the English translation is never right, he said.A U.S. statement on the phone call didnt mention the phrase. It said Rubio told Wang that the Trump administration would advance U.S. interests in its relationship with China and expressed serious concern over Chinas coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea. Wang was foreign minister in 2020 when China slapped sanctions on Rubio in July and August, first in response to U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials for a crackdown on the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region and then over what it regarded as outside interference in Hong Kong.The sanctions include a ban on travel to China, and while the Chinese government has indicated it will engage with Rubio as secretary of state, it has not explicitly said whether it would allow him to visit the country for talks.___Associated Press writers Didi Tang and Fu Ting in Washington contributed to this report. KEN MORITSUGU Moritsugu covers political, economic and social issues from Beijing for The Associated Press. He has also reported from New Delhi, Bangkok and Tokyo and is the APs former news director for Greater China and for Japan and the Koreas. twitter

A group of Jews, including a small boy, is escorted from the Warsaw Ghetto by German soldiers on April 19, 1943. (AP Photo, File)2025-01-25T05:04:59Z WARSAW, Poland (AP) The worlds focus will be on the remaining survivors of Nazi Germanys atrocities on Monday as world leaders and royalty join them for commemorations on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.The main observances take place at the site in southern Poland where Nazi Germany murdered over a million people, most of them Jews, but also Poles, Roma and Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war, gay people and others targeted for elimination in Adolf Hitlers racial ideology.The anniversary has taken on added poignancy due to the advanced age of the survivors, and an awareness that they will soon be gone, even as rising warfare makes their warnings as relevant as ever.The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum says it expects about 50 survivors of Auschwitz and other camps to attend the events on Monday afternoon, joined by political leaders and royalty. On this occasion, the powerful will sit and listen to the voices of the former prisoners, while there is still time to hear them. Auschwitz the labor and death campThe German authorities founded the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1940 in the Polish town of Oswiecim after their invasion of Poland in 1939. Early on it was a camp for Polish prisoners, including Catholic priests and members of the Polish underground resistance. The Germans later established some 40 camps in the area, but the most infamous is Birkenau, a vast site used for mass killings in gas chambers.Those arriving at Birkenau were brought in cramped, windowless cattle trains. At the infamous ramp, the Nazis selected those they could use as forced laborers. The others the elderly, women, children and babies were gassed to death soon after their arrival.Altogether the Germans murdered 6 million Jews, or two-thirds of all of Europes Jews, in the Holocaust at Auschwitz and other camps, in ghettoes and in mass executions close to peoples homes. Liberated by the Red ArmyOn Jan. 27, 1945, Soviet troops arrived at the gates of the Auschwitz and found some 7,000 weak and emaciated prisoners.Boris Polevoy, a correspondent for the Soviet newspaper Pravda who was a first eyewitness, described a scene of unbelievable suffering: I saw thousands of tortured people whom the Red Army had saved people so thin that they swayed like branches in the wind, people whose ages one could not possibly guess.At the time Allied troops were moving across Europe in a series of offensives against Germany. Soviet troops first liberated the Majdanek camp near Lublin in July 1944, and would go on to liberate Auschwitz, Stutthof and others.American and British forces, meanwhile, liberated camps to the west, including Buchenwald, Dachau, Mauthausen, Bergen-Belsen.After liberation day, some prisoners died of disease. Many confronted the grief of murdered parents and children, spouses and siblings. Entire families were wiped out.For Jewish survivors, the liberation day is a very, very sad day, Havi Dreifuss, a historian of the Holocaust at Tel Aviv University said in a recent online discussion about the anniversary. Auschwitz the memorial siteToday the site is a museum and memorial managed by the Polish state, and is one of the most visited sites in Poland. Its mission is to preserve the objects there and the memory of what happened there; it organizes guided tours and its historians carry out research. In 2024, over 1.83 million people visited the site.The museums challenges are huge, and include efforts to conserve barracks and other objects that were never intended to endure for long. One especially emotional project involves the conservation of shoes of murdered children. Auschwitz as a symbol for all the Nazi terrorAuschwitz is not only the place where 1.1 million people, 90% of them Jews, were massacred. It also looms large in the worlds collective memory as the embodiment of all the Nazis crimes, and an example of what hatred, racism and antisemitism can lead to.One reason that Auschwitz has emerged as the leading symbol of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes is that it was also a labor camp and thousands survived, eyewitnesses who could tell the world what happened there.Relatively many people survived, which for example barely happened in sites which didnt have such a forced labor component, said Thomas Van de Putte, a scholar specialized in cultural and collective Holocaust memory at Kings College London.Up to 900,000 people, mostly Jews, were murdered in Treblinka from 1942-43, and mass killings also took place at Belzec and other camps, but the Germans sought to cover up the evidence of their crimes, and there were almost no survivors.At Auschwitz, the Germans left behind barracks and watchtowers, the remains of gas chambers and the hair and personal belongings of people killed there. The Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Will Set You Free) gate is recognized the world over.At Birkenau, what remains has also left its mark on the collective conscience. As Van der Putte notes: You have the gate, you have the wagon. You have the incredibly long railway platform which leads to the former crematoria and gas chambers. Who is goingPresidents, royalty, ambassadors, rabbis and priests will be joining the survivors in a heated tent set up at Birkenau on Monday afternoon.Germany, a country that for decades has been expressing remorse for the nations crimes under Hitler, will be represented by both Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Also attending will be the president of Austria, which was annexed by Germany in 1938, and Italy, whose dictator Benito Mussolini formed an alliance with Hitler.Others attending include Polands President Andrzej Duda, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron. Britains King Charles III, who has long worked to promote Holocaust remembrance, will also attend along with other European royalty, including Spains King Felipe VI.Who wont be thereRussian President Vladimir Putin was an honored guest at the 60th anniversary in 2005, a testament to the Soviet role in liberating Auschwitz and the heavy price paid by Soviet troops in defeating Germany.But he is not welcome anymore due to Russian aggression in Ukraine. It will be the third year in a row following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with no Russia representative.This is the anniversary of liberation. We remember the victims, but we also celebrate freedom. It is hard to imagine the presence of Russia, which clearly does not understand the value of freedom, museum director Piotr Cywiski said.The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza also created a stir about whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should attend or not. The International Criminal Court, the worlds top war crimes court, issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November, accusing him of crimes against humanity for Israeli actions in Gaza. That meant that Poland, as a signatory, would have faced an obligation to arrest him.In the end, the Polish government adopted a resolution vowing to ensure the safe participation of the highest representatives of Israel. Israel, however, is sticking by plans to send its education minister, Yoav Kisch.___Danica Kirka in London and Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., arrives before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)2025-01-25T05:05:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) Delivering his first address as a reinaugurated president, Donald Trump spoke directly to communities that had historically shunned his party.To the Black and Hispanic communities, I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote, Trump said. We set records, and I will not forget it. Ive heard your voices in the campaign, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come.Trump, whose inauguration coincided with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, promised to strive together to make his dream a reality. Its a vow that many prominent Black and Hispanic civil rights leaders view skeptically. But among the conservatives of color who surround Trump, the moment was an endorsement of their biggest hopes, years in the making.This room was impossible twenty years ago, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said Sunday evening during the Legacy of Freedom Ball, a gala of a few hundred mostly Black conservatives who gathered to ring in the new administration. But in 2024 not only are we back, but were bringing Black people and Hispanic people into the Republican Party, Donalds told the crowd. Trumps comments alluded to the record margins he garnered among heavily Black and Hispanic regions of the country compared to past Republican presidential candidates. At galas preceding Trumps inauguration, conservative Black and Hispanic activists and lawmakers toasted to a new era in which many of them hope to play a larger role than in Trumps first term. Theres so much that we expect from the president, and I believe hes going to deliver, said Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, an outspoken conservative who is running to become the states first Black and female governor. Earle-Sears listed stricter immigration policies, cracking down on crime and reducing the federal governments role in education as priorities she believed would speak to Black Americans. Lets just give him a chance, she said. The revelry came after a year of bifurcated messaging from the Trump campaign, which invested in appeals to Black and Hispanic voters while at the same time depicting immigrants and communities of color as violent criminals and the country as beset by diversity and inclusion policies that conservatives view as weakening the nation.But Trumps divisive messages on Black jobs and Hispanic jobs spoke to a view of the economy and society that found salience with some voters, including voters of color, on top of concerns over inflation, rapid technological change and geopolitical unrest abroad.Trump gained a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020, when he lost to Democrat Joe Biden most notably among young Black and Hispanic male voters according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters.Overall, about 16% of Black voters supported Trump in November, while about 8 in 10 voted for Democrat Kamala Harris. But that represented a shift from 2020 when only 8% of Black voters backed Trump and about 9 in 10 went for Biden. Among Hispanic voters, 43% voted for Trump in November, up from about one-third in 2020. Black women are largely the exception to this shift about 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, similar to the share that backed Biden in 2020.At the Hispanic Inaugural Ball the Saturday before Trumps inauguration, GOP members of Congress, state lawmakers and governors mingled with conservative activists and business executives from across the Western Hemisphere. Latin American leaders like Argentinian President Javier Milei and Paraguayan President Santiago Pea rubbed elbows with Republican members of Congress, including Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Mexican actors and Hispanic business executives. Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott all made appearances.I dont think Trump gets enough credit for listening and tailoring his policies in part to what people want in these communities. said Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami. Suarez, who leads a city that is overwhelmingly Hispanic and sits at the nexus of the U.S. and Latin America, said Trump can maintain his support among Hispanic voters and grow it again. It just goes back to the basics. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz rallied gala attendees by recounting the November election, in which many majority-Hispanic counties in his home state that had traditionally backed Democrats flipped to Trump. Cruz, who trailed Trump in many of those same counties as he ran for reelection, called the GOPs inroads with Hispanic voters unprecedented.The Rio Grande Valley has been bright blue for 100 years. Well, Im here to tell you the Rio Grande Valley flipped red, said Cruz, who is Hispanic. That is a generational change for Texas, and it is a generational change for America. Other lawmakers took time to pitch a forward-looking vision. I think the biggest thing is that were beginning to recognize were Americans first. We have different backgrounds, but always share the same dreams. And thats whats happening across the board, said Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, in an interview with The Associated Press. Owens is one of four Black Republicans in the House of Representatives.Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was born in Bogot, Colombia, rejected stereotypes of Hispanics as solely laborers or immigrants and asked the crowd to envision the country after the four years of Trumps term.In four years, America will understand the positive impact of the Hispanic community. And were going to build an alliance between a free South America, a prosperous South America and a strong, free and prosperous United States of America, Moreno said. Thats what were going to get done over the next four years and its going to be the Hispanic community that makes it happen.Black conservatives are energized as well. The GOP did not add any new Black members to Congress this cycle, but activists are hoping to change that in the 2026 midterms. And Donalds, a Florida Republican and one of the most prominent Black surrogates for Trump on the campaign trail, joked to attendees to keep quiet about his ambition for higher office speakers throughout the night referred to him as Governor Donalds.The commingling scenes and aspirations were no accident.Conservative groups like Bienvenido and the Black Conservative Federation, which hosted the balls, had worked for years behind the scenes to build up conservative Black and Hispanic organizing networks. And Trumps orbit has fostered friendly ties with Latin Americans political right, most notably in Trumps friendship with then-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaros wife attended Trumps inauguration.Argentinas Milei and I were friends before he was elected president, said Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidant. We were pen pals, you know, over the internet. Im a strong believer in him. Some in Trumps orbit hope Secretary of State Marco Rubio will deepen Americas ties to right-wing Latin American leaders in the coming years.The exuberance of the night reflected a desire among many Hispanic conservatives to solidify the partys inroads with Hispanic voters and increase their clout in the GOP.Were growing exponentially, said Jaime Florez, the Hispanic communications director for the Trump campaign. And who knows? The first Hispanic president of the United States might be here tonight, he added.___ MATT BROWN Brown is a reporter covering national politics, race and democracy issues. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Madison Keys of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)2025-01-25T05:01:06Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Madison Keys of the United States upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday night to collect her first Grand Slam title at age 29.By adding this win over the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka to an elimination of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals on Thursday saving a match point along the way Keys is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2005 to defeat both of the WTAs top two players at Melbourne Park.Keys, ranked 14th and seeded 19th, was playing in her second major final after being the runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open.She prevented Sabalenka from earning what would have been her third womens trophy in a row at the Australian Open something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997-99 and her fourth major title overall. When it ended, Keys covered her face with her hands, then raised her arms. Soon, she was hugging her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo who has been her coach since 2023 and other members of her team, before sitting on her sideline bench and laughing.Sabalenka chucked her racket afterward, then covered her head with a white towel. The mens final is Sunday, with defending champion Jannik Sinner against Alexander Zverev. Sinner is seeded No. 1, Zverev No. 2.Sinner eliminated American Ben Shelton in the semifinals, while Zverev advanced when 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic stopped playing because of an injury. Keys is the oldest woman to become a first-time major champion since Flavia Pennetta was 33 at the 2015 U.S. Open. This was the 46th Slam appearance for Keys, which ranks as the third-most major tournaments before winning a trophy in the Open era, behind only Pennettas 49 and Marion Bartolis 47 when she won Wimbledon in 2013.It was the more accomplished Sabalenka who was shakier at the outset. Keys broke three times in the first set, helped in part by Sabalenkas four double-faults and 13 total unforced errors. Dont for a moment think this was merely an instance of Sabalenka being her own undoing. Keys certainly had a lot to do with the way things were going, too. She compiled an 11-4 edge in winners in that first set, managing to out-hit the big-hitting Sabalenka repeatedly from the baseline.For a stretch, it seemed as though every shot off the strings of Keys racket the one she switched to ahead of this season to protect her oft-injured right shoulder and to make it easier to control her considerable power was landing precisely where she wanted.Near a corner. On a line. Out of Sabalenkas reach.Also important was the way Keys, whose left thigh was taped for the match, covered every part of the court, racing to get to balls and send them back over the net with intent. On one terrific defensive sequence, she sprinted for a forehand that drew a forehand into the net from Sabalenka, capping a break for a 4-1 lead.Never one to hide her emotions during a match, Sabalenka frequently displayed frustration while trailing on the scoreboard, kicking a ball after netting a volley, dropping her racket after missing an overhead, slapping her leg after an errant forehand. Sabalenka took a trip to the locker room before the second set, and whether that helped clear her head or slowed Keys momentum or both the finals complexion soon changed. Keys first-serve percentage dipped from 86% in the first set to 59% in the second. Sabalenka raised her winner total to 13 in the second set and began accumulating, and converting, break points.When she sent a backhand down the line to force an error by Keys for a break and a 2-1 lead in the second, Sabalenka shook her left fist and gritted her teeth as she walked to the sideline.When she broke again to go up 4-1, Sabalenka marked the occasion with a long and loud scream while looking in the direction of her team.By the time the last set arrived, the action was tight and tense, without so much as a single break point until its final game, when Keys came through with one last forehand winner.___Howard Fendrich has been the APs tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis HOWARD FENDRICH Fendrich is an Associated Press national writer based in Washington, D.C. He reports on tennis and other sports. twitter mailto

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-01-25T05:04:05Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) The corpses keep coming every day, sometimes dozens at a time, brought to morgues in the Gaza Strip after being pried from under 15 months of rubble and pulled from battle zones long too dangerous for search-and-rescue teams to reach.These bodies, dug up as a ceasefire took hold this week, are Gazas missing, the uncounted dead haunting families scattered by the war. For the Gaza Health Ministry, they were reduced to a bullet-point caveat beneath every daily death toll: A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the streets, and cannot be accessed. On Sunday, as a deal between Israel and Hamas paused the deadliest war in a century of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, families across the enclave scrambled to reunite with their loved ones the living, the dead and the missing.Palestinians crowded the ruins that were once their homes, watching anxiously as civil defense teams hacked at the rubble in search of missing bodies. Each day of the ceasefire, the ministry has logged 50 to 120 recovered corpses. From the moment the truce began, we were searching and searching, said Samira Alshaar, 58, who returned Sunday to the house she fled nine months earlier when the southern city of Rafah came under attack. She watched as her son, Ibrahim Qeshta, was killed by an airstrike before he could escape with her. We left our son behind, she said. Ibrahims younger brother, Abdullah Qeshta, clawed Wednesday with his bare hands through blasted concrete and twisted rebar, his face shining with sweat and smeared with the dust of his familys life together. For three days, running on adrenaline, and anguish, he and the civil defense workers said they took breaks only to perform daily prayers and to sleep.Alshaar, looking on, said she felt herself losing hope. But suddenly, the men began to shout. They heaved stones and shards of concrete to the side. In the dirt were ragged pieces of 37-year-old Ibrahims navy blue pajamas, the ones he was wearing on May 6, 2024, when Israeli airstrikes sent everyone running. Ibrahim was running in the opposite direction, shouting to his mother that hed be back in a second and was grabbing blankets inside. Then the house was struck, the walls collapsing onto him.Thats my brothers hair, Im certain, it is him, Abdullah Qeshta said, his voice trembling. Oh God, thank you, God.Ibrahims body was in a state of decay. But in some sense, Alshaar said, she felt content. She could give her son the dignity of a proper burial. She could find a place to mourn him. He can rest now, she said.In an interview, Gaza health official Zaher al-Wahidi put the number of disappeared people and unrecovered bodies at roughly 8,000, based on reports from families about their missing loved ones.Its an estimate thats impossible to verify more than 15 months after Hamas launched its cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, abducting some 250 people, killing about 1,200, mostly civilians, and triggering the Israeli militarys retaliatory campaign. But rescue teams, experts and rights groups agree the Health Ministrys official death toll 47,283, as of Friday, with no distinction between civilians and combatants is a significant undercount. Israel blames Hamas for the heavy civilian casualties because the group embeds itself in residential areas.Missing could mean bodies like Ibrahims rotting under the ruins or in the blazing sun for months, authorities say. In parts of northern Gaza, where constant Israeli airstrikes and crossfire had blocked ambulances and rescue workers, residents tell of finding bloated corpses strewn in the streets.The missing, al-Wahidi said, also includes Palestinians killed and buried before they could be identified, or those marched into Israeli detention centers. Families who accept that their missing are dead have flocked to Gazas forensics offices since the ceasefire took hold. At the main forensics center in Rafah on Wednesday, workers wrapped bodies and small piles of remains in white plastic body bags and placed them on the pavement. Inside, a man brought in to identify a loved one gasped, blinking at a pile of bones. He recognized the scarf and shoe of a family member that was found with them exactly who was unclear. He was too distraught to talk. He let out a moan as he doubled over. Investigators scrawled names on the bags in green marker. If the identity remained unknown, they labeled the bags with numbers in hopes of the long-blockaded Gaza Strip one day obtaining the DNA testing that would allow authorities to return the unclaimed dead to their families.We leave the numbered bags in a specially designated place where the ministry can identify them in the future, said Dr. Ahmed Zuhair, director of Rafahs Department of Forensic Medicine. All we can do is ask international bodies to please, please help us. On Wednesday, officials said some of the recovered bodies had surfaced when recent rains washed away layers of dirt or had been dug up by wild dogs that ripped and scattered peoples limbs.The rest of the remains were found following hours, sometimes days, of digging and hurling aside mountains of rubble with little more than shovels. Civil defense workers reported that Gaza has no more than three excavators the kind of heavy machinery needed for rescue work.We need help from hundreds of rubble removal specialists and thousands of large machines, said al-Wahidi. Otherwise, he warned, we will not be able to recover the bodies. Each day of the ceasefire so far, Mohammad Deifallah, like dozens of other Palestinians, has come to the forensics center in Rafah filled with despairing hope. On Wednesday, he unzipped body bag after body bag, cupping his hand over his nose because of the smell. His brother who he lost 50 days ago, he said, in the chaotic search for safety as Israels bombardment of Rafah intensified was nowhere to be found.I dont know where to go. I checked all these bodies, Deifallah said, lifting a tarp to find a skeleton. Nothing resembles him. Nothing is even recognizable. ___DeBre reported from Jerusalem. Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report. ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto

People walk past the Selection La Habana new hotel, managed by Spanish chain Iberostar, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)2025-01-25T04:59:59Z HAVANA (AP) Its impossible to miss. The huge rectangular mass of concrete and glass the tallest building in Havana dominates the city skyline, towering 150 meters (490 feet) above colonial homes with its 542 luxury rooms and majestic views of the city and the sea.The Selection La Habana hotel, managed by Spanish chain Iberostar, has yet to be inaugurated but it is already the target of criticism and not only for its unusual shape. Cubans are questioning the governments allocation of millions of dollars towards luxury tourism while the island grapples with a severe economic crisis and tourism numbers plummet to historic lows.All that money could have been spent to build hospitals and schools, lamented Susel Borges, a 26-year-old artisan, as she looked up to the towering edifice, known to locals as the K and 23 building because of its location. Located near the legendary Habana Libre hotel and the iconic Coppelia ice cream parlor, the new hotel is part of a government plan to build a dozen luxury establishments mainly in Havana that did not stop even during the COVID-19 pandemic and while existing luxury hotels remained largely unoccupied. For decades, tourism drove the Cuban economy, generating annual revenues of up to $3 billion. But in December, Cuban authorities said only 2.2 million tourists visited the island in 2024, a decrease of roughly 200,000 from 2023 and significantly lower than the 4.2 million tourists who visited in 2019. The government attributes the decline in tourism to a perfect storm of factors including supply shortages, a severe energy crisis causing massive blackouts and a lack of personnel, due to emigration and low wages. Furthermore, the island is grappling with a surge in U.S. sanctions, including restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens, a ban on cruise ships and other measures specifically designed to stifle the growth of Cubas tourism industry. Tourism is gone, said Julio Garca Campos, driver of a shiny red 1951 Pontiac with an original engine. Tourists used to line up to get on one of these! he said, recalling a bygone era when the island was bustling with American and European travelers following a removal of sanctions by then-President Barack Obama.The new Selection La Habana, like all other hotels in Cuba, is state-owned and operates under GAESA, a conglomerate belonging to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces that has often been criticized because of the opacity of its businesses. As a military-run operation, it is exempt from audits by the Comptroller Generals Office and has not disclosed the amount it invested in the 40-story hotel.Cuban economist Pedro Monreal notes the incongruity of investing capital in the tourism sector when very little is being allocated to strategic areas such as agriculture.With food insecurity a concern, its troubling that agricultural investment lags significantly behind tourism investment, remaining 11 times lower, Monreal noted last year on social media. Architects also expressed little enthusiasm for the new hotel, pointing at its disruptive appearance within the environment, its excessive height violating urban regulations and tall glass windows that are ill-suited for a tropical climate.This building serves as a perfect example in our classes of what should not be done in terms of bioclimatic design, said Abel Tablada, an architect and university professor, adding its unforgivable that the little money available to the Cuban state has been allocated to a building that does not add value to the city.___Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President-elect Donald Trump, from left, takes the oath of office as son Barron Trump and wife Melania Trump watch during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)2025-01-25T13:08:59Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps first week in office isnt over yet, but already it offers signals about how his next four years in the White House may unfold.Some takeaways from the earliest days of his second term: Hes emboldened like never beforeWithin hours of being sworn in, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people who were convicted or charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by his supporters. Those pardoned include people who attacked, bloodied and beat police officers that day. The Republican presidents decision was at odds with earlier comments by his incoming vice president, JD Vance, and other senior aides that Trump would only let off those who werent violent. The pardons were the first of many moves he made in his first week to reward allies and punish critics, in both significant and subtle ways. It signaled that without the need to worry about reelection the Constitution bars a third term or legal consequences after the Supreme Court granted presidents expansive immunity, the new president, backed by a Republican Congress, has little to restrain him. Trump ended protective security details for Dr. Anthony Fauci, his former COVID-19 adviser, along with former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his onetime deputy. The security protections had been regularly extended by the Biden administration over credible threats to the mens lives. Trump also revoked the security clearances of dozens of former government officials who had criticized him, including Bolton, and directed that the portrait of a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, retired Gen. Mark Milley be removed from the Pentagon walls. Hes way more organized this timeIn his first days in office, Trump demonstrated just how much he and his team had learned from four often-chaotic years in the White House and four more in political exile. A presidents most valuable resource is time and Trump set out in his first hours to make his mark on the nation with executive orders, policy memoranda and government staffing shake-ups. It reflected a level of sophistication that eluded him in his first term and surpassed his Democratic predecessors in its scale and scope for their opening days in the Oval Office. Feeling burned by the holdover of Obama administration appointees during his first go-around, Trump swiftly exiled Biden holdovers and moved to test new hires for their fealty to his agenda. In a matter of days he uprooted four years of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government, sent federal troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and erased Bidens guardrails on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency development. In his first term, Trumps early executive orders were more showpieces than substance and frequently were blocked by federal courts. This time, Trump is still confronting the limits of his constitutional authorities, but is also far more adept at controlling what is within them. But Trump is still TrumpAn hour after concluding a relatively sedate inaugural address in the Capitol Rotunda, Trump decided to let loose. Speaking to an overflow crowd of governors, political supports and dignitaries in the Capitol Visitor Centers Emancipation Hall, Trump ripped in to Biden, the Justice Department and other perceived rivals. He followed it up with an even longer speech to supporters at a downtown arena and in more than 50 minutes of remarks and questions and answers with reporters in the Oval Office. For all of Trumps experience and organization, he is still very much the same Donald Trump, and just as intent as before on dominating the center of the national conversation. If not more.Courts may rein Trump in or give him expansive new powers He has acted to try to end civil service protections for many federal workers and overturn more than a century of law on birthright citizenship. Such moves have been a magnet for legal challenges. In the case of the birthright citizenship order, it met swift criticism from U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, who put a temporary stay on Trumps plans.Ive been on the bench for over four decades. I cant remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is, Coughenour, who was nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan, told a Justice Department attorney. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.How those court cases play out will determine not only the fate of some of Trumps most controversial actions, but just how far any president can go in pushing an agenda. Trump is betting that oil can grease the economys wheels and fix everythingThe president likes to call it liquid gold. His main economic assumption is that more oil production by the United States, the Saudis and the rest of OPEC wpould bring down prices. That would reduce overall inflation and cut down on the oil revenues that Russia is using to fund its war in Ukraine. For Trump, oil is the answer.Hes betting that fossil fuels are the future, despite the climate change risks. The United States has the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and were going to use it, Trump said in a Thursday speech. Not only will this reduce the cost of virtually all goods and services, itll make the United States a manufacturing superpower and the world capital of artificial intelligence and cryptoThe problem with billionaires is theyre rivals, not super friendsTrump had the worlds wealthiest men behind him on the dais when he took the oath of office on Monday.Teslas Elon Musk, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Metas Mark Zuckerberg and LVMHs Bernard Arnault were all there. SoftBank billionaire Masayoshi Son was in the audience. Later in the week, Oracles Larry Ellison and OpenAIs Sam Altman appeared with Son at the White House to announce an artificial intelligence investment of up to $500 billion.Musk, the Trump backer who is leading the presidents Department of Government Efficiency effort, posted on X that SoftBank didnt have the money. Altman, a rival to to Musk on AI, responded over X that the funding was there.By surrounding himself with the wealthiest people in tech, Trump is also stuck in their drama.The people in the deal are very, very smart people, Trump said Thursday. But Elon, one of the people, he happens to hate. But I have certain hatreds of people, too.Trump has a thing for William McKinleyAmericas 25th president has a big fan in Trump. Trump likes the tariffs that were imposed during Republican William McKinleys presidency and helped to fund the government. Trump has claimed the country was its wealthiest in the 1890s when McKinley was in office.But McKinley might not be a great economic role model for the 21st century.For starters, the Tax Foundation found that federal receipts were equal to just 3% of the overall economy in 1900, McKinleys reelection year. Tax revenues are now equal to about 17% of the U.S. economy and thats still not enough to fund the government without running massive deficits. So it would be hard to go full McKinley without some chaos.As Dartmouth College economist Douglas Irwin noted on X, the economic era defined by McKinley was not that great for many people.There was a little something called the Panic of 1893 and the unemployment rate was in double digits from 1894-98!! Irwin wrote. Not a great decade! ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

Wine Styles owner Arthur Lampros, left, and Valentyna Parsaieva, head of export for Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, right, take part in a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)2025-01-25T05:06:22Z MONTCLAIR, Va. (AP) In a wine shop an hour outside of Washington, owner Arthur Lampros sampled a wine from a part of the world that was totally new to him, racking his brain to pin down the tastes on his tongue. Was there a body of water near the vineyards, he wondered, that would moderate any storms or heat waves buffeting the grapes?Absolutely, absolutely Ukraines Black Sea coast, near Odesa, said Giorgi Iukuridze, a Ukrainian winery owner introducing Ukraines modernized wines to a broad U.S. audience for the first time. Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, left, and Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, introduce Ukrainian wine to the owner of Wine Styles Arthur Lampros, right, at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, left, and Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, introduce Ukrainian wine to the owner of Wine Styles Arthur Lampros, right, at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Sam Lerman, a U.S. Air Force vet and one of a number of former American military officers and diplomats in Ukraine backing him in the endeavor, nodded, beaming at the words of praise that followed for many of the wines.Ukraine is in the eyes of the world as it battles the Russian invasion with the aid of the United States and dozens of other countries. But Lerman said he and the others who teamed up with Iukuridze for the U.S. launch want Americans to see that Ukraine is more than an ally at war, suffering tremendous tragedy. Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, right, describes his wine during a tasting with Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide, at Wine Styles, in Dumfries, Va., Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, right, describes his wine during a tasting with Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide, at Wine Styles, in Dumfries, Va., Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Bringing the wines to the U.S. will help show what Ukraine was really about, and has always been about, he said. For Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO who served as President Donald Trumps special representative to Ukraine during a stormy time in his first term, what Ukraine is about is determination, dedication and hope. Right now, because of Russias invasion and the military assistance the U.S. has given to Ukraine, when people hear and talk about Ukraine, it is all about the war. And its a little bit groaning ... like, Oh, geez, you know, how much more were going to spend on this?'' Volker told The Associated Press. Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, right, tells why he started importing Ukrainian wine to the owner of Wine Styles Arthur Lampros, second from left, during a tasting with Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO of Ukrainian winery Shabo, second from right, Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide, and Valentyna Parsaieva, head of export for Shabo, center left, at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, right, tells why he started importing Ukrainian wine to the owner of Wine Styles Arthur Lampros, second from left, during a tasting with Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO of Ukrainian winery Shabo, second from right, Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide, and Valentyna Parsaieva, head of export for Shabo, center left, at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Russian President Vladimir Putins invasions of neighboring countries have served to introduce a whole community of American military people and diplomats to the burgeoning wine regions of the former Soviet Union. Volker met his winemaker wife, and bought a small winery in Georgia, owing to Russias 2008 invasion. He traveled often to Iukridzes Shabo winery in Ukraine for production tips.It was Russias invasions of Ukraine, especially in February 2022, that made more American military into fans of the wines of Ukraines Black Sea coast, and of the countrys best vodkas.Lerman, a former technical sergeant decorated for valor in combat in Afghanistan, first went to Ukraine in a team of volunteer military advisers in the first weeks after Russias 2022 invasion, and now represents a U.S. defense company there.Militaries have a venerable history of revering alcohol. U.S. sailors treasure rationed beer at rare steel beach picnics on deck. Officers off-duty in Iraq sipped hoarded zero-alcohol beer and pretended it was more. Militias fighting brutal civil wars in West Africa spared the beer factories, if nothing else. Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery points to the location of his vineyards in Ukraine during a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery points to the location of his vineyards in Ukraine during a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Lerman sampled Ukraines alcohol for the first time in a safehouse with other U.S. vet volunteers and Ukrainian allies in the first weeks of the war. Someone had placed a bottle of Ukrainian vodka on the table where they worked, amid the laptops and firearms. I was blown away, Lerman recounted. I thought I didnt even like vodka. Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, and Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, right, stands together for a photo following a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, and Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, right, stands together for a photo following a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Soon, Lerman was toting out bottles of vodka and Shabo wines for his family and friends back home. Searches of U.S. stores for more struck out, since much of what little Ukrainian wine was shipped to the U.S. was of an older, sweeter variety aimed at the Ukrainian diaspora.That led to him teaming up with Iukuridze and partners to set up Spyrt Worldwide, a new U.S. import company to bring in Shabo wines and two Ukrainian vodkas. A share of the profits is designated for Invictus Global Response, a mine-removal nonprofit run by veterans.Ukraines Black Sea coast claims a 2,500-year history of growing wine thanks to settlements founded by ancient Greeks, and some of the vines at Shabo winery date back to the subsequent Ottoman era. Swiss settlers in the 1800s made Shabo and the area around it a proper wine-growing region, prizing its soil and climate. Valentyna Parsaieva, head of export for Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, left, pours a glass of wine for Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, right, during a wine tasting with Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, second from right, and Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Valentyna Parsaieva, head of export for Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, left, pours a glass of wine for Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, right, during a wine tasting with Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, second from right, and Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Wine under Soviet rule, on the other hand, was barely drinkable muck, said Volker. He sees the regions best wines today as a model for private companies shaking off the Soviet mindset.Soviet state-run wineries wanted cheap wines in big quantities, especially sweeter ones. Shabos vines survived a Soviet crackdown on alcohol under Mikhail Gorbachev in the final years before the Soviet collapse thanks only to a Shabo worker who falsified forms, claiming the vineyards produced only table grapes, Iukirdze said.After the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991, Iukeridze and his father, who have roots in wine production in Georgia, were among the largest producers in an independent Ukraine bringing production up to modern standards. Shabos wines have won international awards and are featured in Michelin-starred restaurants. Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, second from right, show one of his wines to the owner of Wine Styles Arthur Lampros, left, at the start of a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. At the tasting table with Iukuridze are Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, right, and Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO Shabo, a Ukrainian winery, second from right, show one of his wines to the owner of Wine Styles Arthur Lampros, left, at the start of a wine tasting at Wine Styles, Dec. 20, 2024 in Dumfries, Va. At the tasting table with Iukuridze are Sam Lerman, CEO of SPYRT Worldwide, right, and Joseph Belli, Sales Manager for SPYRT Worldwide. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Shabo is far from the front lines of the war, but Russian rockets on rare occasions have fallen within sight of workers in the vineyards, and Shabos wine salesmen have faced checkpoints and immediate induction into Ukraines military while traveling their sales routes. The most reliable route for shipping the wines to the United States lies through neighboring Moldova.The grape does not wait for any diplomatic solutions, Iukeridze said. We continue working without stopping any single day.Over the winter holidays, members of Congress, a former defense secretary, defense industry executives and others, including Lerman and Volker, turned out in Washington for the launch of the import company.All were attuned to the joint mission of wine and war. Unspoken was the worry about Russias larger military grinding down Ukraine, and uncertainty over whether Trump would withdraw vital U.S. military support to Ukraine once back in office.But Iukeridze told a story: In 2014, when the Russian military first invaded eastern Ukraine and seized Crimea on the Black Sea, a family that lived nearby drove by Shabos vineyards as they fled toward the border with Moldova.But the family spotted Shabos head winemaker out in the field, planting new vines that would take three years to produce wine. They stopped the car.What is happening? they asked the winemaker.Were planting new wines, for Ukrainian, independent, glorious country, Iukeridze recounted the winemaker answering.Seeing the commitment to the bright future of Ukraine, the family turned around the car and went back, he told those at the Washington launch.He raised a glass of Shabo white in a toast.For the bright future, Iukeridze said. For being an example. ELLEN KNICKMEYER Foreign policy, national security, foreign policy & climate twitter

Welcome back to the Abstract! What a week. It kicked off with Blue Monday, a date considered the most depressing of the year in the Northern Hemisphere for dubious reasons (in short: it was invented, like most of our reality, by an ad campaign).This column will channel the latent crappy vibes with a parade of grotesqueries from the grand world of excrement research. Then, scientists are bringing back the 80s with new bioluminescent hues worthy of a Lite-Brite pegboard. Last, if you actually are feeling blue, I recommend Norwegian wood. Not the song. Not the novel. Im talking about real pine trees in Norway. They see all. They will understand.Monkey See (Pee), Monkey Do (Pee)Onishi, Ena et al. Socially contagious urination in chimpanzees. Current Biology.Its time to put the pee in chimpanzee by watching pee come out of chimpanzees. Thats what researchers in Japan did for more than 600 hours to find out if urination is a form of social contagion in chimps. In other words, they observed 20 adult captive chimpanzees (16 males and 4 females) at the Kumamoto Sanctuary of Kyoto University to assess whether they were more likely to pee if they saw other chimps pee.The decision to urinate involves a complex combination of both physiological and social considerations, said researchers led by Ena Onishi of Kyoto University. However, the social dimensions of urination remain largely unexplored.First of all, lets all congratulate ourselves for performing this complex physiological and social decision multiple times a day. I didnt even realize we were such pros.But back to the study: the team meticulously recorded the number and timing of urination events along with the relative distances between the urinator and potential followers. The results revealed that urination is, in fact, socially contagious for chimps and that low-dominant individuals were especially likely to pee after watching others pee. Call it: pee-r pressure.The study gets extra points for including depictions of contagious urination in art history as part of its supplemental information, like those disconcerting fountain statues that pee out water. But the number one standout is a 1784 sketch by Thomas Rowlandson entitled Sympathy, or A Family On A Journey Laying The Dust.Cups runneth over in this contagious urination event that even encompasses dogs and horses. Im frankly surprised the buggy isnt also engaged in gushing urination.In addition to documenting a unique phenomenon, this artwork is natures call to revive the euphemism laying the dust for (I assume?) urination. Youre no longer going to the restroom; you are laying the dust. It just goes to show you never know what youll learn from a study about contagious chimp urination.San Franciscos Best Eats (for Coyotes)Caspi, Tal et al. Impervious surface cover and number of restaurants shape diet variation in an urban carnivore. Ecosphere.Youve seen the pee study, now heres the number two follow-through. A study out this week reconstructed the diets of coyotes in San Francisco by collecting more than 1,000 scats from 2019 to 2022. Of that initial poopy haul, 707 bonafide coyote dumps were analyzed with metabarcoding and genotyping to reveal what these streetwise canines were eating.We collected scats from urban green spaces, including parks, golf courses, and gardens across San Francisco, said researchers led by Tal Caspi of the University of California, Davis. We only collected scats that we estimated to be less than 1week old given their appearance and time since last visit.By analyzing this dookie-base, the team found that coyotes in densely populated neighborhoods were more reliant on human food scraps than coyotes in greener neighborhoods that had access to prey in parks. That finding seems intuitive, given that coyotes are opportunistic omnivores that will eat whatevers available, but its still fascinating how much coyote diets varied, even with packs living just a few blocks away from each other.Coyote turf. Image: Caspi, Tal et al.The greatest dietary differences were between Presidio and Coit Tower, even though a coyote can easily traverse the 3-km distance between them, the team said. The Presidio is the largest green space in San Francisco (6km2) and has many native plant communities, sprawling grasslands, and a low percent cover of impervious surfaces. Conversely, Coit Tower is a tourist attraction in the densely populated Telegraph Hill neighborhood and, in part as a result of historical redlining, has less plant cover and lower species richness than formerly greenlined neighborhoods such as the Presidio.It's the age-old story of the city coyote and the just-a-bit-less city coyote. But while there were interesting variations in diet, all of these Bay Area coyotes were dining on a daily dim sum of chicken, pork, beef, and fish from human sources. As a cat lover, it pains me to report that domestic cats were commonly detected in the poops, though at low levels. That said, my general feeling is that a predator is skilled enough to catch a catanimals that I have seen, with my own eyes, defy physicsit kind of deserves to eat it.Lite-Brites in a Petri DishHattori, Matsuru et al. Creating coveted bioluminescence colors for simultaneous multi-color bioimaging. Science Advances.Congratulations: Youve waded through some sewage, and its time to wipe those eyeballs out. Fortunately, scientists published a spectacular new rainbow of bioluminescent hues this week. Call it a palette cleanser.Hattori, Matsuru et al.Just look at these laboratory lite-brites! This study has clearly earned its keep based on aesthetic value alone, but the authors helpfully put some science in there too. Bioluminescence is the biological ability to generate light through chemical reactions, which is why some creatures can glow in the dark. This mesmerizing superpower is also a helpful tool in labs, as certain cells or research targets can be labelled with bioluminescent hues to aid observation.Bioluminescence, an optical marker that does not require excitation by light, allows researchers to simultaneously observe multiple targets, each exhibiting a different color, said researchers led by Mitsuru Hattori of Osaka University. Notably, the colors of the bioluminescent proteins must sufficiently vary to enable simultaneous detection.Hattori, Matsuru et al.The teams innovation in this study was to debut a method that expanded the color variation, allowing simple and simultaneous observation of multiple biological targets and phenomena. To prove their point, they made the Tron mouse pictured above.Has science gone too far? Yes. But boy, does it look cool doing it.Cruel Summer (Scots Pine Version)Buchwald, Agata et al. Blue rings in trees and shrubs as indicators of early and late summer cooling events at the northern treeline. Frontiers in Plant Science.Its well-known that trees are natures librarians, meticulously keeping records of climate and environmental changes dating back centuries. But over the past decade, scientists have discovered a special type of blue ring in conifers that specifically memorializes cold summers. Low temperatures prevent lignification of the cell walls in the wood, creating the color pattern.Blue Rings (BRs) are a relatively newly described anatomical feature in conifers, said researchers led by Agata Buchwald of Adam Mickiewicz University. In the current literature, the formation of BRs is associated with cold growing season conditions in various pine species, though the potential of BRs in shrubs for paleoclimate studies still has to be explored.That was the time I was really cold. a Scots pine. Image: Pawel Matulewski and Liliana SiekaczWith that in mind, there was only one thing to do: Hike up Mount Ikoras in Norway and see what the Scots pines and Juniper shrubs had to say. The team took cores from dozens of plants high in the treeline, and discovered blue rings from the year 1902 and, to a lesser degree, in 1877, indicating that summers in those years were colder than average.The testimony of the trees not only lines up with historical temperature records, it also coincides with major volcanic events. In the spring of 1902, for instance, Mount Pele erupted on the Caribbean island of Martinique, killing 30,000 people in one of the worst volcanic disasters on record. The reverberations of this tragedy were etched in blue in the hearts of trees 8,000 miles away on Nordic mountaintops. Reality is so wild and enchanting; its a shame it cant compete with ad campaigns.Regardless of whether you are as blue as a non-lignified tree ring, thanks for reading. See you next week!

