Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., holds a copy of Project 2025 as he speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-01-21T22:34:02Z NEW YORK (AP) Democrats knew this was coming. President Donald Trump promised a shock-and-awe campaign to deliver major policy victories immediately after he took office. Much of it was outlined in the Project 2025 document that Democrats predicted he would adopt.But in the hours since Trumps inauguration, Democrats are struggling to confront the sheer volume of executive orders, pardons, personnel changes and controversial relationships taking shape in the new administration.In less than two days, the Republican president has moved to end diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government, withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accords, blocked a federal law banning TikTok, and sought to end the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. He has also pardoned the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and granted unprecedented access to some of the worlds richest men, raising questions about his commitment to the working-class voters who enabled his election. Each of those actions enrages part of the Democratic base. Together, they make it difficult to formulate a response by an already fractured party. It is a fire hose right now. Thats what he does. He creates a ton of chaos so its hard to keep up with it, said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who instructed her staff to track Trumps executive orders, so her constituents could keep up. Everything is overload. Democrats warn of Trumps plans to screw over America The Democratic National Committee, under the direction of retiring chair Jaime Harrison, has been running an active rapid response this week, issuing press releases and social media posts to push back against Trumps actions. That stands in contrast to the partys operation following Trumps 2017 inauguration, which was largely dark as a far more active protest movement became the focal point of the Democratic resistance. For now, the Democratic establishment is largely focused on the prominent role of billionaires in Trumps nascent presidency, which follows Bidens farewell warning about the rise of oligarchs.The DNC shared talking points with its allies on Tuesday, encouraging them to focus on Trumps plans to screw over America. Specifically, the talking points focus on the new presidents move to rescind a Biden order designed to limit the cost of prescription drugs.The DNC guidance also seizes on ultra-wealthy tech executives like Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Space X, and Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and Blue Origin, who were seated in front of some of Trumps Cabinet picks during his inauguration. On Musk, the talking points accuse him of giving multiple Nazi salutes during Trumps inauguration parade. Right-wing extremists are celebrating Musks straight-arm gesture during a speech Monday, although his intention wasnt totally clear and some hate watchdogs are saying not to read too much into it.The seating for some of the worlds richest men at the inauguration with big-state governors and major allies relegated to an overflow area initially offered Democrats an issue to rally around. Beyond the tech leaders featured at the inauguration, the Republican president has tapped more than a dozen billionaires for prominent roles. Democratic strategist Andrew Bates, who left his job as a White House spokesman on Friday, attacked Trumps GOP for partying with rightwing billionaires on their first day in control of Washington and plotting tax welfare for the super rich on Day 2.Republicans have revealed their establishment-bought true colors and are selling out every American except their well-connected donors, Bates said. The party remains fracturedCrockett, who has become one of her partys most visible messengers on Capitol Hill, is concerned that the focus on billionaires might not resonate with average voters, who likely didnt recognize Bezos or other tech executives at the inauguration.Im not sure average people know thats not normal, Crockett said of the seating arrangement. The brilliance of Trump, if I had to give him accolades, is that he understands how much people dont understand.Even under normal circumstances, a transition to a new presidential administration would bring a flurry of executive orders and personnel changes that would be difficult to track. But little is normal about the second incarnation of President Trump, a 78-year-old term-limited outsider at the height of his political power with little regard for political norms or legal consequences.Everyones reeling and trying to process the information coming at them, said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the progressive advocacy group Our Revolution. People are not confident that the Democratic Party knows what to do in this moment. Some prominent allies of the Democratic Party arent especially engaged either. Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, who was among Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris most visible surrogates last fall, downplayed the impact of Trumps early moves when asked to weigh in. He hasnt really done anything yet, Cuban told The Associated Press. Ill pay attention to what he does. But my focus is figuring out healthcare rather than getting mad about what he does.Just getting angry, Cuban continued, is not the way to go.Faiz Shakir, a candidate for DNC chair and a longtime ally of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said he was shocked by the prominent placement of the billionaires in the nationally televised event, which he said threatened to undermine Trumps popularity with working-class voters.He has given people a window into how hes going to govern, Shakir said.Still, he acknowledged that Democrats must confront fatigue and exhaustion within their own ranks that lingers two months after Trumps victory: Theres a creeping hopelessness that needs to be fought against.Crockett encouraged her party to adopt a much more organized campaign to educate the public about Trumps three most egregious moves. What are they? Shes not sure yet.But in my opinion, we cant fight it all, she said.____

Then Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference on July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)2025-01-21T22:48:11Z President Donald Trumps goodwill in the cryptocurrency industry has taken a hit after he and his wife launched meme coins a move critics say looks like an unseemly cash grab that undermines an effort to legitimize digital assets.The industry, which felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration and spent heavily to help Trump win, is eager for the new presidents help to make crypto a bigger part of mainstream financial systems. Trump has promised a lighter regulatory touch and picked pro-crypto officials for key government positions.The price of bitcoin and other digital assets has soared since Trump won. A lavish Crypto Ball Friday ahead of Trumps inauguration sold tickets for thousands of dollars and featured a performance by the rapper Snoop Dogg.But as that party was ongoing, Trump announced on social media he was offering his very own cryptocurrency in the form of a meme coin. The move dampened the mood for many in the crypto community. I really was kind of bummed out when I saw it, said Tom Schmidt, a partner at a crypto venture capital firm Dragonfly. It just felt very grifty and cheap. Some crypto fans even joked on social media they missed Gary Gensler, the recently departed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission who was viewed as the Biden administrations chief crypto antagonist thanks to the SECs aggressive enforcement actions against crypto companies. Meme coins are among the wilder and more unregulated corners of the crypto universe. They often start as a joke with no real value but can surge in price if enough people are willing to buy them. Popular meme coins include Dogecoin, whose mascot is a dog, and Fartcoin. Scammers have tried to pump up the price of certain meme coins before dumping them on unsavvy investors.Some crypto enthusiasts hailed the Trump meme coins release and eager buyers drove up the price of the coin to above $70 each. The price fell dramatically on Sunday after First Lady Melania Trump announced the launch of her own meme coin, which also saw an initial price spike followed by a large fall. As of Tuesday afternoon, Trumps meme coin was trading at about $45 while the Melania meme coin was at about $4. Trump named SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda as the agencys acting chief Tuesday and Uyeda quickly announced he was launching a new crypto task force to set the SEC on a sensible regulatory path. Trump has promised to create a U.S. bitcoin stockpile and enact industry-friendly rules that make it easier for crypto companies to access the broader financial market.But by associating himself so closely with meme coins, some crypto fans worry that Trump hurts his ability to enact reforms. Now, on the cusp of getting some liberalization of crypto regulations in this country, the main thing people are thinking about crypto is, Oh, its just a casino for these meme coins, said Nic Carter, a Trump supporter and partner at the crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures. It does the opposite of validating us, it makes it look completely unserious. The sale of Trump meme coins was organized by CIC Digital, an affiliate of the Trump Organization. In promoting the meme coin, Trump told supporters to Have Fun! The website selling the tokens says they are meant as expressions of support and not an investment opportunity. The coins website said 200 million Trump meme coins are currently available, with plans to issue 1 billion over the next three years. The Trump family business recently released an ethics agreement that prohibits Trump from day-to-day decision making at the Trump Organization when hes president and limits financial information about the business shared with him.The president and first lady were not the only ones promoting new cryptocurrencies around the inauguration. Lorenzo Sewell, the Michigan pastor who gave a spirited inaugural invocation Monday, announced the launch of a new coin named after him, which he said would be used to benefit his church.I need you to do me a favor right now, I need to you to go buy the official Lorenzo Sewell coin, Sewell said in a video post on social media. ALAN SUDERMAN Suderman is an Associated Press investigative reporter interested in national security, cybersecurity and other related topics. twitter mailto

The president-elects mass deportation plans along with the vicious anti-immigrant hysteria he has provoked will no doubt destroy countless lives, but according to trans activist and civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo, it wont stop peoples dogged pursuit of a better life across the border.Theres almost no depth of cruelty that will deter immigration, Caraballo, who has worked extensively with LGBTQ+ immigrants and asylum seekers, told LGBTQ Nation. The conditions in a lot of countries are so dire Its life or death for them, and a life of fear and tolerating cruelty is still one where you have a life. Trumps fundamental miscalculation, she said, is ignoring that drive to survive. She pointed to the Darin Gap, an extremely inhospitable and remote region connecting North and South America that many immigrants must cross on their journey to the United States.It is hundreds of miles of the most remote, densely forested rainforest with no civilization anywhere nearby. And people are trekking through this, constantly dying. To put yourself through that and then travel thousands of miles more, oftentimes on foot, to get to the border just to have a hope that you might get in The level of precarity in the countries they are coming from has to be so dire. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Caraballo is currently a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, but she spent much of Trumps first term as an attorney at the LGBTQ Law Project at the New York Legal Assistance Group. There, she mainly worked with undocumented Trans Latina women, assisting with asylum applications, T Visas for survivors of human trafficking, and U Visas for victims of crime.While there were significant challenges to doing this work under an administration overtly hostile to both immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, Caraballo predicts the second time will be far worse.The guardrails are completely off, she said. We now have many more judicial decisions from the Supreme Court that basically give Trump a carte blanche to do whatever he wants in terms of immigration. The so-called adults in the room are gone. The explicitly cruel policies are a feature, not a bug. Normalizing the unthinkableMigrants living on the north embankment of the Rio Grande hold hands during a prayer as they await to be processed by Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, Texas. Photo: Omar Ornelas/ El Paso Times / USA Today Network.Caraballo predicts the second Trump administration will commit a slew of atrocities, from the building of actual camps to house migrants to immigration raids in classrooms, churches, and other sensitive areas that are typically off-limits.I wouldnt be surprised if they try to carry out immigration raids during a class like hauling students out in front of their classmates. Because the goal is to instill fear, to instill a sense of, you are not safe anywher, and we are coming to get you. also to kind of shock the public consciousness and normalize the once unthinkable.Whatever Trump and his cronies inflict, it will certainly be harsher for LGBTQ+ people, especially trans folks. LGBTQ+ people already face outsized risks of abuse and harassment in immigration detention, and they are also more likely to be denied critical medical care. Related Donald Trump is targeting trans rights. Sydney Duncan is fighting back. The senior counsel for Advocates for Trans Equality gets real about the future for trans Americans. A recent report from Immigration Equality found significant medical neglect for detainees with HIV, and Caraballo said many of the clients she worked with who were detained by ICE were denied essential HIV medication. LGBTQ+ detainees also reported rampant verbal abuse and threats of violence.The Center for American Progress found that in 2017 (while Trump was president), LGBTQ+ people in ICE custody were 97 times more likely to endure sexual abuse than non-LGBTQ+ people. The organization described the numbers as staggering and far greater than the already high rates of abuse against LGBTQ+ inmates. The report also detailed how ICE disproportionately placed trans women either in solitary confinement or mens facilities, as well as the agencys pension for detaining trans people significantly longer than other immigrants, concluding that the Trump administration rejected policies meant to protect vulnerable populations from abuse in detention.In some especially tragic cases, like that of transgender Honduran Roxsana Hernandez, detained LGBTQ+ migrants have died in ICE custody. Hernandez came to the U.S. seeking asylum and died of an AIDS-related illness after she was denied antiretroviral medication despite the fact that Customs and Border Control knew she was HIV positive.Conditions for detained LGBTQ+ immigrants have remained dire under the Biden administration. Last year, a group of trans and nonbinary people detained at Colorados Aurora Contract Detention Facility filed a civil rights complaint alleging medical neglect and dehumanizing treatment. I think it is intentionally bad here, said one complainant, Victoria. It is a way to get people to give up on themselves.With Trumps threat to somehow deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States, checks on the system are likely to deteriorate even more. Combine that with the unmitigated anti-trans hatred the Trump campaign injected into the American psyche, and the more than one million queer and trans immigrants and asylum seekers become one of the most vulnerable populations in the country. Method over madnessThe ties between Donald Trump and tech giants like Elon Musk could further threaten LGBTQ+ rights. Photo: Jasper Colt/USA Today.Trumps first term also included a base level of incompetence that allowed Caraballo to maneuver through the system and still help several of her clients. This time, she predicts the administration will ditch the chaos and become much more methodical.Theyve had four years to plan this stuff out. Theyve been methodically planning out their executive orders, the rules, how theyre going to go about this, whereas previously, in the first Trump administration, they didnt necessarily have that apparatus in place.But these tactics will no doubt meet resistance.At a certain point, people are not going to tolerate immigration raids on elementary schools, like hauling seven-year-olds out of class This is the era of the smartphone. You cant hide this stuff.Alejandra Caraballo, trans activist and civil rights attorneyAt a certain point, people are not going to tolerate immigration raids on elementary schools, like hauling seven-year-olds out of class to put in detention and put into a camp, she said. This is the era of the smartphone. You cant hide this stuff as easily.Technology, however, is a double-edged sword. Now that Trump is returning to the Oval Office, social media giants X and Meta have eliminated the last vestiges of protections for marginalized groups on their platforms. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have given a free pass to hate speech and misinformation, both of which can cause extremely dire consequences in the real world.All it takes is a single viral rumor that a trans person or immigrant committed a crime to incite a violent mob,Caraballo points to the violent anti-immigrant riots that broke out in the U.K. over the summer after the spread of online misinformation.Thats whats going to be in store in the next four years. Weve already seen kind of isolated lone wolf attacks, but this kind of stuff metastasizes on social media. The genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar, she added, was very much catalyzed by content spread on Facebook and WhatsApp in 2016.Weve already seen armed Proud Boys showing up to library events and drag shows. I really worry in this kind of atmosphere where people are emboldened, and there is no societal accountability or check on them, that its going to lead to more violence.Jan 6, 2024; Columbus, OH, United States; Members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group clash with groups who had gathered to speak out against them outside of the Ohio Statehouse, January 6, 2024. Photo: Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network. She continued, Ultimately, thats the fundamental evil at play here Even when theyre not always fully enforced, policies can serve as a deterrence, and by removing that deterrence and the friction of it, theyre going to accelerate this stuff.With a slew of tech giants, including Meta, announcing $1 million donations to Trumps inaugural fund, its clear that their interest is solely in protecting their bottom lines.Theyre supposed to have beyond f**k you money, Caraballo said, and the point of that kind of money is youre not beholden to anyone, and theyre just cowards. They are spineless, immoral cowards. The increasingly hostile social media climate will not only incite hate against LGBTQ+ people but will also cut them off from their own communities.Caraballo lamented the incalculable amount of community lost on these platforms. She worries about the isolation many will feel if they choose to leave social media platforms that have become too hostile to them. Theyve built up communities on those platforms over decades and you cant replicate that. Bluesky is promising, but its not the same, and itll never be.The next four years wont be pretty, but Caraballo does believe there may be some light on the other side. I fundamentally believe our society is at an impasse. I dont think this kind of far-right populist authoritarianism is durable. In the meantime, Caraballo suggests finding community and holding it tightly.Community and each other is how were going to get through all of this, and having empathy and loving other people is the most important value in the face of fascism. Related Civil rights leader David Johns is fighting to reclaim the future for Black & queer America Culture wars are manufactured to spur misinformation, says the CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

EDM festivals are all the rage these days, but Sphere in Las Vegas is truly in a league of its own.Sin City's latest venue quickly took over everyone's algorithms when it opened at the end of 2023. Headliners like U2, Phish, Dead & Company, and the Eagles went viral for their unbelievable visuals that complimented their upbeat music in the immersive arena.Although each of those bands made their mark at Sphere, nobody was prepared for the first EDM performer to take the stage. Afterlife Presents Anyma: The End of Genesys serves as the inaugural residency to feature a DJ and predominantly dance music.A groundbreaking immersive experienceWhen it comes to creating a experience that taps into everything Sphere can offer, Anyma certainly understood the assignment. It's no wonder that all of his shows sold out, including the new dates that were added following a very high demand.Anyma performs his electric set on the top of a gorgeous riser surrounded by glowing cords that put him on the pedestal he deserves. Although his platform is impressive, it's the visuals behind him that really transport audiences into a whole new world. See on Instagram Not a bad seat in the houseThe best part about seeing a show at Sphere? There's not one bad seat in the house.Securing a ticket for the pit at the front of the venue is never a bad choice, especially if you're surrounded by friendly people who are ready to dance the night away with you.However, if you decide to opt for an actual seat in one of the higher sections, then get ready for a 4D experience like none other. Every seat has surround sound speakers that really brings the music to life. Plus, the chairs shake and rumble along with the base, so there's a good chance you won't even want to stand up throughout the exhilarating show.There's truly something for everyone at a Sphere residency. If you'd like to enjoy the show as if it were a movie, then sitting higher up and taking in all of the unbelievable visuals is a real treat. On the other hand, if you're hoping to bust a move with your crew and everyone around you, then the pit is the way to go.One thing to brace for... get ready to put your neck to work as you'll be looking up multiple times throughout the night. The very large and grand LED screen will have you turning your head in every direction to absorb all of the mind-blowing visuals in front of you.A game-changing showSphere has changed the game when it comes to escapism through EDM. How will visuals at any other festival or show live up to Anyma's residency? Only time will tell. It would be incredible to see other DJs eventually perform at the stunning theater down the road.Although Anyma's residency has sadly come to an end, the demand is still very much alive for his grand return. Until then, there's plenty of thrilling shows and concerts scheduled throughout the year at Sphere. Learn more by visiting the official website here.

In the pantheon of lesbian sex acts from oral to strap-ons to scissoring (Myth or real? You decide!) to the thigh thing most people are familiar with the mainstays, but what about dove f**king?This cutely named Sapphic sex act involves one woman using her nipple to stimulate her partners vulva and then having her lick your breast clean for added fun. Hot!While the term has been around for years the Urban Dictionary definition was added in 2009, and a quick Google search proves there is plenty of porn out there featuring this spicy lesbian sex move its not one that comes up in everyday conversation. One person was so curious to know if other lesbians do this in the bedroom that they took to the r/actuallesbians subreddit to ask, Is this a common sexual practice among WLW?While some were surprised (and delighted) to learn of dove f**king for the very first time, the comment section proves that the sex act is more common than you think, and lesbians love it. The responses are so steamy you may need to defog your reading glasses! The comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity.What is "dove f**king?""Yes!!! This is called dove fucking no idea where the name came from. Not sure if its a super common thing, but iykyk lol. You can also add to it by rubbing your nips all over her vulva, getting it wet, then having her kiss/lick the wetness off you (assuming shes ok with her own taste). Or vice versa of course." Electrical-Cake-6529"I call it tiddy fucking." GreenG0blnIf you know, you know""Eh? I thought it was a common sexual practice . Actually something that I love doing ... it feels amazing!" ashleykhan7"Lol didnt know it had a name! Never thought of it as an "uncommon practice". I thought everyone did this . cecileett"OH MY GOD IT HAS A NAME. I have been searching for porn of this nature for only god knows how many years, and tried all possible and impossible word combinations in my searches, but to no avail, and I have been teetering on the edge of madness about how utterly impossible it seemed. From a porn producer's perspective, I simply could not wrap my head around how 'Tits AND pussy at the same time!' was not an all time top blockbuster category. Like, at this point I didn't even care about the practicality of it, or if it was blatantly made for male appealing aesthetics, if the common type of fucking acrobatic scissoring is a major porn category, how in the world could this not be? I have been so confused." ElisaKristiansenYou're not alone if you've never heard of it"LMAO shoving a balloon down a water slide how did i never hear of this?!" skippy51"Woah, first time hearing of this I'm intrigued." Relative-Policy5887"Never heard of, am very curious." grey_hat_ukNow I have to try it!"This is new to me, but I'd try it." Remote_Bluebird4040"Lmao I wanna try. Scissoring is old." Bit-Jungle"I'll add it to the agenda." natzielSo whether you're new to "dove f**king" or you're very familiar with it, tonight might a good time to add it into your bedroom escapades!

A family drives past tanks that belonged to the Assad regime, in Nawa, near Daraa, Syria, Jan. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)2025-01-22T05:31:29Z NAWA, Syria (AP) As insurgents raced across Syria in a surprise offensive launched in the countrys northwest late last year, officials from several countries backing either the rebels or Syrias government met in Qatar on what to do.According to people briefed on the Dec. 7 meeting, officials from Turkey, Russia, Iran and a handful of Arab countries agreed that the insurgents would stop their advance in Homs, the last major city north of Damascus, and that internationally mediated talks would take place with Syrian leader Bashar Assad on a political transition.But insurgent factions from Syrias south had other plans. They pushed toward the capital, arriving in Damascus largest square before dawn. Insurgents from the north, led by the Islamist group Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham, arrived hours later. Assad, meanwhile, had fled.HTS, the most organized of the groups, has since established itself as Syrias de facto rulers after coordinating with the southern fighters during the lighting-fast offensive. Wariness among the southern factions since then, however, has highlighted questions over how the interim administration can bring together a patchwork of former rebel groups, each with their own leaders and ideology. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has called for a unified national army and security forces. The interim defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, has begun meeting with armed groups. But some prominent leaders like southern rebel commander Ahmad al-Awda have refused to attend.Officials with the interim government did not respond to questions. Cradle of the revolutionThe southern province of Daraa is widely seen as the cradle of the Syrian uprising in 2011. When anti-government protests were met with repression by Assads security forces, we were forced to carry weapons, said Mahmoud al-Bardan, a rebel leader there.The rebel groups that formed in the south had different dynamics from those in the north, less Islamist and more localized, said Aron Lund, a fellow with the Century International think tank. They also had different backers.In the north, Turkey and Qatar favored Islamist factions very heavily, he said. In the south, Jordanian and American involvement nudged the insurgency in a different direction.In 2018, factions in Daraa reached a Russian-mediated reconciliation agreement with Assads government. Some former fighters left for Idlib, the destination for many from areas recaptured by government forces, while others remained.The deal left many southern factions alive and armed, Lund said.We only turned over the heavy weapons the light weapons remained with us, al-Bardan said.When the HTS-led rebel groups based in the north launched their surprise offensive last year in Aleppo, those weapons were put to use again. Factions in the southern provinces of Daraa, Sweida and Quneitra reactivated, forming a joint operations room to coordinate with northern ones. Defying international wishesOn Dec. 7, we had heard from a number of parties that there might be an agreement that no one would enter Damascus so there could be an agreement on the exit of Bashar Assad or a transitional phase, said Nassim Abu Ara, an official with one of the largest rebel factions in the south, the 8th Brigade of al-Awda.However, we entered Damascus and turned the tables on these agreements, he said.Al-Bardan confirmed that account, asserting that the agreement was binding on the northern factions but not the southern ones.Even if they had ordered us to stop, we would not have, he said, reflecting the eagerness among many fighters to remove Assad as soon as possible.Ammar Kahf, executive director of the Istanbul-based Omran Center for Strategic Studies, who was in Doha on Dec. 7 and was briefed on the meetings, said there was an agreement among countries officials that the rebels would stop their offensive in Homs and go to Geneva for negotiations on transitional arrangements.But Kahf said it was not clear that any Syrian faction, including HTS, agreed to the plan. Representatives of countries at the meeting did not respond to questions. A statement released by the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran, Qatari, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq after the Dec. 7 meeting said they stressed the need to stop military operations in preparation for launching a comprehensive political process but did not give specifics.The initial hours after armed groups arrival in Damascus were chaotic. Observers said the HTS-led forces tried to re-impose order when they arrived. An Associated Press journalist saw an argument break out when HTS fighters tried to stop members of another faction from taking abandoned army munitions.Abu Ara acknowledged that there was some chaos but added, we have to understand that these people were pent-up and suddenly they achieved the joy of victory in this manner. Waiting for a stateDuring a visit by AP journalists to the western countryside of Daraa province this month, there was no visible presence of HTS forces.At one former Syrian army site, a fighter with the Free Syrian Army, the main faction in the area, stood guard in jeans and a camouflage shirt. Other local fighters showed off a site where they were storing tanks abandoned by the former army.Currently these are the property of the new state and army, whenever it is formed, said one fighter, Issa Sabaq.The process of forming those has been bumpy.On New Years Eve, factions in the Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria blocked the entry of a convoy of HTS security forces who had arrived without giving prior notice.Ahmed Aba Zeid, a Syrian researcher who has studied the southern insurgent groups, said some of the factions have taken a wait-and-see approach before they agree to dissolve and hand over their weapons to the state.Local armed factions are still the de facto security forces in many areas.Earlier this month, the new police chief in Daraa city appointed by the HTS-led government, Badr Abdel Hamid, joined local officials in the town of Nawa to discuss plans for a police force there.Hamid said there had been constructive and positive cooperation with factions in the region, adding the process of extending the states influence takes time.Abu Ara said factions are waiting to understand their role. Will it be a strong army, or a border guard army, or is it for counterterrorism? he asked.Still, he was optimistic that an understanding will be reached.A lot of people are afraid that there will be a confrontation, that there wont be integration or wont be an agreement, he said. But we want to avoid this at all costs, because our country is very tired of war. ABBY SEWELL Sewell is the Associated Press news director for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. She joined the AP in 2022 but has been based in the region since 2016, reporting and guiding coverage on some of its most significant news stories. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)2025-01-22T05:16:47Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Parched Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, dampening the prospects of another round of killer wildfires though even a small amount of precipitation could could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff.Los Angeles officials were preparing for that prospect even as a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas and firefighters quickly controlled small blazes that broke out. Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of the possible weekend rain, which could create mud and debris flows. This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff, Bass said during a news conference.Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas. A 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 cm), according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Services office for Los Angeles. However up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough to trigger debris flows on scorched hillsides. But even if the rain doesnt materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that theyll have to deal with for months or years, Kittell said. In 2018, Montecito, a town 80 miles (130 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged. Winds eased somewhat Tuesday afternoon after peaking at 60 mph (96 kph) in many areas, but gusty conditions were expected to return the next two days. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through 8 p.m. Thursday in LA and Ventura counties. Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to keep watch for hot spots.Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA and San Diego counties, officials said. Evacuation orders were lifted for the Friars Fire, which broke out near a San Diego mall, and partially for the Lilac Fire, which burned through dry brush after threatening some structures, Cal Fire said. Nearby crews fully contained the Pala Fire, another small blaze. Southern California Edison preemptively shut off power to more than 60,000 customers in five counties to prevent new fires from being sparked by winds toppling electrical equipment; electricity was later restored to some. The utility was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 160,000 customers. Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly. Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the citys website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 63%, and the Eaton Fire was at 89%. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings. Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edison equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday.___Associated Press radio reporter Julie Walker in New York contributed.

