The first two days of President Donald Trumps second term have already been catastrophic, and hes wasted no time igniting controversies on issues that dont really matter rather than issues that do.Among those was an executive order that declared only the binary male and female genders would be recognized henceforth and that those definitions are based solely on reproductive biology at conception. (@) While the order immediately drew fire from LGBTQ+ advocates, Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, dismantled its premise with sharp humor and undeniable science.Well, it appears that he just declared everyone a woman from conception based on the language of the executive order, McBride told The Independent, highlighting a glaring flaw in Trumps rigid definitions.The order claims that a female is a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell, while a male is a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell. (@) Although they tried to make that seem so simple, it actually goes much deeper than that.In fact, experts note that all human embryos start with a female developmental pathway.Yes, you read that correctly: All human embryos start with a female developmental pathway,According to the National Library of Medicine, sexual differentiation doesnt begin until six weeks into gestation, when the SRY gene activates in embryos with an XY genotype. Before that, embryos are phenotypically female.Trump presented the policy during his inaugural address, framing it as a stand against gender ideology. The order directs federal agencies to remove policies acknowledging gender identity, blocks federal funding for gender-affirming healthcare for inmates, and bans transgender women from being housed in womens prisons. (@) The impact of such a policy is far-reaching, but McBrides pointed response highlights the absurdity of its biological claims. She has long been a target of Republican-led anti-trans initiatives, but her advocacy remains steadfast.Trumps latest actions may signal another uphill battle for trans and nonbinary rights, but McBrides clarity and courage serve as a reminder that the fight is far from over.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches during warmups before an NFL football divisional playoff game against the Washington Commanders, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mike Mulholland)2025-01-22T19:05:07Z The New York Jets and Aaron Glenn agreed to terms on making the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator their head coach on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the hiring.Glenn, who oversaw the Lions defense the past four years, beat out 15 other candidates for the job as the Jets went through an extensive search to find their next coach.And they ended up choosing one of their former players a first-round draft pick in 1994 who now gets the chance to try to turn around the fortunes of the franchise 31 years later as its coach.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the hiring. ESPN first reported that Glenn agreed to coach the Jets.The 52-year-old, who turned Detroits defense into one of the best in the league, has been one of the most sought candidates during the NFLs past two hiring cycles. He interviewed with Washington, Atlanta, Tennessee and the Los Angeles Chargers last year, and he met with the Jets, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Chicago this year. Glenn spoke with the Jets during a video call on Jan. 9 and then interviewed in person Tuesday. The Jets also interviewed Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, Vance Joseph, Mike Locksley, Josh McCown, Matt Nagy, Ron Rivera, Darren Rizzi, Rex Ryan, Bobby Slowik, Arthur Smith, Steve Spagnuolo, Jeff Ulbrich, Mike Vrabel and Joe Whitt Jr. for the job. But only Glenn received a second interview. And New York didnt need to think twice about talking to anyone else again.The Jets also are going through a lengthy search for a general manager, and Washington assistant general manager Lance Newmark also was at the teams facility Tuesday.Newmark, one of 15 candidates to interview for the GM job, was the first to get a second meeting with the Jets like Glenn but hasnt agreed to a deal.Glenn and the new GM will be tasked with trying to revamp a franchise that has the NFLs longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons. Glenn played eight seasons with New York and was selected as one of the cornerbacks on the franchises All-Time Four Decade team in 2003.He later had stints with Houston, Dallas, Jacksonville and New Orleans and finished his career with 41 interceptions, including six returned for touchdowns, and made the Pro Bowl three times.After his 15-year playing career, Glenn had a stint as the general manager for the Houston Stallions of the Lone Star Football League in 2012 before coming back to the Jets as a personnel scout later that year. He served as Clevelands assistant defensive backs coach from 2014 to 2015 before being hired for the same position in New Orleans. After five seasons with the Saints, he was hired by the Lions as defensive coordinator in 2021.Joe Namath, the quarterback who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl victory, in 1969, was pleased with the hiring of Glenn.Im hoping all @nyjets fans are as thrilled as my family and I are that Aaron Glenn is our new Head Coach, Namath wrote on X shortly after the news broke. I wish the season would start next week!___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL DENNIS WASZAK JR. Waszak is an NFL writer for The Associated Press who has covered the New York Jets as the beat writer since 2006. He also is an editor on the APs national sports desk and has worked in AP Sports since 1996. twitter mailto

This photo provided by Metro Nashville Police, emergency personnel gather outside Antioch High School after a shooting incident on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn. (Metro Nashville Police via AP)2025-01-22T18:21:55Z NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Authorities say one person is dead and two others have been wounded by gunfire at a Nashville high school. Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson John Howser says one person is dead after the shooting at Antioch High School on Wednesday. Howser says two others were taken to the hospital with injuries. The school has about 2,000 students and is located in a neighborhood of Nashville about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of downtown. The shooter is believed to have shot two students before shooting themself, according to spolice spokesperson April Weatherly, who could not immediately say if the shooter was a student.School officials are asking parents not to go to the high school to pick up their children. They were asked to go to a nearby hospital instead. Students will be bused there as they are released from the school by police. The FBI in Nashville referred questions to the Metro Nashville Police Department, which is leading the investigation, spokesperson Elizabeth Clement-Webb said in an email. She said Nashville police had not asked for the FBIs help in the investigation as of early Wednesday afternoon.School shootings have been top of mind in Nashville. In March 2023, a shooter killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in the city, The Covenant School. KRISTIN M. HALL Hall is an Associated Press video journalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She helps lead the video report in the Mid-South region.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg loved an AI-generated slop image of a horse made out of bread posted by a spam page on Facebook that also posts AI-generated images of children with amputations and regularly circumvents Facebooks algorithm to link users offsite to ad-laden AI-generated content farms.The page, Faithful, is verified, operated out of Romania, has 1.1 million followers, and regularly goes mega viral with the exact type of AI slop that I have been writing about over the last year. In that sense, it is the perfect encapsulation of the type of spam page that has become dominant on the platform as Meta continues to lean into AI-generated content and pays people for going viral on the site.I made every detail with love, but it seems no one cares, reads the caption of the image, which has 2.7 million reactions, 193,000 comments, and 98,000 shares as of the time of this writing. Zuckerbergs interaction with the page was first noticed by Gazpacho Machine, a man who posts reviews of food he eats while taking showers.When Gazpacho Machine posted about this, I was initially skeptical that Zuckerberg's real account had liked the page (as in, it could have been an imposter), and the image had so many likes that Facebook was initially having trouble loading information about which accounts actually liked the page. Gazpacho Machine sent me a screen recording showing that it was indeed Zuckerberg's real "@zuck" account, and I was later able to verify for myself that this is Zuckerberg's real account: 0:00 /0:10 1 This bread horse is a variation on a classic type of AI slop that made its way into my very first story about the phenomenon of AI spam on the platform in December 2023, when AI spammers were taking already viral images and running them through image-to-image AI tools to create slight variations of the original viral image.The origin story of bread horse is The Bread House man, a viral Russian image from the 2010s of a man next to a house he had created from various rolls and baguettes. Catherine Hall, a Facebook user who tracked the early spread of AI spam on Facebook, originally found dozens of AI-generated variations of the Bread House Man.The Faithful page, whose header image says I Love God. I am proud to say that, has posted hundreds of AI-generated images over the last few years across a host of genres that are now very familiar to me, and are similar to many pages that are operated by people in the global south trying to make money on Facebook. It has repeatedly posted the same image of an AI generated child who is missing an arm and whose caption says My mother said I was beautiful, but so far I have not liked anyone at least three times. It has gotten thousands of likes each time. The page has also posted various images of AI-generated elderly people who are supposedly older than 100 celebrating their birthday, AI sand sculpture images, AI-generated variations of American Idol and Americas Got Talent, AI wood sculptures, AI photos of aging couples, AI ice sculptures, AI knitting, AI I drew a picture images, AI families who are also onion farmers, and AI recycled bottle sculptures. Faithful has also posted a fair bit of Donald Trump content, as well as lots of inspirational screenshots of the Bible, reels that are seemingly automatically created from Reddit posts or written by AI, and inspiration porn.Many of the images are monetized in ways that I have previously reported on. For example, many of the images have captions that ask users to read the first comment for more information; a pinned top comment posted by Faithful will then link off of Facebook to a website that is absolutely loaded with ads. I clicked on a recent link posted by both Faithful and a related page called "Faith Space" about an AI generated stepfather who stood up for his AI generated stepdaughter when she was being bullied and was taken to a website called Daily Home Gardening, which served me many ads for products called Levitox and GlucoReNu, which showed images of worms and had captions that read The Lump Of Worms Will Come Out Of You In The Morning. Try It.I do not know why Zuckerberg loved the AI generated bread horse, but it should be noted that it is harder to errantly love something on Facebook than it is to errantly like it. Meta did not respond to a request for comment. It is just one small action by one very rich and powerful person. But it is further evidence that strengthens what we already know: Mark Zuckerberg is not bothered by the AI spam that has turned his flagship invention into a cesspool of human sadness and unreality. In fact, he thinks that AI-generated content is the future of social media and Meta believes that one day soon we will all be creating AI-generated profiles that will operate semiautonomously on Metas platforms.While I was writing this, Faithful posted another AI-generated image of a grave with the caption NEW TOYS APPEARED ON MY SON'S GRAVE EVERY DAY, SO I DECIDED TO FIND OUT WHO WAS DOING IT. The image links in the comments to Daily Home Gardening, which loaded 64 distinct ads, plus an infinite scroll of ads at the bottom of the page.

The Long Island Roller Rebels suffered a defeat on Tuesday when a judge blocked the roller derby teams effort to temporarily halt Nassau Countys ban on transgender athletes competing on female sports teams.Nassau CountySupreme Court Judge Bruce Cozzens claimed in his ruling that the county law passed last summer doesnt exclude transgender women and girls from public facilities based on their gender identities because they can still play in coed sports leagues. Related Judge strikes down Long Island countys anti-trans sports ban Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) acted beyond the scope of his authority, according to the decision. There can be no question (even without discovery) that a biological male regardless of transitioning would be possessed of greater athleticism and speed, strength, muscle mass, stronger hearts and greater bone density, Cozzens asserted. The goal of the local law is to provide a safe environment for individuals who are born female to play. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today He described transgender women playing on female sports teams as a potential liability for the local government.The loss comes as the county east of New York City is embroiled in a bitter fight over transgender athletes, which began with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakemans unilateral decision in February last year to bar the countys parks department from issuing permits to womens and girls sports teams that include transgender athletes.They have a competitive advantage, the Republican official said, referring to transgender athletes. Its unfair, and its also unsafe.New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a cease-and-desist order to Blakeman, saying, Pernicious discrimination such as this is precisely what New Yorks Human and Civil Rights Laws proscribe. She gave the executive a week to repeal the law before she would initiate legal action.Instead, Blakeman filed a federal lawsuit asking the court to decide whether or not the ordinance passes legal muster an effort to delay repealing the mandate.A New York judge ruled in May that Blakeman acted beyond the scope of his authorityin issuing the order and overturned it. The countys Republican-controlled legislature responded by passing a local law to enshrine the ban, prompting the latest round of litigation, including a challenge to the new law by the Roller Rebels.Attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union Gabriella Larios, who represents the Roller Rebels in the latest case, called the decision to deny the injunction while it makes its way through the courts an outlier. The Roller Rebels called it transphobic.At a time of rising anti-LGBTQ+ hate and violence across the country, keeping this ban intact is not only cruel, but it is also dangerous, said Amanda Curly Fry Urena, president of the roller derby team. We hope that New Yorks courts will ultimately strike down this unlawful ban and acknowledge it for what it is transphobic and unjust.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

(@) President Donald Trump's inauguration was always going to be a terrible day, and he didn't disappoint. Not only did he sign executive orders proclaiming that the U.S. government will now only recognize two genders and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, but he also removed all LGBTQ+ references from the official White House website and invited every tech billionaire he could think of to attend as his guest.But he also got read for filth by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who gave the inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral."In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now," Budde said, directing her speech to Trump. "There are gay, lesbian and transgender children, and Democratic and Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives."Predictably, Trump hated being called out so publicly. Before villainizing immigrants, he said the reverend had a "nasty tone." Trump has a history of calling women "nasty," a moniker he has bestowed on at least a dozen women including Kamala Harris, Hilary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi since he first ran for office. "The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart," the MAGA leader wrote Truth Social.Trump may have thought he got in the last word with his post, but people across X (formerly Twitter) celebrated Budde's words and made fun of the president. From people joking that it's "shocking to fake Christians when they meet real Christians" to someone writing, "When your church calls you out for being a piece of shit," the responses are pointed and hilarious.Keep scrolling to see the best reactions to Budde's speech! (@) "It's always shocking to fake Christians when they meet real Christians." (@) "Trump just got called out BY THE CHURCH! While having to sit and listen to it. Republicans: We are going to use Christianity to justify our hate and authoritarian policies. The Church: The fuck you will." (@) "In a world of Donald Trumps, be a Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde." (@) "When your church calls you out for being a piece of shit." (@) "'The so-called Bishop' If Trump weren't such a thin-skinned crybaby, he would ignore what the Bishop said and move on, but he cant help himself. Our so-called president is a national embarrassment" (@) "Echoing the teachings of Jesus and calling out Trump's cruelty, ignorance, and bigotry to his face, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde delivers a sermon for the ages. Bishop Budde stared down authoritarian fascism and said 'Not today, motherfucker.'" (@) "bishop budde before sermon vs after sermon" (@) "Jesus: Feed the poor, love your neighbor. MAGA: HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!!!" (@) "How dare she bring Christianity into Christianity?!" (@) "HAHAHA! Trump is FURIOUS after being called out by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde 'I didnt think it was a good service they couldve done much better.' Trumps fragile ego has been badly damaged!" (@) "Day 1: Nazi salutes Day 2: Threatening a bishop with deportation Pace yourself lads, youve got four years. At this rate youll be on drop-kicking infants into a volcano by Easter." (@) "Donald Trump is big mad about getting reminded of what it is to be an actual Christian at the National Prayer Service today by the Bishop." (@) "The folks with 'Christian' in their bio sure are pissed that a Bishop asked Trump to uphold Christian values." (@) "It didnt take long for Donald Trump to fall back into his favorite White House habitlate-night rants on social media. His first target post-inauguration? The Episcopal Bishop who had the audacity to remind him of basic Christian values like mercy and compassion." (@) "Oh my gosh, she asked Trump, a man who claims to be a Christian, to honor the core principles of Christianity, in a church?" (@) "Wow. A bishop just called out Trump and Vance to their faces at church. 'The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. May I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those whose children fear their parents will be taken away.'" (@) "MAGA raging that: - a woman is a preacher in the Episcopal church - a woman is a bishop in the Episcopal church - a woman bishop has the "audacity" to speak truth to power to 47 and his cronies, who snickered and frowned. What Christianity is meant to be -- a call to justice." (@) "To recap, the MAGA religious who all put 'Christian' in their bios are super pissed at the Bishop who called for love, compassion & mercy towards immigrants. Do I have that right?" (@) "yeah nothing infuriates MAGA like being confronted with actual christianity" (@) "24 hours into the Trump administration, and you're defending insurrectionists, defending Nazi salutes, attacking a church for asking Trump to be more like Jesus, and prices are going up. There's still 35,016 hours of the Trump administration left. Good luck morons."

President Donald Trump has lashed out at Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde following her sermon at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday, criticizing her remarks as nasty in tone and demanding an apology. The bishop had directly addressed Trumps policies, particularly their impact on LGBTQ+ people and immigrant families.Related: Watch a bishop scold Donald Trump about attacks on LGBTQ+ and immigrants during inaugural prayer service In a post on his Truth Social platform, made after midnight on Wednesday, Trump described Budde as a Radical Left hard line Trump hater and accused her of bringing her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. He also labeled the service as boring and uninspiring, adding, She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!Buddes sermon at Washington National Cathedral highlighted the struggles faced by marginalized communities under Trumps administration. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives, Budde said. She defended immigrants by emphasizing that the vast majority are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors.Trumps response came hours after signing an executive order eliminating federal recognition of transgender and nonbinary identities, a measure that has drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights groups.Republican Georgia U.S. Rep. Mike Collins echoed Trumps sentiments on social media the previous day, calling for Budde to be added to the deportation list in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Collins comment referred to Trumps new immigration measures, including reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy and suspending the CBP One app, which facilitates appointments for immigration proceedings.During the prayer service, Budde urged Trump to show mercy, warning of the fear and uncertainty his policies have instilled in many communities. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, she said in her closing remarks.Trump later dismissed the sermon to reporters, calling it not too exciting and expressing his belief that they can do much better.The Advocate has contacted Budde for comment but has not yet received a response.