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks with reporters outside the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-01-25T14:01:41Z JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) In the early days of President Donald Trumps second term, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has openly challenged or rebuked him at least three times stunning for a congressional Republican who has faced his wrath before and yet remains unbowed by pressure to embrace his agenda.Murkowski is a moderate with a history of bucking her party and Trump when she has felt it was the right thing to do. She was the first GOP senator to publicly break ranks with Trump on his nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary as it advanced this week. Murkowski also said she strongly disagreed with Trumps move to rename North Americas tallest peak, in Alaska, from Denali to Mount McKinley. And she denounced his decision to pardon the violent offenders who assaulted police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Murkowski was one of three Republicans to vote against Hegseths nomination late Friday, along with Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. It took Vice President JD Vances tiebreaking vote to confirm Hegseth.But, so far, nearly every other GOP member of Congress has fallen in line behind Trump. Many of the Republicans who at times challenged Trump during his first term are no longer in the Senate, including the late John McCain of Arizona; Jeff Flake, also from Arizona; Bob Corker of Tennessee; and Mitt Romney of Utah. That has left a diminished group of Republicans seemingly willing to oppose Trump, lessening the chances he will be stymied by members of his own party in Congress. Beth Kerttula, an Alaska Democrat who has known Murkowski for years, said the states senior senator isnt one to fold under pressure.Shes not going to buckle, Kerttula said. Shes going to stand up for Alaska and for the right thing.Murkowski on Thursday announced her opposition to Hegseth, and Collins later joined in expressing misgivings about the former combat veteran and Fox News host. He has faced allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women, which he has denied. In a lengthy statement on social media, Murkowski said character is the defining trait required of the Secretary of Defense, and must be prioritized without compromise.The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseths nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook, she said.The post on X drew thousands of comments. Many were upset with the senator from one of the countrys most remote and least populous states who is known more for giving long, nuanced responses to questions than for any viral social media moments. But the sharp reaction also reflected the influence Murkowski has and is unafraid to wield. Murkowski was abandoned by GOP leaders in 2010 after her primary loss to tea party Republican Joe Miller. She went on to win the general election with a write-in campaign and kept her seat. She handed out bracelets bearing her name so voters knew how to spell it as she built a coalition of statewide support and won the backing of powerful Alaska Native corporations and groups. In more recent years, she has been censured by the state Republican party for a list of grievances, including her support of abortion rights and her vote to convict Trump in his impeachment trial related to the Capitol riot. Trump came to Alaska in 2022 and backed her conservative challenger after vowing revenge against Murkowski and other Republicans who had supported his impeachment. Trump, who during that impeachment trial was acquitted of inciting the riot, has called Murkowskis vote against him almost a badge of honor. He also has said she is worse than a RINO, or Republican in name only. Murkowski, who isnt up for reelection until 2028, has often defended her party credentials, noting shes been a Republican since she was old enough to vote. But in 2021 she emphasized that she is not a Trump Republican. Alaska Republican Party Chair Carmela Warfield, in a statement Friday that did not mention Murkowski, noted the support that Alaskas junior senator, Dan Sullivan, a veteran, had shown for Hegseth. Warfield also noted that Trump carried Alaska in the November election.To all Senators, we say confirm President Trumps cabinet and lets get to work, she said.Murkowski hasnt been a constant thorn in Trumps side. She joined other members of the states congressional delegation and Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy in lauding Trumps expansive executive order Monday aimed at boosting oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in the state. She was a driving influence in the decades-long push to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, which was achieved as part of a 2017 law signed by Trump. He has often taken credit for that effort and highlighted it when talking about Alaska policy. Kerttula, like Murkowski, grew up in a political family and said there are a number of issues they havent agreed on over the years. But she called Murkowski a real Alaskan Republican, willing to listen to all sides and work where possible to find common ground. I mean, youve got to care about Alaska first. And you try to work with people and you try to get a good result, but you stick by your ideals, she said. And I think real Republicans, OK, theyre fiscally conservative. Theyre trying to build always a better economy maybe, in my opinion, too far on development and oil. But theyre someone you can talk to. And I think thats the kind of Republican Lisa is.Most voters in Alaska arent registered with a party, and there is a long history here of politicians not hewing strictly to party lines. In the Legislature, for example, while over half the seats currently are held by Republicans, both the House and Senate are controlled by bipartisan coalitions.The late Sens. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, and Daniel Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat, forged a deep friendship during their long tenures and worked together to ensure their remote states, the last two to join the Union, werent forgotten. Stevens was a mentor to Murkowski.Murkowski critics say she benefits from a voter-backed measure that ditched party primaries in favor of open primaries and instituted ranked choice general elections. The system, which supporters say is meant to encourage consensus-building by candidates and discourage negative campaigning, was used for the first time in 2022. That was when voters reelected Murkowski and Dunleavy and sent Democrat Mary Peltola to Washington, filling the House seat left vacant by the death of longtime Republican Rep. Don Young. Peltola lost last fall to Trump-backed Nick Begich in the same election in which voters narrowly rejected repealing the new election system. Murkowski supported her longtime friend Peltola in the House race and appeared in an ad urging voters to keep the elections system. BECKY BOHRER Bohrer is a statehouse and political reporter based in Juneau, Alaska. twitter

President Donald Trump talks with Nevada Republican Party chairman Michael McDonald, left, and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo as he arrives on Air Force One at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-25T14:21:38Z LAS VEGAS (AP) President Donald Trump is using a stop Saturday in Las Vegas to offer details on how he can begin excluding tips from federal taxes, betting that a city built on gambling and the hospitality industry will relish taking home larger slices of gratuities. Trump is vowing to make good on a campaign promise and will give a speech at the Circa Resort & Casino, according to the Culinary Union, which represents about 60,000 hospitality workers across Nevada. The union supports eliminating taxes on tips, but says Trumps proposals dont go far enough. His appearance is intended to energize supporters and strike a grateful tone. But it comes as part of a trip where Trump has already picked a series of political fights. He spent Friday seeing storm damage firsthand and hearing harrowing stories from survivors of last falls Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. In Los Angeles, he viewed the devastation from wildfires that could be among the costliest natural disasters in the nations history. Trump toured hard-hit areas by helicopter and walked a street where every home was reduced to charred, rubble in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The president suggested in North Carolina that he would sign an executive order eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, leaving disaster response and recovery up to the affected states, with the federal government only stepping in later to help with funding. You are not forgotten any longer. You were treated very badly by the previous administration, Trump said of the Biden White House. Later, the Republican president criticized Californias water policies and suggested that funding to rebuild after the fires should depend on the state imposing voter ID requirements and rethinking conservation efforts. Ill be the president whos going to help you fix it because he would not have been able to help you fix it, Trump said of his Democratic predecessor and the Biden teams response to the blazes. In Nevada, by contrast, Trump said he wants to celebrate being the first Republican presidential candidate to carry the state since George W. Bush in 2024: Im going to Nevada to thank them.Its a familiar backdrop to talk tips and taxation. As a candidate, Trump first announced the idea during a rally last June in Las Vegas a proposal later copied by his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturdays event will be an economy-focused message, and President Trump will be talking about promises that he intends to keep that he made to the American people on the campaign trail.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are 2.24 million restaurant servers across the country, with tips making up a large percentage of their income. In Las Vegas, the 24-hour economy is fueled by everyone from wait staff and valet parkers to hotel maids and casino dealers, all of whom collect tips. Nevada has the nations highest concentration of tipped workers, with about 25.8 waiters and waitresses alone per 1,000 jobs, followed by Hawaii and Florida. Not paying federal taxes will likely be difficult to put in place in the short term, however, and require an act of Congress.Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, said Trumps plans must not end with scrapping taxation on tips. Eliminating taxes on tips and ending the $2.13 sub-minimum wage, that is the reality in too many states across the country, will uplift millions of hospitality workers, Pappageorge said. He said many employers who know their workers earn tips offer set hourly pay well below the federal minimum wage and expect gratuities to make up the difference. Taking on both issues is critical to ensuring one job is enough for workers to support their families, Papageorge said in a statement. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, listens at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Homeland Security, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)2025-01-25T14:58:13Z DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) From activists on the far right to Elon Musk, allies of President Donald Trump have been quick to threaten primary challengers for Republican senators who dont back his Cabinet picks and legislative priorities.In the case of Iowas Joni Ernst, conservatives threatened to run against her if she didnt back Trumps pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth before she announced she would. Louisianas Bill Cassidy, a doctor before entering politics, is being closely watched for how he will question Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trumps nominee for health secretarySouth Carolinas Lindsey Graham, a Trump confidant, has long been targeted by the far right in his state and was booed at a home-state rally during the 2024 presidential campaign. The Associated Press talked to people connected to five senators who have been targeted online or by rivals in their states. Heres a look at each of their potential races and what they face: Joni Ernst, IowaErnst prompted criticism from the right after she initially stopped short of endorsing Hegseth, who was confirmed by the Senate on Friday. Ernst voted yes.A retired Iowa National Guard lieutenant colonel and Iraq War veteran, Ernst is also a sexual assault survivor. After Trump announced Hegseths nomination, she said she hoped to discuss with him comments that he had made opposing women serving in combat roles, and about an allegation, which he denied and was not charged for, that he sexually assaulted a woman he met at a 2017 conference. Hegseth, at Ernsts suggestion, affirmed that that every man and woman has opportunity to serve their country in uniform and to do so at any level as long as they are meeting the standards that are set forward. Hegseth also said that if confirmed, he would appoint a senior-level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response. Potential challengers to Ernst: Conservative media figure Steve Deace, who posted on Facebook in December that I dont want to be a Senator, but I am willing to primary her for the good of the cause. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird wrote in a December opinion piece in Breitbart that some unnamed D.C. politicians thought they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from news media outlets. That prompted speculation that Bird, who endorsed Trump before the 2024 Iowa caucuses, might challenge Ernst, who stayed neutral beforehand. Charlie Kirk of the conservative group Turning Point also called for Ernst to face a primary. An effort to boost Hegseths nomination led to Ernsts office receiving thousands of calls. Cause for concern: Neither Deace nor Bird has taken any public steps toward running. Some prominent social conservatives are bothered by Ernsts joining with a dozen Republicans and the Senates Democratic majority in 2022 to support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages. But she remains popular with Iowas power players.Anyone who says with a straight face that they are going to beat Joni Ernst in a primary today is kidding themselves, said Luke Martz, an Iowa Republican consultant. It would be a fools errand. Thom Tillis, North CarolinaTillis angered some on the right for not immediately supporting Trumps first pick for attorney general, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. Though Gaetz withdrew from consideration, Tillis remains a frustration to some among North Carolinas right wing, in part for voting to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.Potential challengers: Andy Nilsson, a onetime candidate for lieutenant governor, has filed paperwork to challenge Tillis. The retired businessman has called for a return to the Reagan-Bush Republican ethos, hardly an attack from the right. Tillis faced three Republican challengers in 2020, all posing as more conservative than him. Cause for concern: Tillis has reason to expect a right-wing challenge. That faction helped lift former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson to the 2024 nomination for governor last year. But North Carolina is expected to be among the most competitive states for Senate Republicans to hold in 2026. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who just finished two terms as governor, has not ruled out running for the seat. National Republicans are aware of the risks of nominating someone too far to the right. Coopers Democratic successor, Gov. Josh Stein, beat Robinson by nearly 15 percentage points in a state that Trump won by 3 points. To that end, Trumps team and Tillis have been working together behind the scenes, said former Gov. Pat McCrory, a fellow Republican.I anticipate there will be threats of challenging him from the right. But I also think hell deal with it as he has, with hard work and a record of accomplishment, McCrory said. I think the incoming administration sees that. They also see hes the best chance of keeping North Carolina red, he added. Bill Cassidy, LouisianaCassidy remains vulnerable in large part due to his vote to convict Trump after his second impeachment over the siege of the U.S. Capitol. Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty, Cassidy said in a statement after the February 2021 vote. Cassidy, in his second term, has not yet announced whether he will seek a third. A gastroenterologist before he entered politics, Cassidy will be closely watched for how he votes on Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic who has questioned medical consensus on several issues. Potential challengers: Cassidy has already drawn a Republican challenger, state Treasurer John Fleming. Fleming, a former U.S. House member from northern Louisiana, has said Cassidys impeachment vote failed Louisiana. Former U.S. Rep. Garrett Graves of Baton Rouge is also a potential challenger, as is Blake Miguez, a state senator from New Iberia. Louisiana last year did away with its 50-year tradition of jungle primaries, where candidates from all parties ran in the same contest in November. Cassidy would now run in a closed Republican primary that might be more difficult if he faces one strong Trump-aligned challenger. Cause for concern: Cassidys vote to convict Trump remains a sticking point for Republicans in a state the president won with 60% last year. But Cassidy is viewed as having strong constituent relations and visibility in the state, political observers say.Aside from that vote, I think hes considered a good senator, and good at constituent work, said Ellen Carmichael, a Louisiana Republican consultant and president of Washington-based Lafayette Company. The base is unhappy with the vote he cast. But I wouldnt count him out. John Cornyn, TexasCornyn in the past has been criticized within his own party for being too willing to work with Democrats and has drawn boos at GOP conventions in Texas. Commentator Tucker Carlson and others have urged a primary challenge against him. Last year, Cornyn told the Dallas Morning News that, God willing, he would seek reelection in 2026. According to federal filings, Cornyn had more than $3.5 million on hand in toward the end of 2024.Potential challengers: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is one of the states most powerful Republicans and also suggested Cornyn should be primaried. Paxton was acquitted in a 2023 impeachment effort and fraud charges against him were dropped last year. Cornyn and Paxton have sniped at each other on X, with Paxton calling Cornyn anti-Trump and anti-gun and the senator firing back, Hard to run from prison, Ken.Cause for concern: Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican strategist who has worked on Cornyns previous campaigns, noted that the senator remains undefeated in elections. Hes never taken a race for granted. I would expect him to work extremely hard and crisscross the state of Texas to earn every vote possible in this upcoming election, assuming he has a primary challenger, Steinhauser said. I think its important for him to show the ways that he has worked with President Trump to enact the conservative America First agenda, and I would expect that would be a big part of his campaign message in a potential upcoming primary.Lindsey Graham, South CarolinaSeeking his fifth term, Graham will likely face primary challenges he always has. County-level Republican parties have censured him a number of times for his willingness to work on bipartisan deals. One such measure derided Grahams condescending attitude to the partys grassroots organizers.He has even drawn boos at some events of the party faithful in his home state. That includes a July 2023 Trump rally in Pickens in the county where Graham grew up where objections from the crowd drowned out more than five minutes of his remarks. When he took the stage, Trump also elicited boos when he mentioned Grahams name.Graham has named a campaign leadership team, which says he has more than $15 million on hand, including nearly $1 million raised in the final quarter of 2024.Potential challengers: Rep. Ralph Norman represents South Carolinas 5th Congressional District south of Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. Another possible opponent could be Adam Morgan, a former South Carolina legislator who lost a primary bid last year against another congressman, Rep. William Timmons.Cause for concern: While he was highly critical of Trump in 2016 when they competed for the Republican nomination, Graham has backed Trump ever since his first administration, frequently serving as his golf partner and Capitol Hill surrogate. Trump has backed him in turn. When the crowd in Pickens booed Grahams name, Trump said he was going to have to work on these people and added that Graham is there when you need him.___Kinnard reported from Washington. THOMAS BEAUMONT Beaumont covers national politics for The Associated Press. He is based in Des Moines, Iowa. twitter mailto MEG KINNARD Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Kelli Ferrone walks her daughter into a temporary school Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles, as they wait for Canyon Charter Elementary School to reopen after being impacted by smoke and ash from the Palisades Fire. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)2025-01-25T14:30:08Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Kelli Ferrone wiped blinds and window sills inside her daughters elementary school, just a half mile from the devastating Palisades Fire that scorched the coastal enclave in Los Angeles. The cotton swabs and wipes came up black. There is scattered ash and soot at her feet. Outside, its on the ground next to a playground.Ferrone, who recorded videos and shared them with The Associated Press, wanted to see for herself this week if Canyon Charter Elementary School had been adequately cleaned before the school reopens. She wasnt impressed.Weeks after the most intense days of fire across the Los Angeles area, parents are grappling with the reality that toxic ash from burned homes and cars could be harmful to their children. Its a risk that is becoming more common as wildfires burn in cities. Kelli Ferrone walks her daughter into a temporary school Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles, as they wait for Canyon Charter Elementary School to reopen after being impacted by smoke and ash from the Palisades Fire. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Kelli Ferrone walks her daughter into a temporary school Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles, as they wait for Canyon Charter Elementary School to reopen after being impacted by smoke and ash from the Palisades Fire. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Canyon Charter Elementary School remains closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif., following nearby wildfires. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Canyon Charter Elementary School remains closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif., following nearby wildfires. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In the Pacific Palisades, Canyon Charter could reopen as soon as Monday. School officials say staff are working hard to make sure schools are clean and safe and theyre confident in their decision. But some parents feel the school is rushing to open. Theyre urging officials to temporarily relocate, while others try to transfer their students elsewhere. The (Los Angeles Unified School District) has never experienced a disaster like this in their history, said Ferrone, who has two daughters at the school, one with asthma. And I do think people are trying really hard, but our school needs a new temporary home with classrooms and teachers teaching in-person. That is the only thing that is going to make people feel comfortable. In a statement, LAUSD said staff has worked diligently to prepare schools for a return to in-person instruction. That includes inspecting ventilation systems, replacing filters and installing air purifiers in classrooms and offices, and cleaning inside and outdoors. An environmental consultant is inspecting campuses. Staff monitors air quality. The district has an Office of Environmental Health and Safety and is following its protocols. Kelli Ferrone speaks with a group of fellow parents outside a temporary school their kids are attending Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles as they wait for Canyon Charter Elementary School to reopen after being impacted by smoke and ash from the Palisades Fire. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Kelli Ferrone speaks with a group of fellow parents outside a temporary school their kids are attending Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles as they wait for Canyon Charter Elementary School to reopen after being impacted by smoke and ash from the Palisades Fire. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Some schools are within a do not drink water advisory, including Canyon Charter. That means fountains are turned off and bottled water is provided, the district said. Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, said the school is taking all the right steps. Yet, she said, theres no zero risk. The ash is a toxic soup of incinerated cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and every other kind of personal belonging. It contains pesticides, asbestos, plastics and lead, all of which children are more vulnerable to.Children often have more hand-to-mouth behavior and their bodies are rapidly growing in these first few years, and so they can be more sensitive to this type of pollution, said Patel. There will be a risk for a while to come in terms of exposure. Some materials form reactive chemical compounds when they burn. Plumes of smoke caused by the Hughes Fire rise over Castaic, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Plumes of smoke caused by the Hughes Fire rise over Castaic, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Scientists still dont know the long-term health impacts of exposure to massive urban fire like this years in California or the one in Maui, Hawaii in 2023. Three schools in Lahaina didnt reopen for two months after that. But some chemicals have been linked to heart disease and lung issues, while exposure to minerals like magnetite, which can form when fire burns iron, has been associated with Alzheimers disease. In Pasadena, Emily Stough is trying to minimize the risks for her 11- and 14-year-old who returned to Blair High School, which includes a middle school, this week. She made sure they took masks. In an email to parents last week, the Pasadena Unified School District said some 38 tons of outdoor debris have been hauled away from campuses, and they will only open after rigorous cleaning and sanitizing and environmental tests. Stough said she trusts the district to do its due diligence, but she wants more information. Did they test air quality? Did they test ash samples? Were the ash samples from inside the school, in the hallways, from outside the schools?, she wonders. Air quality both inside and outside the schools? Id like to see that. Id like to know what cleaning was done. A jungle gym melted and destroyed by the Eaton Fire is seen at a school, Jan. 15, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) A jungle gym melted and destroyed by the Eaton Fire is seen at a school, Jan. 15, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Burnt school worksheets are seen on the ground outside of an elementary school destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) Burnt school worksheets are seen on the ground outside of an elementary school destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The PUSD did not respond to questions from the AP. Its hard to know how long these fire toxins will stay in the environment, said Patel, but it could be a few months. Strong winds like the Santa Anas could also blow them distances where they could enter soil and groundwater. Plastics in particular could last a long time, said Dr. Ilan Shapiro, medical affairs officer for AltaMed and a fellow with the American Academy of Pediatrics. And we need to remember that the fires are still going. That we still have burn materials coming out. As communities recover and clean up, that ash will be moved again, he said. Longfellow Elementary School in Pasadena is set to reopen next week, but Tanya Reyes doesnt plan to send her kids back just yet. The school is about two miles from where the Eaton Fire burned down the home they rented. Even with the schools safety measures, my gut is saying no, she said. They shouldnt be around that area. Its too soon. Her family is staying in West Hollywood, and shes looking for schools there, somewhere the kids can attend for a little while. Shes considering home schooling, too, but still figuring it all out. Its hard for parents because they understand all the ways kids need school. Weve been through this in so many different ways, whether its been wildfire smoke or the pandemic, Patel said. When kids miss school, that is also a detriment to their health. It impacts their learning, it impacts their socioemotional development, their sense of connection and community during a time of crisis. AP reporter Melina Walling in Chicago contributed to this report. The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. DORANY PINEDA Pineda writes about water, climate and the environment in Latino communities across the U.S. twitter BRITTANY PETERSON Peterson is an Associated Press video journalist based in Denver. She covers water in the western U.S. for APs global climate team. twitter mailto

Towana Looney, who received a pig kidney transplant in November 2024, goes over notes about her recovery with Dr. Jeffrey Stern at NYU Langone Health in New York, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum)2025-01-25T14:32:31Z An Alabama woman passed a major milestone Saturday to become the longest living recipient of a pig organ transplant healthy and full of energy with her new kidney for 61 days and counting.Im superwoman, Towana Looney told The Associated Press, laughing about outpacing family members on long walks around New York City as she continues her recovery. Its a new take on life.Looneys vibrant recovery is a morale boost in the quest to make animal-to-human transplants a reality. Only four other Americans have received hugely experimental transplants of gene-edited pig organs two hearts and two kidneys and none lived more than two months.If you saw her on the street, you would have no idea that shes the only person in the world walking around with a pig organ inside them thats functioning, said Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, who led Looneys transplant. Montgomery called Looneys kidney function absolutely normal. Doctors hope she can leave New York where shes temporarily living for post-transplant checkups for her Gadsden, Alabama, home in about another month. Were quite optimistic that this is going to continue to work and work well for, you know, a significant period of time, he said.Scientists are genetically altering pigs so their organs are more humanlike to address a severe shortage of transplantable human organs. More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most who need a kidney, and thousands die waiting. Pig organ transplants so far have been compassionate use cases, experiments the Food and Drug Administration allows only in special circumstances for people out of other options.And the handful of hospitals trying them are sharing information of what worked and what didnt, in preparation for the worlds first formal studies of xenotransplantation, expected to begin sometime this year. United Therapeutics, which supplied Looneys kidney, recently asked the Food and Drug Administration for permission to begin a trial. How Looney fares is very precious experience, said Dr. Tatsuo Kawai of Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the worlds first pig kidney transplant last year and works with another pig developer, eGenesis.Looney was far healthier than the prior patients, Kawai noted, so her progress will help inform next attempts. We have to learn from each other, he said.Looney donated a kidney to her mother in 1999. Later pregnancy complications caused high blood pressure that damaged her remaining kidney, which eventually failed, something incredibly rare among living donors. She spent eight years on dialysis before doctors concluded shed likely never get a donated organ shed developed super-high levels of antibodies abnormally primed to attack another human kidney.So Looney, 53, sought out the pig experiment. No one knew how it would work in someone highly sensitized with those overactive antibodies.Discharged just 11 days after the Nov. 25 surgery, Montgomerys team has closely tracked her recovery through blood tests and other measurements. About three weeks after the transplant, they caught subtle signs that rejection was beginning signs theyd learned to look for thanks to a 2023 experiment when a pig kidney worked for 61 days inside a deceased man whose body was donated for research. Montgomery said they successfully treated Looney and theres been no sign of rejection since and a few weeks ago she met the family behind that deceased-body research.It feels really good to know that the decision I made for NYU to use my brother was the right decision and its helping people, said Mary Miller-Duffy, of Newburgh, New York.Looney in turn is trying to help others, serving as what Montgomery calls an ambassador for people whove been reaching out to her through social media, sharing their distress at the long wait for transplants and wondering about pig kidneys.One, she said, was being considered for a xenotransplant at another hospital but was scared, wondering whether to proceed. I didnt want to persuade him whether to do or not to do it, Looney said. Instead she asked if he was religious and urged him to prayer, to go off your faith, what your heart tells you.I love talking to people, I love helping people, she added. I want to be, like, some educational piece for scientists to help others.Theres no way to predict how long Looneys new kidney will work but if it were to fail she could receive dialysis again.The truth is we dont really know what the next hurdles are because this is the first time weve gotten this far, Montgomery said. Well have to continue to really keep a close eye on her.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