With Donald Trump's second inauguration looming, MAGA Republicans have been preemptively celebrating his return across social media. And while it's totally normal to cheer on the person you voted for, nothing about the MAGA obsession with Trump has ever been particularly normal, and that doesn't look to be changing anytime soon.Of particular note is a recent post from alt-right podcaster Charlie Kirk, who shared a creepy photo of Trump alongside the caption "Dad is home." (@) It's only been a few months since Tucker Carlson's bizarre speech at a Trump rally in Duluth, Georgia comparing Trump to "dad" and the country to a small child."You've been a bad little girl and you're getting a vigorous spanking right now," he said in a bizarre metaphor that went on way, way too long.One has to imagine this is where Kirk got the idea, although with the way MAGAs love to imagine Trump as everything from a comic book superhero to an actual god, it's entirely possible daddy is just another role they fill with the 78-year-old felon.But no matter how you look at it, it's freaking weird. (@) "Very normal thing to say." (@) "hmm.. seeing as Donald Trump isn't your biological or adoptive father, I'm confused as to why youre calling him "Dad". I'm a conservative who follows you for your conservative values, but calling an unrelated man "Dad" seems akin to what the gays would do. Is he your "daddy dom"?" (@) "very submissive of you charlie. good boy." (@) "You sound turned on." (@) (@) "MAGA when they look at Trump" (@) "i just know that adding the dy was calling out to him like the green goblin mask" (@) It's usually not great when people call conservatives or homophobes "gay" as some sort of gotcha. It furthers the implication that there's something bad about being gay, while also inadvertently suggesting the people oppressing gay people are just other gay people, albeit closeted and filled with internalized homophobia.But in this case, there just...really isn't any other way to read what Kirk is putting down. It's gay as hell. (@) "Calling an man twice your age with no relation to you in any way dad is the most gay shit possible" (@) "Hes not going to fuck you, Charlie." (@) "Charlie Cuck cant wait for Daddy Dom to come home to him." (@) "Conservatives will be like I cant stand gay people grrrrr and then immediately turn around and being incredibly homoerotic for another guy." (@) What's possibly the most amusing of all is that Kirk's fellow MAGAs are frequently doubling down on his behalf. Not only that, but like tiny children on a playground, they're even trying to insist that liberals are actually the ones making it weird. Totally normal to call Trump "dad;" only weird when liberals point out that's pretty gay. Mhmm. (@) "Why do you have to make it weird?" (@) "bc calling another man daddy is gay, hope this helps" (@) Kamala Harris and Tim Walz really never should have pivoted away from calling MAGAs weird.

Shaun T is giving fans what they want.Not only is the sexy model living his best life as a loving husband and father of two, but the star is also running a fitness empire and posting plenty of hot content on his very spicy OnlyFans.Many celebrities have joined the popular site over the years, but Shaun T is doing much more than taking steamy photos. He also uses the platform to connect with his fans and encourage many people to invest in their bodies at the gym... or under the sheets."We all know what OnlyFans is known for, but one of the things I absolutely love about it is having conversations with men and women. I'm super open minded! You can basically tell me next to anything," Shaun T tells PRIDE. See on Instagram If you're looking to see some raunchy content from Shaun T and his handsome husband Scott Blokker on OnlyFans, then you're in luck."After 14 years, we still have an incredible sex life. We keep it spicy! If you join my VIP platform, you might get a little bit more. I'm just saying! We know what people want."Speaking of what people want, many fans are curious as to what Shaun T's sexual preferences may be in the bedroom and the star has no problem spilling the tea."I am way more top than I am bottom, but for [my husband], we're flipping, flopping, moving, shaking, doing, and dipping! Bottoming is not my biggest thing. There's a way to get there. He knows how to get there, so I give him what he wants. My husband's hot."Shaun and Scott Blokker certainly know how to keep things steamy at home, but now, fans can channel their inner sexiness by checking out the couple's new undies T-Bone Threads."We wanted to create an underwear line for gay men of all shapes and sizes to show their confidence. Thongs are my personal favorite. Scott loves jockstraps. The booty is bootying! It is a way to feel confident wherever you are. When I take these off, someone is going to like what they see."T-Bone Threads are available now. To see the full interview with Shaun T, check out the video at the top of the page.

Students arrive for school Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)2025-01-22T06:01:17Z SAN FRANCISCO (AP) As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school. In many districts, educators have sought to reassure immigrant parents that schools are safe places for their kids, despite the presidents campaign pledge to carry out mass deportations. But fears intensified for some when the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a decades-old policy. Oh, dear God! I cant imagine why they would do that, said Carmen, an immigrant from Mexico, after hearing that the Trump administration had rescinded the policy against arrests in sensitive locations.She plans to take her two grandchildren, ages 6 and 4, to their school Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay Area unless she hears from school officials it is not safe. What has helped calm my nerves is knowing that the school stands with us and promised to inform us if its not safe at school, said Carmen, who spoke on condition that only her first name be used, out of fear she could be targeted by immigration officials. Immigrants across the country have been anxious about Trumps pledge to deport millions of people. While fears of raids did not come to pass on the administrations first day, rapid changes on immigration policy have left many confused and uncertain about their future. At a time when many migrant families even those in the country legally are assessing whether and how to go about in public, many school systems are watching for effects on student attendance. Several schools said they were fielding calls from worried parents about rumors that immigration agents would try to enter schools, but it was too early to tell whether large numbers of families are keeping their children home. Tuesdays move to clear the way for arrests at schools reverses guidance that restricted two federal agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from carrying out enforcement in sensitive locations. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest.Daniela Anello, who heads D.C. Bilingual Public Charter School in the nations capital, said she was shocked by the announcement.Its horrific, Anello said. Theres no such thing as hiding anyone. It doesnt happen, hasnt happened. ... Its ridiculous.An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many more have U.S. citizenship but have parents who are in the country illegally. Schools work to reassure parentsEducation officials in some states and districts have vowed to stand up for immigrant students, including their right to a public education. In California, for one, officials have offered guidance to schools on state law limiting local participation in immigration enforcement.A resolution passed by Chicago Public Schools Board of Education in November said schools would not assist ICE in enforcing immigration law. Agents would not be allowed into schools without a criminal warrant, it said. And New York City principals last month were reminded by the district of policies including one against collecting information on a students immigration status.Thats not the case everywhere. Many districts have not offered any reassurances for immigrant families.Educators at Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School have learned even students and families in the country legally are intimidated by Trumps wide-ranging proposals to deport millions of immigrants and roll back non-citizens rights.Theyre not even at risk of deportation and theyre still scared, Chief Operating Officer Luma Mufleh said. Officials at the small Atlanta charter school focused on serving refugees and immigrants expected so many students to miss school the day after Trump took office that educators accelerated the schools exam schedule so students wouldnt miss important tests. Asked on Tuesday for attendance data, school officials did not feel comfortable sharing it. We dont want our school to be targeted, Mufleh said.The new policy on immigration enforcement at schools likely will prompt some immigrant parents who fear deportation to keep their children home, even if they face little risk, said Michael Lukens, executive director for the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. He said he believes its part of the administrations goal to make life so untenable that immigrants eventually leave the United States on their own.Some parents see school as one of the last safe places For Iris Gonzalez in Boston, schools seem like just about the only safe place for her to go as someone in the country illegally. Shes had children in Boston schools for nearly a decade and she doesnt expect anyone there to bother her or her daughters for proof theyre here legally. So her children will keep going to school. Education is important, she said in Spanish. Gonzalez, who came to the U.S. from Guatemala illegally 14 years ago, does worry about entering a courthouse or driving, even though she has a license. What if they stop me? she wonders. I dont sleep, she said. Theres a lot of uncertainty about how to look for work, whether to keep driving and whats going to change.Carmen, the Mexican grandmother who now lives in California, said returning home is not an option for her family, which faced threats after her son-in-law was kidnapped two years from their home in Michoacan state, an area overrun with drug trafficking gangs.Her family arrived two years ago under former President Joe Bidens program allowing asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. and then apply for permission to stay. Following his inauguration Monday, Trump promptly shut down the CBP One app that processed these and other arrivals and has promised to end asylum during his presidency.Carmen has had several hearings on her asylum request, which has not yet been granted.My biggest fear is that we dont have anywhere to go back to, she said. Its about saving our lives. And protecting our children. ___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. MORIAH BALINGIT Balingit is an Associated Press national reporter focused on child care, preschool and the early grades. twitter mailto BIANCA VZQUEZ TONESS Vzquez Toness is an Associated Press reporter who writes about the continuing impact of the pandemic on young people and their education. twitter mailto JOCELYN GECKER Gecker is an Associated Press reporter covering education with a focus on social media and youth mental health. twitter mailto

Chinese President Xi Jinping takes part in the Economic Leaders Meeting during the APEC summit in Lima, Peru on Nov. 16, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP, File)2025-01-22T06:19:14Z BEIJING (AP) Chinas relations are starting to improvewith Japan, India and other countries that former U.S. President Joe Biden courted, just as Donald Trump brings his more unilateralist approach back to the White House.The change of leadership in Washington on Monday could be an opportunity for China, which has long railed against Bidens strategy of building partnerships with like-minded countries aimed at countering its growing influence.Biden reinvigorated a grouping known as the Quad the United States, India, Japan and Australia. Chinas relations with all three of those U.S. partners are improving, as are its ties with Britain. The durability of Bidens legacy is now in question. During his first term, Trump didnt hesitate to challenge traditional U.S. partners.It is possible that Trump may drift away from U.S. allies, making them pay more attention to Chinas role and in fact it has provided a chance for Chinas diplomacy, said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. I think we should grasp the chance. But U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said that Trump has a record of rallying the world toward a more competitive stance with China. Trump agreed to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy that Japan introduced during his first term and backed excluding Chinese companies from telecom networks in the U.S. and many of its partners.And on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hours after he was sworn in met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan in Washington, a move that suggested engaging the Quad countries and countering Chinas influence will remain a priority for Trump. Chinas fence-mending has limitsBeijings rapprochement with the U.K. and Japan is in its early stages, and major differences remain that limit and could derail it. India turned the page with China on a bitter border dispute last October, but protested when Beijing created two new counties in an area claimed by both nations.Still, new leaders in Australia, the U.K. and Japan have shown a desire to warm relations with China, the worlds largest manufacturer and a source of strategic minerals. The government in Beijing has reciprocated in part because it wants foreign investment to help revive its economy, which could be set back if Trump follows through on a threat to impose higher tariffs.Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Council President Antonio Costa in a phone conversation last week that both sides could bring more stability and certainty to the turbulent global situation. China and Britain restarted economic and financial talks after a six-year hiatus when the U.K. Treasury chief visited Beijing this month.From Chinas point of view, improving relations with American allies and increasing economic cooperation will offset the shock to China-U.S. economic relations, Wu said. Trumps statements agitate U.S. alliesIn Washington, theres a strong bipartisan consensus that the U.S. must prevail in its economic and tech rivalry with China to maintain its global leadership.During his confirmation hearing, Rubio called China the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted. Biden kept the tariffs Trump levied on China and imposed more on Chinese electric cars and solar cells.But unlike Biden, Trump has irked U.S. allies and partners with his recent remarks on possibly annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and making Canada the 51st American state. Hal Brands, senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute, said he believes some top strategists in Beijing are salivating at the damage they think Trump is going to do to U.S. alliances and the opportunities this creates for Beijing to resurrect some of its relationships with other advanced democracies Japan and Europe that had moved in a very sharply anti-China direction since COVID.Trumps rhetoric, and attempts by his adviser Elon Musk to interfere in British and German politics, are certain to have a ripple effect, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington.Countries want to at the minimum keep their options open, she said. China is unlikely to be a better choice than the U.S., even under Trump, but it is important to find some counterbalance. The Philippines isnt mending fences Chinas relations arent improving with every U.S. partner. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has aggressively resisted Chinas increasingly assertive stance in their territorial disputes in the South China Sea.The Philippines complained recently about what it called a monster Chinese coast guard ship in nearby waters, and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines said last week they would convey to Trump the urgent need for the U.S. to remain engaged in the region.Uncertainty about Trumps policies is prompting both China and Japan to seek a stable relationship, said Taizo Miyagi, an expert on Japanese diplomacy at Chuo University in Tokyo.A Japanese foreign minister visited Beijing last month for the first time in seven years, and Chinese military officials visited Tokyo last week to resume defense exchanges after a five-year hiatus.In a way it is a Trump effect, Miyagi said. Many other countries are likely thinking the same and this could invigorate their diplomatic activities.Britain steers a new course with ChinaBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to rebuild ties with Beijing since his Labour Partys election victory last summer. Its a marked shift from predecessor Rishi Sunak, who in 2022 declared an end to his countrys golden era of friendship with China.In Britains case, Trumps return may not be driving the rapprochement.Many European leaders may not welcome Trumps America-first agenda, but the idea that as a result they will all kowtow to Beijing for more trade is fanciful thinking on the part of some of our Chinese friends, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.Most would prefer to remain partners with Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron, outlining his vision for global diplomacy in a New Years speech, declared that his country was a solid ally of Trump.He and others hope that Trump will respond positively to their outreach. Much will depend on what path the returning U.S. president takes, and how the rest of the world reacts.___Tang reported from Washington. Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and writers Ashok Sharma in New Delhi, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Sylvia Hui in London and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, 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 DIDI TANG Tang joined the AP Washington bureau in 2023 after spending 11 years in Beijing as a China correspondent. She covers anything related to the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on U.S.-China competitions mailto

As fires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area, Conservatives have spent the past week blaming DEI hires, Democratic Governor Gavin Newson, and the out-lesbian fire chief for the natural disaster. Now, MAGA firebrand Megyn Kelly has taken things a step further by ranting about how overweight, out-of-shape women running the Los Angeles Fire Department are sending obese lesbians to save people trapped by the fires when she just wants to be rescued by a strong man.On a recent episode of her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, the 54-year-old outspoken Donald Trump supporter blamed DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) for weakening the fire departments response to the deadly wildfires, making the inflammatory comment that this is the one place where she would support biological women being replaced by transgender women, the New York Post reports.I believe I speak for all females in Los Angeles when I say, we want a strong man to rescue us, Kelly said. Thats what we want. Do we ask for too much?Despite there only being three women on the 145-person LAFDs leadership team, Kelly insisted the women at the top are to blame for the perceived failures of the department.Kristen Crowley, LAFDs first LGBTQ+ fire chief, has been the target of online harassment and harsh criticism from the right wing, who think she was an undeserving DEI hire, even though she has 22 years of experience in the fire department. Kelly jumped on this bandwagon but added insults about the womens weight. These three women who are all at the top there I mean honestly, Im not trying to be mean, but theyre obese. These are overweight, out-of-shape women, she said. (@) She continued, The last thing I want to see if Im in a burning building is a) a woman, and b) an obese woman.After insulting the womens weight, Kelly moved on to homophobia and transphobia. Who takes comfort in Im going to die, but its in the presence of an obese lesbian? This is ridiculous, she said.Then she slid into a bizarre argument for the inclusion of trans women while also being wildly insulting. If theyre so intent on getting women into the fire department, why cant we get the so-called trans women?Kelly has been a vocal critic of trans women participating in sports and used that favorite conservation talking point to call out the women in the fire department. Lets get the fake women who want to invade our sports and redirect them to the fire department, she said. That would be a great place for you to break barriers as a quote woman in the firefighting realm where you still have all of your male advantage.In actuality, the LAFDs budget was slashed by $17.6 million in 2024. The reduction has severely limited the departments capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires, Crowley explained in a memo in December.

After Vultures bombshell expos detailing sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman came out earlier this week, the best-selling authors ex-wife Amanda Palmer finally made a public statement.The explosive report describes in detail the disturbing allegations made by eight women of the sexual assault, coercion, and abuse they suffered at the hands of the Good Omens writer. The Vulture article, written by Lila Shapiro, also includes accusations that Palmer had knowledge of his actions and that some of the women met Gaiman through Palmer.Scarlett Pavlovich, who began working as a nanny for Palmer in 2022, claims Gaiman sexually assaulted her in an outdoor bathtub and further alleges that he assaulted her again in a hotel room while his son was present. Pavlovich also claims that she told Palmer about what Gaiman did to her, including the bathtub incident, but didnt describe it as sexual assault at the time.Palmer broke her silence yesterday when she took to Instagram to post a statement asking for privacy because of the former couples custody battle.As there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings, I am not able to offer public comment. Please understand that I am first and foremost a parent. I ask for privacy at this time, she wrote.See on InstagramThe singer-songwriter and former Dresden Dolls member also made a statement to NME, calling the allegations against Gaiman, who she divorced in 2022, disturbing.While Ms. Palmer is profoundly disturbed by the allegations that Mr. Gaiman has abused several women, at this time her primary concern is, and must remain, the well-being of her son and therefore, to guard his privacy, she has no comment on these allegations, her statement read. Palmer and Gaiman met in 2008 and got married in 2011. They have one son together.