A man waves a Palestinian flag as he returns home to Rafah, after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mariam Dagga, File)2025-01-22T18:37:49Z Inside a lavish clubhouse on Dohas waterfront, tensions strained by months of fruitless back-and-forth weighed on negotiators as the hour neared 3 a.m.On the first floor, a Hamas delegation whose leader had once evaded an Israeli airstrike that killed seven family members, combed through the details of yet another proposal to halt the war in Gaza. On the second floor, advisers to Israels intelligence chief, who had vowed to hunt down those responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war, did the same.With Qatari, U.S. and Egyptian mediators pushing for resolution, did the sides such bitter enemies that they refused to speak directly to one another at last have a deal to pause the fighting and bring dozens of Israeli hostages home?They were extremely suspicious towards each other. No trust at all, said an Egyptian official involved in the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The talks that night a week ago dragged on over disagreements about maps showing where Israel would begin withdrawing troops and its demand that Hamas provide a list of hostages who remained alive, he said. Both parties were looking at each word in the deal as a trap. By the time Qatars prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, announced a ceasefire deal last Wednesday evening, mediators had scrambled again to defuse objections by both sides. Even then, disagreements and delays continued over the two days that followed. But as the fighting in Gaza paused this week, three young Israeli women were released from captivity and dozens of Palestinian prisoners were freed by Israel, the agreement, however tenuous, has held. In this photo provided by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, meets with his security Cabinet to vote on a ceasefire deal that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, Jan. 17, 2025. (Koby Gideon/Israeli Government Press Office via AP, File) In this photo provided by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, meets with his security Cabinet to vote on a ceasefire deal that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, Jan. 17, 2025. (Koby Gideon/Israeli Government Press Office via AP, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More After months of deadlock, a singular moment for dealmakingThe story of how Israel and Hamas found their way to a deal stretches back over more than a year. But the timing and unlikely partners who coalesced to push negotiations across the line help explain why it finally happened now.Over the course of the last week all of the stars aligned finally in a way that, after 15 months of carnage and bloodshed, negotiations came to fruition, said Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar.The agreement was the product of a singular political moment, with one U.S. president preparing to hand power to another.Both were pushing for a deal to free some 100 Israeli hostages and bring an end to a conflict that began with the killing of about 1,200 in Israel and that Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 47,000 in Gaza. The health officials do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children.In tiny, but wealthy Qatar, the talks had a steward that positions itself as a go-between in a region on edge, one that hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East even as it provides offices for leaders of Hamas and the Taliban. Egypt, eager to ease instability that has driven an influx of Palestinians across its border and sparked attacks on sea lanes by Houthi rebels, worked to keep the talks on track. President Joe Biden, center, with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Sec. of State Anthony Blinken, right, speaks at the White House on the announcement of a ceasefire deal in Gaza after more than 15 months of war, Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) President Joe Biden, center, with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Sec. of State Anthony Blinken, right, speaks at the White House on the announcement of a ceasefire deal in Gaza after more than 15 months of war, Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani speaks at a joint press conference with the U.S. secretary of state in Doha, Qatar, June 12, 2024. (Ibraheem Al Omari/AP File) Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani speaks at a joint press conference with the U.S. secretary of state in Doha, Qatar, June 12, 2024. (Ibraheem Al Omari/AP File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The circumstances partnered Sheikh Mohammed with improbable allies. Then-President Joe Biden sent Brett McGurk, a veteran Middle East hand in both Republican and Democratic administrations. Donald Trump dispatched Steve Witkoff, a Bronx-born real estate billionaire with little if any diplomatic experience, but a longtime friendship with the president-elect.The deal they brought together calls for continued negotiations that could be even more fraught, but with the potential to release the remaining hostages and end a war that has destroyed much of Gaza and roiled the entire region. Pressure mounted on Israel and HamasIn the end, negotiators got it done in a matter of days. But it followed months of deadlock over the number of Israeli hostages that would be freed, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and the parameters of a pullback by Israeli troops in the embattled enclave.In late May, Biden laid out a proposed deal, which he said had come from Israel. It drew heavily on language and concepts hammered out with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, calling for a phased agreement with continued negotiation toward a sustainable calm verbiage designed to satisfy both sides.But talks had stalled even before the detonation of a bomb, attributed to Israel, in late July killed Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas political bureau. And efforts by mediators to restart them were derailed when Israeli forces found the bodies of six hostages in a Gaza tunnel in August.Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said.Pressure on Hamas increased after Israeli forces killed leader Yahya Sinwar an architect of the Oct. 7 attack and launched a devastating offensive against Lebanons Hezbollah, the groups longtime ally.But Qatari officials, frustrated by the lack of progress, announced they were suspending mediation until both sides demonstrated willingness to negotiate. Weeks later, Trump dispatched Witkoff, a golfing buddy whose most notable prior link to the Middle East was his $623 million sale of New Yorks Park Lane Hotel to Qatars sovereign wealth fund in 2023.Flying to Doha in late November, Witkoff asked mediators to lay out the problems undermining the talks, then continued on to meet officials in Israel. The talks restarted soon after, gaining ground through December.Witkoff and McGurk were pushing the Israelis. Qatar was pushing Hamas, said an official briefed on the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity.Cooperation between Biden and Trump advisers was keyAssigning credit for the progress depends on viewpoint. The Egyptian official recounted the frustration of successfully pushing Hamas to agree to changes last summer, only to find Netanyahu imposing new conditions.An Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity last week because the negotiations were ongoing, said Sinwars death and Irans weakening influence in the region forced Hamas hand, leading to real give-and-take rather than playing a game of negotiation.He and others close to the process said Trumps rhetoric and dispatch of an envoy had injected new momentum. The Egyptian official pointed to a statement by Trump on social media that there would be hell to pay if the hostages were not released, saying it had pressured both Hamas and Israeli officials to get a deal done.And mediators said the willingness of Witkoff and McGurk -- representing leaders loathe to give one another credit for the deal to partner up was critical.How they have handled this as a team since the election, without yet being in office, has really helped close the gaps that allowed us to reach a deal, Majed Al Ansari, the adviser to Qatars prime minister and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.In early January, there was a breakthrough in the talks when Hamas agreed to provide a list of hostages it would release in the first phase of a deal, an official briefed on the talks said.McGurk flew from Washington to Doha hours later. Witkoff followed at weeks end.The following day Saturday, January 11 Witkoff flew to Israel, securing a meeting with Netanyahu even though it was the Jewish sabbath. McGurk called in. Netanyahu agreed to send the heads of Israeli intelligence and internal security back to Doha for negotiations.That led to extended negotiations, most convening in the Qatari prime ministers private office, that lasted late into the night.At points, mediators shuttled back and forth between adversaries on different floors. At others, the chief negotiators for the two sides cycled separately into the prime ministers office to hash out details.But the Hamas and Israeli delegations never crossed paths, said the official briefed on the talks.Ceasefire conditions debated up until the last momentAfter the lead negotiators for each side left Sheikh Mohammeds office late Tuesday, the work shifted to the waterfront club owned by the foreign affairs ministry, where technical teams from both sides pored over the specific language, a floor apart.Until late the first hours of Wednesday we were working tirelessly to resolve last-minute disputes, said the Egyptian official involved in the negotiations. After extended discussions focused on the buffer zone Israel is to maintain in Gaza and the names of prisoners to be released, the long night ended with an agreement seemingly at hand, said the official briefed on the talks.But with reporters gathering Wednesday evening for an announcement, a last-minute hiccup, last-minute requests from both sides forced a delay, the official said.Israel accused Hamas of trying to make changes to already agreed upon arrangements along Gazas border with Egypt. Hamas called the claims nonsense.A senior U.S. official involved in the talks said Hamas negotiators made several last-minute demands, but we held very firm.After calling the Hamas negotiators into his office, with the media and the world still anxiously waiting, the Qatari prime minister met separately with the Israelis and U.S. envoys. Finally, three hours behind schedule, Sheikh Mohammed stepped to a lectern to announce the parties had reached an agreement.Even then, negotiations resumed the following day to wrangle with questions about final implementation of the deal and mechanisms for doing so. By the time the talks ended, it was 4 a.m.Hours later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog voiced his hope that the deal would bring a national moment of goodwill, healing and rebuilding.But no one can say how long it will last. The deal calls for Israel and Hamas to resume talks just over a week from now, to work out the second phase. That is supposed to include the release of all remaining hostages, living and dead, and a permanent ceasefire. But getting there, observers say, will likely be even tougher.-Magdy reported from Cairo, Geller from New York, and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press reporter Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this story. ADAM GELLER Geller is an Associated Press national writer based in New York. He is part of a team focused on in-depth enterprise reporting. mailto AAMER MADHANI Aamer Madhani is a White House reporter. twitter mailto

LGBTQ+ advocates have expressed alarm in recent weeks, as Meta has taken steps to undermine protections for queer youth and apparently worked to appease the incoming conservative administration in Washington.Meta, theparent companyof popular social media and messaging companies Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is owned by Mark Zuckerberg, who wasonce consideredto be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.A week ago, theinternetwasafirewithdiscussion of Liv, the now-deleted Instagram profile of a proud black Queer momma of 2 AI made by Meta as part ofits AI user dreams.Then, last week, independent tech journalist Taylor Lorenz revealed that Instagram had beenblocking teensfrom searching LGBTQ+-related content for months.This comes as no surprise to Celia Fisher, a professor of Psychology and the Marie Ward Doty University Chair in Ethics at Fordham University who has spent her career studying children and adolescent health, especially for marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community.When speaking to theWashington Bladein November 2024 onTikTok, Fisher remarked that it was increasingly difficult to research the Meta platforms. Fisher and her team have used advertisements on social media to recruit youth for anonymous surveys for studies. One of the advantages of social media is that you can reach a national audience, she says.The advertisements are specifically linked to keywords and popular celebrities to reach LGBTQ+ populations of youth.When she spoke to theBladeagain this week, she was not surprised to hear that keywords were being blocked from youth. Now, there is a major barrier to being able to recruit when you are doing online studies.It makes her researchwhich has looked at the mental health of youth online, HIV prevention strategies, and COVID vaccine barriersimpossible. If Meta prevents researchers from using the platform, then the research cant be done, she said.The search blocks are not just a threat to the research, they are a threat to youth. Hiding those terms from youth means they cant see that there is a community out there. Thats a tremendous loss, especially for transgender youth, said Fisher.Fisher suspects where the restrictions are coming from, not that Zuckerberg has been particularly opaque ashe cozies upto the new administration. I think theres been a creeping fear on the part of companies not to do anything that might elicit the ire of more conservative politicians, she said.A Meta spokesperson toldLorenzthat the restriction was a mistake. Its important to us that all communities feel safe and welcome on Meta apps, and we do not consider LGBTQ+ terms to be sensitive under our policies, said the spokesperson.Meta backtracked immediately; the next day the companyremoved longstandinganti-LGBTQ+ hate speech policies.Zuckerbergannouncedlarge changes to the platform via video in which he sported a$900,000 watch. (More than1 in 5LGBTQ+ adults are living in poverty. More than1 in 3transgender adults are living in poverty.)The changes, which eliminate independent fact-checking for a system similar to Xs community notes, have been highly critiqued byjournalistsandfact-checking organizations. Many experts see it as abowto Trump.Zuckerberg also noted that the platform would remove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are out of touch with mainstream discourse. Hedirectly linkedthe changes to the recent election.Those changes happened quickly. That same day GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ media monitoringnon-profit, reported the changes to the hateful conduct policies. Changes include allowances for calling LGBTQ+ people mentally ill and the removal of prohibitions against the dehumanization of protected groups, among many. Notably, Metas guidelines include theright-wing transphobic dog whistle transgenderism.On Jan. 9, reporting fromThe InterceptandPlatformeron internal training documents revealed the use of even more slurs. Thet-sluragainst transgender people is now allowed on the sites with no restrictions. Phrases likeand this is a quoted exampleA trans person isnt a he or she, its an it are allowed on the sites with no restrictions.I shudder to think what these changes will mean for our youth.Arturo BjarNotably, the training manuals differentiate between different members of the LGBTQ+ community. For example,The Interceptfound that the phrase Lesbians are so stupid would be prohibited while trans people are mentally ill would not be.(These training manuals also include permissive use of racist and dehumanizing language for other marginalized groups.)And then, as a cherry on top, Meta removedDEI programsanddeletedthe transgender and non-binary Messenger themes, on Jan. 10.These changes are undeniably bad. Arturo Bjar, a former engineering director at Meta with expertise in online harassment, told theAssociated Press,heis horrified by the changes.I shudder to think what these changes will mean for our youth, Meta is abdicating their responsibility to safety, and we wont know the impact of these changes because Meta refuses to be transparent about the harms teenagers experience, and they go to extraordinary lengths to dilute or stop legislation that could help, he said.Fisher, who has researched the effects of hate speech online on LGBTQ+ youths mental health, agrees that the results will be devastating. We had many people who said they observed transgender harassment for others or were actually attacked themselves, said Fisher. This prevents people from wanting to come out online and to actually engage in those kinds of online communities that might be helpful to them.What is happening also confirms LGBTQ+ youths worst fears. Weve found that a major concern is that there would be an increased violation of civil rights and increased violence against LGBTQ individuals, she said.Fisher, a psychologist, sees this as putting us back into the dark ages of psychiatry and psychology when LGBTQ individuals were seen as having some kind of a mental health problem or disorder.Fisher emphasized: This kind of misinformation about mental illness is certainly going to be putting transgender people, especially at even greater risk than they were before.This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.The post LGBTQ+ advocates warn Metas policy changes putting us back in the dark ages appeared first on News Is Out.

Taylor Zakhar Perez knows how to make an entranceby leaving little to the imagination.The Red, White & Royal Blue heartthrob turns heads as Lacostes fresh face for its global underwear campaign. The 33-year-old star smolders in two jaw-dropping looks: crisp white boxer-briefs with the iconic green waistband and sleek black briefs that practically redefine sultry.Its an honor to join Lacoste as an ambassador, Perez says. Ive always admired the history, legacy, and creativity of the brand, and its with great pride that I now carry the values of the crocodile.Turning Paris into His RunwayIn one steamy shot, Perez stands shirtless on a Paris balcony, flaunting his chiseled abs in white briefs. The bold green Lacoste logo on the waistband demands attention, perfectly paired with his smoldering gaze.Credit: Quentin de Briey for LacosteAnother photo takes the mood indoors, where Perez leans effortlessly against a wall in black boxer-briefs. Set in a shadowy bedroom, the scene feels intimate yet undeniably cinematic.The campaign, shot by Quentin de Briey and styled by fashion guru Jason Bolden, could not be any hotter. Head here to shop the look.A Rising Star on FireLacostes partnership with Perez isnt just about looksits a celebration of star power. Fresh off being named one of PEOPLEs 2024 Sexiest Men Alive, Perez continues to charm fans with his relatable personality and swoon-worthy style.When it comes to romance, the actor keeps it simple. Ditch the phones and have a quiet night in our out. Theres just always so much noise in everything we do, whether its a beeping on our phone or an email going out on our computer or Spotify playing in the background. I think its just [about] connection.Taylor Zakhar Perez stuns for Lacoste. pic.twitter.com/st8u4ZC5yP Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 22, 2025Amplifying Latin Voices in MediaWhile turning heads in his briefs, Perez has his eyes on bigger goals. Hes launching a production company to spotlight untold Latin stories in mainstream media.The Latin talent in the mainstream media today is continuously underrepresented, he told Forbes. In the United States, 19% of the population is Latin, right? Thats not representative in TV/film.Perez plans to back talented creators who want to tell bold, authentic stories.Fans Await His Return to Red, White & Royal BluePerez gears up to reprise his role as Alex Claremont-Diaz in the highly anticipated sequel to Casey McQuistons beloved novel Red, White & Royal Blue. Amazon announced the sequel in May 2024, sending fans into a frenzy. While details remain under wraps, the film promises to explore more of Alexs journey alongside Prince Henry, played by Nicholas Galitzine.More Stories: Taylor Zakhar Perez Brings the Heat as Lacostes Steamy New Underwear IconLady Gaga Added a Countdown to Her Website and Fans Are Buzzing When Will the Album DropNonbinary Star Jack Haven Embraces New Name with Powerful MeaningLGBTQ+ Mental Health Crisis Hotline Sees Surge in Calls Following Trumps Inauguration and Anti-LGBTQ+ Policy MovesThailand to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage, Marking Historic Step for LGBTQ+ RightsThe post Taylor Zakhar Perez Brings the Heat as Lacostes Steamy New Underwear Icon appeared first on Gayety.

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)2025-01-22T19:26:22Z WASHINGTON (AP) Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, the far-right extremist group leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday after President Donald Trump commuted his 18-year prison sentence. Rhodes appearance came the day after he was released from prison as a result of Trumps order of clemency benefitting the more than 1,500 people charged with federal crimes in the Jan. 6 attack. Rhodes was convicted in one of the most serious cases brought by the Justice Department over the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps mass pardons for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol wont change the truth about what happened in the nations capital four years ago, two federal judges separately wrote Wednesday as they dismissed criminal cases stemming from the attack by a mob of Trump supporters. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said evidence of the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol is preserved through the neutral lens of riot videos, trial transcripts, jury verdicts and judicial opinions. Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies, she wrote.U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presided over Trumps election interference case before its dismissal, said the presidents pardons for hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters cant change the tragic truth about the attack. Chutkan added that her order dismissing the case against an Illinois man who was charged with firing a gun into the air during the riot cannot diminish the heroism of law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol. It cannot whitewash the blood, feces, and terror that the mob left in its wake, Chutkan wrote. And it cannot repair the jagged breach in Americas sacred tradition of peacefully transitioning power. Chutkan and Kollar-Kotelly are among over 20 judges to handle the hundreds of cases produced by the largest investigation in the Justice Departments history. Kollar-Kotelly issued her written remarks in an order dismissing the case against Dominic Box, a Georgia man who was among the first group of rioters to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Other judges at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., spoke out against pardons for Capitol rioters before Trumps second inauguration on Monday, when the Republican president pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of charges in all of the 1,500-plus Capitol riot criminal cases.District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump nominee, said in November that handing out blanket pardons to Capitol rioters would be beyond frustrating and disappointing. Nichols expressed his criticism during a hearing at which he agreed to postpone a Jan. 6 riot defendants trial until after Trumps return to the White House.During a hearing last month, District Judge Amit Mehta said it would be frightening if Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is pardoned for orchestrating a violent plot to keep Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 presidential election. Rhodes was serving an 18-year sentence when he was released from prison this week. Box, who was featured in the HBO documentary Four Hours at the Capitol, was found guilty of charges including interfering with police during a civil disorder, a felony. The judge convicted Box last year after a stipulated bench trial, which meant she decided the case based on facts that both sides agreed to before the trial started.Box was scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21. More than 130 other convicted rioters were awaiting sentencing when Trump issued pardons.John Banuelos, 39, of Illinois, was awaiting trial in a Washington jail when Chutkan dismissed charges that he climbed scaffolding outside the Capitol, pulled what appeared to be a gun from his waistband and fired two shots into the air. In hundreds of cases like this one over the past four years, judges in this district have administered justice without fear or favor, Chutkan wrote. The historical record established by those proceedings must stand, unmoved by political winds, as a testament and as a warning.Nearly 1,600 people were charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. More than 1,000 of them pleaded guilty. Approximately 250 others were convicted by a judge or jury after trials. Over 1,100 were sentenced, with more than 700 receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from several days to 22 years.Over 130 police officers were injured during the riot. At least four officers who were at the Capitol later died by suicide. And Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died after engaging with the protesters. A medical examiner later determined he died of natural causes. Kollar-Kotelly said the heroism of officers who defended the Capitol also cannot be altered or ignored. Grossly outnumbered, those law enforcement officers acted valiantly to protect the Members of Congress, their staff, the Vice President and his family, the integrity of the Capitol grounds, and the Capitol Building-our symbol of liberty and a symbol of democratic rule around the world, she wrote.President Bill Clinton nominated Kollar-Kotelly, who has served on the bench since 1997. President Barack Obama nominated Chutkan, who has served on the same court since 2014.

Oh, no! Now Im worried what will happen to these two. Thats what I thought, pulse racing, as I watched a dramatic cliffhanger scene in El secreto del ro (Secret of the River) on Netflix. Thats the power of good storytellingit makes your heart raceeven though you know very well youre watching a series, aka, [...]The post We Cant Stop Talking About the Latine GLAAD Awards Nominees! first appeared on GLAAD.