TiAnna Yeldell, a 44-year-old single mom of three, works in the kitchen at Pizza Hut, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Missouri City, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)2025-01-25T14:00:09Z FRESNO, Texas (AP) The only moment TiAnna Yeldell has to herself is when shes sleeping, and that doesnt happen much.The 44-year-old single mom of three works 80-hour weeks to provide for her children, ages 8, 14, and 18. During the day, she is a driver for Pizza Hut, where she earns $9.50 an hour before tips. At night, she cleans trains for Houstons Metro system, where she earns about $17 an hour.The times that she pulls both shifts, Yeldell sleeps for just two to three hours before getting her kids up and ready for school. Then she does it all over again.Yeldell is among the millions of fast food workers across the U.S. scraping to get by. About two-thirds of them are women, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and many are supporting their families on minimum wages set at the federal governments floor of $7.25 an hour. Fast food workers are disproportionately Hispanic, making up 24.6% of the industrys workforce compared with 18.8% of the overall workforce. And more than half of all U.S. fast food workers are 20 or older, contrary to the myth of it being a teenage job that they just do for pocket money, said Tsedeye Gebreselassie, an attorney for nonprofit advocacy organization National Employment Law Project. President Donald Trump, who manned the fry station at a McDonalds in Pennsylvania while on the campaign trail last year, has acknowledged that the federal minimum wage is very low and that he would consider raising it, but that doing so would be complicated. Meanwhile, a growing number of states have pushed to increase their minimum wage in the face of record-high inflation in recent years. Voters in Alaska approved a ballot initiative in November that will raise the states minimum wage to $15 an hour from $11.73 an hour by 2027. Missouri voters likewise approved a minimum wage hike to $15 from $12.30 an hour by 2026. And California which has one of the highest costs of living in the country in April raised wages for fast food workers specifically, to $20 an hour from $16 an hour. By the end of this year, 23 states and 65 cities and counties will raise their minimum wage floors, according to a December 2024 National Employment Law Project report that combed through legislation across the country. But not Texas, where Yeldell and her family live. It is one of 20 states at the $7.25 federal minimum wage floor and that rate hasnt budged since 2009. Democratic lawmakers in Texas have repeatedly proposed legislation to raise the minimum wage in the state to no avail. Preemption laws, which exist in Texas and many other states, block cities and counties from adopting their own minimum wage laws, presenting another barrier.Today, a living wage for one adult raising three children in the Houston metro area is $57.65 an hour, according to MITs Living Wage Calculator. For Yeldell, its not possible to get by on her fast food job alone, which is why she must work a second job. Still wearing her visor and gray No One Out Pizzas The Hut shirt, she slumps sideways after a recent work shift, resting an elbow on the folding table surrounded by four folding chairs where the family eats. The living room furniture is sparse but the home is tidy. A yellow mop bucket sits near the entryway, and a small vacuum rests against the closet door. She only takes a moment to rest before changing into Looney Tunes sweatpants and a yellow T-shirt, scooping fajitas onto plates for the kids dinner, and packing up the leftovers. Then the teens disappear into their bedrooms, and her Minecraft pajama-clad youngest curls up next to her on the couch, playing a game on a bright red console. I dont want to work two jobs -- Im really tired. But I have to, because the jobs dont pay enough, Yeldell said. I would not be able to provide a roof over my kids head They come first, I come second.The Associated Press reached out to Pizza Hut, as well as its parent company, Yum Brands, for comment on wages for fast food workers but did not hear back. Wages are just one of many issues fast food workers face. Unpredictable hours, limited access to paid sick leave, and challenging customer interactions all shape their experiences, said Daniel Schneider, co-director and co-founder of the Shift Project, a joint Harvard and University of California, San Francisco project researching the conditions of service sector work.Wage theft and other law violations are also common in the industry, added labor scholar David Madland, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. The fast food industry is notorious for low pay and poor working conditions, Madland said. Its seen as the almost the sort of typical throwaway job that policy has cared very little about.Yeldells Pizza Hut deliveries sometimes go until 11 p.m. She carries a knife in her pocket, as well as a flashlight, to keep her safe. Despite the challenges, Yeldell maintains a positive outlook about her job, which she started about a year and a half ago as a delivery driver and has since learned to do pretty much everything at her Fresno, Texas store, including making pizzas, prepping ingredients, and running the register. Pizza Hut is a really easy job and the job is only hard if you make it hard, she said. And Im a fast learner, so it doesnt bother me. The only time that its worrisome is when were slow and they say, Oh, we got to cut your hours.Contrast Texas to California, which now has the highest fast food minimum wage of any state since lawmakers passed a minimum $20 hourly wage for those workers. Angelica Hernandez, 51, who has worked at various McDonalds restaurants for 20 years and now works for a Monterey Park location in Los Angeles County, said the raise helped her pay rent and bills on time, avoid late fees, and buy a bit more at the grocery store. Its also allowed her family the chance to go out to eat on the weekends, which I was never able to do before, so its a big accomplishment what fast food workers were able to win, she said.But Hernandez says much of the increase was swallowed by a recent $200 rent hike. We need a little more to be able to save money and buy clothes without being tight every two weeks or have to use credit, she said.Now, Hernandez is a member of California Fast Food Workers Union, and councilmember on the states Fast Food Council established by the new California law and aimed at improving working conditions.Critics of the law say continuing to increase minimum wage is not the answer, arguing that it has raised prices and reduced job opportunities for young people, pinching franchisees in an industry with already-slim margins.When you see a spike in operating costs pretty dramatically in a short period of time, it creates challenges, said Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, which opposed the law. He added that franchisees, who are essentially small business owners, are most harmed.But a September report from University of California, Berkeleys Institute for Research on Labor and Employment called the effects of the new law benign, and found that the policy did not affect employment adversely and increased prices about 3.7%, or about 15 cents on a $4 hamburger. For Yeldell, increasing the minimum wage in Texas would be more fair. If other states could change, yall can change too, she said.Her exhaustion shines through: her movements are slow, and her eyelids droop. Between her two jobs, she has no days off so her activities with the kids have to happen on the days she works at one job, not both. But she makes it happen. On a chilly Friday morning at 7 a.m., she walks her youngest to the bus stop, then drives her daughter across town to have her senior pictures done before her Pizza Hut shift starts.At the photography studio, Yeldell and her daughter pose for a selfie against a backdrop that reads Class of 25. Yeldell wears a sleek, royal blue dress that reads Faith in white cursive text, her daughter in a black cap and gown. Both womens hair is arranged in long, elegant braids with the ends curled.Being a mother, I do what Im supposed to do for my kids, she said. But for all her hard work, Yeldell says the family has little to no savings. On good months, she says she has about $100 left over. Often, she has nothing, which leaves no room for vacations, or outings with kids. At the end of the day, Ive worked all these hours and I really have nothing to show for it, but just paying some bills, she said.___The Associated Press women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. CLAIRE SAVAGE Savage is a national reporter for the APs Business team. She covers women in the workforce and is based in Chicago. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The White House is seen, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)2025-01-25T17:43:44Z WASHINGTON (AP) Job-seekers hoping to join the new Trump administration are facing a series of intense loyalty tests, with White House screening teams fanning out to government agencies to check for Make America Great Again bona fides and carefully parsing applicants politics and social media posts.President Donald Trump has long said he believes the biggest mistake he made during his first term was hiring what he considered to be the wrong kinds of people. Now, aides are working aggressively to ensure the government is filled only with loyalists.Negative social media posts have been enough to derail applications. Those seeking jobs have been told they will have to prove their enthusiasm to enact Trumps agenda and have been asked when their moment of MAGA revelation occurred. One federal employee said they briefly considered buying Trumps crypto meme coin in case the presidents team asked about their voting record. The intense screening has led some federal workers to question whether Trumps team cares more about loyalty than competence. There is concern that his team is ousting foreign policy and national security diplomats and others who could offer the administration expertise and institutional knowledge at a time of conflict worldwide. Trump officials have made no secret of their intention to fill the administration with hires sharing the presidents vision. They began checking potential staffers shortly after Trump launched his campaign and have continued since he won. An application form on the Trump transition website, for instance, asks candidates, What part of President Trumps campaign message is most appealing to you and why? according to a link obtained by The Associated Press.It also asks how they had supported Trump in the 2024 election with choices including volunteering, fundraising, door-knocking and making phone calls and to submit a list of their social media handles. We are interviewing every single one of these individuals. If you are working in the federal government in a political appointee position, that comes through the White House now, White House personnel director Sergio Gor said Thursday on Fox News. Trump, he said, has been very clear of who he doesnt want to include in this administration. And so those are clear guidelines that we adhere to. And we bring the best people possible into the White House and into every department across this land.Screening teams deploy across federal agenciesSome officials have referred to the newcomers sent by the White House to federal agencies disparagingly as MAGA commissars, a reference to Communist Party officials from the former Soviet Union. They are generally young and many do not appear to have particular expertise or background in the portfolios of the agencies in which they are working, according to three U.S. officials, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.They said the screeners seem to be looking for even the slightest divergence between candidates and Trumps MAGA movement and America First policies. A negative social media post or a photograph with a Trump opponent has been enough for some applications to be rejected or put on hold for further review. One official said he and several colleagues from various agencies had been told that even if they passed the initial vetting process to be admitted into the applicant pool, they would still need to prove their bona fides and convince interviewers of their enthusiasm to put in place Trumps policies, including by providing references from people whose loyalty had already been established.This official said one colleague who made it to the interview stage was asked when that persons moment of MAGA revelation had occurred.At the State Department, which has been a particular Trump target since his first term, current officials have described the atmosphere as tense and glum, with career civil and foreign service officers leery of voicing opinions on policy or personnel matters, let alone politics, fearing retribution from their new political bosses. Two longtime department officials noted that there is always a period of uncertainty with any change of administration but that the current transition to a group intent on making sweeping changes to the management and work of the department was unlike what they have experienced in the past. Checking for MAGA alignmentTrump administration officials had made clear plans for a robust screening process that would ensure all officials inside the administration and especially those who could help shape policy were aligned with Trumps agenda, according to U.S. government officials and people familiar with their planning.One longtime government employee said he ran into a senior Trump administration official in December who told him that Trumps team would look to be more thoughtful about how they were vetting appointees and even detailees. Those are nonpolitical, career experts on topics that range from counterterrorism to global climate policy who are loaned to the White House from other agencies for extended assignments. All appointees, the person said, would be issued questionnaires to ensure they were fully committed to Trumps agenda.The AP has reported that career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council have been questioned by senior Trump administration officials about which candidate they voted for in the election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by Trumps team.On Wednesday, roughly 160 NSC detailees who worked in the Biden administration were told that they were being sent home so Trumps team could conduct a review to ensure its personnel aligned with Trumps agenda.Every president is entitled to have a staff and the advisers that they need to implement the goals that the American people elected him to pursue, Brian McCormack, chief of staff to national security adviser Mike Waltz, said in a two-minute phone call, according to a recording obtained by the AP.One NSC director learned that every detailee would need to be screened and that they would be queried about whom they voted for, political contributions and social media postings, according to a person familiar with the matter. White House officials defend their approachNo one should be surprised that those being hired should align with the mission of the Administration. Nobody in private industry would ever hire someone who isnt mission focused, and the government should be no different, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said. Over 1,300 individuals have been hired, while maintaining the highest standards of competency, he added.Every new president looks to fill the thousands of government jobs they control with political appointees rewarding campaign aides, allies, supporters and donors with plum positions. The White House presidential personnel office exists to recruit, screen and manage those employees. Asking applicants their political affiliations is common. In some cases it is required, such as when filling jobs on agencies or commissions that require partisan balance. Trumps White House is going deeper into potential appointees political histories in part because he has carved out an ideological space that is often distinct from traditional Republican orthodoxy, making straight partisanship an unreliable indicator of commitment to his agenda.The Trump administrations conduct and imposition of a political litmus or loyalty test, it betrays the oath that the president took on Monday to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, said Donald K. Sherman, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog group. What this suggests to me is that demonstrating loyalty is as important or more important than merit.Gor, in his Fox interview, said that in addition to hiring, the White House personnel office is also working to root out workers disloyal to Trump.Were also cleaning house. And so we started the process of terminating a lot of positions, he said. Its time for a fresh start.