World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob smiles as he looks out from the service window of his food truck, The Lime Truck, as he serves burritos to Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)2025-01-22T05:03:23Z PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. (AP) The Pacific Palisades home where chef Daniel Shemtob and his wife dreamed of raising a family is now nothing more than a cratered pit of twisted metal and rubble. Gone are the gourmet kitchen, the nursery with the baby giraffe and elephant wallpaper, the half-century-old olive trees in the yard. But even as the Los Angeles-area wildfires continue to burn, Shemtob has been soothing his soul by dishing out free, foil-wrapped breakfast burritos and tacos from his award-winning food truck to first-responders and weary evacuees. It would be easy for the two-time Food Network competition winner to dwell on the loss of the home, which he and his wife, Elyse, moved into about eight months ago, leasing with an option to buy. Yet he smiles, thinking about the people he has met through the food giveaways.One man was so happy with his sweet and spicy steak taco that he declared it the first time he smiled since his home burned. Another person loved the simple cheese quesadilla the chef made for him so much, he came back for more and brought six family members. World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob pauses as he walks through what remains of his home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob pauses as he walks through what remains of his home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More What remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob's home destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) What remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob's home destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob walks through the rubble of what remains of his home and his neighbor's homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob walks through the rubble of what remains of his home and his neighbor's homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Then there was the National Guardsman who lent a sympathetic ear one cold morning. He sat and wanted to hear my story while he ate his breakfast burrito, said Shemtob, 36. That was very cathartic.The Palisades and Eaton fires broke out Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, killing at least 28 people and destroying nearly 16,000 structures. Wiping out entire neighborhoods, the two blazes rank among the most destructive in the states history. Shemtob never dreamed the Palisades Fire would reach his neighborhood. When he evacuated around noon on Jan. 7, he took only a laptop, to be able to work, and homemade meatballs and pasta, because he was hungry.But that night a remote home sensor alerted the couple to smoke in the master bedroom. Then there was fire. Then window after window started shattering. World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob looks out over what remains of his home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob looks out over what remains of his home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Two days later he sneaked back to the neighborhood by bicycle to see the ruins for himself.That was our garage. Thats our basement, he said in a video, addressing his wife as he panned the camera across the scene, still hot with embers and rising smoke. Everything is gone.He sank into a deep depression. Then he remembered he had something to give. The Saturday after evacuating, Shemtob took The Lime Truck to a donation center in Pasadena. World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob, right, and his team prepare burritos in his food truck, The Lime Truck, for Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob, right, and his team prepare burritos in his food truck, The Lime Truck, for Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob hands a burrito to an Eaton Fire first responder as he works his food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob hands a burrito to an Eaton Fire first responder as he works his food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob talks with an Eaton Fire first responder as he serves burritos from his food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob talks with an Eaton Fire first responder as he serves burritos from his food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More He has always loved the intimacy of cooking from a food truck, so he volunteered with World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit founded by chef Jose Andres that rushes to disaster sites with hot meals.He was surprised to find celebrity chef Tyler Florence ready to make tacos by his side. At the center, people were sad and stressed. But there were also signs of community: One woman brought a pot of homemade stew and bowls for anyone who wanted some. World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob, upper left, and Benton Atkisson, right, serve a member of the California National Guard from his food truck, The Lime Truck, as he hands out burritos to Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob, upper left, and Benton Atkisson, right, serve a member of the California National Guard from his food truck, The Lime Truck, as he hands out burritos to Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More People were coming there with whatever they had to give, Shemtob said.Since then, thousands of people have gotten meals from his trucks. At another donation site in Pasadena last week, Shemtob whooped as he handed out the final two foil-wrapped meals of the night. Great job, team, he said, pumping both fists in the air. Shemtob estimated that they handed out 750 meals that night alone, along with 200 pairs of shoes from the nonslip shoe company he owns, Snibbs. He shares the story of his own loss with others, when he thinks it can help. The voracious Palisades Fire consumed clothes that Shemtob designed himself, kitchen tools he collected and culinary awards he won. Half his late mothers photographs and other belongings, stored in his basement, were also destroyed; the other half went up in flames at his brothers home nearby, which also burned. World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob cooks meat for burritos in his food truck, The Lime Truck, for Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob cooks meat for burritos in his food truck, The Lime Truck, for Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob cooks meat for burritos in his food truck, The Lime Truck, for Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob cooks meat for burritos in his food truck, The Lime Truck, for Eaton Fire first responders at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob and Benton Atkisson serve Eaton Fire first responders from Shemtob's food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob and Benton Atkisson serve Eaton Fire first responders from Shemtob's food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob, left, serves Eaton Fire first responders from his food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob, left, serves Eaton Fire first responders from his food truck, The Lime Truck, at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The couple loved the house in part because it was close not only to his brothers place but also to her brother and to a home that her parents were building to be near their grandchildren. On Sunday, Shemtob returned to the neighborhood with an AP photographer, driving past lot after lot of flattened devastation before stopping at what used to be his home. The remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob and his wife Elyses home that was destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob and his wife Elyses home that was destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Among the spiky metal and charred rubble, he spotted a blackened muffin tin, a shard of an Herms platter that was a wedding gift, the outline of an refrigerator and a piece of a car. For now he and Elyse, who is expecting their first child in April, are staying at her aunts place. They did not have insurance. But Shemtob has bounced back before: Just before the coronavirus pandemic, he purchased two businesses that wound up failing.And then I decided to take my food truck out and feed front-line workers, he said, and the moment I did that, I started feeling better again. Charred muffin tins poke out of the rubble of what remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob's home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Charred muffin tins poke out of the rubble of what remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob's home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Morning doves perch on a chared beam among what remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob's home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Morning doves perch on a chared beam among what remains of Chef Daniel Shemtob's home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob looks at the rubble that was once the garage of his home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) World Central Kitchen Chef Corp member Daniel Shemtob looks at the rubble that was once the garage of his home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)2025-01-22T04:05:22Z JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesian rescuers resumed a search Wednesday for people missing after floods and landslides on Indonesias main island of Java that killed at least 17 people.Waters from flooded rivers tore through nine villages in Pekalongan regency of Central Java province and landslides tumbled onto mountainside hamlets after the torrential rains Monday. Videos and photos released by National Search and Rescue Agency showed workers digging desperately in villages where roads and green-terraced rice fields were transformed into murky brown mud and villages were covered by thick mud, rocks and uprooted trees.National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said flooding triggered a landslide that buried two houses and a cafe in Petungkriyono resort area. The disasters all together destroyed 25 houses, a dam and three main bridges connecting villages in Pekalongan. Muhari said at least 17 people were dead, nine were missing and 13 injured by Wednesday. Nearly 300 people were forced to flee to temporary government shelters.The search and rescue operation that was hampered by bad weather, mudslides and rugged terrain was halted Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rain and thick fog that made devastated areas along the rivers dangerous to rescuers. On Wednesday, they searched in rivers and the rubble of villages for bodies and, whenever possible, survivors in worst-hit Kasimpar village, said Budiono, who heads a local rescue office. Scores of rescue personnel were searching through a Petungkriyono area where tons of mud and rocks buried two houses and a caf to search for at least nine people reported missing.Landslides and floods were also reported in many other provinces, Muhari said. On Monday, a landslide hit five houses in Denpasar on the tourist island of Bali, killing four people and leaving one missing. Heavy seasonal rain from about October to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains.The British Geological Survey defines a landslide as a mass movement of material, such as rock, earth, or debris moving down a slope. Landslides can happen suddenly or slowly and can be caused by rain, erosion, or changes to the slopes material.Rain adds weight to the slope, making it more unstable. The slopes steepness or erosion at the base can make landslides more likely. They can be caused by the movement of nearby bodies of water or vibrations from earthquakes, mining or traffic. The types and sizes of the rocks and soils can determine how much water land can absorb before weakening and collapsing.Studies have found that landslides could become more frequent as climate change increases rainfall. ___Associated Press writer Isabella OMalley in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Grindr, Pornhub, and Sniffies, along with several other adult film websites and dating/hookup apps, have been facing new restriction laws enacted by conservative politicians in 19 states (so far).These new requirements and restrictions which have already been enacted over the past two years are now being enforced even more following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential elections. Not only are platforms like Grindr, Sniffies, and Pornhub very popular among people in the LGBTQ+ community, but these new laws are also putting at risk the income earned by queer and/or trans creators who make a living off of adult content.What are the new restrictions to adult film websites and hookup apps enacted by these state-level laws?The following 19 states have already introduced similar restriction laws requiring users to go through new age-verification systems when using these services (via CNN):AlabamaArkansasFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMississippiMontanaNebraskaNorth CarolinaOklahomaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaEven though Tennessee courts initially blocked a new restriction law in the state, AP News reports that a "panel of judges has ruled that Tennessee can begin enforcing" this new age-verification system for users on porn sites.Why are platforms, creators, and consumers worried about these new restrictions?The biggest concerns related to these age-verification systems include a user's right to privacy, a creator's freedom of speech, and a platform's ability to make money off of the services it provides (in a free market).It is not illegal for people to use apps for dating and hooking up. Pornography, generally, is also not illegal. And yet, these new laws are reportedly impacting popular websites and apps as users turn to other less regulated platforms that aren't under the scrutiny of mainstream news.How did Pornhub respond to these restriction laws?CNN reports that Pornhub has responded to these new restriction laws by blocking access to its website in all but three of these states: Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee.When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Aylo the Canadian parent company that owns sites like Pornhub, YouPorn, Brazzers, and Men.com shared a statement with Out reinforcing that its platforms have always supported the age verification of visitors. On the other hand, the company believes that "any law to this effect must preserve user safety and privacy, and must effectively protect children from accessing content intended for adults."Aylo's statement, shared with Out, continues: "Unfortunately, the way many jurisdictions worldwide have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous. Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy. Moreover, as experience has demonstrated, unless properly enforced, users will simply access non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws."Aylo claims that this shift from users of popular websites (such as Pornhub) to smaller platforms "is not speculation," adding that the company has experienced the same result across the United States when attempting to comply with these new guidelines.What impact did Pornhub experience after these laws took effect?The Aylo spokesperson claims that Pornhub was one of the "few sites to comply with the new law" in Louisiana when it took effect on January 1, 2023."Since then, our traffic in Louisiana dropped approximately 80 percent," the statement shared with Out reads. "These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don't ask users to verify age, that don't follow the law, that don't take user safety seriously, and that often don't even moderate content. In practice, the laws have just made the internet more dangerous for adults and children."Aylo argues that the best solution to the issues outlined in these new restriction laws is "performing age verification at the source: on the device." The company highlights that most operating systems already have features like parental controls and content filters to prevent children from accessing content that parents consider damaging for them on modern-day computers, phones, tablets, and other devices adding that these features can be tailored and customized for each specific family "without risking the disclosure of sensitive user data."How did Sniffies respond to these restriction laws?Sniffies, a hookup website that caters to queer men and focuses on importing the cruising experience into the digital era, has already issued a statement and enabled new features to comply with these restrictions put in place in several states even though Sniffies is not a platform for adult films (like Pornhub is).On January 2, Sniffies shared a statement announcing that it was "advancing trust and safety with enhanced ID-based age verification and comprehensive safeguards."The Sniffies statement outlines a long list of changes and new features, including:Government ID Check: Users upload a government-issued photo ID, which is securely verified using an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system to confirm the user's age.Face Liveness Check: A real-time facial verification ensures the person using the ID matches the individual accessing the platform.Blocklist Validation: IDs are cross-referenced against a secure blacklist of previously flagged fraudulent IDs, protecting the community while maintaining user anonymity.A spokesperson for Sniffies claims that the company is "proud of the strong age-gating measures we've implemented over the years." With that said, the statement concludes with a sentiment similar to that expressed by the Aylo rep."Parents play a vital role in ensuring their children's safety online," the Sniffies spokesperson notes. "We urge them to leverage available tools and resources, such as whitelisting safe websites, configuring firewall settings, and using monitoring software to review internet usage. Equipping parents with this knowledge is key to preventing minors from accessing spaces intended exclusively for adults."How did Grindr respond to these restriction laws?When Out reached for comment regarding these new restriction laws, Grindr the most popular queer dating/hookup app in the world shared the link to a new entry published on the official Grindr Blog titled, "Keeping Minors Off Grindr."The company's full statement underscores that the Grindr app is categorized "under the most age-restrictive settings;" maintains a "mandatory age gate" that blocks anyone under 18 years of age from using the service; has a "robust human content moderation and customer support team" as well as "AI and machine-learning tools" to review new accounts; provides "easy-to-use reporting tools;" and highlights that it "cooperates with law enforcement" to support ongoing investigations.While Pornhub has been dealing with these restrictions for over two years, and Sniffies has just announced a slew of new features that address the specific concerns outlined by those new laws (without mentioning any state or particular piece of legislation), Grindr's response has been to reinforce its existing features, tool, and mechanisms used to "keep minors off Grindr."How did OnlyFans and JustFor.Fans respond to these restriction laws?In November 2024, following Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, Out reached out to platforms OnlyFans and JustFor.Fans to ask what they expected from Trump's second turn in the White House.Two months later, OnlyFans has yet to respond to Out's request for comment.JustFor.Fans founder and CEO, Dominic Ford, quickly shared the following response with Out in the immediate aftermath of Trump's victory."There are no two ways about it: a second Trump administration puts our entire industry at risk. A younger, more naive version of me would say, 'There is no way they could actually ban porn there is precedent in the Supreme Court about this.' But, as we have seen, the current court doesn't seem overly burdened by either precedent or modern norms. That Project 2025 targets, aggressively, porn and those who produce and distribute it, should scare us all. Even with the rich irony that Trump established his 'playboy' persona quite literally through Playboy magazine, and has been linked to several porn stars, we know the Republican Party has no shame, and is blazingly hypocritical."Ford added: "JustFor.Fans has been on the front lines fighting this war for years now. We are named plaintiffs (along with the Free Speech Coalition) on many lawsuits against various states that have implemented ID Verification laws. These laws are meant to 'protect the children,' but are really just trying to shut the industry down. There are many better ways to protect children from adult content, and we all agree that our content should never fall into the hands of children. That's why there are website blockers and other technologies to allow parents to disable sites like ours on their children's devices. Industry websites, including JustFor.Fans, embed restricted-access HTML coding to alert these blockers that we are NOT child-friendly."Ford highlighted that JustFor.Fans makes donations to the Free Speech Coalition, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, and the Sex Workers Outreach Project, to name a few. Ford shared that JustFor.Fans has also helped fund transgender organizations like Trans Lifeline and Point of Pride."We are actively working to understand how best to mitigate these possible scenarios. One extreme would be moving the entire operation to another country," Ford wrote. "But on a nearer-term basis, we are bracing and ready to be part of any legal battles that arise. We have always made it a point to stand up and be counted, and to do our best to provide a safe space for our models. That call to arms is more important now than it has ever been."

MAGA queen Nancy Mace best known for allegedly faking an injury after a handshake and spewing anti-trans rhetoric is getting dragged by the internet after looking a fool while clashing with Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett over trans rights.A heated exchange about transgender rights during Tuesday's Oversight and Accountability Committee took a turn when the Republican congresswoman suggested the two could "take it outside."This happened after Crockett asked the members of the committee to reinstate the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which was disbanded almost two years ago after the GOP took control of the House. Of course, Mace who was the former ranking member on the subcommittee decided this was a great opportunity to make her gross views on transgender women using women's restroom known yet again."You want women to be forced to undress in front of men in the locker room and in dressing rooms, and it's so hypocritical for you to sit here and be screaming from the rooftops about the right to privacy and civil rights when you don't respect women," Mace said, The Hill reports. Mace then went on to make inflammatory comments about women having the freedom to go into "women's-only space and not see a man in it," claiming that Crockett was somehow trying to "take my rights as a woman, a rape survivor."Then, Crockett called out her hateful rhetoric. "So, she's gonna keep saying 'trans, trans trans' so that people will feel threatened, and child, listen," Crockett said. Mace took her words literally and yelled that she was "no child" and asked Crockett if she wanted "to take it outside." After seeing this exchange in clips circulating on X (formerly Twitter), people on social media began pointing out that Mace had to wear her arm in a sling after a handshake so she's unlikely to do well in a fight. From someone joking, "I would like to volunteer to hold Jasmine Crockett's earrings and shoes if she goes outside to meet up with Nancy Mace" to people posting pictures of Mace in full body casts with captions like, "Nancy Mace, after Rep. Jasmine Crockett called out her performative bullshit in Congress today," there was no shortage of funny memes.Scroll through to see the funniest reactions to Nancy Mace thinking she has the juice to beat Jasmine Crockett in a fight! (@) "Youre telling me this is the Nancy Mace who wanted to 'take it outside' with Jasmine Crockett?" (@) "Nancy Mace after 'taking it outside' with Jasmine Crockett." (@) "I would like to volunteer to hold Jasmine Crocketts earrings and shoes if she goes outside to meet up with Nancy Mace" (@) "Nancy Mace, after Rep. Jasmine Crockett called out her performative bullshit in Congress today" (@) "Nancy mace going outside to meet Jasmine Crockett" (@) "Nancy Mace tomorrow after Jasmine Crockett ate her alive in the Oversight Committee today." (@) "All the racist MAGA folks that call Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a lawyer, ghetto must have words about former Waffle House employee Nancy Mace asking her to go outside Right?" (@) "Nancy Mace better have several seats before coming for representative Jasmine Crockett @NancyMace @JasmineForUS" (@) "Nancy Mace seen leaving the emergency room after being called a child by Rep. Jasmine Crockett." (@) "Nancy Mace thinking that she can fight Jasmine Crockett while walking around looking like the poster child for osteoporosis is some wild shit lmao." (@) "Jasmine Crockett is a legend.." (@) "Now this bish is pretending she didn't threaten Rep. Jasmine Crockett. What exactly does Nancy Mace think "take it outside" means? A reminder that Congress Karen wore a sling after someone shook her hand too hard and claimed she was "assaulted." (@) "I am only surprised that Nancy Mace's isn't claiming that Jasmine Crockett's words gave her whiplash or another jury. Or perhaps Congress's most unstable member will limp around the Capitol tomorrow in a neck brace." (@) "Nancy Mace had a meltdown because Jasmine Crockett used the expression chile. and her dumbass literally thought she was calling her a child" (@) "My money is on Jasmine Crockett!" (@) "Nancy Mace right now" (@) "Nancy Mace thinking she can rock anybody let alone Jasmine Crockett is hilarious!! 'If you wanna take it outside'. Chile Trump got this maga mfers bold AF." (@) "If Nancy Mace and Jasmine Crockett actually stepped outside Mace would have been on some hold me back ish, as if she was actually capable of doing something. Jasmine wouldve snatched her up quick, fast and in a hurry by her fried hair!" (@) "Nancy Mace after Jasmine Crockett is done with her" (@) "Nancy Mace put on a show! As always. Did she claim that Jasmine Crockett injured her neck? That seems to be par for the course for Congress's reigning drama queen!"

President Donald Trump attends the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-22T05:01:19Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is swiftly breaching the traditional boundaries of presidential power as he returns to the White House, bringing to bear a lifetime of bending the limits in courthouses, boardrooms and politics to forge an expansive view of his authority. Hes already unleashed an unprecedented wave of executive orders, daring anyone to stop him, with actions intended to clamp down on border crossings, limit the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship and keep the popular Chinese-owned TikTok operational despite a law shutting down the social media platform.Democrats and civil rights organizations are rallying to fight Trump in court, but legal battles could drag on before slowing the president down. Meanwhile, Trump is drafting a new blueprint for the presidency, one that demonstrates the primacy of blunt force in a democratic system predicated on checks and balances between the branches of government. Hes going to push it to the max, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama. Trump tried to take a similar approach in his first term, with mixed results. This time, there are fewer guardrails. His administration has few of the establishment figures that once tried to curb his penchant for upheaval. The U.S. Supreme Court is stocked with conservative justices, and recently decreed that presidents are broadly immune from prosecution for any official actions taken during their term. Republicans are in complete control on Capitol Hill, where the leaders owe their majority positions to Trumps support or acquiescence. In a striking display of Trumps dominance, almost no one from his party challenged the decision to pardon almost everyone charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Were not looking backwards, were looking forward, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota. Its the kind of scenario that Democrats warned about during last years campaign, when they claimed that Trump would govern as a dictator if elected to another term. Sitting in the Oval Office just hours after being inaugurated on Monday, Trump rejected the characterization.No, no, he said, shaking his head and pursing his lips. I cant imagine even being called that.Then he continued scrawling his signature on executive orders that were laid out across the Resolute Desk. Trumps blitz didnt surprise Barbara Res, who worked for the future president years ago at his namesake company.Politics is about compromise. Business is all about leverage, Res said. Hes not a compromiser.Although Trump got his start in the brick-and-mortar field of real estate, he appears to be taking a page from the move fast and break things tactic of technology company executives who spent millions bolstering his presidential bid and attended his inauguration.John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley who helped expand presidential authority while working for George W. Bush, said Trumps executive orders were unprecedented in terms of the sweeping scope of the orders and in the sheer number. Although such orders can be easily reversed by a future president, they could have a profound impact for now. Yoo described as legally shaky Trumps effort to allow TikTok to keep operating even though U.S. officials have described it as a national security threat because of fears that China could access user data or manipulate the content algorithm. A law signed by President Joe Biden required the platform to shut down in the United States unless its Chinese parent company found a new owner by Sunday, the day before Trump took office. But Trump directed his Justice Department not to enforce the ban, which Yoo compared to a student asking for more time on an exam after it was due. Yoo also said Trump is trying to really push the envelope by declaring that migrants who are entering the country constitute an invasion. The president directed the military to help take operational control of the U.S. border, but troops are not allowed to handle law enforcement, whether its seizing drugs or arresting migrants. This is without historical parallel, Yoo said. This is really an extraordinary claim of presidential power.Nearly two dozen states have already sued Trump over his executive order intended to limit birthright citizenship, part of his sweeping effort to curb immigration. The presidents opponents said the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that people born in the U.S. are citizens, including people whose parents were not legally citizens at the time of their birth. Presidents have broad power but they are not kings, said New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Democrat. Depending on how the legal battles play out, Yoo said Trump could set a new standard for his successors. If hes successful with even half the executive orders, every future president is going to want to do the same thing, he said.Its not unusual for presidents to test the limits of presidential authority, said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian. For example, Biden tried to expand the cancellation of federal student loans, only to see his proposal blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court.But as with most things, Zelizer said, Trump goes further than the rest to see just how far he can go.Res recalled a similar approach at the Trump Organization, where Trump prided himself on his ability to chisel down contractor costs or lean on local officials for favorable treatment for his properties. No matter what you gave him or offered him, he wanted more, she said.Res said Trump would keep in his desk a black-and-white picture of Roy Cohn, an attorney renowned for his ruthlessness.He would pull that out when he was arguing with a contractor, she said. Heres my lawyer, sue me.Trumps ongoing challenge will be keeping Republicans in line on Capitol Hill, and some have suggested theyre still willing to cross him.Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican known for an independent streak, said she supports some of Trumps executive orders but others I have real questions about.Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California who has been a political nemesis of Trump, said Trumps actions run the gamut from the plainly unconstitutional as in the attempt to end birthright citizenship to the draconian, with mass deportations. Others, he said, like the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, are just absurd.Asked if Congress would stand up to the new White House, Schiff said he wasnt sure. Were about to find out, he said. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People walk as snow falls in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)2025-01-22T05:09:54Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) A major winter storm that slammed Texas and blanketed the northern Gulf Coast with record-breaking snow moved east overnight, spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and eastern Carolinas.The weather warning areas included big cities like Jacksonville, Florida, which is expected to see snow, sleet and accumulating ice into Wednesday. The Jacksonville International Airport closed because of the weather Tuesday evening and said it planned to reopen at noon Wednesday. Schools canceled classes, and government offices were closed Wednesday. We are expecting some winter weather were not used to in Northeast Florida, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook. The safest place you can be Tuesday night and Wednesday is at home!In eastern North Carolina, drifting snow was expected with near-blizzard conditions in the states Outer Banks, where up to 8 inches (20.3 centimeters) were predicted to fall. Dangerous below-freezing temperatures with even colder wind chills were also expected to last over much of the week in the region. Authorities say three people have died in the cold weather. The heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain hitting parts of the Deep South came as a blast of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze. Record-setting snow daysIt had been more than a decade since snow last fell on New Orleans. Tuesdays rare snowfall set a record in the city, where 10 inches (25 centimeters) fell in some places, far surpassing its record of 2.7 inches (6.8 centimeters) set Dec. 31, 1963, the National Weather Service said.Wow, what a snow day!, the weather agency said in a social media post. Its safe to say this was a historic snowfall for much of the area.Snow closed highways, grounded nearly all flights and canceled school for more than a million students more accustomed to hurricane dismissals than snow days.Snow fell in Houston and prompted the first ever blizzard warnings for several coastal counties near the Texas-Louisiana border. Snow covered the white-sand beaches of normally sunny vacation spots, including Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida. Believe it or not, in the state of Florida were mobilizing snowplows, said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.People made the most of it from a snowball fight on a Gulf Shores beach to sledding in a laundry basket in Montgomery, Alabama, to pool-tubing down a Houston hill.In New Orleans, urban skiing was attempted along Bourbon Street, a priest and nuns engaged in a snowball fight outside a suburban church, snowboarders shredded behind a golf cart, and people went sledding down the snow-covered Mississippi River levees on kayaks, cardboard boxes and inflatable alligators.High school teacher David Delio and his two daughters glided down the levee on a yoga mat and a boogie board.This is a white-out in New Orleans, this is a snow-a-cane, Delio said. Weve had tons of hurricane days but never a snow day. The nuns at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School near New Orleans encouraged their students last week to pray for the snow day they received Tuesday, the Rev. Tim Hedrick said. The priest said he invited the nuns to make snow angels, and they challenged him to a snowball fight that has since received tens of thousands of views on social media.Its a fun way to show that priests and sisters are humans, too, and they can have fun, Hedrick said.Mobile, Alabama, hit 5.4 inches (13.7 centimeters) Tuesday, topping the citys one-day snowfall record of 5 inches (12.7 centimeters), set Jan. 24, 1881, and nearing its all-time snowfall record of 6 inches (15.5 centimeters) in 1895, the weather service said. Flight cancellations, states of emergency and fatalitiesMore than 2,300 flights to, from or within the U.S. were canceled Tuesday, according to online tracker FlightAware.com. Both Houston airports suspended flight operations, and nearly every flight was canceled at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport. Most airlines planned to resume operations Wednesday. The NWS said up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow fell in the Houston area. Texas transportation officials said more than 20 snowplows were in use across nearly 12,000 lane miles in the Houston area, which lacks its own city or county plows.Ahead of the storm, governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and even Florida the Sunshine State declared states of emergency and many school systems canceled classes Tuesday. School closures were planned in some coastal communities in North and South Carolina.In the Texas capital, two people died in the cold weather, according to a statement from the city of Austin. No details were provided, but the city said emergency crews had responded to more than a dozen cold exposure calls.Officials said one person has died from hypothermia in Georgia. A state of emergency was also declared in at least a dozen New York counties with up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of lake-effect snow and extreme cold expected around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie through Wednesday. Santa Ana winds expected to return to Southern California In Southern California, where blazes have killed at least 27 people and burned thousands of homes, dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds remained a concern. ___Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; Jack Brook in New Orleans; Sara Cline in Key Largo, Florida; Julie Walker in New York; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey; Corey Williams in Detroit; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Nadia Lathan in Austin, Texas; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta; Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama; Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington, as Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, Oracle chief technology officer Larry Ellison and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, listen. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-01-21T19:48:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Tuesday talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum.Its big money and high quality people, said Trump, adding that its a resounding declaration of confidence in Americas potential under his new administration.Joining Trump fresh off his inauguration at the White House were Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. All three credited Trump for helping to make the project possible, even though building has already started and the project goes back to 2024. This will be the most important project of this era, said Altman, CEO of OpenAI.Ellison noted that the data centers are already under construction with 10 being built so far. The chairman of Oracle suggested that the project was also tied to digital health records and would make it easier to treat diseases such as cancer by possibly developing a customized vaccine. This is the beginning of golden age, said Son, referencing Trumps statement that the U.S. would be in a golden age with him back in the White House. Son, a billionaire based in Japan, already committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. He previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trumps first term, which included a large stake in the troubled office-sharing company WeWork.While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout in data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work but also the risk of displacing jobs if poorly implemented. The initial plans for Stargate go back to the Biden administration. Tech news outlet The Information first reported on the project in March 2024. OpenAI has long relied on Microsoft data centers to build its AI systems, but it has increasingly signaled an interest in building its own data centers. OpenAI wrote in a letter to the Biden administrations Commerce Department last fall that planning and permitting for such projects can be lengthy and complex, particularly for energy infrastructure.Other partners in the project include Microsoft, investor MGX and the chipmakers Arm and NVIDIA, according to separate statements by Oracle and OpenAI.The push to build data centers predates Trumps presidency. Last October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. Those estimates for investments suggest that much of the new capital will go through Stargate as OpenAI has established itself as a sector leader with the 2022 launch of its ChatGPT, a chatbot that captivated the public imagination with its ability to answer complex questions and perform basic business tasks.The White House has put an emphasis on making it easier to build out new electricity generation in anticipation of AIs expansion, knowing that the United States is in a competitive race against China to develop a technology increasingly being adopted by businesses.Still, the regulatory outlook for AI remains somewhat uncertain as Trump on Monday overturned the 2023 order signed by then-President Joe Biden to create safety standards and watermarking of AI-generated content, among other goals, in hopes of putting guardrails on the technologys possible risks to national security and economic well-being.CBS News first reported that Trump would be announcing the AI investment. Trump supporter Elon Musk, worth more than $400 billion, was an early investor in OpenAI but has since challenged its move to for-profit status and has started his own AI company, xAI. Musk is also in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency created formally on Monday by Trump with the goal of reducing government spending.Trump previously in January announced a $20 billion investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates to build data centers tied to AI.___AP reporter Matt OBrien contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto

The snow-covered coastal plain area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is seen, with the Brooks Range at right, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, near Kaktovik, Alaska. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)2025-01-22T06:01:19Z JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) President Donald Trumps expansive executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in Alaska is being cheered by state political leaders who see new fossil fuel development as critical to Alaskas economic future and criticized by environmental groups that see the proposals as worrying in the face of a warming climate.The order, signed on Trumps first day in office Monday, is consistent with a wish list submitted by Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy shortly after Trumps election. It seeks, among other things, to open to oil and gas drilling an area of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge considered sacred to the Indigenous Gwichin, undo limits imposed by the Biden administration on drilling activity in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on the North Slope and reverse restrictions on logging and road-building in a temperate rainforest that provides habitat for wolves, bears and salmon. In many ways, the order seeks to revert to policies that were in place during Trumps first term. But Trump just cant wave a magic wand and make these things happen, said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Environmental laws and rules must be followed in attempts to unravel existing policies, and legal challenges to Trumps plans are virtually certain, he said.Were ready and looking forward to the fight of our lives to keep Alaska great, wild and abundant, Freeman said. Whats planned for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?The order seeks to reverse a Biden administration decision canceling seven leases issued as part of the first-ever oil and gas lease sale in the refuges coastal plain. Major oil companies didnt participate in the sale, held in early 2021 in the waning days of Trumps first term. The leases went to a state corporation. Two small companies that also won leases in that sale had earlier given them up.Trumps order calls for the Interior secretary to initiate additional leasing and issue all permits and easements necessary for oil and gas exploration and development to occur. Gwichin leaders oppose drilling on the coastal plain, citing its importance to a caribou herd they rely upon. Leaders of the Iupiaq community of Kaktovik, which is within the refuge, support drilling and have expressed hope their voices will be heard in the Trump administration after being frustrated by former President Joe Biden.This comes weeks after a second lease sale, mandated by a 2017 federal law, yielded no bids. The law required that two lease sales be offered by the end of 2024. The state earlier this month sued the Interior Department and federal officials, alleging among other things that the terms of the recent sale were too restrictive. What do Alaska political leaders say?Alaska leaders cheered Trumps order, which was titled, Unleashing Alaskas Extraordinary Resource Potential.It is morning again in Alaska, Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan declared.President Trump delivered on his first day in office! Dunleavy said on social media. This is why elections matter.Alaska has a history of fighting perceived overreach by the federal government that affects the states ability to develop its natural resources. State leaders complained during the Biden administration that efforts to further develop oil, gas and minerals were being unfairly hampered, though they also scored a major win with the approval in 2023 of a large oil project known as Willow in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Environmentalists are fighting that approval in court.Dunleavy has repeatedly argued that development of Alaskas vast resources are critical for its future, and hes billed the underground storage of carbon and carbon offset programs as a way to diversify revenues while continuing to develop oil, gas and coal and pursue timber programs.The state faces economic challenges: oil production, long its lifeblood, is a fraction of what it once was, in part due to aging fields, and for more than a decade, more people have left Alaska than have moved here. What happens now?Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the conservation group Center for Western Priorities, called Trumps order an everything, everywhere, all-at-once order that seeks to undo measures that in some cases it took the Biden administration years to enact.The length of time it would take the Interior Department to accomplish everything in that executive order is at least one terms worth, maybe two. And even then, you would need the science on your side when it all comes back. And we know in the case of Alaska specifically, the science is not on the side of unlimited drilling, he said, pointing to climate concerns and the warming Arctic.Communities have experienced the impacts of climate change, including thinning sea ice, coastal erosion and thawing permafrost that undermines infrastructure. Erik Grafe, an attorney with the group Earthjustice, called the Arctic the worst place to be expanding oil and gas development. No place is good because we need to be contracting and moving to a green economy and addressing the climate crisis. BECKY BOHRER Bohrer is a statehouse and political reporter based in Juneau, Alaska. twitter

Israeli army vehicles are seen during a military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed).2025-01-22T12:29:40Z In the days since a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and suspected Jewish settlers have rampaged through two Palestinian towns.The violence comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces domestic pressure from his far-right allies after agreeing to the truce and hostage-prisoner exchange with the Hamas militant group. U.S. President Donald Trump has, meanwhile, rescinded the Biden administrations sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the territory.Its a volatile mix that could undermine the ceasefire, which is set to last for at least six weeks and bring about the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, most of whom will be released into the West Bank.Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, and Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. Escalations in one area frequently spill over, raising further concerns that the second and far more difficult phase of the Gaza ceasefire which has yet to be negotiated may never come. A rampage and a military raid Dozens of masked men rampaged through two Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank late Monday, hurling stones and setting cars and property ablaze, according to local Palestinian officials. The Red Crescent emergency service said 12 people were beaten and wounded.Israeli forces, meanwhile, carried out a raid elsewhere in the West Bank that the military said was in response to the hurling of firebombs at Israeli vehicles. It said several suspects were detained for questioning, and a video circulating online appeared to show dozens being marched through the streets. On Tuesday, the Israeli military launched another major operation, this time in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, where its forces have regularly clashed with Palestinian militants in recent years, even before Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip triggered the war there. At least nine Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, including a 16-year-old, and 40 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The military said its forces carried out airstrikes and dismantled roadside bombs and hit 10 militants though it was not clear what that meant.Palestinian residents have reported a major increase in Israeli checkpoints and delays across the territory.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz cast the Jenin operation as part of Israels larger struggle against Iran and its militant allies across the region, saying we will strike the octopus arms until they snap.The Palestinians view such operations and the expansion of settlements as ways of cementing Israeli control over the territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under seemingly open-ended Israeli military rule, with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority administering cities and towns. Prominent human rights groups call it a form of apartheid since the over 500,000 Jewish settlers in the territory have all the rights conferred by Israeli citizenship. Israel rejects those allegations. Netanyahus far-right partners are up in armsNetanyahu has been struggling to quell a rebellion by his ultranationalist coalition partners since agreeing to the ceasefire. The agreement requires Israeli forces to withdraw from most of Gaza and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners including militants convicted of murder in exchange for hostages abducted in the Oct. 7 attack.One coalition partner, Itamar Ben-Gvir, resigned in protest the day the ceasefire went into effect. Another, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to bolt if Israel does not resume the war after the first phase of the ceasefire is slated to end in early March.They want Israel to annex the West Bank and to rebuild settlements in Gaza while encouraging what they refer to as the voluntary migration of large numbers of Palestinians. Netanyahu still has a parliamentary majority after Ben-Gvirs departure, but the loss of Smotrich who is also the de facto governor of the West Bank would severely weaken his coalition and likely lead to early elections.That could spell the end of Netanyahus nearly unbroken 16 years in power, leaving him even more exposed to longstanding corruption charges and an expected public inquiry into Israels failure to prevent the Oct. 7 attack. Trumps return could give settlers a freer handTrumps return to the White House offers Netanyahu a potential lifeline.The newly sworn-in president, who lent unprecedented support to Israel during his previous term, has surrounded himself with aides who support Israeli settlement. Some support the settlers claim to a biblical right to the West Bank because of the Jewish kingdoms that existed there in antiquity.The international community overwhelmingly considers settlements illegal.Among the flurry of executive orders Trump signed on his first day back in office was one rescinding the Biden administrations sanctions on settlers and Jewish extremists accused of violence against Palestinians. The sanctions which had little effect were one of the few concrete steps the Biden administration took in opposition to the close U.S. ally, even as it provided billions of dollars in military support for Israels campaign in Gaza, among the deadliest and most destructive in decades.Trump claimed credit for helping to get the Gaza ceasefire agreement across the finish line in the final days of the Biden presidency.But this week, Trump said he was not confident it would hold and signaled he would give Israel a free hand in Gaza, saying: Its not our war, its their war. ___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

FILE -Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending an Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in London, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth), File)2025-01-22T10:40:46Z LONDON (AP) Prince Harry claimed a monumental victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdochs U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life over decades and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.News Group Newspapers offered a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators, Harrys attorney, David Sherborne, read from a statement in court.The statement even went beyond the scope of the lawsuit to acknowledge intruding on the life of Harrys mother, the late Princess Diana.We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages, the settlement statement said. It was the first time News Group has acknowledged wrongdoing at The Sun, a paper that once sold millions of copies with its formula of sports, celebrities and sex including topless women on Page 3. Harry had vowed to take his case to trial to publicly expose the newspapers wrongdoing and win a court ruling upholding his claims.He claimed in a statement read by his lawyer that he achieved the accountability he sought for himself and hundreds of others, including ordinary people, who were snooped on. News Group acknowledged phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators aimed at Harry. NGN had strongly denied those allegations before trial. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them, Harry said in the statement read by Sherborne outside the High Court in London. The bombshell announcement in court came as the trial was about to start. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other man were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully intruded in their lives. News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch delivers a keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in San Francisco, Oct. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch delivers a keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in San Francisco, Oct. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Sherborne said the company had engaged in perjury and cover-ups to obscure the truth for years, deleting 30 million emails and other records.There was an extensive conspiracy, he said, in which senior executives deliberately obstructed justice.While News Group had apologized for its wrongdoing at the shuttered News of the World, it had never done so at The Sun and had vehemently denied any wrongdoing there.Harrys statement took aim at Rebekah Brooks, now the CEO overseeing News Group, who had been the editor at The Sun when she was acquitted at a criminal trial in a phone hacking case.At her trial in 2014, Rebekah Brooks said, When I was editor of The Sun, we ran a clean ship, he said. Now, 10 years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise. In all the cases that have been brought against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011, Harrys case got the closest to trial.Murdoch closed the paper after the Guardian reported that the tabloids reporters had hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a murdered 13-year-old schoolgirl, while police were searching for her in 2002. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at United Nations headquarters, July 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at United Nations headquarters, July 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Harrys case against NGN was one of three he brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops. His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was widespread and habitual at the newspaper and its sister publications. During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchys desire to keep its problems out of view. His feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs. But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper.He blames the media for the death of his mother, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary Tabloids On Trial.He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million). Im doing this for my reasons, Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him. Harry was originally one among dozens of claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, who alleged that News Group journalists and investigators they hired violated their privacy between 1994 and 2016 by intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information.Of the original group of claimants against NGN, Harry and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the holdouts headed to trial.NGN had issued an unreserved apology to victims of voicemail interception by The News of the World and said it settled more than 1,300 claims. But The Sun had never accepted responsibility in a case -- until Wednesday.The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how Harrys third case against the publisher of the Daily Mail will proceed. That trial is scheduled next year. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto

Just hours after Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term, his administration purged federal websites of LGBTQ+ content, GLAAD reported on Tuesday.Its a repeat of Trump administration actions in his first term. Related Who owns the truth? GLAADs Sarah Kate Ellis on resisting the second Trump administration The battle ahead extends far beyond Washington. Who owns the media owns politics, Ellis said. Prior to Trumps second inauguration on Monday, GLAAD created an archive of mentions of LGBTQ terms and terms related to HIV on the White House website and other major federal government websites in anticipation of Trumps second term, the nonprofit said in a statement.The group cataloged more than 50 links to LGBTQ+- and HIV-related content on web pages for the White House and Departments of State, Education, Justice, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Labor, as well as other agencies including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Most of those have now been wiped from federal government websites.As of Tuesday, GLAAD said, terms including lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBTQ are no longer accessible onWhiteHouse.gov, and LGBTQ-specific pages have been taken down from sites for the Centers for Disease Control, Department of State, and more.Those include 94 previously available entries at the State Department for LGBT Rights along with information and resourceson LGBTQI+ Policy once provided by the Department of Labor. Pages removed include WhiteHouse.govs equity report; a fact sheet with information on expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment; and information about LGBTQ Pride Month.President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship of any information containing or related to LGBTQ Americans and issues that we face, said GLAADs President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.This action proves the Trump administrations goal of making it as difficult as possible for LGBTQ Americans to find federal resources or otherwise see ourselves reflected under his presidency. GLAAD created and reported on a similar archive prior to Trumps first term, with the same results when he came to office: a near-total purge of LGBTQ+ content in 2017.The repeat comes as Trump restated campaign pledges targeting LGBTQ+ Americans in his inaugural address, including a promise to make it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.Trump also vowed to sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty, a reference to woke policies Republicans complain the Department of Defense has instituted, including DEI initiatives, and possibly the presence of trans service members, whom Trump banned from service in 2019 and has promised to purge once again.Its going to end immediately, Trump said. Our armed forces will be freed to focus on their sole missiondefeating Americas enemies.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

CORRECTS TO JOAN MALAND INSTEAD OF MUSSA - This undated image courtesy of Joan Maland shows U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland and his K9 partner, Cora. David Maland was killed Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, following a traffic stop in Vermont. (David Maland/Joan Maland via AP)2025-01-22T13:03:43Z A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was killed in Vermont during a traffic stop near the Canadian border was a military veteran who worked security duty at the Pentagon during the time of the Sept. 11 attacks, his family said.He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery, a family statement provided to The Associated Press late Tuesday said. He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self. CORRECTS TO JOAN MALAND INSTEAD OF MUSSA - This undated image courtesy of Joan Maland shows U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland, who was killed Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, following a traffic stop in Vermont. (David Maland/Joan Maland via AP) CORRECTS TO JOAN MALAND INSTEAD OF MUSSA - This undated image courtesy of Joan Maland shows U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland, who was killed Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, following a traffic stop in Vermont. (David Maland/Joan Maland via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Agent David Maland, 44, was killed Monday afternoon following a traffic stop, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement. A German national in the country on what the FBI called a current visa was killed and an injured suspect was taken into custody and is being treated at a local hospital.The violence temporarily closed part of Interstate 91 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Canada in Coventry, part of the small, 27,000-resident community of Orleans County in the Northeast Kingdom section of Vermont that straddles the international border. Maland, whom the FBI confirmed was a U.S. Air Force veteran, was killed close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector that he was assigned to. The sector encompasses Vermont, parts of New York and New Hampshire, and includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada. A sign on an unpatrolled border street entering into Derby Line, Vermont, U.S.A., from Stanstead, Quebec, oTuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) A sign on an unpatrolled border street entering into Derby Line, Vermont, U.S.A., from Stanstead, Quebec, oTuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A sign on an unpatrolled border street entering into Derby Line, Vermont, U.S.A., from Stanstead, Quebec, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) A sign on an unpatrolled border street entering into Derby Line, Vermont, U.S.A., from Stanstead, Quebec, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Derby LineRock Island Border Crossing is located about 12 miles (19 kilometers) by highway north of Coventry. Its a major link to the Canadian province of Quebec, giving northern Vermont more French speakers than most of New England. U.S. Customs and Border Protections thoughts and prayers are with Agent Malands family during this difficult time, the agency said in a statement. The death is a tragedy, said Gov. Phil Scott and state Sen. Russ Ingalls, a Republican who represents the area. Malands family said his career spanned nine years in the military and 15 in the federal government. HOLD This image taken from video provided by WCAX shows police cars closing off a road after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Interstate 91 near Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (WCAX via AP) HOLD This image taken from video provided by WCAX shows police cars closing off a road after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Interstate 91 near Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (WCAX via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More While working in Washington, D.C., he was active security in the Pentagon during 9/11, their statement said. Maland also was a K-9 handler. Before heading to the northern border, he served in Texas, near the border with Mexico.The Minnesota native who family members called by his middle name, Chris, was about to propose marriage to his partner, said an aunt, Joan Maland. Cars are backed up at the US-Canada border in Stanstead, Quebec, after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Chloe Jones) Cars are backed up at the US-Canada border in Stanstead, Quebec, after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Chloe Jones) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More We are all devastated, she told AP in a text. She called him an exceptional person. Incredible man.David Maland was the first Border Patrol agent to be killed in the line of duty since Javier Vega Jr. was shot and killed near Santa Monica, Texas, in 2014, according to records provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Vega was initially considered to be off duty at the time of his death, but in 2016 it was re-determined to have been in the line of duty, the agency said.In 2010, Brian Terry s killing exposed the botched federal gun operation known as Fast and Furious. Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie, of the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station, was mortally wounded in the line of duty in a remote area near Bisbee, Arizona, in 2012. Border Patrol Agent Isaac Morales was fatally stabbed while off duty in 2017 in Texas. PATRICK WHITTLE Whittle is an Associated Press reporter based in Portland, Maine. He focuses on the environment and oceans. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The logo for the Justice Department is seen before a news conference at the Department of Justice, Aug. 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2025-01-22T13:16:17Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department is directing its federal prosecutors to investigate any state or local officials who stand in the way of beefed-up enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration, according to a memo to the entire workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.Written by Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, the memo also says the department will return to the principle of charging defendants with the most serious crime it can prove, a staple position of Republican-led departments meant to remove a prosecutors discretion to charge a lower-level offense.Much of the memo is centered on immigration enforcement. Bove wrote that prosecutors shall take all steps necessary to protect the public and secure the American border by removing illegal aliens from the country and prosecuting illegal aliens for crimes committed in U.S. jurisdiction.The memo also suggests state and local officials who stand in the way of federal immigration enforcement could themselves come under scrutiny. It directs prosecutors to investigate any episodes in which state and local officials obstruct or impede federal functions. 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 ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

We start this week with the TikTok ban: how we got here, what happened, and, most importantly, why it means we need more decentralized services. Jason runs us through it. After the break, Joseph breaks down a site called GeoSpy which is marketing geolocation technology to the cops. In the subscribers-only section, we all scroll through an archive of old Nokia (yes, Nokia) designs. Good stuff in there.Listen to the weekly podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orYouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism.If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech OligarchyThe U.S. Wants to Ban TikTok for the Sins of Every Social Media CompanyThe Powerful AI Tool That Cops (or Stalkers) Can Use to Geolocate Photos in SecondsNokias Weird Y2K Designs Show the Future We Could Have Had

President Donald Trump is raging at EpiscopalianBishop Mariann Edgar Budde who publicly urged him to have mercy on LGBTQ+ people and immigrants at a prayer service for his inauguration. In a Truth Social post published on Wednesday, Trump called her a radical far left hard line Trump hater and nasty, an insult Trump has often used against women. Then he demanded an apology. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) has also called for Budde to be deported even though she is a U.S. citizen born in New Jersey. Related Bishop begs Donald Trump to his face to have mercy on LGBTQ+ people She bravely tried to speak to Trumps conscience as he starts his second term. Speaking at the National Cathedrals prayer service on Tuesday morning, Budde asked Trump to find compassion, stating, In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today She also brought up immigrants, saying that theyre not rapists but instead hard workers who do much of the labor that Americans depend on.I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our community whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those that are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here.During her speech, Trump looked visibly uncomfortable. Wow. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde fearlessly calls out Trump and Vance to their faces. This is heroic. pic.twitter.com/igyKzC8dRo MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 21, 2025The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump wrote in a Wednesday morning social media post. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.Trump wrote that Budde failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people and who were deposited from jails and mental institutions and are now taking part in a giant crime wave in the United States. The Department of Justice has said that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at rates lower than U.S.-born citizens. Trumps plan to deport 11 million undocumented people despitehis use of immigrant labor at his properties would break up law-abiding immigrant families who have been living, working, and paying about $100 billion a year in U.S. taxes,according toMother Jones.Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one, Trump added. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology! Trump wasnt the only Republican to criticize Budde. In a Tuesday afternoon post, Rep. Collins wrote of Budde, The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. pic.twitter.com/d7a2z1CM6s Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) January 21, 2025 Budde, age 65, is the first woman to serve as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C.In a phone interview, Bishop Budde said that she wasnt necessarily calling the president out but made her plea because of the fear she had seen in Washingtons immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities. She wanted Mr. Trump to be mindful of the people who are scared, she told The New York Times.I was trying to say: The country has been entrusted to you, she added. And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy.Budde also angrily criticized Trump in a 2020 New York Times op-ed, writing that she was outraged and horrified by Trumps use of a Bible for a photo in front of St. Johns Churchafter officers used tear gasto disperse racial justice protesters in nearby Lafayette Square. She wrote that Trump had used sacred symbols to cloak himself in spiritual authority while espousing positions antithetical to the Bible.In 2015, Trump implied that he doesnt ask God for forgiveness because he doesnt make mistakes that require forgiveness. An estimated 56% of Christians voted for Trump in the 2024 elections.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Zoe Kent prepares to create a social media video, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at her farm in Bucyrus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)2025-01-22T14:47:28Z Zoe Kent hopes people get a little joy out of her talking about farming on the Internet. In one of her latest videos, she compares pesticide application to dry shampoo. Farming is for the girls, she quips. On Instagram and TikTok, under the handle farmwithzoe, Kent films herself putting on boots to load corn into a massive truck bed, posts memes about the price of grain and documents just about everything else about farm life from getting rocks stuck in her equipment to eating lunch on long days out in a combine.Now, the future of TikTok and Farmtok, as some creators call the ecosystem of farm-related influencers online has become more uncertain, thanks to a ban the U.S. government briefly implemented on TikTok over the weekend. That was followed by the new Trump administration rescinding that ban, at least for now, but farmers are all too aware that things could change, and with them, the ways that they share farm life with the rest of the world. But most say theyll keep adapting to whatever the platforms throw their way. Its building your business on rented land, if you will, Kent said. Its not guaranteed to be there. Zoe Kent walks into a machine shed, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at her farm in Bucyrus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Zoe Kent walks into a machine shed, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at her farm in Bucyrus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Even before the uncertain threat to TikToks future, farm creators had to contend with social medias evolution. As algorithms changed, they faced greater challenges communicating with a public that many see as increasingly disconnected from agriculture. But most say theyll keep adapting to whatever the platforms throw their way. Some producers make extra money by building a following on TikTok or Instagram. Others use social media to advertise to local customers like restaurants or farmers markets. Perhaps most importantly, they want to continue to build community with other farmers in the face of industry challenges like the toll of the profession on mental health, economic pressure and climate change. Multiple farmers said that disconnection has grown over the years as social media algorithms have changed. I know for a fact our social media reach is greatly diminished now, said Beth Satterwhite, who has been posting about her small organic vegetable farm in McMinnville, Oregon on Instagram for over a decade now. On the ground stories of people working in agriculture are a little less interesting to the consumer I dont know if its actually less interesting or just less visible, she said. Snow blankets fields at Zoe Kent's farm, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Bucyrus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Snow blankets fields at Zoe Kent's farm, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Bucyrus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Zoe Kent walks back to her truck after running an errand at a local grain elevator, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Zoe Kent walks back to her truck after running an errand at a local grain elevator, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Neil Denton, who farms corn, soybeans, wheat and rye in Barlow, Kentucky, shared a similar sentiment. He thinks that many of his over 80,000 followers on Instagram and 33,000 followers on TikTok are fellow producers, not members of the public. He calls that disappointing and worries about how little people know about the food that ends up on their plates.But he does think theres a silver lining: Farming is a lonely occupation because youre not with a lot of coworkers, Denton said. I think some farmers use social media as an outlet...to be able to express yourself and to be able to feel like youre not lonely.Within the farming community, it can also be useful to learn from other farmers, many producers said. Megan Dwyer, who grows corn and soybeans and raises beef cattle in northwest Illinois, uses social media, especially X and Facebook, to gauge what matters to other farmers. Its a great source for information, especially rapid information, she said. However, all that rapid information does have a price. Satterwhite described a language soup around agriculture, saying it could be hard for an outsider to tell what farming practices are legitimately better for the climate or environment. I see a lot of greenwashing, said Satterwhite, referring to the practice of falsely portraying a product or practice as eco-friendly to market it to an environmentally-conscious audience.Theres definitely a lot of misinformation out there, Kent said. I try to sift out who has genuine questions versus who just already has a stance and theyre not willing to hear me out.Thats something many farming influencers agree on that they still want a place to have the conversation.As Dwyer put it: You never know who youre influencing there or or what may happen. ___Walling reported from Chicago. ___Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @melinawalling.bsky.social. Follow Joshua A. Bickel on Instagram, Bluesky and X @joshuabickel.___The Associated Press climate and environmental 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. MELINA WALLING Walling covers the intersections of climate change and agriculture in the Midwest and beyond for The Associated Press. She is based in Chicago. twitter instagram facebook mailto JOSHUA A. BICKEL Bickel is a video journalist on the Associated Press Climate and Environment team. He focuses on climate and agriculture, and is based in Cincinnati. twitter instagram mailto