Worldwide, there have been more than 45 (and counting) seasons of Drag Race, and more than 600 queens have sashayed into the various Werk Rooms. So, to make a truly gagworthy and memorable impression with an entrance today is really saying something. Yet, season 17 queen Lucky Starzzz managed to do just that when she entered the room in a lewk that was pure performance art. In doing so, she immediately proved she was one of the most unique artists we have seen in the franchises history. She quickly followed up that glowing first impression with a lemonade-themed talent performance that had the girls screaming and RuPaul erupting in laughter all of which, Lucky tells PRIDE, was a literal dream come true. But Lucky wasnt only making an impression on the main stage; She was snatching the hearts of fans with her talent and her vulnerability and catching the eye of fellow competitor Arietty, who wasnt shy about admitting how much she admired her Drag Race sister both in and out of drag. We do love a budding showmance. Lucky also tugged at our heartstrings by revealing the moving motivation behind her decision to audition for the show: A desire to support her family, who had fallen on difficult financial times. Also, as she explains to PRIDE, her desire to be a beacon to other queer kids out there who need to see the light of drag right now, perhaps more than ever, while ultimately she would become the first-out queen this season, one thing is sure: she certainly did the latter.PRIDE caught up with Lucky to talk about all of that, plus what it meant to her to be seen and appreciated by RuPaul, the lip sync we missed out on, and if she thought the Rate-A-Queen robbed her of a win. PRIDE: Congrats on Drag Race and making such an incredible impression right out of the gate. Do you think if the judges had been judging versus the Rate-A-Queen, you would have been in the top two?Lucky Starzzz: Oh, of course. I definitely believe that I would have been in the top two. I am an honorary member of the top that week. You know what's crazy? [My performance] felt even bigger and even better when I was there. Not even the TV could do it justice in terms of how good, how crazy, and how much everybody there was living for that performance. RuPaul was cackling. The girls were cheering. It was crazy. It was wild. I definitely felt like I was about to either win or be in the top.I did too. What did it feel like to go on the biggest drag stage in the world and have RuPaul live for you the way that she did? It was one of my goals to make RuPaul laugh, and I achieved that times a thousand, so I'm very proud.Imagine being robbed. Imagine being told that you were robbed of a challenge win on Drag Race in the premiere. Starting off that strong is like a dream, honestly. You were so vulnerable when you talked about doing this for your family back home. Do you feel like you put an enormous amount of pressure on yourself going into the competition, and, if so, do you feel like it hindered you or helped motivate you?I see it as motivation, to be honest. I think if you have a story to tell, tell it. We are representatives of the queer community right now. We are the faces of Drag Race right now, so it's our job to share our stories. It's our job to use our time in the darkness and create a guidebook for those who are in that same darkness out there who haven't been able to get out of it. So it's kind of like we're beacons. We're meant to inspire. We're meant to motivate. So I thought of a motivation for myself, and I saw it as a way to motivate others who are going through the same thing or more. We got to see a little spark or two flying between you and Arietty. I'm curious; where do things stand between the two of you now?Arrietty honestly ended up becoming like my bestie from the cast. We don't talk often, but that's just because we're so busy. We're in different worlds, doing different things, but I've always respected her. I've always really appreciated her. She's really sweet. She really is my number one from the cast that I've connected to. I was not expecting it. It's so funny I knew of Arrietty before the show I was not expecting to end up living for her and connecting with her like I did.What do you think when you were watching that back and she was living for you in and out of drag?I was living. I was living for her living. I thought it was really cute, honestly.How did you feel when those Rate-A-Queen receipts came out? Were there any that really took you by surprise?I was excited for the world to see and for the girls to see that I was ranked high. I knew that I was probably third place in the results. I expected it. If it was any lower, that would have been just true, utterly disgusting robbery.Who was the person that should have been in the top with you, and whose place should you have taken?I'm a very honest person. Being there and seeing Katy [Perry's] critiques and Untucked, it kind of felt like the top two were going to be me and Suzie [Toot]. Yeah, that's the vibe that I was getting. But, you know, who doesn't love a cunty, gorgeous girl like Jewels? This is a young cast, so this cast is going to gravitate more towards something like what Jewels did. You know what I mean? Young drag culture these days, that's what the majority live for. Those types of performances. So of course, they were going to rank her top two. But I feel like if it was the judges, it seemed like it was about to be me and Suzie. That's what it felt like to me. But you never know.There is a parallel universe where we would have gotten to see you and Suzie face off in a lip sync.I was ready to spray all the lemonade all over that stage for that "Woman's World." I was going to do this move where I bend my legs and lay on the ground, and I shoot upwards. So I'm just like shooting at myself, basically. Does that make sense? I'm sorry y'all missed out on that crazy-ass lip sync. Is it too early to be manifesting an All Stars return?I would love to come back to Drag Race. I loved filming. I could use a vacation. I could use a hotel room stay for like two months. I could use that. No, honestly, I just enjoyed filming. I love the PAs and the production. I have literally no complaints about Drag Race. The only complaint that I have is that they sent me home.Well, you definitely left us wanting more Lucky Starzzz thats for sure!

The best part of January? Undoubtedly, the GayVN Awards.Adult entertainers around the world all head to Las Vegas to celebrate the hottest content created throughout the year.With plenty of spicy categories awarding the biggest and brightest in porn, the annual Sin City event is the best opportunity to get up close and personal with the top content creators.PRIDE spoke with the winners on the red carpet of the 2025 GayVN Awards, so check out their reactions to taking home the gold below.Rhyheim Shabazz - 2x WinnerSee on InstagramFor the second year in a row, Rhyheim Shabazz won Performer of the Year at the GayVN Awards! The star also secured an award for Best Duo Sex Scene alongside Sir Peter.It's no surprise that this sexy hunk continues his reign in adult entertainment as his spicy content continues to dominate worldwide."It would be surreal [to win again], but it would be motivating. It would let me know I'm on the right track. I'm appreciative of everything I've gotten so far, so it's not a must. I'm looking forward to 2025 and whatever opportunities come," Shabazz tells PRIDE.Cade Maddox - 3x WinnerSee on InstagramCade Maddox also had a big night at the GayVN Awards. The model took home earned the most amount of awards in the fan-voted categories by winning Favorite C*ck, Favorite Body, and Favorite Top."It's always an honor, especially how long I've been doing this. It's an honor to still be nominated with the young meat that's still coming up, but it's even cooler to win something. The big honor is just being nominated," Maddox says.Drake Von - 2x WinnerSee on InstagramHe may be one of the youngest gay porn stars out there, but Drake Von is now adding two more trophies to his shelf of accolades. The star won Favorite Twink and Hottest All-Male Creator Collab at this year's awards."Honestly, this has probably been the best GayVN Awards so far. I've had such an amazing time seeing all of my close friends. It's been such a great year for me. I couldn't ask for a better year," Von shares.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, speaks from the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-01-22T21:49:35Z WASHINGTON (AP) The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, has been waiting for a phone call, letter, email, text anything, really from the Trump administration that might say if hes getting fired.After all, Chopra is a Biden administration appointee. Hes an ally of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of President Donald Trumps favorite targets. Chopra has already packed up his office a few blocks from the White House. His picture no longer hangs in the lobby.But as of Wednesday, Chopra remains one of the more important regulators from the Biden administration whos still on the job as Trump cleans house. Thats according to a person familiar with Chopras situation who insisted on anonymity to describe his status. Of course, it was Trump who during his first term picked Chopra to be a Democrat on the Federal Trade Commission. For a president who took office with aggressive plans to reshape Washington, Trump seems not to have fully communicated what he wants from Chopras agency. Under his leadership, the bureau has tackled junk fees, limited overdraft penalties and removed medical debt from peoples credit ratings. His continued presence on the job may speak to how Trumps desire to move quickly in taking control of the government can lead to some oversights, but also to the challenge of fully merging Trumps populism with his pro-business calls to cut regulations. Allison Preiss, a spokesperson for the CFPB, declined to comment on Chopras job status. White House officials did not respond to questions about his status. As a candidate, Trump pledged to cap the interest charged on credit card debt and the bureau has privately done work on that issue should the president wish to implement his promise.While working Americans catch up, were going to put a temporary cap on credit card interest rates, Trump said at a September rally. Were going to cap it at around 10%. We cant let them make 25 and 30%. Under the law, Chopra serves a five-year term, which means he could stay on as the CFPB director. But he has publicly stated that he would leave his post if the president asked.The CFPB under Chopra has courted controversy with major banks and other companies who view its actions as being too aggressive. JPMorganChase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon said at an American Bankers Association conference that it was time to fight back against regulators, saying of Chopra, according to Yahoo News, Rohit is a very smart guy who has one major flaw, which I told him personally, which is that you use your brains to justify what you already think.Trump has made easing government regulations one of his cornerstones for growth, meaning that he might need to choose between his vows to companies and his stated commitment to easing costs for working families.The CFPB has several pending rules pertaining to restrictions on data brokers selling personal information such as Social Security numbers and phone numbers. Its also seeking to ban contracts that could cause someone to lose access to financial services for making political statements. The CFPB, meanwhile, is considering legal action against Meta, Mark Zuckerbergs company disclosed. It also in December published an order to supervise Google Payment Corp. as more financial transactions are going through peoples phones. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

Elon Musk arrives before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)2025-01-22T20:26:35Z Elon Musk is clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project touted by President Donald Trump, the latest in a feud between the two tech billionaires that started on OpenAIs board and is now testing Musks influence with the new president.Trump on Tuesday had talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion through a new partnership formed by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alongside Oracle and SoftBank.The new entity, Stargate, is already starting to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of fast-evolving AI technology.Trump declared it a resounding declaration of confidence in Americas potential under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum.But Musk, a close Trump adviser who helped bankroll his campaign and now leads a government cost-cutting initiative, questioned the value of the investment hours later. They dont actually have the money, Musk wrote on his social media platform X. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority. Altman responded Wednesday to say Musk was wrong, as you surely know and inviting Musk to come visit the first site in Texas that is already under construction."(T)his is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope youll mostly put (America) first, Altman wrote, using a U.S. flag emoji to represent America. Steve Bannon calls on Musk for casting doubt over Trump-supported AI project Behind the feud The public clash over Stargate is part of a years-long dispute between Musk and Altman that began with a boardroom rivalry over who should run OpenAI, which both men helped found. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company last year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits.Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAIs plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. A hearing is set for early February in a California federal court. The worlds richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI, that is building its own big data center in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT.When did Stargate start?Tech news outlet The Information first reported on an OpenAI data center project called Stargate in March 2024, indicating that its been in the works long before Trump announced it. Another company Crusoe Energy Systems announced in July it was building a large and specially designed AI data center outside Abilene, Texas at a site run by energy technology company Lancium. Crusoe and Lancium said in a joint statement at the time that the project was supported by a multibillion-dollar investment but didnt disclose its backers. AI technology requires huge amounts of electricity to build and operate and both companies said project would be powered with renewable sources such as nearby solar farms, in a way that Lancium CEO Michael McNamara said would deliver the maximum amount of green energy at the lowest possible cost. Crusoe said it would own and develop the facility.Its not clear how and when that project became the first phase of the Stargate investment revealed by Trump. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison said Tuesday that the Abilene project is the first of about 10 data center buildings currently being built and that number could expand to 20. Where is Microsoft?Missing from Trumps press conference Tuesday was Microsoft, which has long supported OpenAI with billions of dollars in investments and enabling its data centers to be used to build the models behind ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. Microsoft said this week it is also investing in the Stargate project but put out a statement noting that its OpenAI partnership will evolve in a way that enables OpenAI to build additional capacity, primarily for research and training of models.Asked about Musks comments about the Stargate deal Wednesday during a CNBC interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pivoted to his companys own $80 billion plan to build out its global AI infrastructure, of which $50 billion is being spent in the U.S.Look, all I know is, Im good for my $80 billion, said Nadella, laughing. MATT OBRIEN OBrien covers the business of technology and artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. mailto

The nonbinary actor who rose to fame playing Casey Gardner on Atypical announced that they have changed their name to Jack Haven.Haven, best known for starring in last years I Saw the TV Glow in addition to Netflixs Atypical, made the announcement in a Monday, January 20, Instagram post explaining that they took their new last name to honor their great-great uncle, composer and lyricist Haven Gillespie, who wrote the holiday classic, Santa Clause is Comin to Town. Related Oppenheimer star Emma Dumont comes out as transmasc The Oppenheimer star will keep their stage name. And first name Jack has stuck, they added. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Haven wrote that they first started using the name two years ago in a workshop led by Iranian actor and director Saman Arastoo. I said I was using it in safe spaces, Haven wrote. Saman said use it in dangerous spaces. So I use it in the mens bathroom. View this post on Instagram A post shared by jack haven (@briiiiiiiiiig)Haven previously released a song, Open Urself, under the moniker late last year.The 30-year-old actor got their start appearing in director Woody Allens 2015 film Irrational Man. In 2017, they starred opposite Matt Damon and Christoph Waltz in director Alexander Paynes Downsizing and alongside Brie Larson, Naomi Watts and Woody Harrelson in The Glass Castle. From 2017 to 2021, they starred as Casey Gardner in the Netflix dramedy series Atypical, while also taking on roles in 2019s Bombshell and 2020s Bill & Ted Face the Music.Haven came out as queer in 2018, and as nonbinary in a since deleted November 2019 Instagram post. Im non-binary, they wrote. Always felt a lil bit boy, lil bit girl, lil bit neither. Using they/them as of late n it feels right. Havens performance in last years I Saw the TV Glow, directed by transfeminine, nonbinary filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, earned the actor widespread acclaim, including a Gotham Awards nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performance and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance.Earlier this month, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics announced the nominees for its 2025 Dorian Film Awards, with I Saw the TV Glow leading with nine nominations, including for Film of the Year and a Supporting Film Performance of the Year nomination for Haven. GALECA also nominated Haven for its Were Wilde About You! Rising Star Award.Notably, neither the Gotham Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, nor the Dorian Awards divide performance nominations by gender.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

In his second inaugural speech, Donald Trump gave us so much that demands fact-checking and comment that I find it difficult to know where to start. I have chosen, though, to direct my focus here on one particular statement:This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based, Trump said. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female. Related Donald Trump starts his presidency by declaring war on the LGBTQ+ community & democracy Trumps first day as president was an assault on trans rights and a reminder of the threat he presents to democracy. On merit Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today On the topic of merit, Trumps choices for his second cabinet and advisory positions lay bare themythof meritocracy since most of his picks are unqualified for the positions they will likely hold and were chosen either on account of their enormous wealth or due to their television celebrity on conservative media.For example, Trump has tapped a record13 billionairesto work directly with his administration. For many, their merit lays primarily in their massive donations to Trumps campaign and their willingness to continually kiss his ring and bend their knees so often that soon they will require hip and knee replacements.In his highly choreographed inaugural ceremony under the Capitol dome, Trump placed three of the worlds richest people Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg in full view of cameras for all to see. On racial engineering and being colorblindHis warning to end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race into all aspects of society emanates from the claim throughout his time in politics of alleged reverse discrimination against white people in programs such as Affirmative Action and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.Trump and other conservatives misuse and corrupt the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s oft-repeated quote from his I Have a Dream speech. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, King stated in 1963.Yes, it was among Dr. Kings dreams for a racially and economically just society, but when he proclaimed those words, it was an unfulfilled dream, an aspiration, something not yet achieved. Unfortunately race in American history has been one area in which Americans kid themselves and pretend to be fair-minded when they really are not, historianTaylor Branch, who wrote the new bookThe King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement, told CBS News. Conservatives, particularly those in the MAGA-sphere, deploy Kings words, paradoxically, as a weaponagainstthe possibility of a colorblind or so-called race-neutral society in their patriarchal Christian white supremacist project.Barack Obamas presidency led the media on numerous occasions to assert that the United States could now be considered a post-racial society, meaning race has lost its significance and our countrys long history of racism is now at an end. During the presidential primaries in 2008, National Public Radio Senior News AnalystDaniel Schorr noted on an episode of All Things Considered that Obama transcends race and is race free.Responding to Obamas State of the Union message on January 27, 2010, MSNBC political analyst,Chris Matthews declared, He is post-racial by all appearances. I forgot he was Black tonight for an hour. You know, hes gone a long way to become a leader of this country and past so much history in just a year or two. I mean, its something we dont even think about.Is the United States now a colorblind society? Or even more importantly, should it be? The very notion of race-blindness is deeply problematic. It may feel righteous to tell another person, I dont see your race; I just see you as a human being. But we are really telling the person, I discount a part of you that I may not want to address, and I will not see you in your multiple identities.These kinds of statements erase the persons background and historical legacy and hide the continuing hierarchical and systemic positionalities among white people and marginalized groups.In addition, the assertion that we have fully addressed and finally concluded the long history of racism in the United States with the election of Barack Obama and afterward is simply unfounded. InWhitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-Blind Society, theauthorsshow how the concept of colorblindness / race-blindness attempts to deny and further entrench hierarchical and deeply rooted systemic racial inequities that permeate American society.We must as a society move beyond this false and counterproductive notion of colorblindness / race-blindness and confront head-on our history and current realities of racism. We must transcend, to useMica Pollocksterm, colormuteness by engaging in honest and open conversations and educational efforts on the impact and legacy of race relations in our country.On only two gendersI suppose that Trump can legally rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and that he can reimpose the name Mt. McKinley onto the highest mountain peak in North America, dispelling its original popular and proper indigenous title of Denali (the high one or the great one).But not even the monarch-wannabe can decree the vast variety of genders out of existence.Trumps executive order declaring thatthere are only two genders: male and female goes against the natural world.Does he actually believe that he can simply erase Intersex people, for example, out of the human experience?Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that vary from what is typically considered male or female. Intersex traits can include variations in chromosomes, genitals, reproductive organs, and hormone production. Intersex bodies show the diversity of humans and other species and do not represent a form of birth defect, as some would argue.Recently, the Biden administration released agroundbreaking papertitled Advancing Health Equity for Intersex Individuals, issued by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, led by Admiral Rachel Levine, the first out transofficial confirmed by the U.S. Senate.The report shows the irreparable harm caused by surgeries on intersex infants that attempt to fix them into the male or female binary. There is growing evidence that surgical interventions on intersex infants can cause lasting harm, including stigma and medical mistrust, the report details. Historic and current medical practices have often focused on surgical interventions on infants to change their sex characteristics to conform with a single sex, rather than the health care needs of the intersex individual.And despite Trump and his sycophants spending $215 million on anti-transgender ads during his last campaign, the MAGA-sphere can never wipe out the existence and support for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people in the United States or worldwide.Within a patriarchal Christian white supremacist system of male domination, cisgender (primarily white) heterosexual male bodies matter more, while othered bodies matter less. These othered bodies include female and intersex bodies, as well as bodies that violate the rules for the reproduction and maintenance of the dominant patriarchal system, such as trans, gender diverse, nonbinary, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual bodies and bodies with disabilities.Within many Western societies including the United States, those who do not have European heritage are also regarded as having othered bodies.Within a patriarchal society that transmits distorted binary gender extremes, questions inevitably arise by those in favor of the gender status quo:How dare women demand reproductive freedoms that threaten male power? How dare a woman choose not to marry a man?How dare women compete with a man for a job or for a high social position?How dare gay men think of coming on to straight men?How dare trans men get any privileges that cis men have earned?How dare trans women relinquish male privilege and betray their gender? How dare intersex people choose not to identify as one or the other?Many people have exposed the truth that the fabrication we call gender roles is a social construction, one that our society ascribes to each of us as it assigns sex at birth.With the label female assigned at birth, society forces us to follow its feminine script, and with male assigned at birth, we are handed our masculine script to perform. As scripts are given to actors in a play, these binary gender scripts were also written long before any of us entered the stage of life. In fact, the roles in which we were cast have, very often, little connection to our natures, beliefs, interests, and values. These preconceived binary scripts become internalized, standardized mental pictures that societies model and pass to future generations. What it is to be male or female, girl or boy, woman or man, social actors pass on as actors memorize their scripts and pass them to future actors.Our patriarchal, individualistic society opposes and inhibits womens reproductive freedoms, encourages inequities in salaries between men and women, and maintains massive wealth for the very few while encouraging enormous financial disparities, among other issues.Throughout history, examples abound of male domination over the rights and lives of women and girls. Men denied women the vote until women fought hard and demanded the rights of political enfranchisement; strictly enforced gender-based social roles mandated without choice that womens only option was to remain in the home to undertakecleaning and childcare duties; women continue to be by far the primary target of harassment, abuse, physical assault, and rape by men.In addition, women remain locked out of many professions. At one time, rules required that women teachers relinquish their jobs after marriage. In fact, the institution of marriage itself was structured on a foundation of male domination, with men serving as the so-called head of the household and taking on sole ownership of all property, thereby restricting these rights from women.And when patriarchal social and family structures converge with patriarchal religious systems, oppression of those who transgress gender binaries becomes inevitable.Trumps entire raison detrecenters on his acquisition of unlimited power and wealth, and his means to that end has been to further prop up the patriarchal Christian white supremacist project.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A large number of communities, including several prominent LGBTQ+ subreddits across Reddit are currently choosing to ban links from X (formerly Twitter) after Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk twice made a Nazi salute during the presidential inauguration.Musk dismissed the allegations, claiming that liberals were reaching by trying to categorize what he did as anything related to Hitler, writing on X, Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired.But Democrats, queer people, and those who oppose fascism across social media arent buying his explanation and have begun to have discussions and start petitions to ban linking back to X on various subreddits.Users on the RuPauls Drag Race subreddit started a petition to ban X links that already had 27,000 upvotes at the time of publication. It has come to our attention that X is operated by an individual with documented affiliations to Nazi ideology and hate groups, the petition reads. Allowing links to X on our subreddit indirectly endorses or amplifies the platforms harmful messaging. This goes against /rupaulsdragraces commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all members.The r/gay subreddit wasted no time and banned X links immediately after the inauguration. When a user on r/actuallesbians asked if the subreddit was planning on joining other parts of the Reddit community in an X ban, a moderator explained that they already were prior to this event.When users on the r/lgbt subreddit expressed a desire to ban X links, the moderator said they were currently having discussions about it and would only continue to allow them because some sources/screenshots with proof can only be found on Twitter still.Its not just members of the queer community who are looking to ban Musks social media site from Reddit, r/whitepeopletwitter has already banned X links except for original posters who need to add a source to a screenshot, and r/blackpeopletwitter is recommending people make the switch to X competitor Bluesky.Portland and Texas even seem to be in a rare agreement about Musks behavior, as both subreddits have already banned linking back to X.Although Musk himself and MAGA diehards across social media continue to claim that the tech billionaires controversial salute was innocent, people all across the vast Reddit ecosystem dont believe them and are now taking action to prevent X from having a home on their subreddits.