___Colvin reported from New York. AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller and Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Aamer Madhani is a White House reporter. twitter mailto JILL COLVIN Colvin is an Associated Press national political reporter covering the 2024 presidential campaign. She is based in New York. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Vice President JD Vance, from left, swears in Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense as his wife Jennifer Rauchet holds the Bible and Hegseth's son watches in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)2025-01-25T16:21:24Z Pete Hegseth was sworn in Saturday as the nations 29th secretary of defense, quickly joining President Trumps Cabinet after a dramatic late-night vote in the Senate installed him as the Pentagons leader.Hegseth took the oath from Vice President JD Vance in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with Hegseths wife, Jennifer Rauchet, at his side and Republican senators looking on. The ceremony came less than 12 hours after Vance broke a 50-50 tie in the Senate to narrowly seal Hegseths confirmation.In brief remarks, Hegseth outlined what he said were his guiding principles: Restore the warrior ethos in everything that we do, rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence.We dont want to fight wars, he added. We want to deter them and we want to end them responsibly. But if we need to fight them, were going to bring overwhelming and decisive force to close with and destroy the enemy and bring our boys home. He thanked Vance for his tiebreaking vote and joked that his children were happy their father won in overtime. It is the honor of a lifetime, sir, to serve under you, Hegseth said, in thanking Trump, who was in Las Vegas on Saturday. Later, in a emailed message to the American military, he said we will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world and he singled out the needs to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by Communist China ... and reorient to key threats. We will stand by our allies and our enemies are on notice. The unusually narrow confirmation for a defense secretary came after questions from members in both parties over Hegseths qualifications to lead the military, especially amid allegations of heavy alcohol use and aggressive behavior toward women. For Hegseth, the challenges ahead are steep, as he takes charge of a sprawling bureaucracy at a time of severe challenges around the globe. He enters office with far less experience than modern defense secretaries before him, acknowledging during his confirmation hearing that hell need to build an experienced team as he settles into the job. I want smarter and more capable people around me than me, and you will get that at the department, he said in his testimony. Vice President JD Vance, from left, swears in Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense as his wife Jennifer Rauchet holds the Bible and Hegseths son watches in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Vice President JD Vance, from left, swears in Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense as his wife Jennifer Rauchet holds the Bible and Hegseths son watches in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Hegseth also lacks the broad bipartisan support that most have brought to the role. Every Senate Democrat voted against Hegseths confirmation, as did three Republicans deeply skeptical of his qualifications for the job.Adding to the acrimony, Hegseth refused to meet with any Democrats before confirmation, breaking from tradition. Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience having been a combat veteran, veterans advocate and Fox News host as well as behavior as Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role atop the U.S. military. But the Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Hegseth and round out Trumps top national security team.Democrats, the minority in the Senate, had helped confirm Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe in bipartisan votes. But they fiercely opposed Hegseth, with even the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee refusing to support him. In this image provided by Senate Television, the vote total is shown after Vice President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trumps choice for defense secretary, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (Senate Television via AP) In this image provided by Senate Television, the vote total is shown after Vice President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trumps choice for defense secretary, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (Senate Television via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Reacting to the vote, Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York said Republicans have entrusted the most powerful military in the world to someone with no experience, terrible judgment and serious flaws of character.I hope for the sake of our troops and the good of our country that he can eventually grow into the job, Schumer said on the Senate floor.Three Republicans Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also voted against Hegseth, questioning his qualifications for the job. Hegseth faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at a Republican conference in California, though he has denied the claims and said the encounter was consensual. He later paid $50,000 to the woman.Hegseth also had promised during his confirmation hearings that he would not drink while on the job, were he to be confirmed. Meanwhile, his opposition to women in combat became an issue after Trump announced his choice in November. But, in the face of questions from Congress, Hegseth appeared to shifted. President-elect Donald Trumps pick for Defense Secretary faced senators for the first time after weeks of questions from Democrats and praise from Republicans about his unconventional resume. Asked about the issue on the Megyn Kelly Show in early December, Hegseth said he cares only that military standards are maintained. Women serve in combat, he said, and, if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Lets go.Hegseth told senators that he supports women in the military but wants to review standards to make sure they are not lowered to accommodate women.At the swearing-in ceremony, a question directed to Hegseth about why women in the armed services should trust him was answered by Vance.All people in our armed services should trust him because he looks out for them and he is going to fight for them, Vance said.___Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. THOMAS BEAUMONT Beaumont covers national politics for The Associated Press. He is based in Des Moines, Iowa. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-25T16:32:45Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration has fired about 17 independent inspectors general at government agencies, a sweeping action to remove oversight of his new administration that some members of Congress are suggesting violated federal oversight laws. The dismissals began Friday night and were effective immediately, according to two people familiar with the actions. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public. Neither confirmed the exact number of firings, but an email sent by one of the fired inspectors general said roughly 17 inspectors general had been removed. Congress was not given 30-day notices about the removals - something that even a top Republican is decrying. There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so, Sen. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. Id like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress, said Grassley, R-Iowa. The White House did not immediately comment on Saturday. President Donald Trump was in Las Vegas for a speech focused on his campaign promise to end federal taxation on tips. But the moves were consistent with the presidents first week back in the White House, which has featured a series of steps to remake the federal government. Trump has done everything from using executive orders to impose hiring freezes and crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, to suggesting that he wants to shutter the Federal Emergency Management Agency and leave disaster recovery up to individual states affected by major emergencies. The role of the modern-day inspector general dates to post-Watergate Washington, when Congress installed offices inside agencies as an independent check against mismanagement and abuse of power. Though inspectors general are presidential appointees, some serve presidents of both parties. All are expected to be nonpartisan. Yesterday, in the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals at important federal agencies across the administration, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Saturday on the chambers floor. This is a chilling purge and its a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration are taking far too often as hes becoming president. Schumer said the dismissals are possibly in violation of federal law and help demonstrate that the move is a glaring sign that its a golden age for abuse in government and even corruption.The Washington Post, which first reported the firings, said that many were appointees from Trumps first term. Among those inspectors general reported removed included those for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense and Education. Spared in this round of dismissals, however, was Michael Horowitz, the longtime Justice Department inspector general who has issued reports on assorted politically explosive criminal investigations over the past decade. In December 2019, for instance, Horowitz released a report faulting the FBI for surveillance warrant applications in the investigation into ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. But the report also found that that investigation had been opened for a legitimate purpose and did not find evidence that partisan bias had guided investigative decisions.Democrats were livid about firings.Sen. Amy Klobuchar. D-Minn., noted that inspectors general are critical to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government. The mass firings were alarming, she said. Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia, a Democrat who is ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, called it a coup to overthrow legally protected independent inspectors general.He also suggested that the move coming on just the fourth full day of Trumps second term could potentially free up a series of positions that can subsequently be filled with loyalists who are strongly sympathetic to the Trump administration. Replacing independent inspectors general with political hacks will harm every American who relies on social security, veterans benefits, and a fair hearing at IRS on refunds and audits, Connolly said.Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called Trumps actions a purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night.Inspectors general are charged with rooting out government waste, fraud, abuse, and preventing misconduct, Warren posted on X. President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption.Still, Trump has aggressively challenged the authority of independent agency watchdog groups in the past. In 2020, he replaced multiple key inspectors general, including those leading the Defense Department and intelligence community, as well as the inspector general tapped to chair a special oversight board for the $2.2 trillion economic relief package on the coronavirus.-Weissert reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department and the special counsel cases against former President Donald Trump. twitter mailto WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

An U.N peacekeeper takes position in Mays al-Jabal, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)2025-01-25T19:50:55Z MAYS AL-JABAL, Lebanon (AP) Israels military Saturday set up roadblocks across border towns and roads in a strategic valley in southern Lebanon, a day before the deadline for it to withdraw from the area under an agreement that halted its war with the Hezbollah militant group.The Israeli military, meanwhile, confirmed that it will not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday as outlined in the ceasefire agreement.The deal that went into effect in late November gave both sides 60 days to remove their forces from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to move in and secure the area, along with U.N. peacekeepers. Israel says Hezbollah and the Lebanese army havent met their obligations, while Lebanon accuses the Israeli army of hindering the Lebanese military from taking over.In a statement Saturday, the Israeli military said the agreement is progressing. But it said in some sectors, it has been delayed and will take slightly longer. The Lebanese military has said that they had deployed in areas following Israeli troops withdrawal, and in a statement Saturday accused the Israeli military of procrastinating in their withdrawal from other areas. Washington appears to support an extension of this withdrawal phase.While Lebanese army soldiers are dispersed across the souths western sector, Israeli troops remained in control of most of the southeastern sector. Members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said Israeli tanks and bulldozers have unexpectedly moved and set up several roadblocks, apparently in an attempt to prevent displaced Lebanese people trying to return to their villages. In Mays al-Jabal, peacekeepers from a Nepalese battalion watched in their position along the U.N.-mandated Blue Line as an Israeli jet flew overhead following the sound of what they said was an Israeli controlled demolition of a building. There are no residents left in that town and the vast majority of the buildings seen by Associated Press journalists were reduced to rubble or pancaked after intense Israeli shelling and airstrikes, following by clashes during its ground invasion. The few that stood had their walls blown out and are badly damaged. The piles of rubble and debris on the road make it impossible for civilian cars to enter the town that once was home to a few thousand people.The scene is similar in neighboring towns, including Blida and Aitaroun, where almost all the structures have collapsed into mounds of rubble and no residents have returned.The peacekeepers tried to appeal for permission to move across the roadblocks, but were not authorized to do so. An AP crew that had joined UNIFIL on patrol was stranded as a result.There is still a lot of IDF (Israeli army) activity going on in the area, said Maj. Dinesh Bhandari of UNIFILs Nepalese battalion in Mays al-Jabal overlooking the Blue Line. We are waiting for the deconfliction and then we will support to deploy the LAF (Lebanese army) in that position.When asked about weapons belonging to Hezbollah, Bhandari said they had found caches of weapons, munitions and mines in some structures during their patrols. Israel says it has been taking down the remaining infrastructure left by the Hezbollah militant group, which has a strong military and political presence in the south. Israel since its ground incursion into Lebanon said it also targeted a tunnel network, and has conducted large-scale demolition of buildings in a handful of border towns.Lebanese officials have complained that the Israeli military is also destroying civilian homes and infrastructure.In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pointed to the destruction of villages adjacent to the southern border and the bulldozing of lands, which will hinder the return of residents to their areas, according to the state-run National News Agency. France, along with the U.S., is a guarantor of the ceasefire deal.Some 112,000 Lebanese remain displaced, out of over 1 million displaced during the war. Large swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beiruts southern suburbs were destroyed in Israeli bombardments. KAREEM CHEHAYEB Chehayeb is an Associated Press reporter in Beirut. twitter instagram mailto