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-22T14:25:14Z Hours after returning to the White House, President Donald Trump made a symbolic mark on the future of artificial intelligence by repealing former President Joe Bidens guardrails for the fast-developing technology.But what comes next from Trump and how it will diverge from how his predecessor sought to safeguard AI technology remains unclear. The new administration didnt respond to requests for comment about the repealed Biden policy and even some of Trumps most enthusiastic tech industry supporters arent so sure.I think that the previous order had a lot in it, said Alexandr Wang, the CEO of AI company Scale, describing Bidens 2023 executive order on AI as overly lengthy but declining to name what about it was harmful. Its hard to comment on each individual piece of it. Theres certainly some parts of it that we strongly agree with. Wang, who traveled to Washington to attend Trumps inaugural festivities, is also optimistic that better things are yet to come. He and other Silicon Valley leaders who previously worked with the Biden administration have embraced Trump and hope to guide his approach toward one with fewer restrictions.In its early days, Trumps team has already set the tone for a very productive administration with a lot of deep collaboration between industry and government, Wang said. Not much left to repeal?Much of Bidens order set in motion a sprint across government agencies to studys AI impact on everything from cybersecurity risks to its effects on education, workplaces and public benefits. That work is done.The reports have been written and the recommendations generated, and theyre available for everyone to build on, said Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology. The executive orders work is completed, whether or not its rescinded.Those reports are helping to inform the private sector as well as federal agencies and state governments, she said. Not only that, but much of the standard-setting established by Bidens order followed the path of earlier AI executive orders signed by Trump in his first term that carried over into the Biden administration.If you look past the kind of political positioning on this, the Biden executive order built upon themes that were established in the first Trump administration and have been reiterated by bipartisan voices in Congress, she said. Regulating powerful AIOne key provision of Bidens AI order that was still in effect until Monday was a requirement that tech companies building the most powerful AI models share details with the government about the workings of those systems before they are unleashed to the public. In many ways, 2023 was a different time in the AI discourse. ChatGPT was a novelty and Elon Musk long before he became a close adviser to Trump had called for a moratorium on advanced AI development. Bidens own worries were amplified after watching the Tom Cruise film Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One in which the world is threatened by a sentient and rogue machine, according to his then-deputy chief of staff. The executive order followed public commitments to the Biden administration from tech companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI welcoming third-party oversight.But the order went further in invoking the Defense Production Act, which dates from the Korean War, to compel companies to share safety test results and other information if their AI systems met a certain threshold. Little is known publicly about how those confidential exchanges worked in practice, but the government scrutiny was heavily criticized last year by some Trump backers such as the venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, who also sits on the board of Facebook parent Meta Platforms.Andreessen said over the summer that he was concerned with the idea that were going to deliberately hamstring ourselves through onerous regulations while the rest of the world lights up on this, and while China lights up on this. Ideological differences on AITrump is following through with a campaign promise to rescind Bidens AI order. His campaign platform described it as hindering AI innovation and imposing Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology, tying it to broader concerns from Musk and other Trump allies about woke AI chatbots reflecting liberal biases. But the Biden order itself didnt restrict free speech. Some provisions sought standards for the watermarking of AI-generated content, part of a strategy to reduce the dangers of impersonation and abusive sexual deepfake imagery. The order also directed multiple federal agencies to guard against potential harms of AI applications, warning against irresponsible uses that reproduced and intensified existing inequities, caused new types of harmful discrimination, and exacerbated online and physical harms. One former White House science adviser who helped craft Bidens rights-based AI approach described Trumps action as a politically motivated repeal with no thoughtful replacement.Trumps move signals that he is less supportive than the Biden administration of issues around privacy, around peoples civil liberties and civil rights and just concerns around safety more broadly with regards to advanced systems, said Alondra Nelson, the former acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.Addressing those concerns is important for people to adopt the AI tools that businesses are developing, added Nelson, now a fellow at the Center for American Progress.Americans have some of the highest rates of mistrust of AI in the developed world, she said, citing surveys. Pivot to AI common groundSome of Bidens AI moves are still in place, at least for now, such as a year-old AI Safety Institute focused on national security. Trump also hasnt yet weighed in on Bidens bigger conflict with the tech industry pending rules restricting AI chip exports to more than 100 countries in an effort to counter Chinas backdoor access to them in places such as the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia. Nor has Trump repealed Bidens most recent AI executive order a week-old action that seeks to remove hurdles for AI data center expansion in the U.S. while also encouraging those data centers to be powered with renewable energy.Trump on Tuesday talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for AI data centers and electricity infrastructure to power them, through a new partnership called Stargate formed by ChatGPT maker OpenAI along with Oracle and SoftBank. At a press conference, he didnt seem familiar with Bidens latest AI order but said he wouldnt rescind it.That sounds to me like its something that I would like, Trump said. Id like to see federal lands opened up for data centers. I think theyre going to be very important.AP writer Joshua Boak in Washington contributed to this report. MATT OBRIEN OBrien covers the business of technology and artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. mailto

Donald Trump commuted the sentence of a transgender woman who was convicted in federal court and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for her role in helping organize the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Jessica Watkinswas among the 1500 people he pardoned or commuted the sentence of for participating in the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election that resulted in five deaths. Watkins, a military veteran from Ohio, was part of the far-right militia Oath Keepers. Prosecutors argued that she helped recruit and train people to go to the Capitol in an attempt to keep Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election, which Trump had lost. She was part of a group of Oath Keepers that went to the Senate to stop Mike Pence from ceremonially presiding over the certification process but was deterred when police used a chemical spray on the mob. Related Trans Jan 6 rioter is begging Marjorie Taylor Greene to get her into a womens prison The MAGA trans woman might be surprised to find that Greene and other Republicans arent going to bat for her. On his first day in office on Monday, Trump issued a blanket pardon for over 1500 people who were charged with crimes related to the attack. Many of the people he pardoned or whose sentences he commuted attacked police officers. One hundred thirty-eight police officers were injured that day. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today It is wrong to pardon individuals convicted of violent crime, especially when many of the victims of their violence were law enforcement officers, said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS). Trump had previously said that he would examine the rioters requests for pardons on a case-by-case basis, and J.D. Vance had said that those who committed violence on that day obviously shouldnt be pardoned.It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in a statement. Despite the Presidents decision, we must always remember the extraordinary courage and valor of the law enforcement heroes who stood in the breach and ensured that democracy survived on that dark day.Trump himself didnt seem to realize that he had pardoned people who attacked police officers, telling a reporter when asked about whether a person who used a stun gun on a police officer deserved a pardon, I dont know Well, well take a look at everything. He then rambled about unrelated topics. REPORTER: You would agree it's never acceptable to assault police officers?TRUMP: SureREPORTER: Among those you pardoned is a guy who used a stun gun on a police officer. Why does he deserve a pardon?TRUMP: Well, I don't know[image or embed] Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 21, 2025 at 11:40 PMThe Oath Keepers, to whom Watkins was a dues-paying member, is based on a set of baseless conspiracy theories about the federal government working to destroy the liberties of Americans, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Prosecutors believe that the 11 Oath Keepers who participated in the insurrection were more serious in their attempt to overthrow the government.Shortly after the November 2020 election that Trump lost and Biden won, Watkins texted invitations to training for people she called recruits, saying, I need you fighting fit by innaugeration [sic].In December 2020, Watkins texted another member of the group: We plan on going to DC on the 6th and used the messaging app Signal to assign roles to a small group on January 2, 2021. This was while Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and the other Oath Keepers were stocking up on thousands of dollars worth of weapons and gear in preparation for the attack and promising their members a bloody, massively bloody revolution. On January 3, Watkins allegedly told another member of the group that weapons are ok now as well. Sorry for the confusion. She also told that person to wear khaki or tan pants.On the day of the insurrection, Watkins allegedly was part of the group of Oath Keepers going to the Senate wherePencewas ceremonially presiding as it received the results of the election from the states and prosecutors said that others in the group called her captain and cap.Yall, were one block away from the Capitol right now. Im probably gonna go silent when we get there, because Im gonna be a little busy, she allegedly said in a channel on the walkie-talkie app Zello. She and her group forced their way through the doors of the Capitol. Despite her worry that she would go silent, she kept talking on Zello, saying where she was in the Capitol.Get it, Jess. Do your f**king thing. This is what we f**king [unintelligible] up for. Everything we f**king trained for, someone responded to her.She and her group made their way to the Senate. Watkins told people in the crowd around her to Push, push, push and Get in there, get in there as the mob tried to get past a line of law enforcement officers.They cant hold us! Watkins said.Officers then used a chemical spray on the mob, and they retreated. Watkins and her fellow Oath Keepers left the Capitol. Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today, she wrote on Parler that day. Teargassed, the whole 9. Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even. The news is lying (even Fox) about the Historical Events we created today.Several days later, Watkins messaged someone on Facebook: Weve been organizing a bugout plan if the usurper is installed Something like 20+ Oathkeepers going to Kentucky mountains on hundreds of acres apparently.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Whats that buzzing feeling? Well, its the Yellowjackets season 3 trailer! According to the official synopsis, In season three, as summer arrives, the Yellowjackets face a fragile victorythe brutal winter that nearly claimed them is finally behind them, but distrust in leadership and tension within the team jeopardize their chances of being rescued. In the present, long-buried secrets from their pasts begin to surface. As the women fight to keep their lives from unraveling, they must confront a chilling question: who are they really, and what dark truths are they hiding from each other and themselves?The show returns with a two-episode premiere on Friday, February 14 on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Plan. Watch the trailer below.

Taliban fighters stand guard in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)2025-01-22T10:37:27Z ISLAMABAD (AP) Afghans who fled after the Taliban seized power appealed Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt them from an order suspending the relocation of refugees to the United States, some saying they risked their lives to support U.S. troops.An estimated 15,000 Afghans are waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement in the U.S. via an American government program. It was set up to help Afghans at risk under the Taliban because of their work with the U.S. government, media, aid agencies and rights groups, after U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, when the Taliban took power.But in his first days in office, Trumps administration announced the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program would be suspended from Jan. 27 for at least three months. During that period, the White House said the secretary of homeland security in consultation with the secretary of state will submit a report to the president on whether the resumption of the program is in the U.S. interest. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, where authorities have urged the world community to decide the fate of the 1.45 million Afghan refugees, saying they cannot stay indefinitely. Many of us risked our lives to support the U.S. mission as interpreters, contractors, human rights defenders, and allies, an advocacy group called Afghan USRAP Refugees named after the U.S. refugee program said in an open letter to Trump, members of Congress and human rights defenders.The Taliban regards us as traitors, and returning to Afghanistan would expose us to arrest, torture, or death, the group said. In Pakistan, the situation is increasingly untenable. Arbitrary arrests, deportations, and insecurity compound our distress. Women fled abroad after Taliban closed schools Hadisa Bibi, a former student in Kabul who fled to neighboring Pakistan last month, said she read in newspapers that Trump suspended the refugee program.Prior to restrictions on womens education in Afghanistan, I was a university student, she said. Given the risks I face as a womens rights advocate, I was hoping for a swift resettlement to the United States. This would not only allow me to continue my higher education but also offer a safer and brighter future.She said she witnessed several Afghans arrested by Pakistani police, which left her in fear, confined to my room like a prisoner.Mahnoosh Monir said she was a medical student in Afghanistan when her education was cruelly suspended by the Taliban. Before fleeing to Pakistan, she worked as a teacher at a language center but it also was shut by the Taliban.Afghanistan is no longer a place for any girl or woman to survive, she said, adding she was disappointed by Trumps move.I didnt expect this suspension to happen. A long span of waiting makes us think of very disappointing probabilities like being sent back to Afghanistan or waiting for a long time in Pakistan as a refugee at risk, which are like nightmares to all of case holders, she said.The Taliban have deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, according to the United Nations. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female secondary and higher education.Both Bibi and Monir applied for relocation and are still waiting. Over time, the visa process for Afghans who demonstrate they are at risk of persecution had become protracted. Some are traumatized by the suspension of the US refugee program Another Afghan woman, Farzana Umeed, and a man, Sarfraz Ahmed, said in an interview on the outskirts of Islamabad that they are traumatized over the suspension of the program.I virtually wept last night when we heard this news, Umeed said. She said it is difficult for her to live in Pakistan, and she cannot travel to America either. Returning to my home country also means taking a huge risk. What should I do, she asked, and urged Trump to reverse his decision. Those in exile in Pakistan include Afghan journalists who were forced to flee the Taliban to save their lives, and now face extreme anxiety under the recurring threat of arbitrary arrest, police harassment and deportation to Afghanistan, Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday. The media watchdog urged Pakistan to ensure the protection of the journalists, who say their visa is extended only for a month for a $100 fee.According to the Afghan USRAP Refugees group, flights to the U.S. for many Afghans had been scheduled for January, February and March after they were interviewed by the International Organization for Migration and U.S. Embassy officials. We seek the reversal of the ban on the refugee program on humanitarian ground, said Ahmad Shah, a member of the group, who was hoping to leave Pakistan for the United States in March after undergoing all interviews and medical tests.In addition to Pakistan, more than 3,200 Afghans are staying in Albania. A NATO member, Albania first agreed to house fleeing Afghans for one year before they move for final settlement in the United States, then pledged to keep them longer if their visas are delayed.

A national guardsman patrols along a stretch of boarder wall, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Brownsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)2025-01-22T12:01:15Z WASHINGTON (AP) Many U.S. adults are on board with the idea of beefing up security at the southern border and undertaking some targeted deportations, according to a new poll. But as President Donald Trump begins his second term with a series of sweeping executive orders on immigration, the findings suggest his actions may quickly push the country beyond the limited consensus that exists on the issue.There is a clear desire for some kind of action on U.S.-Mexico border security, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Half of U.S. adults think increasing security at the border should be a high priority for the federal government, according to the poll, and about 3 in 10 say it should be a moderate priority. Just 2 in 10, roughly, consider it a low priority. The vast majority of U.S. adults favor deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes, and the Trump administrations deportation efforts may begin there. But Trumps initial executive orders have gone far beyond that including efforts to keep asylum-seekers in Mexico and end automatic citizenship. And Trump, a Republican, is continuing to signal an aggressive and likely divisive approach, with promises to deport millions of people who entered the country illegally while declaring a national emergency at our southern border. About 4 in 10 American adults support deporting all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, and a similar share are opposed. Most Americans think local police should cooperate with federal immigration authorities on deportations in at least some cases, but implementation could quickly become unpopular. On Tuesday, the Trump administration threw out policies limiting arrests of migrants in sensitive places like schools and churches, even though a shift to such arrests would be largely unpopular. Some support for more immigration enforcement Immigration was a key issue in the 2024 election, and the poll indicates that its still a high priority for many Americans as Trump takes office.Illegal border crossings soared under Trumps predecessor, President Joe Biden, with border arrests from Mexico reaching a record-high of 250,000 in December 2023. Despite Trumps claims of an immigrant invasion, crossings have plunged since then, amid increased Mexican enforcement and the Democratic Biden administrations June 2024 order that dramatically limited asylum claims at the border. But memories of those rising numbers, and the chaos that ensued when migrants were bused by Republican governors to northern cities, may have helped shape American attitudes. The survey found that about half of Americans think the government is spending too little on border security, and the vast majority favor deportations of people who have been convicted of violent crimes. I want to see more people coming here legally, said Manuel Morales, a 60-year-old Democrat who lives near Moline, Illinois. He first came to America by crossing the border illegally from Mexico nearly 40 years ago. But at the same time, Im against all these caravans coming (to the border), with thousands and thousands of people at one time, said Morales, a technician for an internet provider. Hes deeply sympathetic to migrants who come to the U.S. to escape repression or poverty and feels that too many Americans dont understand the yearslong efforts required to enter the U.S. legally. Yet, he also believes the number of migrants has simply become too great in the past few years.We cannot just receive everybody into this county, he said.Trumps most sweeping plans are less popularTrump rarely gives specifics when he calls for mass deportations, but the survey indicates many Americans are conflicted about mass roundups of people living in the U.S. illegally.Removing immigrants who are in the country illegally and have not committed a violent crime is highly divisive, with only about 4 in 10 U.S. adults in support and slightly more than 4 in 10 opposed. And relatively few Americans, about 3 in 10, somewhat or strongly favor changing the Constitution so children born in the U.S. are not automatically granted citizenship if their parents are in the country illegally. About 2 in 10 are neutral, and about half are somewhat or strongly opposed. Doug DeVore is a 57-year-old Republican living in southern Indiana who believes that immigration went haywire during the Biden administration.But the idea of large-scale operations to check peoples immigration status makes him uncomfortable.I probably wouldnt be 100% against it, he said. But theres that fine line between gathering information on people living in the U.S. illegally and automatically deporting them, added DeVore, who works in a candy factory. Local cooperation with immigration authorities is popular but not arrests in schools or churchesAs the Trump administration prepares to attack sanctuary jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the poll finds that the vast majority of U.S. adults think police in their community should cooperate with federal immigration authorities to deport people who are in the country illegally in at least some cases. Only about 1 in 10 Americans say the local police should never cooperate with federal law enforcement on these deportations.Theres a divide, though, on whether cooperation should happen across the board or if it should happen only sometimes. About two-thirds of Republicans say local police should always cooperate, a view that only about one-quarter of Democrats share. But relatively few Democrats say local police should never cooperate and most, about two-thirds, say cooperation should happen in some cases.And a wave of arrests could quickly spark a backlash, depending on how they happen. U.S. immigration agents have long abided by guidance that deters arresting parents or students at schools and other sensitive places, but some of Trumps rhetoric has raised questions about whether those policies will persist.The poll finds that a shift toward arresting people in the country illegally at places like churches and schools would be highly unpopular. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults somewhat or strongly favor arresting children who are in the country illegally while they are at school, and a similar share support arresting people who are in the country illegally while they are at church. Solid majorities, about 6 in 10, oppose these kinds of arrests.Even Republicans arent fully on board less than half favor arrests of children in schools or people at church.___Sullivan reported from Minneapolis.___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. AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Thomson-DeVeaux is the APs editor for polling and surveys. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

On Monday, a day after TikTok came back online for the U.S., people started noticing that the app would not let them comment free palestine.Several TikTok users posted screenshots on X and Bluesky showing the message they received after trying to comment free palestine under other peoples posts. TikTok users started reporting this on Sunday, following a tense few hours where the app blocked U.S. users from access ahead of a potential ban, displaying instead a notification sucking up to then-incoming president Donald Trump.You can no longer say #FreePalestine on TikTok pic.twitter.com/3g6rg0jOpP Tired Peasant (@LizzieCosmos) January 20, 2025The price of TikTok's reinstatement in the US very clear this morning. pic.twitter.com/7mBDooCxRZ Jamie McLaughlin (@jjsmclaughlin) January 22, 2025I tried this myself on Tuesday morning, using two different throwaway TikTok accounts. Using one account, I could comment free palestine without a problem, and that comment is still up as of Wednesday morning. Using another, my free palestine comments were immediately removed repeatedly, and I received a notification that I had violated the TikTok Community Guidelines. I could comment with a nonsense phrase (free shavacado) using that same account, however, and TikTok didnt remove it.A screenshot showing two comments: "free Palestine" and "free shavacado" Using the account that kept getting comments removed, I could post a video with the caption free palestine #freepalestine on Tuesday without a problem.A spokesperson for TikTok told 404 Media that the platforms policies and algorithms did not change over the weekend, adding that theyre working on restoring U.S. operations back to normal. Theyre expecting some temporary instability as services are restored, they said, which could affect some features or access. They said that TikTok does not have a policy against people saying free palestine, and pointed me to the platforms community guidelines, transparency report, and moderation approach pages.There have been a few noteworthy instances in the last few years of social media users claiming that pro-Palestine content was being censored or downranked, only for the platforms involved to blame the issue on bugs or deny it was happening. In October 2023, 48 organizations, including 7amleh, the Arab Centre for Social Media Advancement, which advocates for digital rights of Palestinian and Arab civil society, issued a statement urging tech companies to respect Palestinian digital rights during the ongoing war, Al Jazeera reported.We are [concerned] about significant and disproportionate censorship of Palestinian voices through content takedowns and hiding hashtags, amongst other violations, the statement said. These restrictions on activists, civil society and human rights defenders represent a grave threat to freedom of expression and access to information, freedom of assembly, and political participation.Also in October 2023, on Instagram, using the see translation feature in bios about Palestine inserted the word terrorist. In March 2024, Googles Gemini AI would not answer questions like where is Palestine? or what is Palestine? but would answer questions like where is Israel? or what is Israel? And in October 2024, Twitch admitted to temporarily blocking new users in Israel and Palestine from creating new accounts to prevent them from uploading graphic material.There is a lot of weird stuff going on with social media platforms right now, to put it as mildly as possible. One minute, TikTok is gone; the next, its back. One minute, people are outraged because they think theyre being forced to follow Trump on Facebook; the next, its obvious that the administrations accounts have simply changed hands. All of it makes people constantly doubt, second-guess, and argue about what they see with their own eyes.In a lot of ways, this constant, roiling turmoil of navigating what can and cant be said, what might get you banned, and what app is even still accessible to you anymore is exactly what a lot of marginalized peopleincluding, especially, sex workershave always gone through. That disparity and confusion is baked into the algorithms we are forced to coexist with online. Its why when I wrote about getting a bizarre search result from Googles AI Overview, the companys spokesperson couldnt even replicate it themselves. And now that TikTok has bent the knee to the Trump administration in a very public wayincluding CEO Shou Chew posting a personal message thanking the president for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States, everyone online is on the highest alert possible, looking for every sign and symbol that their social media platform of choice might be falling into fascist censorship. This is, as marginalized communities online have been showing us for years and as we said when Trump was elected, always the way its been.