A bold and unapologetic addition is coming to Washington, D.C.s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene: District Eagle, a kink-forward bar opening Wednesday. Tucked away on U Street in Northwest, the new space is tailor-made for kink and alternative lifestyle communities, hoping to fill a lingering gap in the citys vibrant but evolving nightlife scene.We designed the establishment first and foremost for our LGBTQ+ kink communities, said Zach Renovtes, managing partner of District Eagle, in an interview with The Advocate. This is something completely unlike anything else in Washington, D.C., right now, on purpose.Honoring a legacyThe name Eagle carries weight in LGBTQ+ history, symbolizing kink-friendly spaces serving as havens for self-expression worldwide. But dont get it twisted: District Eagle isnt part of a franchise. Each Eagle bar stands on its own, shaped by the unique culture of its local community. District Eagle is no exception, with Renovtes promising to build on that legacy while carving out its identity. See on Instagram When people hear the term Eagle, they have natural connotations about what they might come to experience, he said. We intend to not only live up to those expectations but exceed them.The bars design and concept also tip their hat to the Prohibition era, when the 18th Amendment banned alcohol sales and consumption from 1920 to 1933. Speakeasies emerged as secret, illicit venues offering more than just booze they became a refuge for people seeking freedom from societal norms. Hidden behind closed doors, patrons indulged in gambling, cross-dressing, and open expressions of queerness.Those spaces werent just about breaking the rules, Renovtes explained. They were about creating freedom where none existed. District Eagles concealed entry and thoughtfully immersive design channel that spirit of rebellion, offering a sanctuary for those eager to let loose and be themselves.A unique experienceDistrict Eagle promises an unforgettable journey from the moment patrons step inside. The entry is hidden behind a vintage 1950s candy vending machine inside the end of Lucky Pollo Peruvian Chicken, a restaurant. While District Eagle has no exterior signage, security staff will wear branded vests to assist patrons, a nod to the secrecy of Prohibition-era speakeasies. Once through, Renovtes said, patrons will find leather-padded walls, vintage foundry patterns, and a merchandise shop enclosed in a custom cage. Every detail has been meticulously crafted in collaboration with designer Jasin Cadic, whose previous work includes the nearby LGBTQ+ nightclub Bunker. tk caption: District Eagle washington DC leather barZach Renovates/District EagleWe are the only LGBTQ+ speakeasy in D.C. if not one of the only ones in the country, Renovtes said. Its intentional to pay homage to the necessity of secretive and hidden spaces for our LGBTQ+ community in decades past.He said programming will include themed nights like Jockstrap Wednesdays and Gear Fridays, with discounts for patrons who embrace the dress codes. Events will cater to a diverse range of subcultures, from leather and latex enthusiasts to rubber and pup community members.Building connectionsRenovtes envisions District Eagle as more than just a bar he wants it to be a community hub. We truly want this to be a space where people can email us, message us, and say, Hey, Im a member of the [fill in the blank] community. Can I host an event or happy hour? he said. Thats how bars thrive and succeed by the customers who inhabit them.Still, he acknowledges the space wont be for everyone. Its okay to have unique spaces that certain communities can say, without hesitation, This space was designed for me, Renovtes said. Some people may not find its the space for them, and thats OK.Inclusive communityRenovtes emphasized that District Eagle is committed to creating a welcoming space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, including transgender and lesbian patrons. We are fully embracing everyone under our LGBTQ+ designation, he said. To include our trans and lesbian brothers and sisters, this is not a space that is trying to segment itself from others but rather be inclusive and designed for kink communities.Tied to BunkerDistrict Eagle is next to Bunker, a nightclub in which Renovtes is also a managing partner. He said the two venues will complement each other, allowing patrons to use their receipt from District Eagle for free entry into Bunker on select nights.The idea here is to make all of our establishments feel accessible to those of different means, Renovtes said. If we know theyve been at both establishments, then a cover isnt necessary for that specific night. tk caption: District Eagle washington DC leather barZach Renovates/District EagleThis interconnectedness also influenced the bars location. We want to continue to activate the 14th and U Street location to be the epicenter for LGBTQ+ nightlife in Washington, D.C., he said.Ready for WorldPrideDistrict Eagles opening couldnt come at a better time, as D.C. gears up to host WorldPride. Renovtes sees the bar as an essential addition to the citys offerings, particularly given the closures of several LGBTQ+ spaces in recent years.It is of the utmost importance as we approach WorldPride to set D.C. on a world stage for nightlife, he said, to include spaces that are inherently designed and focused around the kink communities.Let your freak flag flyAt its core, District Eagle is about encouraging patrons to embrace their unique identities. We are strongly encouraging customers to show off their uniqueness, to show off what their kink is, and bring that scene into our space, Renovtes said.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, shared that its classic crisis services (lifeline, chat, text) reported significant increases in volume related to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration. This volume increase follows a record-breaking 700% increase observed across The Trevor Projects crisis lines on November 6, 2024, the day after the 2024 elections.No matter your political beliefs or how you feel about the current administration, one thing must be made clear to all of us living in the United States: real young peoples lives are at risk and we must take immediate action to support LGBTQ+ youth, said Jaymes Black (they/she/he), CEO of The Trevor Project. Suicide prevention transcends politics. And we are sounding the alarm for all lawmakers, community leaders, and adults who care about the health and survival of young people in their communities: The political targeting of LGBTQ+ youth and transgender and nonbinary youth in particular must stop. Whether it was the 700% increase on our lines following election day in November, or the 46% increase we saw yesterday, we urge lawmakers and the media to recognize the impact that their rhetoric can have on young peoples health and safety, and do better. For any LGBTQ+ young person who needs support, The Trevor Project remains here for you, always.The Trevor Projects crisis volume data analysis found:On January 21, 2025, the day after Inauguration Day, The Trevor Projects classic crisis services (phone, text, and chat) saw a 46% increase in volume compared to typical daily rates observed in weeks prior.On January 20, 2025, Inauguration Day, The Trevor Projects classic crisis services (phone, text, and chat) saw a 33% increase in volume compared to typical rates observed in weeks prior.Resources for LGBTQ+ young people who need support:Finding Support & Building Community Amid Political UncertaintyNavigating Personal Safety while Taking Action as an LGBTQ+ Young PersonHow to Signal You are an Ally in Hostile EnvironmentHow to Reach Out to The Trevor ProjectThe Trevor Projects Self-Care FlowchartThe Trevor Projects Visual Breathing Exercise for Stress & AnxietyThe post The Trevor Projects Crisis Line Volume Continues to Increase Following Inauguration Day appeared first on The Trevor Project.

Wind turbines spin at the Klettwitz Nord solar energy park near Klettwitz, Germany, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)2025-01-22T23:02:42Z A record 47% of the European Unions electricity now comes from solar and other renewables, a report Thursday said, in yet another sign of the growing gap between the blocs push for clean energy and the new U.S. administrations pursuit of more fossil fuels. Nearly three-quarters of the EUs electricity doesnt emit planet-warming gases into the air with another 24% of electricity in the bloc coming from nuclear power, a report released by the climate energy think tank Ember found. This is far higher than in countries like the United States and China, where nearly two-thirds of their energy is still produced from carbon-polluting fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Experts say theyre encouraged by Europes fossil fuel reductions, particularly as the U.S. looks set to increase its emissions as its new president pledges cheaper gas prices, has halted leases for wind projects and pledged to revoke Biden-era incentives for electric vehicles. Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy, said Chris Rosslowe, an energy expert at Ember. In 2024, solar power generated 11% of EU electricity, overtaking coal which fell below 10% for the first time. Clean wind power generated more electricity than gas for the second year in a row. Solar panels operate near a burned forest in Acharnes suburb, on Mount Parnitha, in northwestern Athens, Greece, Aug. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas, File) Solar panels operate near a burned forest in Acharnes suburb, on Mount Parnitha, in northwestern Athens, Greece, Aug. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 2024 data wasnt available for all countries. Embers data for the worlds largest generators of electricity for 2023 show Brazil with the largest share of its electricity from renewables, almost 89%, with much of that coming from hydroelectric power. Canada had about 66.5%, China 30.6%, France 26.5%, the U.S. 22.7% and India 19.5%. Green policies and war drive clean energy growthOne reason for Europes clean power transition moving at pace is the European Green Deal, an ambitious policy passed in 2019 that paved the way for climate laws to be updated. As a result of the deal, the EU made their targets more ambitious, aiming to cut 55% of the regions emissions by the end of the decade. The policy also aims to make Europe climate neutral reducing the amount of additional emissions in the air to practically zero by 2050.Hundreds of regulations and directives in European countries to incentivize investment in clean energy and reduce carbon pollution have been passed or are in the process of being ratified across Europe. At the start of the Deal, renewables were a third and fossil fuels accounted for 39% of Europes electricity, Rosslowe said. Now fossils generate only 29% and wind and solar have been driving the clean energy transition. The amount of electricity generated by nuclear energy has remained relatively stable in the bloc. Russias invasion of Ukraine has also spurred the move to clean energy in Europe. Gas prices skyrocketed with much of Europes gas coming from Russia becoming unviable forcing countries to look for cheaper, cleaner alternatives. Portugal, Netherlands and Estonia witnessed the highest increase in clean power in the last five years. A floating solar farm operates on the Cottbuser Ostsee lake near Cottbus, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) A floating solar farm operates on the Cottbuser Ostsee lake near Cottbus, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Europe cements its place as a clean energy leaderThe transition to clean power helped Europe avoid more than $61 billion worth of fossil fuel imports for generating electricity since 2019.This is sending a clear message that their energy needs are going to be met through clean power, not gas imports, said Pieter de Pous, a Brussels-based energy analyst at European think tank E3G. De Pous said the EUs origins were as a community of coal and steel because those industries were so important, but it is now rapidly becoming a community of solar and wind power, batteries and smart technologies. Nuclear growth in the bloc, meanwhile, has slowed. Across the European Union, retirements of nuclear plants have outpaced new construction since around the mid-2000s, according to Global Energy Monitor.As President Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement aimed at curbing warming and is pursuing a drill, baby, drill energy policy, Rosslowe said the EUs leadership in clean power becomes all the more important. Its about increasing European energy independence, and its about showing this climate leadership, he said. On Tuesday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said: Europe will stay the course, and keep working with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming. ___Data journalist Mary Katherine Wildeman contributed from Hartford, Connecticut. ___Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123 ___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. SIBI ARASU Sibi reports on climate change from India and South Asia twitter mailto

Migrants eat at a shelter Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)2025-01-22T22:13:13Z CIUDAD JUREZ, Mexico (AP) Mexico raised sprawling tents on the U.S. border Wednesday as it braced for President Donald Trump to fulfill his pledge to reverse mass migration. In an empty lot tight against the border with El Paso, Texas, cranes lifted metal frames for tent shelters in Ciudad Jurez. Nogales, Mexico across from Nogales, Arizona announced that it would build shelters on soccer fields and in a gymnasium. The border cities of Matamoros and Piedras Negras have launched similar efforts.At a border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, on Tuesday night, one man shouted to journalists that he was being deported in a group that was arrested that morning in farm fields near Denver. Another man said he was in a group that had been brought from Oregon. Everyone carried their belongings in a small orange bag.Neither mans account could be independently confirmed. The number of people deported Tuesday was lower than the daily average of about 500 last year, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum noted at her daily press briefing. Quickly ramping up deportations as Trump pledges faces logistical and financial challenges. Beyond the tents, the Mexican government is building nine shelters in border cities to receive deportees. It has said that it would also use existing facilities in Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and Matamoros, to take in migrants whose appointments to request asylum in the U.S. were canceled on Inauguration Day. Sheinbaum has said that Mexico will give humanitarian aid to migrants from other countries whose asylum appointments were cancelled, as well as those sent to wait in her nation under the revived policy known as Remain in Mexico. Mexico wants to eventually and voluntarily return them to their nations, she has said. Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramn de la Fuente and new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first telephone conversation in their new positions. It was a very good conversation, very cordial, they talked about migration and security issues, Sheinbaum said.After pledging to dramatically shift border and immigration policies, on Monday Trump scrapped the program known as CBP One that allowed asylum seekers to schedule appointments on their phones before arriving at the border, providing a degree of order. On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced it was sending up to 1,500 active-duty troops to the border.At the Good Samaritan shelter in Ciudad Juarez, the Rev. Juan Fierro was preparing for yet another change.In recent years he has seen the shelters population change from young men crossing a wall-less border for work to families seeking asylum. During Trumps first term, the policy of making asylum seekers wait out the U.S. process in Mexico meant that people stayed at the shelter much longer, up to three years, Fierro said.Now hes getting ready for Trumps promised mass deportations. His shelter fits 180 people and can feed around 50, he said. With much lower migration numbers over the past year, he only had a fraction of that number this week and is worried about an expected rise. This shelter doesnt have the budget, were practically day to day, Fierro said.The Mexican government will bus some deportees to their homes in Mexicos interior. Fierro said hell give deportees a couple of months to think about whether to return home, look for work in another Mexican state or try to re-enter the U.S.The people who want to make it to the United States are going to look for the way to do it, he said. __Mrquez reported from Tijuana, Mexico. AP reporters Megan Janetsky and Mara Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

The viral AI-generated bread horse image that Mark Zuckerberg loved on Tuesday was originally created as a meme by a Polish news organization to warn about the dangers of AI-generated slop on social media. The image became a viral sensation on the Polish internet but broke containment and began going viral more widely; it was then stolen by a totally unrelated real AI spam farm where it has gone megaviral and was loved by the Meta CEO.Called chako or challah horse, the image was part of a series of AI-generated images created by a Polish news outlet called Donald.pl, which pilloried the AI spam that has taken over Facebook. This woman baked a challah horse but no one congratulated her, a page run by Donald called Polska w duych dawkach (Poland in Large Doses) wrote on January 7.The image was designed as a commentary on AI spam on Facebook, the outlet wrote. But like other AI spam, some people believed it was real, and the image was seen by more than a million people and liked 11,000 times. The English-language, subscriber-funded Noted From Poland originally wrote about this drama if youd like to learn more.As you all probably know, Facebook has been inundated with generic AI content targeted at older people and naive people, Donalds Poland in Large Doses wrote in a follow up post. The text someone made an X but no one congratulated him has basically become a meme a few days ago, for fun, we decided to post Challah Horse in the same format, but Challah Horse turned out to be a beast whose power we didn't appreciate.O tym, jak zchakowalimy polski internet, chocia nie planowalimyChakonia pewnie widzia ju kady, chocia moe nie kady pogratulowa. Zaczta przez nas akcja z pocztku miaa by artem, satyr z zalewu Facebooka marnej jakoci grafikami generowanymi przez AI, a pic.twitter.com/v7aFdtK69N donald.pl (@donald_PL_) January 20, 2025In the comments there were non-ironic congratulations for the creator of Challah Horse, mainly from older people, mixed with jokes and (thankfully) warnings that it was made with AI. We post all sorts of things, from memes to jokes about Polish politics. But in the end it turned out that Challah Horse went viral If such an obvious Challah Horse works, then imagine what reach can be obtained with posts aimed for specific target groups, e.g. old people. Such like farms can then be used in hundreds of ways and influence specific groups.Challah Horse quickly became a meme on the Polish internet, with companies like Ikea, OLX Polska (a classifieds website), Zabka (a convenience store), mBank (a bank), and others making their own AI-generated versions of the Challah Horse, and various Polish news outlets covering it. There was also an AI-generated video about Challah Horse warning about the dangers of AI-generated media. A real Polish baker baked a real Challah Crocodile, even.Donald did a follow up post highlighting some of these memes, and said the campaign was initially supposed to be a joke, a satire on the flood of AI spam on Facebook. But it eventually spread like hot cakes and won the hearts of marketers . We would like the original meaning of this whole undertaking not to be lost. Challah Horse is not just a meme, but a warning. Because while everyone is making fun of Challah Horse, like farms are preying on the naivety of older and more susceptible people.As I mentioned in my first piece on this, the origin of bread sculpture AI comes from a real image from the 2010s that went viral on the Russian internet of a man who built a house out of bread. That image has been ripped off thousands of times and has eventually morphed into what is now known as Challah Horse.With all of this context, it is perhaps even wilder that an actual Facebook AI spam page stole the Challah Horse image, reposted it and has gotten more than three million reactions, 210,000 comments, and 107,000 shares. It is wilder still that the CEO of the entire platform is one of the people who loved the image.

President Donald Trump has a penchant for giving people he views as his political rivals terrible nicknames. He called former President Joe Biden Sleepy Joe, Senator Ted Cruz Lyin Ted, and he dubbed Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom Governor Newscum. But when it comes to women, his favorite thing to call them is nasty.During the 2016 presidential election, the MAGA leader called Hillary Clinton a nasty woman, and since then, it has become his favorite insult to hurl at women he dislikes. But women turned the insult around, reclaiming it as a feminist rallying cry, and memes and merchandise were even sold.At this point, hes called at least a dozen women nasty and even stooped so low as to refer to Bishop Mariann Edgar Buddes nasty tone after the reverend spoke out against Trump while giving the inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. At this point, being called "nasty" by Trump should be seen as a badge of honor.But what other women has Trump decided deserved to be called nasty?Mariann Edgar BuddeAfter Budde called on Trump to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants, the Republican president took to Truth Social to complain about her nasty tone.The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart, he wrote.Hilary ClintonClinton was the first person he gave the nasty woman moniker to. During the 2016 presidential debate, Trump interrupted the then-Democratic nominee when she was talking about improving Social Security by calling her such a nasty woman, People reported.Meghan MarkleMeghan Markle had previously called Trump misogynistic and divisive during the 2016 presidential campaign, so during an interview with the U.K. outlet The Sun, he shot back by calling her nasty and then later claimed it was fabricated despite the publication having the incident on tape.Nancy PelosiAfter Pelosi said she wanted to see Trump in prison, Trump responded by calling the then-Speaker of the House a nasty, vindictive, horrible person, Politico reported.Kamala HarrisKamala Harris went viral on social media for her forceful questioning of Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, but Trump was far from happy, labeling her extraordinarily nasty for her holding Kavanaughs feet to the fire, ABC News reported.April RyanIn 2019, Trump called White House correspondent April Ryan very nasty at a news conference after the veteran reporter asked him about voter suppression, according to the Baltimore Sun."I mean, you talk about somebody that's a loser. She doesn't know what the hell she's doing," Trump said. "She gets publicity, and then she gets a pay raise. ... She's very nasty, and she shouldn't be. You've gotta treat the White House and the office of the presidency with respect."Carmen Yulin CruzTrump wasnt happy when San Juan Mayor Carmen Yuln Cruz criticized his administrations response to Hurricane Maria so he took to X to write that Democrats must have coached her to be nasty to Trump.Elizabeth WarrenWhen Sen. Elizabeth Warren took to the podium to endorse Hilary Clinton in 2016, she called Trump a "thin-skinned, racist bully. Trump immediately ran to his bully pulpit on X, calling Warren Pocahontas and writing that she had a nasty mouth.Mette FrederiksenTrump has made headlines recently for his claim that he plans to buy Greenland, but this is nothing new. In fact, back in 2019, he called Danish Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen nasty after she didnt show any interest in the U.S. buying Greenland, a Danish territory, NBC News reported.Mazie HironoDuring an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe in 2020, Sen. Mazie Hirono said that Trump once called her nasty and pointed out Trumps xenophobia after he called an Asian American journalists question nasty.Apparently, in Trumps world, if you are an outspoken and successful woman you deserve to be dubbed nasty.

Parvati Shallow opens up about her relationship with Mae Martin and finding her own path.Survivor winner and queer TV favorite Parvati Shallow recently shared an update about her relationship with comedian Mae Martin. Speaking to People, Shallow described their romance as an in flux situation, sparking curiosity among fans of the couple.Shallow, who began dating Martin in early 2023, came out as queer in December of the same year. On New Years Eve, Martin celebrated their love by sharing a sweet photo strip of the pair kissing with the caption: Parvs here, shes queer, Happy New Year.Credit: Instagram/@pshallowA Power Couple on Pause?The couple quickly became a queer power duo, with fans cheering on their relationship. However, Shallow revealed shes been reflecting on her life and what she truly wants.Ive been through trying to fit myself into the structures of society and the definitions of dating and the definitions of relationships, and Im like, do I want to do that? Or do I want to just take a big ball of clay and make it into what I want?The Deal or No Deal Island star added, Im traveling so much and having these really fun, amazing adventures, so Im in this place of asking myself, what do I really want?A New Chapter for BothShallow was previously married to fellow Survivor alum John Fincher, with whom she shares a daughter. Reflecting on her journey, she described her relationship with Martin as unlike anything shes experienced before.Getting divorced was challenging, she said. Meeting Mae was such a different experience, and its made me rethink everything I thought I knew about relationships.Mae Martins Next MoveDespite speculation about their status, Martin denied breakup rumors last summer, insisting the pair was happier than ever. In the meantime, the Feel Good star is branching out into a new creative venture.Martin recently announced their debut music album, Im A TV, set to drop later this year. Known for their sharp Netflix comedy specials and hit TV show, Martins leap into the music industry marks an exciting new chapter.Whether Shallow and Martin remain a couple or forge separate paths, their journeys continue to inspire and captivate fans.More Stories: Survivor Alum Parvati Shallow Gives Mae Martin Dating UpdateTaylor Zakhar Perez Brings the Heat as Lacostes Steamy New Underwear IconLady Gaga Added a Countdown to Her Website and Fans Are Buzzing When Will the Album DropNonbinary Star Jack Haven Embraces New Name with Powerful MeaningLGBTQ+ Mental Health Crisis Hotline Sees Surge in Calls Following Trumps Inauguration and Anti-LGBTQ+ Policy MovesThe post Survivor Alum Parvati Shallow Gives Mae Martin Dating Update appeared first on Gayety.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., center, joined from left by Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-01-22T21:32:34Z WASHINGTON (AP) The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that requires the detainment of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration.Passage of the Laken Riley Act, which was named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man, shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trumps election victory. Immigration policy has often been one of the most entrenched issues in Congress, but a crucial faction of politically vulnerable Democrats joined with Republicans to lift the strict proposal to passage on a 263-156 vote tally.For decades, it has been almost impossible for our government to agree on solutions for the problems at our border and within our country, said Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican. She called the legislation perhaps the most significant immigration enforcement bill to be passed by Congress in nearly three decades.Still, the bill would require a massive ramp up in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements capabilities, but does not include any new funding.___ STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

National Geographic is set to launch a mouthwatering new docuseries, No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski, premiering on February 23. The series, which will also stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, invites viewers to join Queer Eye star and culinary expert Antoni Porowski on an unforgettable journey to explore the ancestral gastronomic roots of a variety of celebrity guests.Its a beautiful adventure to discover our past through the great connector that is food, said Porowski. Im honored to go on this journey of self-discovery with new and old friends alongside National Geographic as we learn together about the ways different cultures celebrate food and experience their traditions.No Taste Like Home blends rich storytelling with vibrant culinary traditions, taking viewers from the bustling streets of Italy to the lush jungles of Borneo. Each episode unpacks the history and personal significance behind family recipes that have transcended generations. Along the way, Porowski helps celebrity guests trace their roots, uncover hidden family stories, and reconnect with their cultural heritage through food.View this post on InstagramA post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo)The star-studded guest lineup includes Emmy-winning actress Awkwafina (A Real Bugs Life, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens), SAG-nominated actor Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), Emmy-nominated actor James Marsden (Paradise, Sonic the Hedgehog 3), Academy Award-nominated actress Florence Pugh (We Live in Time, Dune: Part Two), Emmy-nominated actress Issa Rae (Insecure, American Fiction), and Emmy-winning actor Justin Theroux (The Leftovers, Beetlejuice). These celebrities travel with Porowski to uncover the unique and deeply personal stories behind the food traditions of their families.In each episode, the celebrities dive into their cultural pasts through the dishes that have shaped their family histories. For instance, in one episode, Justin Theroux embarks on a journey through Italy to trace the origins of a family pasta recipe. In another, Awkwafina reconnects with her South Korean roots, exploring her familys culinary heritage.The series also features heartwarming moments with locals who share their own family stories and culinary practices, leading to intimate family meals that showcase a classic dish from the region. From dining with royalty to traversing remote landscapes, each episode offers a unique blend of adventure, cultural exploration, and personal discovery.Heres a glimpse of some of the episodes to look forward to:Florence Pughs English OdysseyPremieres Feb. 23 at 9/8cIn this episode, Porowski helps actress Florence Pugh trace her familys deep connection to food as they journey through Oxford, the Yorkshire coast, and London. Along the way, they uncover stories of Pughs ancestors and their lasting influence on her love for food.Awkwafinas Korean HomecomingPremieres Feb. 23 at 10/9cAwkwafina, who lost her mother at a young age, embarks on an emotional journey to reconnect with her South Korean heritage. Porowski curates a transformative adventure that combines culinary discoveries, family revelations, and new perspectives on identity.Justin Therouxs Italian QuestPremieres March 2 at 9/8cTheroux sets out with Porowski on a road trip across Italy to uncover the origins of a beloved family pasta dish. Along the way, they discover how Therouxs Italian roots have shaped his culinary tastes and family traditions.James Marsdens German Dish UpPremieres March 2 at 10/9cMarsden teams up with Porowski to trace the origins of his familys iconic chicken fried steak. Their journey takes them from Texas to Germany, where they learn how the experiences of his German ancestors shaped his familys food traditions.Issa Raes Senegalese Royal RootsPremieres March 9 at 9/8cRae travels to her fathers homeland of Senegal with Porowski to uncover stories of powerful women and royal connections in her family history. The episode highlights the ways food and culture intertwine in Raes exploration of her heritage.Henry Goldings Malaysian AdventurePremieres March 9 at 10/9cGolding heads to Borneo, where he delves into his mothers Iban heritage. With Porowski by his side, Golding experiences his familys culinary traditions and learns that genealogy in this oral culture is about much more than storytellingits about connection.Produced by Studio Ramsay Global, No Taste Like Home builds on the successful partnership between National Geographic and Gordon Ramsays production company, which previously brought viewers Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, an award-winning food travelogue series. Ramsay serves as an executive producer alongside Porowski and Lisa Edwards. The series is directed by Leo McRea, Jenny Dames, and Graeme Hart, with Robin OSullivan as the showrunner.The creative team behind No Taste Like Home also includes Betsy Forhan, who serves as executive producer for National Geographic, along with Charlie Parsons, Bengt Anderson, and Tom McDonald, who oversee the development and production of unscripted content for the network.As the series unfolds, No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski promises to captivate audiences with not only its delicious dishes but also the emotional connections that food fosters between generations, cultures, and families. The blend of travel, food, and personal discovery is sure to leave viewers with a deeper appreciation for the ties that bind us to our roots and our heritage.Stay tuned for this flavorful exploration when No Taste Like Home premieres on February 23, exclusively on National Geographic, Disney+, and Hulu.The post New Docuseries No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski Explores Culinary Roots of Celebrities appeared first on Gayety.

Transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner is once again facing criticism for her unwavering support of President Donald Trump, despite his policies that have drawn sharp backlash from the LGBTQ+ community. The criticism intensified following Trumps inauguration as the 47th president, a day marked by controversial remarks about gender and transgender rights.In his inaugural address, Trump made headlines for reiterating his stance on gender, declaring that there are only two genders, male and female. This statement followed a series of executive orders signed by Trump, including one that rolled back guidance on gender identity, which had been put in place during the Obama administration. Critics argued that this move was a direct attack on transgender individuals and their rights.Despite the sweeping negative reactions from many in the LGBTQ+ community, Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympic athlete and one of the most high-profile transgender figures in the U.S., voiced her continued support for Trump. In a post shared shortly after the inauguration, Jenner wrote that she was just as happy, actually more happy, than the first time, to be celebrating the inauguration of President Trump.This statement quickly sparked a wave of disbelief and anger among her followers. Many questioned how Jenner, a transgender woman, could align herself with a president whose policies and rhetoric appeared to undermine the rights of the transgender community.One Twitter user remarked, Were you in the front row for that? I dont understand how you can support an office that is trying to re-alienate you from society? Another asked, He just publicly said you are not accepted, how do you feel about him now?In addition to critical responses from within the LGBTQ+ community, Jenners post was inundated with transphobic remarks from some of Trumps supporters. These comments included insults and attempts to deadname Jenner, a practice where someone is referred to by their birth name instead of their chosen name.Despite the online backlash, Jenner remained steadfast in her position. On January 20, she posted again on Twitter (now X), writing: Congratulations, Mr. President. Thanks be to God.Her statements drew further ire from many, who accused Jenner of abandoning her community in favor of political loyalty. Boy oh boy, wait till you hear about the executive order he just signed, one person wrote, referencing Trumps executive actions that rolled back protections for transgender individuals, including restrictions on transgender people serving in the military and protections against discrimination in healthcare and education.Jenners support for Trump, despite the administrations controversial stance on transgender rights, has long been a point of contention. While she has stated that she agrees with some of Trumps economic policies and other political positions, critics argue that her public endorsement of a president whose actions have harmed the transgender community is a betrayal.Several LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations have condemned Trumps executive orders, with GLAAD Law executive director Ricardo Martinez calling them a direct attack on transgender Americans. He added, It is cruel and it is wrong. The administration is trying to create fear and sow chaos by its statements and orders, but no executive action can change the fundamental truth that transgender people are vital members of our families and communities.Martinez also emphasized that a presidents powers are not unlimited, and that actions like the ones Trump had signed into law would face resistance through the constitutional checks and balances system. The constitution, federal courts, and our democratic system serve as a bulwark against government overreach, he said. The implementation of todays order and others that may follow, cannot happen overnight.While Jenners supporters argue that she has the right to her personal political views, the ongoing conflict highlights the growing divide within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly over the issue of transgender rights and the role of political endorsements in shaping public perception.In the years since her public transition in 2015, Jenner has remained a controversial figure, especially for her political affiliations. While she has used her platform to advocate for transgender visibility, many argue that her support for Trump contradicts the values of inclusivity and equality that she publicly champions.As the debate continues, the question remains: Can Caitlyn Jenner reconcile her personal political beliefs with the growing needs of the transgender community, or will she continue to face backlash for supporting a president whose policies are seen as hostile toward transgender rights? For now, Jenners stance appears unchanged, but the controversy surrounding her public endorsements is likely to persist as long as her relationship with Trump remains a point of contention within the LGBTQ+ community.The post Caitlyn Jenner Faces Backlash for Continued Support of Donald Trump Amid Transgender Rights Controversy appeared first on Gayety.

President Donald Trump, left, watches as Rev. Mariann Budde, second right, arrives at the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-23T00:36:53Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Diocese of Washington, said Wednesday that she will continue to pray for President Donald Trump, hours after he lashed out at her over a sermon.I dont consider him an enemy, Budde told The Associated Press.I believe we can disagree respectfully and put our ideas out there and continue to stand for the convictions weve been given without resorting to violence of speech.Budde made a direct appeal to Trump during a post-Inauguration prayer service he attended on Tuesday, asking him to show mercy to members of the LGBTQ+ community and migrants who are in the country illegally.Trump called Budde a Radical Left hard line Trump hater on his Truth Social site on Wednesday. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! he posted after midnight. She and her church owe the public an apology! Referencing Trumps belief that he was saved by God from assassination, Budde preached, You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. As the president looked on, Budde said, There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. She preached that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, but good neighbors and faithful members of religious communities. The Trump administration has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughening immigration policies.Trump and Vice President JD Vance looked visibly disgruntled at times as they sat in the front pew with their wives. Vance raised his eyebrows and said something to second lady Usha Vance, who stared straight ahead.At the White House on Tuesday, Trump said, I didnt think it was a good service. Later, on Truth Social, he criticized Budde for failing to mention crimes committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Budde knew last summer that the subject of her inaugural sermon would be unity after a divisive election season.As she watched the Inauguration the day before she was set to preach, she noted that the prayers from Trump-supporting clergy were coming at things from a pretty different perspective than her.The Episcopal Church is not a large church, but we do have a what I would call a very generous view of God and a view of human beings, she said. And I wanted to make sure that people knew that also is a way to interpret the world through the lens of faith.She thought phrasing her words to the president as a plea for mercy was a very gentle way to do it because I was acknowledging his authority and his power.I guess I had that wrong, she said.The strong reactions to Buddes sermon largely fell along predictable political and religious lines. Progressive people of faith found in her an inspiring example of speaking truth to power. Some conservative religious voices found her plea confrontational and disrespectful. Others took issue with a woman in a powerful church leadership role, which their traditions reserve for men. National spokespeople for the Episcopal Church said Budde is a valued and trusted pastor and colleague. We stand by Bishop Budde and her appeal for the Christian values of mercy and compassion.Progressive Christian activist and author Shane Claiborne wrote of Budde on X: This is what it looks like to speak the truth in love.Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, in contrast, posted on X alongside a video of Budde preaching: The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, a prominent Trump supporter, was at the service and posted on X that Budde insulted rather than encouraged our great president and there was palpable disgust in the audience with her words.Budde felt some of that pushback when she processed down the aisle of the cathedral after the service. The president did not acknowledge her when she passed. I try to make eye contact with people and to smile, and not a lot of smiles came back to me, she said.The bishop is mostly staying off social media. The vitriol of some of her critics was the very thing she was wanting to avoid with her sermons message of unity.I was hoping to address that culture of contempt in a way that said we could have a different kind of conversation with each other, the softspoken cleric said.Budde has criticized Trump in the past.Most notably, she said she was outraged in 2020 after Trump staged an appearance in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church, which is near the White House. He held up a Bible after the area had been cleared of peaceful protesters. The Episcopal Church and its Anglican predecessor have long been a mainstay of American political power. It claimed more signers of the Declaration of Independence than any other denomination. Its reach has dwindled along with many mainline Protestant denominations in recent decades as more Americans no longer identify as religious.The Episcopal Church continues to host high-profile events at its National Cathedral in Washington, including many inaugural prayer services and the recent funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.Budde is the first woman to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, a position she has held since 2011.Im a mom. Im a grandmother. I really care about the people in our communities, Budde said.Were far more alike with each other than we realize. And if we if we just take the time to know one another and know each others stories, we tend to soften.___Associated Press reporters Darlene Superville and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. TIFFANY STANLEY Stanley is a reporter and editor on The Associated Press Global Religion team. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services, speaks during a meeting with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-01-23T00:18:37Z WASHINGTON (AP) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is distancing himself from his anti-vaccine work as he seeks to become the leader of the nations top health agency under President Donald Trump, according to government ethics documents released Wednesday. Kennedy has pulled in roughly $10 million in income from his work over the past year, which includes speaking fees, leading an anti-vaccine nonprofit and legal fees, government ethics forms filed for his nomination show. He has millions of dollars more tied up in investments and other assets. If confirmed, he has promised to stop collecting fees on some of his vaccine lawsuits involving the U.S. government. Kennedy is a lawyer who has worked on lawsuits involving environmental and vaccine injury claims against some of the countrys biggest companies. He also said he would forgo payment from claims against the U.S. under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation program. A spokesperson for Kennedy did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday about the filing. As of December, Kennedy said in the filing that he is no longer serving as chairman or chief legal counsel for Childrens Health Defense, his nonprofit that launched lawsuits against the federal government over vaccines, including the authorization of the COVID-19 shot in children. He previously made a $326,000 salary for three months of work at the nonprofit in 2023. But he will still benefit in other ways from his anti-vaccine advocacy, which has spanned several years. Compensation will continue to flow into Kennedys bank accounts from referral fees for legal cases that dont involve the U.S. government, including fees he collects from a law firm thats sued Merck over Gardasil, its human papillomavirus vaccine that prevents cervical cancer. Last year, he made over $850,000 from the arrangement. He will also still get royalties from books hes written, some of which have spread falsehoods about vaccine safety and other health issues. Kennedy said he expects at least $2 million in advances for two forthcoming books, though he said he would not promote or do further work on those titles if confirmed. Despite his criticism of the pharmaceutical industry, Kennedy also holds investments in biotech industries, which he would regulate if confirmed to lead the Health and Human Services Department. Kennedy says he plans to divest as much as $50,000 with Dragonfly Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company that develops cancer drugs, as well as up to $15,000 he has in CRISPR Therapeutics, a gene-editing technology. A Senate finance committee hearing for Kennedy is scheduled for later this month. The lawyer-turned-politician was seen around Washington in recent days, joining in on festivities for Trumps inauguration. He even hosted his own Make America Healthy Again ball on the day Trump was sworn in. MAHA has become a popular slogan among Trump and Kennedy loyalists alike. And thats another thing Kennedy reports hes profited from in his ethics filing MAHA merchandise, which has made him $100,000. Michelle R. Smith in Providence, R.I. contributed to this report. AMANDA SEITZ Seitz is an Associated Press reporter covering federal health care policy. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