The manufacturer of a machine that costs six figures used during heart surgery has told hospitals that it will no longer allow hospitals repair technicians to maintain or fix the devices and that all repairs must now be done by the manufacturer itself, according to a letter obtained by 404 Media. The change will require hospitals to enter into repair contracts with the manufacturer, which will ultimately drive up medical costs, a person familiar with the devices said.The company, Terumo Cardiovascular, makes a device called the Advanced Perfusion System 1 Heart Lung Machine, which is used to reroute blood during open-heart surgeries and essentially keeps a patient alive during the surgery. Last month, the company sent hospitals a letter alerting them to the discontinuation of certification classes, meaning it will no longer offer certification classes for the repair and/or preventative maintenance of the System 1 and its components.This means it will no longer teach hospital repair techs how to maintain and fix the devices, and will no longer certify in-house hospital repair technicians. Instead, the company will continue to provide direct servicing for the System 1 and its components.On the surface, this may sound like a reasonable change, but it is one that is emblematic of a larger trend in hospitals. Medical device manufacturers are increasingly trying to prevent hospitals' own in-house staff from maintaining and repairing broken equipment, even when they are entirely qualified to do so. And in some cases, technicians who know how to repair specific devices are being prevented from doing so because manufacturers are revoking certifications or refusing to provide ongoing training that they once offered. Terumo certifications usually last for two years. It told hospitals that your current certification will remain valid through its expiration date but will not be renewed once it expires.Hospitals are increasingly being pushed into signing maintenance contracts directly with the manufacturers of medical equipment, which means that repair technicians employed by hospitals can no longer work on many devices and hospitals end up having to employ both their own repair techs and keep up maintenance contracts with device manufacturers.One of my fears is that if a device goes down, were going to be subject to their field engineers availability, a source who works in hospital medical device repair told 404 Media. 404 Media agreed to keep the source anonymous because they were not authorized by their hospital to speak to the media. They may not be able to get here that same day or the next day, and if youve got people waiting to get an open-heart surgery, you have to tell them Oh, the machines down, were going to have to postpone this. Thats detrimental to a patient who has a life-altering, very serious thing that theyre having to cancel and reschedule.Having to rely on a manufacturers repair network is the exact situation that farmers have found themselves in with John Deere tractors. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission sued John Deere for its monopolistic repair practices. The FTC specifically cited the fact that farmers have often been forced to wait days or weeks to get a John Deere authorized repair tech out to fix their tractors, which has resulted in farmers losing crops at critical harvest times. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, some hospitals found themselves pirating repair software from Poland to repair broken ventilators because manufacturers repair technicians were spread so thin that hospitals had to wait weeks for repairs.This specific ventilator repair crisis during COVID led experts at Harvard Medical School to write that For years, manufacturers have curtailed the ability of hospitals to independently repair and maintain medical equipment by preventing access to the necessary knowledge, software, tools, and parts in a piece calling for right-to-repair legislation. The FTC, meanwhile, suggested in a report that medical device manufacturers sometimes charge two-to-three times what an independent repair tech would charge for the same repair.It's scary to think that you could buy a piece of medical equipment for your hospital, just to have the manufacturer wake up one day and decide they will monopolize all repairs for that product, Nathan Proctor, senior director of consumer rights group PIRGs campaign for the right to repair, told 404 Media. The people who are trained to fix that equipment won't suddenly forget all they know, but they will suddenly be restricted from doing the repairs. I think that's just absurd.Manufacturer contracts like this lead, across the board, to higher costs for hospitals.Its no secret that Americas healthcare system is the most expensive, and this is one of the reasons why. These machines are actually highly reliable, weve had a low cost of service for it over the last few years. And when something isnt right, we have people in-house who can fix it, the source familiar with Terumo machine repair said. But the cost of having a service contract with a manufacturer, youre probably talking 10 times the cost. Its not a big deal having a contract for one device, but when that starts happening across many devices, it adds up in the end. If you took every hospital in America and said for every medical device in the hospital, you need to put it on an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] maintenance contract, it would tank your financial system. You just cant do that.Medical equipment manufacturers have strongly lobbied against right to repair legislation all over the country, and have been successful in getting medical devices exempted from right to repair legislation by claiming that the machines are too sensitive and complex to be repaired by anyone besides the manufacturer. The medical device giant AdvaMed, for example, says the risk to patient safety is too high.But, again, the people working on medical equipment in hospitals are often hospital employees or contractors whose job is to repair medical equipment, and who are being prevented from fixing equipment that a hospital has purchased. Just because a guy has Terumo on his shirt doesnt mean hes a more competent technician than an in-house hospital technician, the source familiar with Terumo device repair said.In a brochure for hospitals, Terumo advertises both its device and its maintenance program: Advanced, precision medical equipment requires genuine parts and top-quality, specialized service just as getting the best medical care from qualified specialists. Terumo Cardiovascular Service has the unrivaled expertise, experience, equipment, and parts to provide the optimal level of planned service and repairs needed. Use Terumo Cardiovascular Service and avoid exposure to liability issues.A spokesperson for Terumo told 404 Media that the company saw declining participation in this program and determined that the best way forward was to require servicing through Terumo Cardiovasculars genuine in-house Service team to continue to ensure Terumo devices are properly maintained.Terumo Cardiovasculars Biomed Certification Program was originally structured to train non-Terumo personnel (hospital Biomeds) to service Terumo heart-lung machines and associated hardware. Properly maintained medical devices are necessary for optimal performance which is essential for quality of patient care and outcomes, they added. Hospitals existing Terumo Cardiovascular Biomed certifications will remain valid through their expiration dates but will not be renewed once they expire.

The Trump administration has reportedly ordered that all federal employees in positions associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) be placed on paid leave by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday. The directive comes after Donald Trump signed an executive order on Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing. The order called DEI programs illegal and immoral and said they demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination. Related Marco Rubio bans rainbow flags at embassies Marjorie Taylor Greene celebrated the move: Im not tired of winning!! The administration issued the memo ordering paid leave for DEI employees on Tuesday, NBC News reported. It also ordered them to shut down all DEI-related websites, social media accounts, offices, and programs and said managers must submit a plan in writing to terminate all DEI employees by January 31st. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination, the memo claimed before issuing a warning about defying the orders.We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language. If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences.In a statement about the memo, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Trump for following through on his campaign promise to end the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin.This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept, she declared. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Secretary of State Mark Rubio issued a One Flag Policy on Tuesday this week, which will allow three flags to be flown at U.S. outposts: the U.S. flag, the POW/MIA flag, and the Hostages and Wrongful Detainees flag, the rightwing Free Beacon reports.Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content, the order states, according to the Free Beacon. The flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present. Related Marco Rubio files transgender military ban bill He says its even more strict than Donald Trumps trans military ban. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) celebrated the ban. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Im not tired of winning!! she posted to X, a reference to Donald Trumps 2016 promise that were going to win so much, youre going to be so sick and tired of winning. Im not tired of winning!! https://t.co/vjxTVlkpZN Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) January 22, 2025Rainbow flags flying at embassies has been a point of contention for years between Republican and Democratic administrations, with Democrats arguing that the U.S. has a duty to promote human rights abroad while Republicans oppose considering LGBTQ+ peoples rights human rights. In 2023, House Republicans proposed a bill to ban rainbow flags and Black Lives Matter banners at embassies, with Rep. Greene calling such symbols Hate America flags in a statement.President Bidens State Department has already raised a flag over our embassies that doesnt represent the vast majority of Americans, she said. Her statement went on to say that BLM is a radical Marxist group and domestic terrorists who want to bring mass destruction to our country through Communism. During Trumps first term, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ordered the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, toremove a rainbow Pride flag and BLM bannerfrom the exterior of its chancery. The embassy said it had hung the BLM flag to show solidarity and support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society.In June 2019, Trumps State Departmentforbade at least four requestsfrom U.S. embassies worldwide seeking to fly the rainbow flag during Pride month. But embassies defied Trump andflew Pride flags without permissionanyway. Vice President Mike Pence laterdefended the administrations ban, saying that only American flags should fly outside embassies.The administration of President Joe Bidenreversed Trumps ban on rainbow flags at embassies. Bidens Secretary of State Antony Blinken told American embassies and diplomatic missions that they can fly the Pride flag again as well as other symbols connoting support for LGBTQ rights based on what is appropriate in light of local conditions. During his January 2021 testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken said that he wouldenact policies that would allow American embassies to support and protect LGBTQ+ rights around the worldby flying the rainbow flag.Weve seen violence directed against LGBTQI people around the world increase, Blinken told the committee. Weve seen, I believe, the highest number of murders of transgender people, particularly women of color, that weve seen ever and so I think the United States playing the role that it should be playing in standing up for and defending the rights of LGBTQI people is something that the Department is going to take on and take on immediately.Rubio has long been an opponent of equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, supporting a ban on same-sex couples adopting in his state of Florida and opposing the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ people at the federal level, in the Senate. In early 2023, he got a U.S. Air Force base tocancel a Drag Queen Story Hour eventthat was scheduled for the bases library in honor of Pride Month.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

In this June 1, 2012 file photo, El Salvador's President Mauricio Funes stands in the National Assembly in San Salvador, El Salvador. Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes, who spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences, died late Tuesday. He was 65. (AP Photo/Luis Romero, File)2025-01-22T12:22:19Z SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes, who spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences, died late Tuesday. He was 65.Nicaraguas Health Ministry said in a statement that Funes had died of a serious chronic illness.Funes governed El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. He lived his final nine years under the protection of Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega, whose government had given him citizenship, allowing him to avoid extradition.The former president had pending sentences in El Salvador for corruption and making deals with the countrys powerful street gangs that amounted to more than 26 years, but he never set foot in prison.The journalist-turned-politician came to power with the Farabundo Mart National Liberation Front, the leftist party born of El Salvadors civil war and a powerful national political force for three decades that was left with no seats in the Congress after last years election. On Wednesday, his party said in a statement that Mauricio Funes as an investigative journalist and incisive generator of pulic opinion, as well as in his time as president of the republic, enjoyed broad acceptance and support from the Salvadoran people and the international community. Current Labor Minister Rolando Castro said via X that Funes skills and contributions to the country as a journalist are undeniable, just as are his mistakes in public office. Funes was born in San Salvador on Oct. 18, 1959. He worked as a teacher in Catholic schools, but later made his name as a war reporter and hosted a highly popular interview show that took on controversial topics. He interviewed multiple heads of state, worked at two television stations and was a correspondent for CNN from 1991 to 2007, winning multiple awards.Then the FMLN came calling, offering to make him their candidate and he won the 2009 elections, defeating Rodrigo vila of the conservative National Republican Alliance, better known as Arena, that had governed the country since 1989. Funes was a fresh face, not someone directly involved in the civil war as the party tried to remake itself with a less bellicose image.At the time, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chvez praised Funes as tenacious and someone who wouldnt shy away from El Salvadors problems.But by the time he left office, Funes was hounded by accusations of corruption. In 2016, he fled to Nicaragua. He always denied the accusations and said his troubles were all part of political persecution.But he was tried in absentia six times and convicted in each one.For one, Funes was sentenced in May 2023 to 14 years in prison for negotiating a truce with the gangs to lower the homicide rate during his administration in exchange for giving imprisoned gang leaders perks.His last sentence came just last year in June. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for receiving an airplane as a kickback for awarding a construction contract for a bridge project. He was also being prosecuted for allegedly diverting some $351 million in government funds. A number of former officials in his administration, as well as his ex-wife Vanda Pignato, his children and various former partners have also been prosecuted for corruption. His former security minister, David Mungua Pays, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in negotiating the gang truce.Despite Funes troubled presidency, the FMLN won again with President Salvador Snchez Cern who governed from 2014 to 2019. Snchez Cren had been one of the five guerrilla commanders in the civil war.In recent years, Funes and current El Salvador President Nayib Bukele frequently sparred on social platforms, trading insults. Bukele pushed prosecutions of the former president, especially for his negotiations with the gangs.Bukele himself had been accused of negotiating with gang leaders, but vehemently denied that and later crushed the gangs in a yearslong all-out offensive.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a hotel at a ski resort of Kartalkaya, located in Bolu province, in northwest Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Enes Ozkan/IHA via AP)2025-01-22T09:32:51Z KARTALKAYA, Turkey (AP) As flames tore through a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey, friends Esra Karakisa and Halime Cetin stood helpless, paralyzed by the horror unfolding before them: people leaning out of smoke-filled rooms pleading for help and others making the harrowing decision to leap out.The fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalya, in the Koroglu mountains in Bolu province, on Tuesday left at least 76 people dead and 51 injured. It came near the start of a two-week winter break for schools when hotels in the region are filled to capacity.There was no one around. They were calling for firefighters. They were breaking the windows. Some could no longer stand the smoke and flames, and they jumped, Cetin, an employee at a hotel adjacent to the Grand Kartal, told The Associated Press. Her colleague, Karakisa said: It was awful. We were terrified. People were screaming. The cries of children especially affected us. We wanted to help but there was nothing we could do. I couldnt look it was so terrifying. Authorities have assigned six prosecutors to investigate the cause of the fire, which appeared to have started at the restaurant section on the fourth floor of of the wooden-clad hotel and spread quickly through to the upper floors. At least nine people have been detained for questioning, including the hotel owner. Flags at government buildings and Turkish diplomatic missions abroad were lowered to half-staff as the nation shocked by the disaster observed a day of mourning for the victims.Only 45 of the 76 bodies have been identified so far, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said late Tuesday. One of the injured was in serious condition, while 29 others were treated and released, the Health Ministry said.The hotel had 238 registered guests, according to Yerlikaya. The fire was reported at 3:27 a.m. and the fire department began to respond at 4:15 a.m., he told reporters. Officials and witnesses said the rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that part of the 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff.According to Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the hotel underwent inspections in 2021 and 2024, and no negative situation regarding fire competence was reported by the fire department.Karakisa said she eventually brought clothes and water for the survivors while others rushed to bring mattresses for people to jump onto or propped up ladders against the wall to help them escape.Among those who placed mattresses was Baris Salgur, a cleaner in a nearby hotel.They were saying, Please help, were burning! They were saying, Call the fire department, we were trying to calm them down, but there was nothing we could do, we couldnt get in either, Salgur, 19, said. " It was very high, we couldnt extend a rope or anything of course. We were trying to do the best we could.People jumped from a great height, I couldnt look. There were two women at the top floor. The flames had literally entered the room. They couldnt stand it and jumped, he said. Salgur described seeing a man on the top floors holding a baby and shouting for a mattress he could throw his baby on. We told him to be a little calmer. He waited, then the fire department came and took them (out), but unfortunately the baby had died from smoke inhalation, he said.___Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Robert Badendieck in Istanbul contributed to this report.

Hundreds of subreddits are considering banning all links to X.com in response to Elon Musks salute at a Donald Trump inauguration rally that was celebrated by Nazis as being a Nazi salute. The moderators of dozens of those subreddits have said that they have decided they will ban all links to X.Here is a video scroll of just some of the hundreds of subreddits that have considered the move over the last 24 hours, with many moderators putting the idea up for a vote among a subreddits subscribers: 0:00 /1:44 1 The bans have run the political gamut, with the subreddits for many cities and states (such as r/NewJersey, r/londonOntario, and sports teams banning all Twitter links. r/christianity banned Twitter links with a gif in which Musks salute was put side-by-side with a neo-Nazis.Some subreddits are allowing screenshots from Twitter but not direct linking. Big sports subreddits such as r/NFL, r/hockey, r/baseball, and r/nba are all considering a ban, with moderators saying they will announce decisions shortly. A poll in r/baseball shows that users are overwhelmingly in favor of having links banned in the subreddit.On r/formula1, moderators decided to ban links from Twitter except in cases where the information can not be found elsewhere, and specifically from Formula 1 drivers and some others who havent yet moved to other platforms. For a trial period we will ban all content from Twitter with the only exception of screenshots of relevant posts by teams, drivers & F1 that are not available on any other platform. Even in case of major breaking news, we ask you to post links to the press releases or a screenshot of the post from Instagram, with a link in the comments. The ban is a trial, with the hope that it will encourage Formula 1 journalists and creators to move to other platforms, it says.Moderators of r/ComicBookMovies posted With recent events, we (mods) have decided we will no longer use our sub to promote x in any way, shape or form. Following in the footsteps of other subs, we will ban any links or post coming from x, including in the comment sections. While many of our post come from x, moving forward all post will need to come from another source, such as bluesky, approved websites, your own creation, etc.The moderators of r/MadeMeSmile, which has more than 10 million subscribers, posted Would it make you smile if we banned all links to Twitter? The moderators of r/DnD are similarly considering the move. Posts about banning or potentially banning Twitter links are some of the most popular posts on all of Reddit over the last day.Some of the subreddits are also banning material from Meta platforms after Mark Zuckerberg explicitly decided to allow hate to proliferate across his apps, and TikTok and Rednote because of their companies being based in China. Hello, everyone! Following recent events in social media, we are updating our content policy, a message on r/antiwork reads. It then says that the following sites may no longer be linked to, or have screenshots from them uploaded: X, including content from its predecessor Twitter, because Elon Musk promotes white supremacist ideology and gave a Nazi salute during Donald Trump's inauguration, Any platform owned by Meta, such as Facebook and Instagram, because Mark Zuckerberg openly encourages bigotry with Meta's new content policy, and Platforms affiliated with the CCP, such as TikTok and Rednote, because China is a hostile foreign government and these platforms constitute information warfare.The concerted mass action to ban Twitter links is notable because it highlights the difference between moderation on a platform like Reddit and the moderation on platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram. Reddits distributed, volunteer moderation system in which users become the moderators of specific subreddits means they are also in charge of the rules and norms of that subreddit. This means that moderators are, to some extent, beholden to the wishes of subscribers of a subreddit. They are also able to create rules that fit the needs and wants of a specific community. Reddits system has many problems: moderators are constantly fighting with Reddit administrators, who are paid Reddit employees; moderators are not paid for their labor; moderators often say they feel burnt out. But the system also fosters a more humane version of the internet where users have more control and the needs of a specific community can be more easily met.

As Donald Trump assumes office for a second time, activists who battled his first administration over his sudden and chaotic ban on trans people serving in the military are poised to do it again.We are preparing for the worst, and then well fight for the best, Cmdr. Emily Hawking Shilling, an out transgender, active-duty Navy pilot and president of SPARTA, a nonprofit organization promoting an inclusive military environment, told LGBTQ Nation. Related Donald Trump issues first attack on transgender people in the military The order also took aim at LGBTQ+ students, parents, and protections from conversion therapy. What the worst looks like, said Shilling, who made clear her views dont represent the Navys, is a Day One executive order that tries to kick everybody out of the military who is transgender. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today While he didnt do it yesterday, Trump may prove Shillings fears right soon.He banned transgender people from serving in the military during his first administration, sparking multiple lawsuits. While the Supreme Court ultimately allowed the ban to go into effect while the cases were heard, no court actually ruled on the substance of the ban before President Joe Biden got into office and nixed it, rendering the lawsuits moot.Legal developments since then have made trans rights advocates more confident in their chances of winning the legal battle.Theres good, strong, solid law from those cases that will be important in any new cases that are brought, and theres been some important precedent established after those cases that will be important, as well, GLAD Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights and trans attorney Jennifer Levi told LGBTQ Nation.Several organizations gathered on South Congress for a rally to oppose Trumps agenda on Inauguration Day, Monday, January 20, 2025, in Austin. | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK Trump has been obsessed with kicking trans people out of the military for yearsWith the stroke of my pen on Day One, were going to stop the transgender lunacy, Trump told an audience of MAGA faithful in Phoenix in December, including a pledge to get transgender out of the military.Its a return to Trumps first ban issued six months into his first term, a unilateral decision that shocked even his own generals and secretary of defense.What followed was a tortured reverse-engineering effort by Pentagon officials to justify it, after President Barack Obama lifted the longtime prohibition on trans service members just a year earlier. To join the military, everyone has to meet the exact same standards, Shannon Minter, a trans attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), told LGBTQ Nation. Its all that transgender people were ever asking for, just simply to be permitted to attempt to meet the same standards as everyone else is meeting. And if they do, then theyre in, and if they dont, then theyre out.NCLR and GLAD filed the first of four lawsuits to challenge the ban in August 2017. Two months later, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an injunction that put a temporary halt to the discriminatory policy.As the cases made their way through the courts, Secretary Mattis issued a plan to split Trumps trans ban baby in two, hoping to survive a constitutional challenge. Trans service members whod been issued a gender dysphoria diagnosis before a ban took effect could continue to serve, but active trans members who hadnt would be out. That version of Trumps trans ban took effect in April 2019, after the administration leapfrogged lower courts to ask the Supreme Court to grant injunctive relief to enforce it. The conservative majority voted 5-4 in favor of the administration.But the ruling was only a procedural victory in deference to the executive branch. By the time Biden overturned Trumps ban in 2021, the high court had yet to hear any of the cases and rule on whether the ban was constitutional.That gives hope to trans advocates, who say the evidence arguing against a ban has only grown more persuasive since their original cases were filed eight years ago. Trans legal advocates are ready for the fightWhile Trumps allies have made much of the idea that hes better prepared in a second term to enact his agenda, the same can said of the lawyers who shepherded those first cases through the courts, who now come armed with their most effective data and arguments in a Trump trans ban Round Two.Well challenge it pretty much right out of the gate, said Minter, whos been in contact with over a hundred potential plaintiffs in anticipation of a renewed ban.Jul 27, 2023; Washington, DC; Shannon Minter testifies at a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government hearing on gender affirming care | Jasper Colt-USA TODAY The legal landscape for transgender people has changed significantly since 2017. According to GLADs Levi, the new precedent includes the 2020 Bostock decision, in which the Supreme Court said that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is a form of sex discrimination.That will have important ramifications for the equal protection challenges that I would anticipate being brought against a ban on military service, she said.Trans people have also been serving openly in the military for several years now, making the case for a ban more difficult on a policy level.I think among those lessons was how important it was to have the voices of military leadership convey the harms to national security from baseless shifts in personnel policies, Levi said. It was really the voices of the senior leaders of the military that I think was very compelling in conveying to courts how harmful it is excluding people who meet the qualifications of service.Minter, Levis former co-counsel from Doe v. Trump, agreed. I think the reason that we got so much support from military officials at such a very high level was not because they were particularly pro-transgender, Minter said. It wasnt that. It was that they were so distressed by that manner of making military policy.The key lesson just to understand how the military ordinarily works is that to a really extraordinary degree, its based on merit, on objective standards and qualifications, he continued. Thats all that matters.Further bolstering a future suit, Minter said, is real-world data about trans military service.In contrast to when we were challenging the ban in 2017, we now have four years of experience of transgender people serving, he said. There were trans people who were in the military, but they were in a kind of limbo. They had never been officially permitted to serve. Now, theres four years worth of officially permitted service and data that goes along with that. Transgender people are already a part of the militaryAmong those trans individuals currently serving in the military is Jake, a former plaintiff from one of the lawsuits challenging Trumps first trans military ban. (He asked to use a pseudonym and not identify his branch of service for fear of reprisal by the Trump administration.)Jake told LGBTQ Nation that his experience in the military has been overwhelmingly positive since he joined six months ago.In basic training and officer school, I was very open about my status as a transgender individual, about my transition itself, and everybody I encountered there was immensely supportive, he said. Asked if he had a memorable coming out story in the military, Jake recalled a group inspection from a relatively high-ranking individual.He asked me why I joined the service, and I said, Im here because I want to prove that transgender individuals like myself not only are capable of serving, but we are capable of excelling in military service. And once our inspection was over, my colleagues came to me and they said, We had no idea. Is that true? Did you really mean that? Are you really transgender? And I said, Yeah, and I had a good conversation. This was something that happened in front of, Id say, about 65 other young men.Transgender service members, like the military as a whole, are a snapshot of America, said SPARTAs Shilling, who narrowly avoided separation from the Navy before Biden reversed Trumps ban. We have people of all different persuasions, all different beliefs, all different opinions and all different backgrounds in life. They just happen to have one additional thing, which is they end up being transgender. Shilling said she has her fellow trans colleagues backs as a second ban looms.Ive got a bunch of people who are scared, she said. Ive got a bunch of people who, the military is their family, and they dont know if their family is about to kick them to the curb. Im going to take care of them.Im a freaking fighter pilot, she added. Of course, Im going to be fangs out. A military mired in wokeness, said Jake, is definitely something, in my experience, that is being perpetuated by outsiders and not the actual military experience today. A culture war is the last thing on his fellow service members minds, he said.At the end of the day, we all just kind of come together, work as a team, embrace the camaraderie, embrace the suck, and as long as youre contributing to the team, nobody cares what your background is, where youre coming from, what your political stance is.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

On January 22, 2025, GLAAD announced the nominees for the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, and many of this years nominees center diverse and compelling stories about transgender and nonbinary people. In the Outstanding Film Limited Theatrical Release category several nominees tell powerful stories about transgender people. In 20,000 Species of Bees, a young [...]The post 36th Annual GLAAD Media Award Nominees Include Outstanding Stories About Transgender People #GLAADAwards first appeared on GLAAD.