Lady Gagas fans have expressed outrage after the singer-turned-actress received multiple nominations for the 2025 Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), which celebrate the worst in cinema. Gaga, who stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie Deux, is up for Worst Actress, with the film also leading the list of Razzie nominations with a total of seven nods.The Joker sequel, directed by Todd Phillips, was one of 2024s most anticipated films, but it quickly turned into a disappointment, with both critics and audiences panning the project. Despite the high-profile cast and the films potential, Joker: Folie Deux failed to meet expectations, especially compared to its 2019 predecessor, which received widespread acclaim, including an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.This year, the Razzie nominations have stirred controversy, with Lady Gaga receiving backlash for being included in the Worst Actress category. Her performance as Harley Quinn has been singled out by the Razzies, despite her strong track record in film, including her critically praised role in A Star Is Born (2018), for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In addition to the Worst Actress nod, Gaga also shares a nomination with Phoenix for Worst Screen Combo for their on-screen pairing in Joker: Folie Deux.Gagas devoted fanbase has come to her defense, particularly because her performance in Joker: Folie Deux was limited by significant changes in the films structure. Reports suggest that several of her scenes were cut, leading critics to argue that her role in the film was underutilized. Many fans are upset, feeling that the Razzie nomination is unjust, especially given her proven talent and previous Oscar nomination.One fan vented on social media, The Razzies can go fk themselves. They just want attention by nominating Gaga and Joaquin. Their excuse is the movie was bad, so everything about it was bad. Another fan echoed these sentiments, writing, A lot of Gagas scenes were cut, critics said she was underused, and now they put her in here. Its just so fking unfair. A third fan added, Lady Gaga was very much NOT the problem in that movie. The real issue was they didnt do enough with her.The backlash is especially poignant considering Gagas previous recognition in the film industry. In 2019, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in A Star Is Born, where her performance as Ally earned critical acclaim. For many fans, her Razzie nomination is seen as an unfair reflection of her talent and an overreaction to a film that didnt meet expectations.Joker: Folie Deux is a marked departure from the first Joker film, which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 2020, including Best Picture, and saw Phoenix win Best Actor for his portrayal of the troubled Arthur Fleck. However, for Folie Deux, Phoenix finds himself on the Razzie ballot for Worst Actor, a stark contrast to the acclaim he received for his role in the original film. The sequels tonal shift, along with its musical elements, seems to have confused both critics and audiences, leading to its underwhelming reception.In addition to Gaga and Phoenix, other queer stars and fan favorites also feature prominently in this years Razzie nominations. Ariana DeBose, known for her Oscar-winning role in West Side Story, has been nominated for Worst Supporting Actress for her performances in both Argylle and Kraven the Hunter. Cate Blanchett, meanwhile, is up for Worst Supporting Actress for her role in Borderlands. Additionally, Jennifer Lopez has been nominated for Worst Actress for her performance in Atlas, while Dakota Johnsons portrayal of Madame Web has earned her a Razzie nod for Worst Actress as well. The Marvel film Madame Web garnered six nominations in total.There is also a Worst Supporting Actor nomination for Shia LaBeouf for his role in Megalopolis, the highly anticipated sci-fi drama. LaBeouf, known for his controversial past, has continued to make headlines for his performance in this film, which has drawn mixed reactions.While Gaga is unlikely to be thrilled about her Razzie nominations, she has bigger projects to focus on. The pop superstar is currently teasing a major announcement regarding her upcoming seventh studio album. A countdown clock on her official website is set to conclude at 4 p.m. GMT on January 27, 2025, sparking speculation about new music on the horizon.Despite the Razzie nods, Lady Gagas place in Hollywood and her dedicated fanbase remain as strong as ever. As for the 2025 Razzies, the nominations have once again sparked debate about the often controversial nature of the awards, which have long been criticized for their negative spotlight on films and actors. Still, for many, Lady Gagas talent is undeniable, and her fans continue to show unwavering support in the face of criticism.A full list of the 2025 Razzie nominations can be found on the official Razzie Awards website.The post Lady Gaga Fans Slam Razzie Nominations for Joker: Folie Deux Performance appeared first on Gayety.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will hear a case brought by a group of Maryland parents who want the ability to opt their children out of classes that include LGBTQ+ content. The parents argue that the inclusion of LGBTQ+ material in the school curriculum violates their First Amendment rights, specifically their right to religious freedom.The case centers around Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest school district in the state. In 2023, the district made the controversial decision to eliminate an opt-out provision from its literacy program, which had previously allowed parents to withdraw their children from lessons containing LGBTQ+ themes. The parents, who belong to Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox religious communities, filed a lawsuit challenging the policy. They argue that the new curriculum infringes upon their religious beliefs, as they oppose exposing their children to what they describe as LGBTQ+ indoctrination.The parents are being represented by Becket, a nonprofit organization that advocates for religious liberty. Eric Baxter, a Becket attorney, criticized the Montgomery County decision, stating that it forces controversial gender ideology upon children, even as young as three years old. Baxter emphasized that parents, rather than the state, should have the authority to decide when and how to introduce sensitive issues like gender and sexuality to their children.The curriculum in question is part of a newly diversified English language arts program adopted in 2023. It includes lessons that address various topics such as race, religion, ethnicity, and LGBTQ+ perspectives. Among the books included in the program are titles like Pride Puppy, which explores the theme of a gay pride parade, and Love, Violet, which tells the story of a young girl developing romantic feelings for a female classmate.In response to the policy change, the group of parents initiated a legal challenge, seeking a preliminary injunction to reinstate the opt-out option. However, the lower court denied the request, arguing that the plaintiffs had not shown that the absence of an opt-out provision significantly burdened their religious exercise. The judges ruling stated that the parents claims were unlikely to succeed.The case now heads to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to weigh in on a broader debate surrounding the role of gender and sexuality education in schools. These debates have become a central issue in American politics, particularly in the wake of the Trump administration, as school districts and local governments across the country grapple with how to handle LGBTQ+ content in the classroom.The issue has also become a flashpoint for wider cultural and political divides, with religious groups and conservative organizations opposing LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools, while LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and allies argue that such content is essential for fostering inclusivity and acceptance. In Maryland, the Montgomery County School Districts decision to remove the opt-out option led to protests organized by religious groups, with hundreds of individuals rallying against what they view as forced indoctrination.During one such protest in July 2023, Solomon Hailemariam, a father of four Montgomery County students, told The Daily Signal, We have the religious right to raise our kids based on the Bible. Hailemariam was among the demonstrators who opposed the curriculum and demanded the reinstatement of the opt-out provision.On the other side, supporters of the school districts inclusive curriculum turned out to show their support for the Board of Education. Were here not so much to counter the protest, but to show support for the Board of Education and what theyre doing, and show the queer kids that go to school here that they are supported, said John Zittrauer, a counter-protester who attended the demonstration in July.The case has garnered national attention, as it touches on broader issues of religious freedom, parental rights, and the role of schools in teaching about gender and sexuality. The U.S. Supreme Court has recently shown a tendency to rule in favor of religious liberty plaintiffs in cases such as 303 Creative v. Elenis, in which a graphic designer was allowed to refuse services for a same-sex wedding based on religious beliefs. In another high-profile case, a football coach who prayed at midfield after games was also supported by the Court, despite objections from the school district.The Maryland parents lawsuit represents the latest chapter in this ongoing legal and cultural battle. The outcome of the Supreme Court case could have significant implications not just for the state of Maryland, but for school districts across the country grappling with how to handle LGBTQ+ content in their classrooms.As the case moves forward, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court, which could set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the future, particularly as gender and sexuality education continues to evolve in U.S. public schools.This decision comes amid increasing pressure on educational institutions to address LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion, making the high courts involvement in this case particularly significant. It also highlights the deep divide in the country over the role of religion in public life and the extent to which parents should have control over what their children are taught in schools.The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case later this year.The post Supreme Court to Hear Case on Maryland Parents Right to Opt Out of LGBTQ+ Content in Schools appeared first on Gayety.

Sunma Piamboon, left, and her partner Danaya Phonphayung show their wedding rings in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)2025-01-23T01:07:08Z BANGKOK (AP) Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand are expected to make their wedded status legal Thursday, the first day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples.The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan and Nepal.Marriage registration is customarily done at district offices, but on Thursday, around 300 couples are expected to complete the formalities at a daylong gala celebration in an exhibition hall at a shopping mall in central Bangkok. Hundreds more are predicted to register in less fancy circumstances around the country.The marriage equality bill, which sailed through both houses of parliament, amended the Civil and Commercial Code to change the words men and women and husband and wife to individuals and marriage partners. It is supposed to open up access to full legal, financial and medical rights for LGBTQ+ couples. Partners will have equal rights and responsibilities in dealing with joint assets, tax obligations and deductions, inheritance rights and survivor benefits. Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity, and thousands of people from around the world attend the annual Bangkok Pride parade. But rights advocates have struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law in a largely conservative society where members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life, although they note that things have improved greatly in recent years. Couples interviewed earlier this month by The Associated Press expressed happiness with the new law, even those already settled in contented long-term relationships.The enforcement of the marriage equality law is proof that regardless of our gender, we all share the same basic human rights in every aspect under Thai law, said Kullayahnut Akkharasretthabudh, 38, a real estate owner whose partner is Juthatip Suttiwong, 24, a chef. It also paves the way for other countries in Asia, highlighting the importance of recognizing each others human values and enabling everyone to live. Patherine Khunnares, 37, a web designer, said she and researcher Vivian Chullamon, 36, have a supportive social circle, friends, and family who accept us for who we are and accept the person we love. Marriage, it seems, isnt everything that fulfills us emotionally..However, ultimately, we believe that as two human beings, we should be granted the same basic legal rights as heterosexual couples. We are a complete family in spirit, but legal recognition would alleviate our future anxieties. In the end, we arent asking for anything special we just want a simple, happy family life.Bangkoks city government has said that it organized workshops for staff of all its district offices who are in charge of handling marriage registration. They included lectures raising awareness about gender diversity and guidance on how to properly communicate with those who come for the service. The Interior Ministry has offered similar guidance.Its like a missing piece of the jigsaw, Bangkok Deputy Gov. Sanon Wangsrangboon said at one of the workshops earlier this month. Society is ready. The law is getting ready. But the last piece of the jigsaw is the understanding from officials.

Dogs are near a border wall separating Mexico from the United States Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)2025-01-22T17:34:21Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trumps return to Washington WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagon said Wednesday it has begun deploying 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the southern border, putting in motion plans President Donald Trump laid out in executive orders shortly after he took office to crack down on immigration.Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said the troops will fly helicopters to assist Border Patrol agents and help in the construction of barriers. The Pentagon also will provide military aircraft for Department of Homeland Security deportation flights for more than 5,000 detained migrants.The number of troops and their mission may soon change, Salesses said in a statement. This is just the beginning, he said. In short order, the department will develop and execute additional missions in cooperation with DHS, federal agencies, and state partners to address the full range of threats outlined by the President at our nations borders, Salesses said. Hundreds of immigrants rights supporters gathered in Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administrations mass deportation proposals. The LA United, Strong, Resilient vigil was organized by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), against a series of immigration-related Executive Orders. (AP Video by Eugene Garcia) Defense officials added that the department is prepared to provide many more troops if asked, including up to 2,000 more Marines.Officials said there was no plan now for the troops to do law enforcement, which would put them in a dramatically different role for the first time in decades. Any decision on this would be made by the White House, they said. The active duty forces will join the roughly 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces already there. Until this deployment, there were no active duty troops working along the roughly 2,000-mile border. A couple hundred troops started moving to the border earlier Wednesday, according to a senior military official. The military official and a defense official briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the deployment. The troops will include 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton in California, and the remainder will be Army. AP AUDIO: Pentagon is sending 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the US-Mexico border AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports officials say the Pentagon will start sending active-duty troops to help secure the southern border. The U.S. forces being used for the deportation flights are separate from the 1,500 deployed for the border mission. Those flights will involve four Air Force aircraft based in San Diego an El Paso, along with crews and maintenance personnel. Troops have done similar duties in support of Border Patrol agents in the past, when both Trump and former President Joe Biden sent active duty troops to the border.Troops are prohibited by law from doing law enforcement duties under the Posse Comitatus Act, but that may change. Trump has directed through executive order that the incoming secretary of defense and incoming homeland security chief report back within 90 days if they think an 1807 law called the Insurrection Act should be invoked. That would allow those troops to be used in civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil. The last time the act was invoked was in 1992 during rioting in Los Angeles in protest of the acquittal of four police officers charged with beating Rodney King.The widely expected deployment, coming in Trumps first week in office, was an early step in his long-touted plan to expand the use of the military along the border. In one of his first orders on Monday, Trump directed the defense secretary to come up with a plan to seal the borders and repel unlawful mass migration. This is something President Trump campaigned on, said Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary. The American people have been waiting for such a time as this -- for our Department of Defense to actually implement homeland security seriously. This is a No. 1 priority for the American people.On Tuesday, just as Trump fired the Coast Guard commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, the service announced it was surging more cutter ships, aircraft and personnel to the Gulf of America a nod to the presidents directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Trump said during his inaugural address on Monday that I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came. Military personnel have been sent to the border almost continuously since the 1990s to help address migration. drug trafficking and transnational crime. In executive orders signed Monday, Trump suggested the military would help the Department of Homeland Security with detention space, transportation (including aircraft), and other logistics services. There are about 20,000 Border Patrol agents, and while the southern border is where most are located, theyre also responsible for protecting the northern border with Canada. Usually agents are tasked with looking for drug smugglers or people trying to enter the country undetected.More recently, however, they have had to deal with migrants actively seeking out Border Patrol in order to get refuge in America taxing the agencys staff.In his first term, Trump ordered active duty troops to the border in response to a caravan of migrants slowly making its way through Mexico toward the United States in 2018. More than 7,000 active duty troops were sent to Texas, Arizona and California, including military police, an assault helicopter battalion, various communications, medical and headquarters units, combat engineers, planners and public affairs units. At the time, the Pentagon was adamant that active duty troops would not do law enforcement. So they spent much of their time transporting Border Patrol agents to and along the border, helping them erect additional vehicle barriers and fencing along the border, assisting them with communications and providing some security for border agent camps.The military also provided Border Patrol agents with medical care, pre-packaged meals and temporary housing.It also was not yet clear if the Trump administration will eventually order the military to use bases to house detained migrants. The defense officials said such a request has not been made as of yet.Bases previously have been used for that purpose, and after the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban, they were used to host thousands of Afghan evacuees. The facilities struggled to support the influx.In 2018, then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ordered Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, to prepare to house as many as 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children, but the additional space ultimately wasnt needed and Goodfellow was determined not to have the infrastructure necessary to support the surge.In March 2021, the Biden administration greenlighted using property at Fort Bliss, Texas, for a detention facility to provide beds for up to 10,000 unaccompanied migrant children as border crossings increased from Mexico. The facility, operated by DHS, was quickly overrun, with far too few case managers for the thousands of children that arrived, exposure to extreme weather and dust and unsanitary conditions, a 2022 inspector general report found.____Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report. TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-01-22T18:02:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold federal disaster aid for wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles unless California leaders change the states approach on its management of water.In a Fox News interview, Trump repeated false claims that the states fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. He says the blame for Los Angeles struggles to tame some of the deadly fires lies with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a political foe who has called for partnership and mutual respect as the state fights the blazes.I dont think we should give California anything until they let the water run down, Trump said. The president leveled the threat as he prepares for the first presidential trip of his second term. On Friday, he will visit Southern California in addition to western North Carolina, which is recovering after Hurricane Helene pummeled the area more than three months ago. Trump in the interview also called for reform of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, claiming it is getting in the way of everything. Id rather see the states take care of their own problems, he said. He did not elaborate on his proposed reforms, only saying that the agency is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly.In other developments for the new administration, Trump met Wednesday with a small contingent of the most politically endangered House Republicans as the party struggles to agree on a strategy for implementing the tax cuts and other priorities that it promised voters. The meeting happened as Trump tried to advance other priorities during the first week of his second term. Roughly 160 aides at the National Security Council were sent home while it is determined whether they align with Trumps agenda. The Pentagon has begun deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to support border security efforts. The American people have been waiting for such a time as this, said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, met with Senate Republicans to update them on plans for deportations and reinstating Title 42, a policy that was put in place during the coronavirus pandemic to stop border crossings.Although Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, they have only thin majorities on Capitol Hill, and there are disagreements on how to move forward with so many issues on the table.Trumps meeting unfolded amid a series of private listening sessions with House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose ability to unite his conference will be sorely tested in the weeks and months ahead. Trump has held his own dinners with Republican lawmakers at Mar-a-Lago, and hes preparing to address them next week at their private retreat in Doral, Florida, where the president owns a resort.Were working very closely in close coordination with the White House because this is an America First agenda that takes both of those branches of government to work in tandem, Johnson said Wednesday at a news conference. Trump on Wednesday also announced his picks for U.S. Secret Service director and European Union ambassador.Hes nominating former fast food executive Andrew Puzder to serve as his EU envoy and Secret Service veteran Sean Curran as his pick to head the U.S. Secret Service.Puzder, a former chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Carls Jr. and Hardees restaurants, was nominated by Trump to serve as labor secretary early in his first term, but abruptly withdrew his nomination after Senate Republicans balked at supporting him, in part over taxes he belatedly paid on a former housekeeper not authorized to work in the U.S. Puzder didnt pay taxes on the housekeeper until after Trump nominated him to the Cabinet post and five years after he had fired the worker.Curran was among the agents who rushed to Trumps aid after he was shot in the ear in a failed assassination attempt at a July campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He served as the assistant special agent in charge of the presidential protective division during Trumps first term. In a posting on Truth Social, Trump praised Curran for his fearless courage during the Pennsylvania assassination attempt.Sean has distinguished himself as a brilliant leader, who is capable of directing and leading operational security plans for some of the most complex Special Security Events in the History of our Country, and the World, Trump said.Trump in the Fox News interview also suggested he would like to see investigations into former President Joe Biden.Trump is the first president to be convicted of a felony in a case relating to business records of hush money payments and had faced criminal charges over his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.Its really hard to say that they shouldnt have to go through it also, he says.___Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report. 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

President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-23T05:06:51Z A federal judge in Seattle is set to hear the first arguments Thursday in a multi-state lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trumps executive order ending the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship regardless of the parents immigration status. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour scheduled the session to consider the request from Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. The case is one of five lawsuits being brought by 22 states and a number of immigrants rights groups across the country. The suits include personal testimonies from attorneys general who are U.S. citizens by birthright, and names pregnant women who are afraid their children wont become U.S. citizens. The order, signed by Trump on Inauguration Day, is slated to take effect on Feb. 19. It could impact hundreds of thousands of people born in the country, according to one of the lawsuits. In 2022, there were about 255,000 births of citizen children to mothers living in the country illegally and about 153,000 births to two such parents, according to the four-state suit filed in Seattle. The U.S. is among about 30 countries where birthright citizenship the principle of jus soli or right of the soil is applied. Most are in the Americas, and Canada and Mexico are among them. The lawsuits argue that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship for people born and naturalized in the U.S., and states have been interpreting the amendment that way for a century. Ratified in 1868 in the aftermath of the Civil War, the amendment says: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.Trumps order asserts that the children of noncitizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and orders federal agencies to not recognize citizenship for children who dont have at least one parent who is a citizen . A key case involving birthright citizenship unfolded in 1898. The Supreme Court held that Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrants, was a U.S. citizen because he was born in the country. After a trip abroad, he faced being denied reentry by the federal government on the grounds that he wasnt a citizen under the Chinese Exclusion Act.But some advocates of immigration restrictions have argued that case clearly applied to children born to parents who were both legal immigrants. They say its less clear whether it applies to children born to parents living in the country illegally.Trumps executive order prompted attorneys general to share their personal connections to birthright citizenship. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, for instance, a U.S. citizen by birthright and the nations first Chinese American elected attorney general, said the lawsuit was personal for him.There is no legitimate legal debate on this question. But the fact that Trump is dead wrong will not prevent him from inflicting serious harm right now on American families like my own, Tong said this week. One of the lawsuits aimed at blocking the executive order includes the case of a pregnant woman, identified as Carmen, who is not a citizen but has lived in the United States for more than 15 years and has a pending visa application that could lead to permanent residency status. Stripping children of the priceless treasure of citizenship is a grave injury, the suit says. It denies them the full membership in U.S. society to which they are entitled. MIKE CATALINI Catalini covers government, elections and news primarily in New Jersey for The Associated Press. He focuses on accountability and how policy affects people. twitter