By Blair Durkee, Associate Director of Gaming, and Annabelle Cook, Gaming Jr. Associate Amidst the resurgence of hostility towards LGBTQ equality, video games have become a tool of defiance and solidarity for many creators. The ten nominees for Outstanding Video Game at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards reflect this shift, showcasing LGBTQ-inclusive stories that [...]The post GLAAD Celebrates Outstanding Video Game Nominees at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards #GLAADAwards first appeared on GLAAD.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-01-22T16:53:56Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps national security adviser is sidelining roughly 160 career government employees on temporary duty at the White House National Security Council, telling them to work from home for the time-being as the administration reviews staffing for the White House arm that provides national security and foreign policy advice to the president, Trump administration officials told The Associated PressThe career employees, commonly referred to as detailees, were summoned on Wednesday to an all-staff meeting in which were to be told that theyll be expected to be available to the NSCs senior directors but would not need to report to the White House, the officials said. Trumps national security adviser Mike Waltz had signaled before Inauguration Day that he would look to move holdover civil servants that served in the NSC during President Joe Bidens administration back to their home agencies. The move is meant to ensure the council is staffed by those who support Trumps agenda. By the end of the review, Waltz will look to have a more efficient, flatter NSC, one official said. Officials said that they have already begun bringing detailees from agencies with expertise that the new administration values, including some who had served during the first Trump administration.Some directors have already made decisions to inform detailiees they will be sent back to the federal agencies they were on loan from. For example, multiple holdover detailees assigned to counterterrorism directorate were told on Tuesday that their assignment was being cut short and that they will be sent back to their home agencies, according to two people familiar with the move who were not not authorized to comment publicly. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz promised and authorized a full review of NSC personnel, White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement. It is entirely appropriate for Mr. Waltz to ensure NSC personnel are committed to implementing President Trumps America First agenda to protect our national security and wisely use the tax dollars of Americas working men and women. Since 12:01 pm on Monday personnel reviews and decisions based on the evaluations are being made.The dozens of NSC staff members affected by the decision are largely subject matter experts who had been loaned to the White House by federal agencies such as the State Department, the FBI and the CIA for temporary duty that typically lasts one to two years. ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto AAMER MADHANI Aamer Madhani is a White House reporter. twitter mailto

Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand are expected to tie the knot on Thursday as a new law legalizing same-sex marriage goes into effect in the Southeast Asian nation.Thailand joins Taiwan and Nepal among countries recognizing same-sex unions in Asia. More than 30 countries worldwide now recognize same-sex marriage, according to the Pew Research Center. Related Thailand becomes first Southeast Asian country to legalize marriage equality The king of Thailand just gave Royal Assent to a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt. Thailands law enshrining marriage equality was passed last year by Parliament and given royal assent by the countrys King Maha Vajiralongkorn in September. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Anticipation has been building since for hundreds of same-sex couples whove waited years for the opportunity to wed.This demonstrates that Thailand is ready to embrace diversity and accept love in all its forms, said Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who invited dozens of LGBTQ+ couples and activists to government offices last week ahead of the laws enactment. Today shows that our country is open and accepting.The new marriages will come with full legal, financial, medical and inheritance rights. For the first time in Thailand, same-sex couples will be allowed to legally adopt.In Bangkok, more than 200 couples plan to marry in a mass wedding at a popular shopping mall, according to Bangkok Pride, which co-organized the event with local authorities, CNN reports.Organizers will roll out a pride carpet at a celebration welcoming the newlyweds.We are all delighted and excited, said Siritata Ninlapruek, an LGBTQ+ activist in Bangkok. Weve been fighting for our rights for over ten years, and now its finally happening. Weve been waiting for a long time, said Apiwat Apiwatsayree, who plans to marry his partner of 17 years.While the new law replaces the terms husband and wife with inclusive, gender-neutral language, resistance remains in Thailand to fully recognizing the rights of all LGBTQ+ Thai citizens.Transgender woman Nina Chetniphat Chuadkhunthod will marry her boyfriend of 22 years on Thursday with personal documents that still identify her as male. Parliament rejected a proposed gender recognition bill last February.We should use marriage equality as an opportunity to open another door for gender recognition, said local trans rights advocate Hua Boonyapisomparn.We have come far in changing the law and there is some way to go for more inclusion, Nada Chaiyajit, a lecturer at Mae Fah Luang Universitys law school, told Reuters.We also still have to fight for social acceptance and that requires more than just changes to the law.For Chuadkhunthod, how she arrived at the alter doesnt diminish the celebration.I feel like, wow, my dream is close to coming true. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Congratulations are due to PRIDE's sister sites! The nominees for the 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards have been announced, and The Advocate, Out, and Plus, sibling publications, are each nominated for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage. Out won the award last year, and The Advocate won the award the two years prior.Reporter at The Advocate, Ryan Adamczeski, is nominated for Outstanding Print Article for the November/December cover story "Meet the young transgender teens changing America and the world." The Advocates senior national reporter, Christopher Wiggins, is nominated for Outstanding Online Journalism Article for Missouri Republican's antigay slur-filled posts remain on Instagram despite violating Metas policies." The nominees, announced Wednesday morning, reflect work published, released, or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2024. GLAAD announced 303 nominees across 33 categories this year, and has updated the Outstanding Blog category to Outstanding Independent Journalism. The GLAAD Media Awards were created nearly four decades ago to champion LGBTQ stories amid a deeply hostile and unsafe time for our community. Today, this mission holds true and ever-more important as attacks against LGBTQ people are not only growing, but finding new avenues," GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "Whether its rampant misinformation or defamation of transgender people, LGBTQ youth, or the shocking corporate rollback of policies and programs that keep LGBTQ people seen and safe in a workforce, what will always prevail is our truth and talent," Ellis said. "This years nominees for the 36th GLAAD Media Awards represent the best of our vibrant community, spanning across all media, genres and mediums, and send a loud and global message to industry leaders that our stories are not only popular and entertaining, but necessary and culture-changing. The 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place in Los Angeles on March 27, 2025. Scroll for the full list of nominees. Outstanding Film Wide Theatrical ReleaseCuckoo (Neon)Drive-Away Dolls (Focus Features)Love Lies Bleeding (A24)Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures)My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios)Problemista (A24)Queer (A24)Wicked (Universal Pictures)Outstanding Comedy SeriesAbbott Elementary (ABC)Ghosts (CBS)Hacks (Max)Loot (Apple TV+)The Sex Lives of College Girls (Max)Shrinking (Apple TV+)Somebody Somewhere (HBO)Sort Of (Max)We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)What We Do in the Shadows (FX)Outstanding Drama Series9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox)Arcane (Netflix)The Chi (Showtime)Doctor Who (Disney+)Found (NBC)Heartbreak High (Netflix)Interview with the Vampire (AMC)Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+)The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)Wicked City (ALLBLK)Outstanding New Series Agatha All Along (Disney+)Black Doves (Netflix)Brilliant Minds (NBC)Diarra from Detroit (BET+)Fantasmas (HBO)Hazbin Hotel (Amazon Prime Video)How to Die Alone (Hulu)Kaos (Netflix)No Good Deed (Netflix)Palm Royale (Apple TV+)Outstanding Film Streaming or TVAm I Ok? (Max)Fancy Dance (Apple TV+)Good Grief (Netflix)The Groomsmen: Second Chances (Hallmark)The Holiday Exchange (Amazon Prime Video / Peacock)Mother of the Bride (Netflix)Ricky Stanicky (Amazon Prime Video)Seasons Greetings from Cherry Lane (Hallmark)Sweethearts (Max)Wynonna Earp: Vengeance (Tubi)Outstanding DocumentaryBreaking the News Independent Lens (PBS)Campbell Addy Photographer (National Geographic)Chasing Chasing Amy (Level 33 Entertainment)Down in the Valley (Starz)Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes (Greenwich Entertainment)Hummingbirds POV (PBS)Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero (HBO)Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (Netflix)Who I am Not POV (PBS)Will & Harper (Netflix)Outstanding Limited or Anthology SeriesBaby Reindeer (Netflix)Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (Disney+)Carol & The End of the World (Netflix)Eric (Netflix)Expats (Amazon Prime Video)Feud: Capote vs The Swans (FX)Get Millie Black (Max)Mary & George (Starz)The New Look (Apple TV+)Under the Bridge (Hulu)Outstanding Film Limited Theatrical Release20,000 Species of Bees (Film Movement)Backspot (XYZ Films)Before I Change My Mind (Epic Pictures)Big Boys (Dark Star Pictures)Close to You (Greenwich Entertainment)Crossing (MUBI)Fitting In (Blue Fox Entertainment)High Tide (Strand Releasing)Housekeeping for Beginners (Focus Features)A Place of Our Own (Dark Star Pictures)Outstanding Reality ProgramBargain Block (HGTV)Big Freedia Means Business (Fuse)The Boyfriend (Netflix)Queer Eye (Netflix)The Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)Selling Sunset (Netflix)Southern Charm (Bravo)Wayne Brady: The Family Remix (Freeform)Were Here (HBO)Wiggin Out with Tokyo Stylez (We TV)Outstanding Reality Competition ProgramThe Amazing Race (CBS)The Boulet Brothers Dragula (Shudder / AMC+)The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras (MTV)Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark+)Hells Kitchen: Head Chefs Only (Fox)I Kissed a Boy (Hulu)I Kissed a Girl (Hulu)RuPauls Drag Race (MTV)Top Chef (Bravo)The Voice (NBC) Outstanding Childrens ProgrammingAunt Pralines Sweetie Pie Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City (Paramount+)The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish (Nickelodeon)Firebuds (Disney Jr.)Im Pogey Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (Apple TV+)Lets Go, Bananas! (Cartoonito)Monster High (Nickelodeon)Our Family Musical Sesame Street (Max)Princess Royal Wedding Princess Power (Netflix)Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Disney Jr. / Disney+)Vida the Vet (Netflix)Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film Live ActionEmpire Waist (Blue Fox Entertainment)Heartstopper (Netflix)If You Love Me Beyond Black Beauty (Amazon Prime Video)Jane (Apple TV+)Louds in Love The Really Loud House (Nickelodeon)Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film AnimatedThe Bravest Knight (Hulu)The Dragon Prince (Netflix)Fright Krewe (Hulu / Peacock)Kiff: The Haunting of Miss McGravys House (Disney Channel)I Wanna Dance with My Buddy Haileys On It! (Disney Channel)Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (Netflix)The Loud House (Nickelodeon)Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)Powerless Monsters at Work (Disney Channel)Summer of Heart Eyes Primos (Disney Channel)Outstanding Music ArtistAdam Lambert, AFTERS (More is More)Billie Eilish, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (Darkroom/Interscope)Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)Elton John, Never Too Late: Soundtrack to the Disney+ Documentary (UMG Recordings)Joy Oladokun, OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM (Verve Forecast/Republic Records)Kali Uchis, ORQUDEAS (Geffen Records)Omar Apollo, God Said No (Warner Records)Orville Peck, Stampede (Warner Records)Tove Lo, HEAT (Pretty Swede Records)Victoria Mont, JAGUAR II: Deluxe (Lovett Music/RCA Records)Outstanding Breakthrough Music ArtistBeabadoobee (Dirty Hit)The Blessed Madonna (Warner Records)Durand Bernarr (DSing Records)Gigi Perez (Gigi Perez PS/Island)The Last Dinner Party (Island Records)Medium Build (Island Records)Michaela Ja (TribeDisciples)Remi Wolf (Island Records)Villano Antillano (La Buena Fortuna Music)Young Miko (Wave Music Group/Capitol Records)Outstanding Broadway ProductionCult of Love, by Leslye HeadlandIllinoise, book by Justin Peck, Jackie Sibblies Drury, music and lyrics by Sufjan StevensLempicka, book by Carson Kreitzer, Matt Gold, music by Matt Gould, lyrics by Carson KreitzerMother Play, by Paula VogelOh, Mary!, by Cole EscolaOutstanding PodcastBaby, This is Keke Palmer (Wondery)But We Loved (iHeart)Las Culturistas (iHeart)Made it Out (Made It Out Media)Queer West (Audible)Rooted Recovery (Promises Behavioral Health)The Science Of Transgender Healthcare, Puberty Blockers, & Conversion Therapy with Dr. Jack Turban The Checkup with Dr. Mike (DM Operations Inc.)Sibling Rivalry (Studio 71)Surface Level Tres Leches Outstanding Video GameCaravan SandWitch (Studio Plane Toast / Dear Villagers)Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts)Dread Delusion (Lovely Hellplace / DreadXP)Dustborn (Red Thread Games / Spotlight by Quantic Dream)Fear the Spotlight (Cozy Game Pals / Blumhouse Games)Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine / Square Enix)Minds Beneath Us (BearBone Studio)Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Intelligent Systems / Nintendo)Sorry Were Closed ( la mode games / Akupara Games)Until Then (Polychroma Games / Maximum Entertainment)Outstanding Comic BookAlan Scott: The Green Lantern, by Tim Sheridan, Cian Tormey, Jordi Tarragona, Ral Fernandez, John Livesay, Matt Herms, Chris Sotomayor, Lucas Gattoni (DC Comics)Avengers Academy: Marvels Voices, by Anthony Oliveira, Carola Borelli, Bailie Rosenlund, IG Guara, Alba Glez, Elisabetta DAmico, Pablo Collar, Karen S. Darboe, Carlos Lopez, KJ Daz, Ian Herring, Frank William, Ariana Maher, Joe Caramagna (Marvel Infinity Comics)Captain Marvel, by Alyssa Wong, Jan Bazaldua, Ruair Coleman, Roberto Poggi, Bryan Valenza, Carlos Lopez, Ariana Maher (Marvel Comics)I Heart Skull-Crusher, by Josie Campbell, Alessio Zonno, Angel De Santiago, Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios)The Nice House by the Sea, by James Tynion IV, lvaro Martnez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire, Andworld Design (DC Comics)NYX, by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Francesco Mortarino, Enid Balm, Elisabetta DAmico, Michael Shelfer, Ral Angulo, Joe Sabino (Marvel Comics)The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos, by Tate Brombal based on an idea by James Tynion IV, Isaac Goodhart, Soo Lee, Naomi Franq, Miquel Muerto, Patricio Delpeche, Hctor Barros, Aditya Bidikar (Dark Horse Comics)Poison Ivy, by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Luana Vecchio, Haining, Arif Prianto, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (DC Comics)Spectregraph, by James Tynion IV, Christian Ward, Aditya Bidikar (DSTLRY)Suicide Squad: Dream Team, by Nicole Maines, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Jos Lus, Adriano Di Benedetto, Adriano Lucas, Becca Carey (DC Comics)Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/AnthologyAshs Cabin, by Jen Wang (First Second)Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story, by Nicole Maines, Rye Hickman (DC Comics)Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans, [anthology] (A Wave Blue World)Deadendia: The Divine Order, by Hamish Steele (Union Square & Co.)The Deep Dark, by Molly Knox Ostertag (Graphix)The Fox Maidens, by Robin Ha (HarperAlley)Lunar Boy, by Jes Wibowo and Cin Wibowo (HarperAlley)My Fairy Godfather, by Robert Mailer Anderson, Jon Sack (Fantagraphics)The Ribbon Skirt, by Cameron Mukwa (Graphix)The Science of Ghosts, by Lilah Sturges, El Garing, Alitha Martinez, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Jimmy Betancourt (Legendary Comics)Outstanding Variety or Talk Show EpisodeThe 77th Tony Awards (CBS)The 98th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC)Bernie Sanders Rips the Democratic Establishment; Trump Allies Claim Massive Mandate: A Closer Look Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)D.C. Woman Turns Childhood Home Into Communal Living For LGBTQ+ Seniors The Kelly Clarkson Show (syndicated)DNA: This is Not My Child / Mom, Why Cant You Accept Me? Karamo (syndicated)Elliot Page Talks Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy, Fighting Anti-LGBTQ Legislation The View (ABC)Laverne Cox Unpacks Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation, Bullying & Transness for Spirit Day The Daily Show (Comedy Central)Libraries Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)Queer Teacher Gets a Life-Changing Surprise! The Jennifer Hudson Show (syndicated)A Special Monologue for the Republican in Your Life Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)Outstanding TV Journalism SegmentBecoming Che SC Featured (ESPN)Big Gay Football CBS Sports (CBS)Demystifying Trans Identities (Spectrum News 1 Ohio)Pete and Chasten Buttigieg on Fatherhood CBS News Sunday Morning (CBS)Project Asylum: Transgender Asylum Seekers Find Hope Through San Franciscos LGBTQ Asylum Project CBS News Bay Area (KPIX-TV CBS 5 Bay Area)Small Town in Arkansas a Safe Haven For LGBTQ+ Residents GMA3 (ABC)Spectrum Indigenous Celebrates Pride Month With Two Spirit Powwows KREM 2 News (KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane)Stonewall House NBC News Now (NBC)Transgender Pastor In California Builds Inclusive Church For LGBTQ+ Community CBS Mornings (CBS)Vogue Realness: Billy Porter & LGBTQIA Community Celebrate Dancer OShae Sibley America In Black (BET+)Outstanding TV Journalism Long-FormAmerican Problems, Trans Solutions Local, USA (PBS via WORLD Channel)The Cure for HIV Scripps News Reports (Scripps News)Chella Man Its Ok to Ask Questions (WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago)The Life and Death of Blaze Bernstein 48 Hours (CBS)Proud Legacy: A NY1 Special (Spectrum News NY1)Outstanding Live TV Journalism Segment or SpecialAfricas Anti-LGBTQ Laws: Impact on Ugandas Economy, Ghana Wants Bill Accelerated Horizons Middle East & Africa (Bloomberg Television)Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Names J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk in Cyberbullying Suit NBC News Now (NBC)Democrats are Learning The Wrong Message on Trans Youth Inside with Jen Psaki (MSNBC)Finding Love & Light in Unexpected Places: Small Towns Celebrate Pride Across America Good Morning America (ABC)Ina Fried Talks Imane Khelif The Saturday/Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart (MSNBC)LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers flee to U.S. to Save Their Lives Jos Daz-Balart Reports (MSNBC)Pride Across America ABC News Live (ABC)Rep. Leigh Finke Discusses Gender Affirming Healthcare with Pamela Brown CNN Newsroom (CNN)Sarah McBride reflects on Becoming First Openly Transgender Person Elected To Congress PBS NewsHour (PBS)Young Voters Could Decide The 2024 Election The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle (MSNBC)Outstanding Print ArticleAfter Trumps Election Win, Local Trans Community Concerned About Their Future by DeAsia Paige (The Atlanta Journal Constitution)Changing The Narrative: Advocates Fight HIV Stigma in Dallas Latino Community by Abraham Nudelstejer (The Dallas Morning News)I Want To Exist: Three Days at a Texas Summer Camp for LGBTQ Kids. by Erin Allday (San Antonio Express-News)Joe Locke on Heartstopper Embracing Sex, Being a Queer Marvel Star in Agatha and Why There Are Days I Never Want to Play a Gay Character Again' by Adam B. Vary (Variety)Meet the Young Transgender Teens Changing America and the World by Ryan Adamczeski (The Advocate)Noah J. Ricketts Brings the Bluegrass to Hollywood and Broadway by Spencer Jenkins (Queer Kentucky)Opinion: Celebrating 10 Years of Marriage Equality, More LGBTQ+ History Left to Write by Josiah Robinson (Tulsa World)Our Queerest Century [special project] (Los Angeles Times)Paris Olympics: More Queer Athletes, More Medals, More Pride, Less Grindr by Dawn Ennis (Washington Blade)Sasha Velour Sashays Into The Culture Wars by Maura Judkis (The Washington Post)Outstanding Magazine Overall CoverageThe AdvocateAllureCosmopolitanThe Hollywood ReporterMetro WeeklyOUTPeoplePlus VarietyVogueOutstanding Online Journalism ArticleAfraid Your Child Will Regret Their Transition? Lets Talk About It! by Ben V. Greene (Romper.com)CeC Telfer Was Barred From Competing at The 2024 Paris Olympics as a Trans Woman Athlete. She Has Her Sights Set On L.A. In 2028. by David Artavia (Yahoo.com)First They Tried to Cure Gayness. Now Theyre Fixated on Healing Trans People. by Madison Pauly with Henry Carnell (MotherJones.com)Fleeing the Country and Rationing Testosterone: Transgender Americans New Reality Under a Trump Presidency by Beth Greenfield (Fortune.com)Friends Remember Nex Benedict, Oklahoma Student Who Died After School Fight, as Fiery Kid' by Jo Yurcaba (NBCNews.com)Hes 23 and in an Ohio Prison for Exposing Someone to HIV Even Though He Couldnt Transmit the Virus with Ken Schneck/Rachel Dissell (TheBuckeyeFlame.com/TheMarshallProject.com)Missouri Republicans Antigay Slur-Filled Posts Remain on Instagram Despite Violating Metas Policies by Christopher Wiggins (Advocate.com)Thailand Could Soon Legalize Same-Sex Marriage. It Would Change Lives. by Rebecca Root (them.us)These Trans People And Their Families Cant Afford To Flee To A Friendlier State by Nico Lang (HuffPost.com)Your Guide to Accessing Gender-Affirming Care by Madison Feller (Elle.com)Outstanding Online Journalism Video or MultimediaBallin Out (OutSports.com)The Legacy of Cecilia Gentili: First Pride Without Mother (Time.com)A Life In Fear: The Dangers Of Finding Love Online As A Queer Woman In Nigeria (CNN.com)Love to the Max: Family Bonds Protect a Trans Teen in Texas (NewYorker.com)The Past, Present, and Future of Trans Visibility in Fashion (InStyle.com)Rainbow Girls: 10 Years of Protection and Prejudice The Picture Show (NPR.org)RuPaul, Tina Knowles, Billy Eichner & More Give Ts Madison Her Flowers (LogoTV.com)The Uncertain Future Of A Historic LGBTQ+ Safe Space: New York Citys Peoples Beach (ABCNews.com)War On Woke: How a Gay Rights Index Once Touted By Walmart And Others Became a Conservative Target (CNBC.com)Seat 31 (NewYorker.com)Outstanding Independent JournalismThe 19thAssigned MediaThe Buckeye FlameThe Don Lemon ShowErin in the MorningGaye MagazineQueer News DailyThe Queer ReviewTransLash MediaUnder the Desk NewsSpecial RecognitionDRAG: The Musical OUTLOUDQ.DigitalRed Ink: A Tribute to Cecilia Gentili The Stonewall National Monument Visitor CenterThe New York LibertyEditor's Note: The author of this article is one of the reporters nominated.