This image released by the state-run Oman News Agency show the crew of the Galaxy Leader arriving in Muscat, Oman, after being released by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Oman News Agency via AP)2025-01-22T13:11:14Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Yemens Houthi rebels on Wednesday released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.The move by the Iranian-backed Houthis marks their latest effort to de-escalate their attacks following a ceasefire in Gaza. However, it came as U.S. President Donald Trump moved to reinstate a terrorism designation he made on the group late in his first term that had been revoked by President Joe Biden, potentially setting the stage for new tensions with the rebels.The Houthis said they released the sailors after mediation by Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula thats long been an interlocutor with the Houthis. A Royal Air Force of Oman jet took a flight to Yemen earlier Wednesday and took off again about an hour after the Houthi announcement with the crew, who smiled as they stepped off into freedom in Muscat. The Houthis also said Hamas separately requested the release of the ships crew of 25, who included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Houthis said in a statement on rebel-controlled SABA news agency.In the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the release of 17 Filipino crew members, describing the moment as an utmost joy. The Filipinos, who were in the custody of the Philippine Embassy in Muscat, Oman, would be flown home soon, Marcos said. Bulgarias Foreign Ministry confirmed the release of two Bulgarians identified by officials as the ships captain, Lyubomir Chanev, and assistant captain, Danail Veselinov. A government jet was on the way to Oman to bring the Bulgarians home, the ministry said.Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, called the crews release heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and separation that they and their families endured for more than a year.This is a step in the right direction, and I urge Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks, he added, using another name for the Houthis. Vessels link to Israeli billionaireThe Houthis said they hijacked the Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel. The attack launched the rebels campaign targeting ships in international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects them.A representative for the Galaxy Leaders owners had no comment on Wednesday. The Bahamas-flagged vessel is affiliated with an Israeli billionaire, Abraham Rami Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel.The Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader saw the rebels launch a helicopter-borne raid. Propaganda footage of the raid has been played constantly by the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the ship at one point. On Monday, the Houthis signaled they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed. However, it likely wont be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the route thats crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic through the region, cutting deeply into revenues for Egypt, which runs the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.The release of the vessels crew now may have been an effort to curry favor with the U.S., though the ship still remains moored off the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. This gesture by the Houthis may be intended as a goodwill measure towards the new Trump administration, said Yemen expert Mohammed al-Basha, of the Basha Report risk advisory firm.However, Trump signed an order urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reinstate a foreign terrorist organization designation on the Houthis. Rubio separately called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, who have led a coalition battling the Houthis since 2015. Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea, the White House said. Biden lifted the designation early in his term, citing the humanitarian threat that the sanctions posed to ordinary Yemenis and to back an de facto ceasefire that still broadly holds in Yemens war. Houthi attacks targeted over 100 commercial shipsThe Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, after Hamas surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. Israels military offensive has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up more than half the fatalities.The Houthis have sunk two vessels in their campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate U.S.- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.The rebels had maintained that they only targeted ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection, including some bound for Iran.The tempo of Houthi attacks has slowed in recent weeks, particularly involving ships at sea. That may be due in part to the U.S. airstrike campaign. The U.S. and its partners alone have struck the Houthis over 260 times, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.___Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding the southern border in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-23T06:05:46Z SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) President Donald Trumps inauguration-day executive orders and promises of mass deportations of millions and millions of people will hinge on securing money for detention centers.The Trump administration has not publicly said how many immigration detention beds it needs to achieve its goals, or what the cost will be. However, an estimated 11.7 million people are living in the U.S. illegally, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement currently has the budget to detain only about 41,000 people. The government would need additional space to hold people while they are processed and arrangements are made to remove them, sometimes by plane. The Department of Homeland Security estimates the daily cost for a bed for one adult is about $165. Just one piece of Trumps plan, a bill known as the Laken Riley Act that Congress has passed, would require at least $26.9 billion to ramp up capacity at immigrant detention facilities to add 110,000 beds, according to a recent memo from DHS. That bill named after a Georgia nursing student whose murder by a Venezuelan man last year became a rallying cry for Trumps White House campaign expands requirements for immigration authorities to detain anyone in the country illegally who is accused of theft and violent crimes. Trump also is deploying troops to try and stop all illegal entry at the southern U.S. border. He triggered the Alien Enemies Act to combat cartels. The rarely used 1798 law allows the president to deport anyone who is not a U.S. citizen and is from a country with which there is a declared war or a threatened or attempted invasion or predatory incursion.Detention infrastructure also will be stretched by Trumps ban of a practice known as catch and release that allows some migrants to live in the U.S. while awaiting immigration court proceedings, in favor of detention and deportation. ICE uses facilities around the U.S. to hold immigrantsICE currently detains immigrants at its processing centers and at privately operated detention facilities, along with local prisons and jails under contracts that can involve state and city governments. It has zero facilities geared toward detention of immigrant families, who account for roughly one-third of arrivals on the southern U.S. border.Theres a limitation on the number of beds available to ICE, said John Sandweg, who was acting director of ICE under President Barack Obama. There are only so many local jails you contract with, private vendors who have available beds. And if the administration wants to make a major uptick in detention capacity, thats going to require the construction of some new facilities.Trumps declaration of a national emergency at the U.S. border with Mexico leverages the U.S. military to shore up mass deportations and provide appropriate detention space. The Pentagon also might provide air transportation support to DHS.Private investors are betting on a building boom, driving up stock prices at the top two immigration detention providers Florida-based GEO Group and Tennessee-based CoreCivic.A fast-track budgeting maneuver in Congress called reconciliation could provide more detention funding as soon as April. At the same time, the Texas state land commissioner has offered the federal government a parcel of rural ranchland along the U.S.-Mexico border for deportation facilities. Where could ICE add detention space?The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that ICE is considering an expansion of immigrant detention space across at least eight states, in locations ranging from Leavenworth, Kansas, to the outskirts of major immigrant populations in New York City and San Francisco, said Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney for the group and its National Prison Project.The ACLU sued for access to correspondence from private detention providers after ICE solicited feedback last year on a potential expansion. Related emails from detention providers suggest the possible redeployment of a tent facility at Carrizo Springs, Texas, previously used to detain immigrant children, and the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas one of two major immigrant family detention centers that the Biden administration phased out in 2021. Under the Trump administration, Homeland Security will be working to try to detain everyone that it possibly can and also expand its detention capacity footprint well beyond what is currently available in the United States at this point, Cho said.Cho added that Congress ultimately holds the purse strings for immigrant detention infrastructure and that the Pentagons involvement under Trumps emergency edict warrants a debate.How does this detract from our own militarys readiness? she said. Does the military actually have the capacity to provide appropriate facilities for detention of immigrants? Using the militaryAdvocates for immigrant rights are warning against a hyper-militarized police state that could vastly expand the worlds largest detention system for migrants. Immigrant detention facilities overseen by ICE have struggled broadly to comply with some federal standards for care, hindering safety for staff and detainees, a Homeland Security Department inspector general found during 17 unannounced inspections from 2020-2023.During Trumps first administration, he authorized the use of military bases to detain immigrant children -- including Army installations at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Goodfellow Air Force Base. In 2014, Obama temporarily relied on military bases to detain immigrant children while ramping up privately operated family detention centers to hold many of the tens of thousands of Central American families caught crossing the border illegally.U.S. military bases have been used repeatedly since the 1970s to accommodate the resettlement of waves of immigrants fleeing Vietnam, Cuba, Haiti, Kosovo and Afghanistan.___Groves reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

A student walks from the Antioch High School after a shooting in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)2025-01-23T06:15:44Z NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A shooting in a Nashville high school cafeteria Wednesday left a female student dead and another student wounded, nearly two years after another deadly school shooting in the city that ignited an emotional debate about gun control in Tennessee. The 17-year-old shooter, who was also a student at Antioch High School, later shot and killed himself with a handgun, Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news conference. Police identified him as Solomon Henderson.Police Chief John Drake said the shooter confronted student Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, in the cafeteria and opened fire, killing her. The wounded student was grazed by a bullet. He was treated and released from the hospital, Drake said. Another student was taken to a hospital for treatment of a facial injury that happened during a fall, Aaron said. Metro Nashville Police, federal and state agencies are examining very concerning online writings and social media posts connected to 17-year-old Solomon Henderson as they work to establish a motive, police said in a statement Wednesday evening. Investigators at this point have not established a connection between Henderson and the victims, and police said the gunfire may have been random, according to the statement.Two school resource officers were in the building when the shooting happened around 11 a.m., Aaron said. They were not in the immediate vicinity of the cafeteria and by the time they got down there the shooting was over and the gunman had killed himself, Aaron said. The school has about 2,000 students and is in Antioch, a neighborhood about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of downtown Nashville. At a family safety center close to a hospital, officials helped shocked parents reunite with their children. Dajuan Bernard was waiting at a Mapco service station to reunite with his son, a 10th grader, who was being held in the auditorium with other students Wednesday afternoon. He first heard of the shooting from his son, who was a little startled, Bernard said. His son was upstairs from the cafeteria but said he heard the gunfire. He was OK and let me know that everything was OK, Bernard said.This world is so crazy, it could happen anywhere, he said. Weve just got to protect the kids, and raise the kids right to prevent them from even doing this. Thats the hardest part.Fonda Abner said her granddaughter had called her a couple of times but that she only heard commotion and thought it was a pocket dial. They spoke briefly before being cut off.Its nerve-racking waiting out here, Abner said. United Family Fellowship, a church in Antioch, was hosting a vigil Wednesday night for anyone in the community who needs a space to pray, process, and find comfort, the church said on Facebook. Adrienne Battle, superintendent of Nashville schools, said earlier Wednesday that public schools have implemented a range of safety measures, including partnerships with police for school resource officers, security cameras with weapon-detection software, shatter-resistant film for glass, and security vestibules that are a barrier between outside visitors and the main entrance. Unfortunately, these measures were not enough to stop this tragedy, Battle said.She said there are questions about whether stationary metal detectors should be considered.While past research has shown they have had limitations and unintended consequences, we will continue to explore emerging technologies and strategies to strengthen school safety, Battle said.In October, a 16-year-old Antioch High School student was arrested after school resource officers and school officials discovered through social media that he had taken a gun to school the day prior. When he was stopped the following morning, officials found a loaded gun in his pants, police said.Wednesdays school shooting comes nearly two years after a shooter opened fire at a separate Nashville private elementary school and killed six people, including three children. The tragedy prompted a monthslong effort among hundreds of community organizers, families, protesters and others pleading with lawmakers to consider passing gun control measures.GOP lawmakers in the Republican-dominant state refused to do so. With the Republican supermajority intact after Novembers election, its unlikely attitudes have changed enough to consider any meaningful bills that would address gun control.Instead, lawmakers have been more open to adding more security to schools including passing a bill last year that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on public school grounds, and bar parents and other teachers from knowing who was armed.Antioch, a growing and diverse area of Nashville, has endured other prominent shootings in recent years. A 2017 fatal shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ killed one woman and wounded seven people. And in 2018, a shooter killed four people at a Waffle House. State Rep. Shaundelle Brooks ran for office in large part due to her sons death in the Waffle House shooting and was elected last year after the Covenant shooting. She said the Antioch High shooting reinforces the need for gun control reforms. We must do better, she said.Ever since I lost my son, Akilah, in a mass shooting in 2018, I have been fighting to ensure this never happens again, the Nashville Democrat said in a statement. Here we are almost 7 years later, and our communities are still being impacted by gun violence.Samantha Dickerson had taken her 14-year-old sons phone away as a punishment, so when she got a message from his school about the shooting, she had no way to reach him.I was nervous, she said. I really was about to break down.After about three hours of waiting, she finally got a call from his English teacher and spoke with her son.When I heard his voice, I just broke down and started crying, she said.___Associated Press writers Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, contributed. KRISTIN M. HALL Hall is an Associated Press video journalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She helps lead the video report in the Mid-South region.

Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as he shows recovered metal items found with his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2025-01-23T05:04:29Z LOS ANGELES (AP) California Republicans are pushing back against suggestions by President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans that federal disaster aid for victims of wildfires that ravaged Southern California should come with strings attached, possibly jeopardizing the presidents policy agenda in a deeply divided Congress at the outset of his second term.With Trump planning to visit the fire-ravaged state this week, resistance from even a few House members to his efforts to put conditions on disaster aid could further complicate an already fraught relationship between reliably liberal California and the second Trump administration. Several Republicans who narrowly won California House seats in November have expressed dismay that the state relief could be hitched to demands in exchange for helping the thousands of Californians in their districts still reeling from this months disaster. Playing politics with peoples livelihoods is unacceptable and a slap in the face to the Southern California wildfire victims and to our brave first responders, Republican Rep. Young Kim, whose closely divided district is anchored in fire-prone Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles, said in a statement. In an interview aired Wednesday night, Trump said he may withhold aid to California until the state adjusts how it manages its scarce water resources. He falsely claimed that Californias fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. I dont think we should give California anything until they let the water run down, Trump told Fox News Sean Hannity.Local officials have said the conservation efforts for the delta smelt had nothing to do with the hydrants running dry as firefighters tried to contain blazes around Los Angeles. They said intense demand on a municipal system not designed to battle such blazes was to blame. The wind-driven firestorms wiped out whole neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, left thousands homeless and killed more than two dozen people. Trump said earlier this week that discussions are underway in the White House to bring more water to perennially parched Los Angeles, alluding to rainfall runoff lost to the Pacific and the states vast water storage and delivery system.Los Angeles has massive amounts of water available to it. All they have to do is turn the valve, the president said.California has long been a favorite target of Trump, who also referred to the fires in his inaugural address Monday. In LA, he said, we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense.Thats going to change.Trump has made no mention of the multinational firefighting force deployed to contend with multiple blazes. Firefighters were gaining ground on the two major fires Wednesday when a third blaze broke out north of Los Angeles and quickly burned through hundreds of acres of dry brush. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican echoing Trumps complaints, has said there are serious problems in how the state is managed. Those include insufficient funding for forestry programs and water storage. He also noted the public dispute between the LA fire chief and City Hall over budget cuts. Johnson said Wednesday that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not prepare the state or the city for what was to come. He particularly cited a 117-million-gallon reservoir left unfilled for nearly a year. Newsom has called for an independent investigation of the reservoir.Bass didnt directly respond to a question about possible conditions on disaster aid, saying in a statement: Our work with our federal partners will be based on direct conversations with them about how we can work together.Some Republicans have suggested that the congressional relief package could become entangled with efforts to raise the nations debt limit and with the House so closely divided, even a few breakaway votes from either party could alter the outcome. That leaves GOP lawmakers from California in a political quandary: whether to forcefully stand up for their home state, often pilloried by the GOP as representing all that is wrong with America, while Republicans in Congress are eager to show a unified front and parlay their November election wins into what Trump has called a new golden age for the nation. Several California representatives agreed that the federal government must guard against the misuse of funds but argued that the money should not be held up or saddled with restrictions not placed on other states after tornadoes and hurricanes. The dilemma played out in social media posts by Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, who narrowly prevailed in November in his swing district east of Los Angeles.Californians are entitled to receive federal disaster assistance in the same manner as all Americans, he wrote on X. But, he quickly added, Some federal policy changes may be needed to expedite rebuilding as well as improve future wildfire prevention. Those kind of policies are not conditions. Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, whose sprawling district runs from east of Sacramento south to Death Valley, told KCRA-TV in Sacramento last week that Johnsons use of the word conditions was not especially helpful. Speaking at the Capitol Wednesday, he said there is a lot of ambiguity about what constitutes conditions for disaster aid. He said his focus is to make sure the money doesnt get wasted through government inefficiency.We want to make sure the money actually gets to the victims and they can use it to rebuild their homes and to recover, Kiley said.Politicians in Washington have feuded for years over how to restrain the growing wildfire threat across the West. Republicans have long complained that inadequate land management practices have exacerbated damage from wildfires, while Democrats have emphasized the role of climate change and the failure of the federal government to address it.About the only thing they agree on is that the problem persists.Some lawmakers have noted that disaster aid over the years for Johnsons home state of Louisiana did not come with conditions. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called the idea a non-starter.Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, whose largely rural district runs from the Sacramento area north to the Oregon border, said he wasnt too concerned about talk of conditions.Everything has conditions, especially the way California wastes money, LaMalfa said. We want to help people and we want to help with that, like weve helped with others. But California is very, very irresponsible.Trump plans to visit the state to see the damage firsthand on Friday. Newsom hasnt said publicly if hell accompany him on his tour.With the fragile GOP majority in the House there are 219 Republicans, 214 Democrats and one vacancy Johnson cannot afford defections on any vote. And it could be several weeks before a fuller accounting of the states recovery needs is ready and a formal request submitted to the White House. Following major natural disasters, the president typically makes supplemental spending requests, as happened after hurricanes Helene and Milton. Congress also could provide more disaster aid to California through legislation. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said he would work to include disaster aid in a filibuster-proof bill Republicans hope to craft this year that would pay for some of Trumps top policy priorities.Newsom urged Johnson and other congressional leaders to quickly approve assistance for the state, where fires are still burning and strong winds continue to threaten new ones. In an email to supporters from his campaign committee, he warned that Republicans are holding federal aid hostage and said Democrats might be able to peel off a handful of GOP votes to push through an aid package.In times of natural disaster from Hurricane Katrina to Hurricane Helene Americans have always stood together, setting aside politics to extend a helping hand to those in need, the governor wrote. Historically, federal disaster aid has been provided without conditions. ___Freking reported from Washington. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

County Sheriff officers return to their vehicle after monitoring flames caused by the Hughes Fire along a roadside in Castaic, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)2025-01-23T06:24:53Z CASTAIC, Calif. (AP) Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning and in less than a day had charred nearly 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) of trees and brush near Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week.Though the region was under a red flag warning for critical fire risk, winds were not as fast as they had been when those fires broke out, allowing for firefighting aircraft to dump tens of thousands of gallons of fire retardant on the latest blaze. By Wednesday night, about 14% of the Hughes Fire had been contained. The situation that were in today is very different from the situation we were in 16 days ago, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday evening.Red flag warnings were extended through 10 a.m. Friday in LA and Ventura counties. Officials remained concerned that the Palisades and Eaton fires could break their containment lines as firefighters continue watching for hot spots. More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from the Hughes Fire, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. There were no reports of homes or other structures burned. Parts of Interstate 5 near the Hughes Fire that had been closed reopened Wednesday evening.A 30-mile (48-kilometer) stretch of the major north-south artery had been closed for emergency vehicles, to move equipment and to prevent accidents due to smoke billowing across it. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft tried to prevent the wind-driven fire from moving across the interstate and toward Castaic. Marrone said that because winds were not as strong as they were two weeks ago, aircraft crews were able to drop fire retardant on the south side of the fire, where the flames were moving, he said. More than 4,000 firefighters were assigned to the fire, he said.Winds in the area were gusting at 42 mph (67 kph) in the afternoon. They had reached as high as 65 mph (105 KPH) in some mountain pockets by Wednesday night, according David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.Kayla Amara drove to Castaics Stonegate neighborhood to collect items from the home of a friend who had rushed to pick up her daughter at preschool. As Amara was packing the car, she learned the fire had exploded in size and decided to hose down the property.Other people are hosing down their houses, too. I hope theres a house here to return to, Amara said as police cars raced through the streets and flames engulfed trees on a hillside in the distance.Amara, a nurse who lives in nearby Valencia, said shes been on edge for weeks as major blazes devastated Southern California. Its been stressful with those other fires, but now that this one is close to home its just super stressful, she said. To the south, Los Angeles officials began to prepare for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday and precipitation was possible starting Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday morning news conference.Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass 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. LA County public health director Barbara Ferrer cautioned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials. Even a brief exposure can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems, Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning up.The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued battling 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 70%, and the Eaton Fire was at 95%.Luna said Wednesday that his department was still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All of those reported missing are adults, he said.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 Edisons 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. ___Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Ethan Swope in Castaic, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.

The water in the Gulf of Mexico appears bluer than usual off of East Beach, Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Galveston, Texas. (Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)2025-01-23T06:38:37Z Whats in a name change, after all?The water bordered by the Southern United States, Mexico and Cuba will be critical to shipping lanes and vacationers whether its called the Gulf of Mexico, as it has been for four centuries, or the Gulf of America, as President Donald Trump ordered this week. North Americas highest mountain peak will still loom above Alaska whether its called Mt. Denali, as ordered by former President Barack Obama in 2015, or changed back to Mt. McKinley as Trump also decreed.But Trumps territorial assertions, in line with his America First worldview, sparked a round of rethinking by mapmakers and teachers, snark on social media and sarcasm by at least one other world leader. And though Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put the Trumpian Gulf of America on an official document and some other gulf-adjacent states were considering doing the same, it was not clear how many others would follow Trumps lead. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum joked that if Trump went ahead with the renaming, her country would rename North America Mexican America. On Tuesday, she toned it down: For us and for the entire world it will continue to be called the Gulf of Mexico. The politics of maps are undeniableMap lines are inherently political. After all, theyre representations of the places that are important to human beings and those priorities can be delicate and contentious, even more so in a globalized world. Theres no agreed-upon scheme to name boundaries and features across the Earth.Denali is the mountains preferred name for Alaska Natives, while McKinley is a tribute to President William McKinley, designated in the late 19th century by a gold prospector. China sees Taiwan as its own territory, and the countries surrounding what the United States calls the South China Sea have multiple names for the same body of water. The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of Gulf and Arabian Gulf is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran formerly Persia threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the companys decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps. Many Arab countries dont recognize Israel and instead call it Palestine. And in many official releases, Israel calls the occupied West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria. Americans and Mexicans diverge on what to call another key body of water, the river that forms the border between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Americans call it the Rio Grande; Mexicans call it the Rio Bravo.Trumps executive order titled Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness concludes thusly: It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes. The naming of our national treasures, including breathtaking natural wonders and historic works of art, should honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans in our Nations rich past. But what to call the gulf with the 3,700-mile coastline? It is, I suppose, an internationally recognized sea, but (to be honest), a situation like this has never come up before so I need to confirm the appropriate convention, said Peter Bellerby, who said he was talking over the issue with the cartographers at his London company, Bellerby & Co. Globemakers. If, for instance, he wanted to change the Atlantic Ocean to the American Ocean, we would probably just ignore it.For some, its decision timeAs of Wednesday night, map applications for Google and Apple still called the mountain and the gulf by their old names. Spokespersons for those platforms did not immediately respond to emailed questions.A spokesperson for National Geographic, one of the most prominent map makers in the U.S., said this week that the company does not comment on individual cases and referred questions to a statement on its web site, which reads in part that it strives to be apolitical, to consult multiple authoritative sources, and to make independent decisions based on extensive research. National Geographic also has a policy of including explanatory notes for place names in dispute, citing as an example a body of water between Japan and the Korean peninsula, referred to as the Sea of Japan by the Japanese and the East Sea by Koreans. In discussion on social media, one thread noted that the Sears Tower in Chicago was renamed the Willis Tower in 2009, though its still commonly known by its original moniker. Pennsylvanias capital, Harrisburg, renamed its Market Street to Martin Luther King Boulevard and then switched back to Market Street several years later with loud complaints both times. In 2017, New Yorks Tappan Zee Bridge was renamed for the late Gov. Mario Cuomo to great controversy. The new name appears on maps, but no one calls it that, noted another user. Are we going to start teaching this as the name of the body of water? asked one Reddit poster on Tuesday.I guess you can tell students that SOME PEOPLE want to rename this body of water the Gulf of America, but everyone else in the world calls it the Gulf of Mexico, came one answer. Cover all your bases they know the reality-based name, but also the wannabe name as well.Wrote another user: Ill call it the Gulf of America when Im forced to call the Tappan Zee the Mario Cuomo Bridge, which is to say never. LAURIE KELLMAN Kellman has covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs for the Associated Press, including 23 years reporting from Washington and three from Jerusalem. She is based in London. twitter facebook mailto

Humanitarian aid trucks enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-01-23T06:48:02Z Israeli forces have killed two Palestinian militants who carried out a deadly attack on a bus in the West Bank earlier this month.The Israeli military said Thursday that the two men barricaded themselves in a structure in the West Bank village of Burqin and exchanged fire with Israeli troops before they were killed overnight. The army said a soldier was moderately wounded.The military said Mohammed Nazzal and Katiba al-Shalabi were operatives with the Islamic Jihad militant group.The Hamas militant group released a statement claiming the two men were members of its armed wing and praising the bus attack. Hamas and the smaller and more radical Islamic Jihad are allies that sometimes carry out attacks together.The Jan. 6 attack on the bus carrying Israelis killed three people and wounded six others.Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state. ___Heres the latest: Al Jazeera says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reportersThe Al Jazeera news network says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters after preventing him from covering an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank.The Qatar-based news network reported Thursday that its reporter, Mohammed al-Atrash, was arrested from his home.It said Palestinian security forces had earlier prevented him from reporting on a large Israeli military operation in Jenin, an epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian violence in recent years. The Palestinian Authority launched its own crackdown on militants in the city late last year. There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority.Both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority banned Al Jazeera last year. Israel accuses it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas over its coverage of the war in the Gaza Strip and says some of its reporters are also militants.The pan-Arab broadcaster has rejected the allegations and accused both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of trying to silence critical coverage.The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters. It is unpopular among Palestinians, with critics portraying it as a corrupt and authoritarian ally of Israel. Israels Netanyahu will probably visit Trump in the next few weeks, official saysUNITED NATIONS Israels ambassador to the United Nations believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington to meet President Donald Trump in a few weeks.Danny Danon told reporters Wednesday: Im sure he would be one of the first foreign leaders invited to the White House.Danon said he expects their discussions to include the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages taken during Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Switzerland's Defense Minister Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, right, shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, prior to a bilateral meeting on the sideline of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)2025-01-23T08:28:49Z BRUSSELS (AP) NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned on Thursday that a Russian victory over Ukraine would undermine the dissuasive force of the worlds biggest military alliance and that its credibility could cost trillions to restore.NATO has been ramping up its forces along its eastern flank with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, deploying thousands of troops and equipment to deter Moscow from expanding its war into the territory of any of the organizations 32 member countries.If Ukraine loses then to restore the deterrence of the rest of NATO again, it will be a much, much higher price than what we are contemplating at this moment in terms of ramping up our spending and ramping up our industrial production, Rutte said.It will not be billions extra; it will be trillions extra, he said, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Rutte insisted that Ukraines Western backers must step up and not scale back the support they are providing to the country, almost three years after Russias full-fledged invasion began.We have to change the trajectory of the war, Rutte said, adding that the West cannot allow in the 21st century that one country invades another country and tries to colonize it. We are beyond those days, he said.Anxiety in Europe is mounting that U.S. President Donald Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavorable to Ukraine, but Rutte appeared wary about trying to do things in a hurry. If we got a bad deal, it would only mean that we will see the president of Russia high-fiving with the leaders from North Korea, Iran and China and we cannot accept that, the former Dutch prime minister said. That would be geopolitically a big, big mistake.Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed Trumps acknowledgement that it must be Russia which should make the first peace moves, but he cautioned that this is not the Putin that President Trump knew in his first term. On Wednesday, Trump threatened to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Moscow if an agreement isnt reached to end the war, but that warning will probably fall on deaf ears in the Kremlin. Russias economy is already weighed down by a multitude of U.S. and European sanctions.Sikorksi warned that Putin should not be put at the center of the world stage over Ukraine.The president of the United States is the leader of the free world. Vladimir Putin is an outcast and an indicted war criminal for stealing Ukrainian children, Sikorski said.I would suggest that Putin has to earn the summit, that if he gets it early, it elevates him beyond his, significance and gives him the wrong idea about the trajectory of this, he said.

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)2025-01-23T04:49:22Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korean investigators asked prosecutors to indict the countrys detained President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law last month, as it accused him of rebellion, abuse of power and obstruction of parliament on Thursday.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said that Yoon staged a riot and sought to undermine the constitution when he declared martial law on Dec. 3 and sent troops and police officers to seal the National Assembly.Lee Jae-seung, deputy chief prosecutor at the CIO, told a televised briefing that Yoon also abused his power by mobilizing troops for an illegitimate purpose and attempted to obstruct parliaments right to vote on ending martial law. Despite the presence of armed troops, lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber and called for an end to the emergency decree in a unianimous vote. The assembly later impeached Yoon, suspending his presidential powers, and the Constitutional Court is now deliberating to determine whether to formally throw Yoon out of office or reinstate him. Yoon has steadfastly maintained that his actions were intended to issue a warning to the opposition-controlled parliament over its obstruction of his agenda, rather than to disrupt its work. The Corruption Investigation Office has been leading a probe into Yoon with police and military authorities, and detained him last week. As you know, despite facing a nationally grave allegation as ringleader of a rebellion, the suspect has been constantly maintaining uncooperative stance and defying criminal judicial proceedings, Lee said.Yoon rebuffed efforts to question him for weeks and used the presidential security service to repel a first attempt to detain him.Yoon argues that the investigation and his detention are illegal. Yoons defense team issued a statement accusing the CIO of humiliating Yoon by trying to pressure him to speak to investigators and abusing his human rights by preventing him from contacting family members. Yoon has refused to participate in questioning since being detained, citing his right to remain silent. Appearing at a Constitutional Court hearing for the first time on Tuesday, Yoon denied that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly to prevent them from voting. Commanders of military units that were sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to pull lawmakers out.Yoons martial law decree has shaken South Korean politics and financial markets and hurt its international image. Yoons subsequent defiance and the oppositions push to oust him have also intensified South Koreas already-serious internal divide. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

Subscribe nowIt has been less than 72 hours since President Donald Trumps inauguration, and here are a few verbatim excerpts from executive orders he has already signed:It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable. Sex shall refer to an individuals immutable biological classification as either male or female.Each agency, department, or commission head shall terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and environmental justice offices and positions.Federal agencies, within 120 days, must eliminate documents such as The White House Toolkit on Transgender Equality, the U.S. Department of Education Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students, and Supporting Transgender Youth in School.The following executive actions are hereby revoked: Executive Order 14075 of June 15, 2022 (Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals).Many folks in the LGBTQ community are struggling and scared. In the eyes of the federal government, trans people no longer exist. For the people reading this who dont identify as trans, imagine a similar rule was implemented for you because of, say, your sexual orientation, your race, or any other unchangeable characteristic like the color of your eyes. Its unacceptable and every American should be outraged. This week, Im reminded of how critical it is not to kowtow to any politician or administration (something I believe much of the mainstream media fails to do). Im grateful we are operating as a nonprofit newsroom that has the privilege of not needing massive numbers to stay afloat. We are committed to covering this administration with rigor and depth. I think playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppards quote about the importance of journalism is particularly salient at this moment:"I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon."Donate to support our workOn Day One, Trump Pits His Administration Against Transgender People (The 19th) His administration will likely run into legal trouble as it implements policies on federal identity documents and housing in federal prisons.Bishop Asks Trump to Have Mercy on Immigrants and Gay Children (The New York Times) The direct appeal to President Trump on the first full day of his term was a remarkable moment at a National Cathedral event that traditionally has not been political.Trump signs executive orders proclaiming there are only two biological sexes, halting diversity programs (NBC)White House officials grouped both orders under the Trump administrations wider restoring sanity agenda.Layoffs loom as Trump administration orders federal DEI workers on leave (Washington Post) Employees of diversity, equity and inclusion programs were placed on administrative leave by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Agencies were told to make plans for layoffs.ICYMI, I went live on Substack with transgender activist and military veteran Alaina Kupec, who founded GRACE, a new trans advocacy organization. Kupec shared with us her perspective on the new administration, how she is coping, and what we can all do to stay engaged. Watch the full interview here: This weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting: I interview Peter Boykin, a politician and the Founder of Gays for Trump, an LGBTQ-focused organization that champions President Trumps work for the community and beyond. Boykin talks about infighting among LGBTQ Trump supporters, what he thinks Trump has done well for the community, and where he thinks the President can do better. Now that Trump is officially back in the White House, where do his key nominees and administration members stand on LGBTQ issues? We have complete track records for Kristi Noem, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr., Scott Bessent, Pam Bondi, Linda McMahon and Susie Wiles. Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints, tips, and story ideas! Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chiefspencer@unclosetedmedia.comIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-22T22:05:23Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps sweeping orders to end the governments diversity, equity and inclusion effort mark a sea change for the country, unwinding decades-long priorities for the nations largest employer the federal government and broader efforts to push the private sector to ensure its workforce is diverse and inclusive too.Trump, only days into his second term as president, has shown with his wide-reaching moves that hes willing to use all the levers of the government to fulfill a longstanding campaign promise and bring about a profound cultural shift across the U.S. from promoting diversity to an exclusive focus on merit. Hours after taking the oath of office, the president signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, which he and conservatives have long condemned as discriminatory. His administration then moved Tuesday to end affirmative action in federal contracting a move first required by President Lyndon Johnson and ordered all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually laid off. The effort escalates a push Trump made in his last term as president and relies on the very same tools his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, used to try to promote DEI programs across American life by embedding the priority into rules for federal contractors and grant recipients. Biden and his supporters cast DEI efforts as a way to ensure that historically marginalized communities are included and represented. Trump has branded the programs discrimination and said he wants to restore merit-based hiring.Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the government already hires and promotes exclusively based on merit.The results are clear: a diverse federal workforce that looks like the nation it serves, with the lowest gender and racial pay gaps in the country. We should all be proud of that, Kelley said in a statement. Kelley called Trumps actions a smokescreen for firing civil servants, undermining the apolitical civil service, and turning the federal government into an army of yes-men loyal only to the president, not the Constitution.The Trump order directs federal agencies to develop plans to deter DEI programs in the private sector and at universities and list potential civil compliance investigations that could be launched to bring about that aim. Its a marked attempt to chill DEI initiatives across the country, placing them in the crosshairs of the federal government such that even if conducted lawfully, private employers may be forced to respond to federal probes.Shifting federal priorities between administrations of different political parties is nothing new. But the scale and speed of the countrys onetime embrace of DEI programs and Trumps systematic effort to root them out is dizzying.At the end of Trumps first term, the Republican sought to ban federal agency contractors and recipients of federal funds from carrying out corporate diversity initiatives. Biden rescinded that order on his first day as president and issued two executive orders aiming to stitch throughout the government and the workforce at large a sensitivity about bias and discrimination. I cannot describe to you how influential that executive order was. It really dictated the four years of the Biden administration, said Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation whose writings have included a focus on DEI programs. The first thing Trump does is rescind that executive order.Gonzalez said the breadth of Trumps actions and the fact that they came so quickly was a pretty sweeping statement. Gonzalez said DEI programs adopted across American society, from the federal government to private corporations, are dangerous, demeaning and immoral, and violate the Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendments guarantees of equal protection under the law.He called Bidens actions on DEI very misguided and regrettable. We have gone down that path before as a society, he said. We decided this was something we did not want to do, to promote or hire on the basis of race.Most Americans agree that being white and a man helps peoples ability to get ahead in the U.S. today, and that being Black hurts peoples ability to get ahead, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in 2023. Theyre also more likely to say that being a woman, Hispanic or Asian is more harmful than helpful.But another Pew Research Center poll from 2024 found that U.S. adults are more split on the extent to which white people benefit from advantages that Black people dont have, or if women still face obstacles that make it harder for them to get ahead than men.And there are indications that Trumps supporters are particularly concerned about gains for groups like women and racial minorities coming at the expense of others. According to AP VoteCast, relatively few voters in the 2024 election overall about 3 in 10 -- said they were very or somewhat concerned that U.S. society has focused too much on gains for women at the expense of men, but Trumps supporters were more divided. A majority were not too concerned or not at all concerned about gains for women coming at the expense of men, but about 4 in 10 said they were at least somewhat concerned. Even before Trumps actions, a backlash to DEI programs has been already underway in corporate America. Dozens of prominent companies started to roll back, or even eliminate, their DEI commitments in the wake of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling eliminating affirmative action at universities, a decision that unleashed a flood of conservative-backed lawsuits against diversity efforts in the corporate world. The trend accelerated sharply after Trumps election as companies anticipated his aggressive orders to dismantle DEI.Walmart, for instance, announced in November that it would no longer consider race and gender when offering supplier contracts, a decision that mirrors reforms the Trump administration will pursue with federal contracts. Already, conservative lawsuits have successfully forced some government agencies to stop considering race when awarding government contracting and financing. Facebook owner META, McDonalds and Boeing are among other companies that have dropped DEI commitments in response to the changing legal landscape and the change of government.However, many of the countrys top companies have stuck by their DEI policies, including some with government contracts such as tech giant Microsoft and global consulting firm Accenture. ___Associated Press writers Amelia Thomson-Deveaux in Washington and Alexandra Olson in New York contributed to this report. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price is a national political reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto

Aryna Sabalenka, right, of Belarus is congratulated by Paula Badosa of Spain following during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)2025-01-23T10:18:47Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Aryna Sabalenka moved one win away from becoming the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, recovering from a slow start to beat good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 Thursday night and return to the final.I have goosebumps. Im so proud of myself. Im proud of my team that we were able to put ourselves in such a situation, said the No. 1-seeded Sabalenka, who will face No. 2 Iga Swiatek or No. 19 Madison Keys for the championship. If Ill be able to put myself in the history (books), its going to mean a lot. Its going to mean the world to me.Just 10 minutes into her semifinal, Sabalenka was down a break and trailed 2-0, 40-love. She was making unforced errors, shaking her head or gesturing toward her entourage in the stands after many. But the 26-year-old from Belarus quickly figured things out, especially once Rod Laver Arenas retractable roof was shut late in the first set because of a drizzle. She straightened her strokes, frequently using huge returns and groundstrokes to overpower the 11th-seeded Badosa, who had eliminated No. 3 Coco Gauff on Tuesday to reach her first major semifinal. Sabalenka grabbed four games in a row and five of six to lead 5-3 and soon was ending that set with a 114 mph (184 kph) ace. She broke to lead 2-1 in the second set helped by two double-faults by Badosa and again to go up 4-1. The key statistic: Sabalenka finished with a 32-11 advantage in winners. Thats the sort of excellence that helped Sabalenka win her first major trophy at Melbourne Park in 2023, and she since has added two more in Australia a year ago and at the U.S. Open last September. The last woman to reach three finals in a row at the years first Grand Slam tournament was Serena Williams, who won two from 2015-17. Martina Hingis was the most recent woman with a threepeat, doing it from 1997-1999. Thursday nights second match featured Swiatek against Keys. Swiatek is a five-time major champion who entered the semifinals having dropped a total of just 14 games through five matches as she bids to reach the final at Melbourne Park for the first time. Keys went in on a 10-match winning streak, including taking the title at a tuneup event in Adelaide, and was hoping to reach her second Grand Slam title match after finishing as the runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open.The mens semifinals are Friday: Novak Djokovic vs. Alexander Zverev, followed by defending champion Jannik Sinner vs. Ben Shelton.The womens final is Saturday; the mens is Sunday.Sabalenka and Badosa did their best to avoid any eye contact for much of the evening, whether up at the net for the coin toss or when they crossed paths at changeovers.One exception came early in the second set, when Badosa tumbled to the court and flung her racket away to avoid injury. Badosa immediately put up a thumb to make clear she was fine. When a replay was shown on stadium video screens, Sabalenka pantomimed to indicate Badosa took a dive, and they both smiled. When the match was over, they met at the net for a lengthy hug.During Sabalenkas on-court interview, she joked about maybe taking Badosa who by then was sitting in a hallway, her head bowed on a shopping spree to make things up to her, paying for whatever the Spaniard wants.After a couple of battles against each other, we spoke and decided to put it aside, said Sabalenka, who leads their head-to-head series 6-2. She wanted it badly. We both wanted it badly. No matter what happens on the court, were going to be friends after our matches.Then Sabalenka paused, before joking: I hope shes still my friend. Im sure shell hate me for the next hour or day. Im OK with that.___Howard Fendrich has been the APs tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis HOWARD FENDRICH Fendrich is an Associated Press national writer based in Washington, D.C. He reports on tennis and other sports. twitter mailto