National security adviser John Bolton, left, listens to President Donald Trump, far right, speak during a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump' s private Mar-a-Lago club, April 18, 2018 in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)2025-01-22T18:10:20Z WASHINGTON (AP) Its not just criminal prosecutions that worry those who have crossed President Donald Trump. There are more prosaic kinds of retaliation: having difficulty renewing passports, getting audited by the IRS and losing federal pensions.For the many people who have made an enemy of Trump, his return to the presidency this week sparked anxiety. Some are concerned they could go bankrupt trying to clear their names.Less than 24 hours after taking office, Trump fired an opening shot, ordering the revocation of security clearances held by dozens of former intelligence officers who he believes sided with Joe Biden in the 2020 campaign or have turned against him. The loss of such clearances can be costly for former officials who work for defense contractors and require ongoing access to classified information to do their private sector jobs. Anybody who ever disagrees with Trump has to worry about retribution, said John Bolton, who served as Trumps national security adviser and has become a vocal critic of the president. Its a pretty long list. I think there are a lot of people who are very worried. Bolton was among a half dozen former officials who spoke to The Associated Press about their rising apprehensions about Trumps potential for vengeance. In the hours before Trump took the oath of office on Monday, the officials noted, outgoing President Biden took the extraordinary step of issuing preemptive pardons for frequent Trump targets such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and lawmakers and staff who served on the congressional panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Biden also pardoned members of his family, saying baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. The risk of being on Kash Patels listMany of the former officials were listed in an index of deep state operatives in a book by Kash Patel, Trumps nominee to be FBI director. Patel has promised to launch a campaign against what he calls government gangsters.Most of those interviewed spoke about their fears on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to draw more attention to themselves. They are concerned about being on the receiving end of a presidential social media post or being targeted in an online harassment campaign.They are also worried about being criminally investigated and prosecuted for actions they took as government employees, though few expressed genuine concern about being convicted. All said they were more concerned about having to incur steep legal bills from criminal probes, congressional investigations or defamation suits.Trump has long been interested in revengeRevenge played a central role in many of Trumps remarks after he left the presidency in 2021. He said at a 2023 rally, For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.In his inaugural address Monday, Trump said his proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier, and he signed an executive order aimed ending at what he called the weaponization of the federal government under Biden. He alleged that the previous administration took actions oriented more toward inflicting political pain than toward pursuing actual justice or legitimate governmental objectives. But hours after being sworn in, he issued executive orders aimed at settling scores, including the one stripping clearances from 50 former intelligence officers. He also rescinded Secret Service protection for Bolton, whose life has been threatened by Iran.A White House spokeswoman did not return a request for comment.In ways big and small, the federal government has tremendous power. Its the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world. It can audit, investigate, prosecute and cajole. It controls everything from TV broadcast licenses to passport renewals. It has the power to both add citizens to a no-fly list or to smooth their way through passport control and TSA security checkpoints.While most of the functions of the federal government have been depoliticized for more than a century, there are many ways a president bent on revenge could upend the lives of private citizens.If you have the control of the executive branch and you dont care very much about whether youre following the rules or following the law, theres a lot you could do thats quite hard to stop, said Barton Gellman, a senior adviser at the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice. Simulation examined punishing political foesGellman helped run a series of simulations last year aimed at testing the U.S. response to an authoritarian presidency. The aim was to see how institutions both public and private would react to a president giving unlawful or unethical orders.The bipartisan group assembled for the simulation included several former governors and cabinet officials, retired military personnel, ex-members of Congress and many prominent leaders in civil society. Participants played the role of institutions such as the Justice Department, the military and the majority and minority parties in Congress, as well as universities and the press. Some of the scenarios involved a president using the power of the government to punish political foes. What they found was that the institutions of government would ultimately bend to a presidents wishes. Gellman believes the only check might be that the American people might not stand for it.Public opinion might actually be one of the major constraints on Trump. I dont think a majority of Americans wants to see him abusing his legal powers to try to harm his political enemies. If a pattern like that emerges, I dont think it will be popular, Gellman said.A recent New York Times/Ipsos poll found that 73% of Americans oppose the idea of Trump trying to prosecute his adversaries, including 49% of Americans who consider themselves strongly opposed.Attorneys gear up to helpAttorneys and civil society groups are raising money and organizing on behalf of current and former federal employees who might be in the crosshairs. Norm Eisen, a veteran lawyer and former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, said hes advising individuals who have been targeted by Trump with his colleagues at State Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonprofit watchdog group.Mark Zaid, a Washington attorney who represents several of the people whose security clearances were revoked this week, has been organizing an effort to help those who might be targeted. That includes lining up attorneys, accountants and even mental health professionals who could offer services for free.Theres not a lot we can do in advance, Zaid said, other than just be prepared for when or if he acts.

President Donald Trump signs an executive order as he attends an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event at Capital One Arena, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-22T18:05:42Z President Donald Trump started his second administration with a blitz of policy actions to reorient the U.S. government.His executive orders cover issues that range from trade, immigration and U.S. foreign aid to demographic diversity, civil rights and the hiring of federal workers. Some have an immediate policy impact. Others are more symbolic. And some already are being challenged by federal lawsuits.In total, the Republican presidents sweeping actions reflect many of his campaign promises and determination to concentrate executive branch power in the West Wing, while moving the country sharply rightward.Here is a comprehensive look at Trumps directives so far in his first three days: President Donald Trump talks about the Endurance all-electric pickup truck, made in Lordstown, Ohio, at the White House, Sept. 28, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) President Donald Trump talks about the Endurance all-electric pickup truck, made in Lordstown, Ohio, at the White House, Sept. 28, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More President Donald Trump signs an executive order as he attends an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event at Capital One Arena, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump signs an executive order as he attends an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event at Capital One Arena, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Immigration and U.S. borders Designate an invasion across the southern border of the United States, a move that triggers certain executive branch powers so, Trump says, his Cabinet shall take appropriate action to repel, repatriate or remove any alien engaged in the invasion. Allow U.S. military service members to act as immigration and border enforcement officers as part of Trumps promised mass deportation program. Trumps order covers the Ready Reserve and National Guard, military property that could be used as detention space, ground and air transport vehicles and other logistics services in support of civilian-controlled law enforcement operations. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 has historically limited use of military personnel in domestic law enforcement actions. Trumps orders frame migrant flow as a national security threat, which he reasons justifies his military orders as commander in chief. Stop refugee arrivals and suspend the U.S. Refugee Admission Program effective Jan. 27, 2025, pending a 90-day review and recommendations from Homeland Security, the State Department and others. Dogs are near a border wall separating Mexico from the United States Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Dogs are near a border wall separating Mexico from the United States Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Redefine birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. A Trump order asserts that a child born in the U.S. is not a citizen if 1) the mother does not have legal immigration status or is in the country legally but only temporarily and 2) the father is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The order forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document recognizing such a child as a citizen or accept any state document recognizing citizenship. This order is already being challenged in federal court. Prioritize continued construction of a wall and other barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. Direct the attorney general and Homeland Security secretary to create Homeland Security Task Forces in all 50 states, comprising of state and local law enforcement charged with ending the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Give the Homeland Security secretary wide latitude to establish agreements with individual state and local law enforcement agencies, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that empower those non-federal officials to act as federal immigration officers. Require collection of DNA samples and fingerprints from immigration detainees under a 2005 federal law. Forbid so-called catch-and-release which allows some migrants to remain in the U.S. while awaiting their immigration court proceedings in favor of detention and deportation of anyone in the U.S. illegally. Direct Homeland Security to immediately devote resources and secure contractors to construct, operate, control, or use facilities to detain removable aliens. End so-called parole programs (often referred to as family reunification) that allow family members of certain citizens and permanent-resident immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come to the U.S. while their visa applications are still pending. Require a review of all cases for all immigrants now in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status, with the stated intent of ensuring ... that such designations are appropriately limited in scope and last the minimum amount of time necessary to fulfill the textual requirement of federal law. Revert to vetting and screening standards used during Trumps first term for any person seeking a visa or immigration benefit of any kind and apply the standard visa vetting procedures to any refugee or stateless individual seeking admission. Repeal a Biden order requiring planning for the effects of climate change on world migration patterns. Direct the secretary of state and U.S. diplomats effectively to threaten sanctions against any nation seen as reluctant to accept and facilitate the return of its citizens the U.S. deports. Direct the State Department, Homeland Security and others to review and recommend changes to vetting for visas and produce a report to the president within 60 days. The order calls for identifying countries for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension of admission to the U.S. for their citizens. Direct the attorney general and others to deny federal money to so-called sanctuary cities the administration sees as interfering with federal immigration enforcement, with the caveat that the Trump administration pursues action to the maximum extent possible under the law. Pause distribution of federal money to non-governmental organizations supporting or providing services, either directly or indirectly, to removable or illegal aliens pending reviews and audits to identify any operations that may promote or facilitate violations of our immigration laws. Designate international cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or Specially Designated Global Terrorists under existing federal law. The order triggers the Alien Enemies Act to combat cartels and their members. Require, within 30 days, the attorney general, secretary of state and others to evaluate the adequacy of programs designed to ensure the proper assimilation of lawful immigrants into the United States, and recommend any additional measures ... that promote a unified American identity.International trade, business and the economy Broadly direct all executive agencies to tailor their policies to reduce consumer prices. Trump wants a progress report from a top White House economic adviser every 30 days. Direct the treasury and commerce secretaries, U.S trade representative and others to examine causes of U.S. trade deficits, identify unfair trade practices and make recommendations, potentially including a global supplemental tariff. Begin review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Trumps first-administration rewrite of NAFTA, with an eye to a renegotiation in 2026 or sooner. Trump said he plans 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods as of Feb. 1, but he has not signed such executive actions so far. Begin establishment of an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, duties and other foreign trade-related revenues. Paraphernalia supporting President Donald Trump is displayed at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Paraphernalia supporting President Donald Trump is displayed at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Begin review of U.S. trade dealings with China to consider new or increased tariffs. As a candidate, Trump threatened Chinese tariffs as high as 60%. Order review of fentanyl flows into the U.S., specifically from Canada, Mexico and China, and make recommendations, including potential tariffs and sanctions. Direct the commerce and trade secretaries and the U.S. trade representative to consolidate multiple reviews and assessments. Trump ordered consolidated reports by April 1. Suspend U.S. participation in the Global Tax Deal, an international agreement intended to set a minimum corporate tax globally to prevent multinational corporations from avoiding taxation altogether. Pause the U.S. ban on TikTok for 75 days, specifically barring the attorney general from enforcing the law Congress passed in 2024 to allow the new administration to assess national security concerns and seek a potential American buyer for the popular digital platform. Bar U.S. government officials from pushing social media companies to combat misinformation and disinformation. Trumps order states that such previous efforts infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens and advanced the Governments preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate.Climate, energy and the environment Withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, which committed nations to pursue policies limiting carbon emissions that cause climate change. The order blocks transfer of U.S. funds previously obligated to the International Climate Finance Plan. Declare a national energy emergency. This is both a symbolic measure reflecting Trumps promise of energy expansion but also specifically urges federal use of eminent domain and the Defense Production Act, measures that allow the government to commandeer private land and resources to produce goods deemed to be a national necessity. Compel the Army Corps of Engineers to use to the fullest extent possible its emergency permitting provisions to speed energy projects and urge all agencies to use similar emergency procedures that expedite or bypass permitting processes under the Endangered Species Act or other federal laws that protect wildlife. Eliminate Biden policies intended to encourage electrical vehicle development and purchases part of Trumps effort to limit non-fossil fuel energy sectors. Require all agencies within 30 days to submit to the White House Office of Management and Budget their plans to eliminate regulations and rules deemed burdensome to domestic energy production and consumption, with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical mineral, and nuclear energy. Repeal multiple Biden orders and memoranda regarding climate change, including guidelines for implementing climate-related provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; an effort to assess financial risks of not combating climate change; and establishment of a Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Streamline other fossil fuel extraction in Alaska with a command to rescind, revoke, revise, amend, defer or grant exemptions from any and all regulatory actions relevant in the state. Specifically, Trump is restoring any suspended fossil fuel leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Deny a pending U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service request to create an indigenous sacred site within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Restore first Trump administration rules on hunting and trapping in national preserves in Alaska. Order the Interior Department to align federal rules on hunting and fishing in Alaska with rules for state-government lands. Roll back other Biden era limits or regulations on fossil fuel extraction on federal lands. Make the Offshore Continental Shelf ineligible for wind energy leases another limitation on non-fossil fuel development. Reengage a legal and regulatory battle with California state government over water routes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Trump wants to override fish and wildlife protection efforts to route more of the water to the Central Valley and Southern California.Diversity, transgender rights and civil rights Give executive branch departments and agencies 60 days to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, including all chief diversity officer jobs, equity action plans and environmental justice positions. Require departments and agencies to give the White House Office of Management and Budget an accounting of previous DEI efforts, including names of relevant DEI contractors and DEI grant recipients. A separate OMB memo effectively put all federal DEI officers on immediate leave pending their elimination. Repeal several Biden-era directives on racial and ethnic equity and LGBTQ rights. They included orders intending to ensure equitable distribution of federal money based on the 2020 census; preventing government discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation and specifically encouraging inclusion in school settings; White House educational initiatives for Native Americans, Hispanics and Black Americans; and an order expressly allowing transgender persons to serve in the military. Kansas high school students, family members and advocates rally for transgender rights, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File) Kansas high school students, family members and advocates rally for transgender rights, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Require that the U.S. government recognize two genders only male and female on passports, visas, Global Entry cards and all other forms and documents, and in all programs and communications. Mandate that all federal civil rights law and labor law be interpreted and enforced with the understanding that sex is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of gender identity. Dissolve the White House Gender Policy Council and repeal Department of Education guidelines on Title IX concerning transgender rights and various documents advising schools on how to support and protect LGBTQ persons. Forbid federal money, including grants, from being used to promote gender ideology and direct the attorney general and Homeland Security secretary to ensure that males are not detained in womens prisons or housed in womens detention centers.Federal workers and government structure Establish the Department of Government Efficiency under the Executive Office of the President until July 4, 2026. This is the entity led by Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, and is charged with recommending cuts in federal programs and spending. Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks after taking the oath of office at the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP) Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks after taking the oath of office at the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Require each agency head to establish their own DOGE team of at least four people to work with Musks operation. Freeze federal hiring, with exceptions notably immigration and border enforcement posts and U.S. military jobs, plus a generic exception for to maintain essential services. The directive also does not apply to top presidential political appointees. The action bars contracting with outside labor to circumvent the hiring freeze. Block new federal rules and regulations in all agencies where Trumps appointed agency chief is not yet on the job to approve new edicts. The White House Office of Budget and Management can override the ban in emergency situations. Require all federal workers to return full-time to in-person work. Direct reviews across the Executive Branch of career senior executive service officials and effectively make it easier to fire, demote or reassign those federal employees generally the highest-ranking civil service employees whose jobs historically have been protected through administration changes. Because SES officials wield significant government authority, they must serve at the pleasure of the president, Trumps memoranda states. Make it easier to fire federal workers by reinstituting an executive order from the first Trump administration, which was later repealed under Biden. The latest Trump policy adds provisions that state that federal employees and applicants are not required to personally or politically support the current president but must faithfully implement administration policies, understanding that failure to do so is grounds for dismissal. Require a Federal Hiring Plan within 120 days to set new standards for hiring federal workers. The order prioritizes recruitment of individuals ... passionate about the ideals of our American republic and preventing the hiring of individuals based on their race, sex or religion, while also blocking those who are unwilling to defend the Constitution or to faithfully serve in the Executive Branch. Formally nominate Cabinet and sub-Cabinet officers and name many acting Cabinet officers, agency chiefs and commission chairs as Trump nominees await Senate confirmation.Health care Repeal Biden directives intended to make it easier to enroll in Medicaid services, secure insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act and lower prescription drug costs. The Trump action, however, does not actually repeal the Biden-era $35 monthly cap on insulin, Medicares $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs or Medicares ability to negotiate drug pricing. Those policies remain enforced by federal statutes passed by Congress. Repeal multiple Biden orders and directives on COVID-19. A Medicare card is seen on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File) A Medicare card is seen on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization, direct the White House Office of Management and Budget to stop future transfers of U.S. money to WHO and order the secretary of state to end negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. Order the secretary of state and OMB director to identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to replace the U.S. relationship with WHO. Foreign policy, national security and America First Cancel Biden-era sanctions on far-right Israeli groups and individuals accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Bidens order had frozen U.S. assets and barred Americans from dealing with Israelis covered by his order. Direct Secretary of State Marco Rubio to issue guidance to put all State Department politics, programs, personnel and operations in line with an America First foreign policy, which puts America and its interests first. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to State Department staff while next to his family including wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, at left, at the State Department, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to State Department staff while next to his family including wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, at left, at the State Department, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Define the membership and establish operating procedures for the National Security Council. Pause all U.S. foreign development aid pending reviews of efficiencies and consistency with administration aims, to be conducted within 90 days by relevant agency heads under guidelines from Rubio the White House Office of Management and Budget. Rubio can lift the freeze for any program. Immediately grant six-month security clearances to certain administration officials whose background checks are pending. The White House counsel determines which aides get the temporary clearance.Nationalism Restore the name of Mount McKinley in Alaska. The change for North Americas tallest peak recognizes William McKinley, the 25th U.S. president, whom Trump has praised for economic leadership and expanding U.S. territory through the Spanish-American War. President Barack Obama had in 2015 renamed the mountain Denali what native tribes called it historically. Trumps order did not change the name of the surrounding Denali National Park and Reserve. People stand at the Eielson Visitor Center with a view of North Americas tallest peak, Denali, in the background, Sept. 2, 2015, in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, file) People stand at the Eielson Visitor Center with a view of North Americas tallest peak, Denali, in the background, Sept. 2, 2015, in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, file) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Require Trumps personal approval of new architectural and design standards for federal buildings so the president can ensure federal structures respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States. Order that U.S. flags always be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day. The immediate effect was to countermand Bidens traditional 30-day order lowering flags as a mourning tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29, 2024. Trumps order returned flags on federal installations to half-staff on Jan. 21, through the end of the Carter mourning period.Death penalty and crime Direct the attorney general to explore whether 37 federal prisoners who had death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by Biden can be charged and tried with capital crimes in state courts. Direct the attorney general to take all necessary and lawful action to supply states with adequate drugs to carry out lethal injection. Direct the attorney general to seek reversals of U.S. Supreme Court precedents that limit application of the death penalty in state and federal jurisdictions. In a symbolic gesture, direct the attorney general to encourage state attorneys general and district attorneys to pursue the death penalty in all possible cases.The Capitol riot and 2020 campaign redux Commute the sentences and grant full pardons to hundreds of individuals convicted or still being prosecuted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol as Congress convened to certify Bidens victory over Trump in the 2020 election. 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 outside the DC Central Detention Facility, after being released from a jail in Maryland, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) 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 outside the DC Central Detention Facility, after being released from a jail in Maryland, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Order the attorney general and others to review all agencies investigative and enforcement actions during Bidens tenure to identify what Trump describes as weaponization of the federal government against his supporters. The directive identifies the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the intelligence community. It requires a report to the president on the findings, with recommended remedial actions. Direct the attorney general to investigate U.S. government dealings with social media platforms during Bidens tenure and make recommendations for appropriate remedial actions in response to what Trump frames as censorship efforts. Revoke the security clearances of 50 people Trump accuses of aiding Bidens 2020 campaign via their collective public statement about a laptop that belonged to Bidens son, Hunter Biden. The list includes former top intelligence officials James Clapper, Michael Hayden and Leon Panetta, along with Trumps onetime National Security Adviser John Bolton. Direct the director of national intelligence and CIA director to submit a report within 90 days with recommendations for additional disciplinary action and how to prevent the Intelligence Community or anyone who works for or within it from inappropriately influencing domestic elections. BILL BARROW Bill Barrow covers U.S. politics. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto

The Trump administration has fired U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan due to her supposed excessive focus on DEI initiatives. Appointed by President Joe Biden, Fagan was the first uniformed woman leader of a U.S. Armed Forces branch. An anonymous senior official from the Department of Homeland Security told Reuters that Fagan was terminated by acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman due to leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard. The official said Fagans excessive implementation of DEI policies played a role. Related Donald Trump purges LGBTQ+ & HIV content from federal websites President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship. Trump confidante Elon Musk seemed to confirm the reasons for Fagans firing. He posted an article about it on X and wrote, Undermining the US military and border security to spend money on racist/sexist DEI nonsense is no longer acceptable. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Armed Forces branch has a particularly bad reputationfor racism, hazing, sexual harassment, and sexual assault, including ahigh-level cover-upof dozens of sexual assault cases between 2014 and 2019 known as Operation Fouled Anchor. Fagan took the helm in 2022, after which the Coast Guard established a Diversity and Inclusion Education and Awareness Program (its first ever), followed by its 2024-2026 Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The anonymous official told Fox News the Trump administration also fired Fagan for allegedly failing to adequately address border threats, as well as for recruitment challenges, mismanagement of acquisitions, and the erosion of trust over Operation Fouled Anchor, the details of which were not released until 2023 when CNN broke the story.The Commandant who stood up to clean up this mess instead of burying it should be rewarded, not dismissed, said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), according to Politico. Firing a Commandant at will by a new President also sets a bad precedent. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) added, President Trumps unprecedented decision on day one to fire a service chief ahead of her scheduled departure is an abuse of power that slanders the good name and record of Admiral Fagan.The Commandants outstanding record completely negates the Presidents demonstrably false claims and signals his interest to put politics over the best interest of our service members and national security. Courtney praised Fagan for providing a fundamental change in Coast Guard leadership that has led the service withtransparency and honestyto rebuild trust and correct the persistent sexual misconduct problems facing the service. He also cited specific stats on her successes: Under Admiral Fagans leadership, the Coast Guardexceededits 2024 recruitment goal for the first time since 2017;interdictedover $2.5 billion in illegal drugs from bad actors in 2024; and demonstrated an aggressive commitment to countering adversaries in the Artic by championing theICE Pactto speed up production of new icebreaker vessels, which the US has not built in nearly 50 years.Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) also slammed Trump for terminating Fagan, despite the fact that he oversaw a congressional investigation regarding Operation Fouled Anchor and has criticized Fagan for failing to provide certain information to lawmakers. Ive been critical of Adm. Fagan concerning the Coast Guards response to problems of sexual assault and harassment in the aftermath of a cover-up executed by her Trump-appointed predecessor [Karl Schultz], he told the CT Mirror. But this abrupt firing certainly raises concerns about how Donald Trump intends to treat dedicated, professional men and women who have faithfully served our country for decades.Fagans firing comes after Donald Trump signed anexecutive orderon Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing. The order called DEI programs illegal and immoral and said they demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.