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A statue of SpaceX founder Elon Musk on Saturday, May 3, 2025, is seen near the town of Boca Chica, Texas, that would become Starbase, Texas, if local residents approve a measure to make the area surrounding the rocket launch site its own city. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez)2025-05-03T04:18:41Z McALLEN, Texas (AP) The South Texas home of Elon Musks SpaceX rocket company is now an official city with a galactic name: Starbase.A vote Saturday to formally organize Starbase as a city was approved by a lopsided margin among the small group of voters who live there and are mostly Musks employees at SpaceX. With all the votes in, the tally was 212 in favor to 6 against, according to results published online by the Cameron County Elections Department. Musk celebrated in a post on his social platform, X, saying it is now a real city!Starbase is the facility and launch site for the SpaceX rocket program that is under contract with the Department of Defense and NASA that hopes to send astronauts back to the moon and someday to Mars.Musk first floated the idea of Starbase in 2021 and approval of the new city was all but certain. Of the 283 eligible voters in the area, most are believed to be Starbase workers. The election victory was personal for Musk. The billionaires popularity has diminished since he became the chain-saw-wielding public face of President Donald Trumps federal job and spending cuts, and profits at his Tesla car company have plummeted. SpaceX has generally drawn widespread support from local officials for its jobs and investment in the area. But the creation of an official company town has also drawn critics who worry it will expand Musks personal control over the area, with potential authority to close a popular beach and state park for launches. Companion efforts to the city vote include bills in the state Legislature to shift that authority from the county to the new towns mayor and city council. All these measures come as SpaceX is asking federal authorities for permission to increase the number of South Texas launches from five to 25 a year.The city at the southern tip of Texas near the Mexico border is only about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers), crisscrossed by a few roads and dappled with airstream trailers and modest midcentury homes. SpaceX officials have said little about exactly why they to want a company town and did not respond to emailed requests for comment. We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community, Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote to local officials in 2024 with the request to get the city issue on the ballot.The letter said the company already manages roads and utilities, as well as the provisions of schooling and medical care for those living on the property.SpaceX officials have told lawmakers that granting the city authority to close the beach would streamline launch operations. SpaceX rocket launches and engine tests, and even just moving certain equipment around the launch base requires the closure of a local highway and access to Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach.Critics say beach closure authority should stay with the county government, which represents a broader population that uses the beach and park. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr. has said the county has worked well with SpaceX and there is no need for change. Another proposed bill would make it a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail if someone doesnt comply with an order to evacuate the beach. The South Texas Environmental Justice Network, which has organized protests against the city vote and the beach access issue, held another demonstration Saturday that attracted dozens of people.Josette Hinojosa, whose young daughter was building sandcastle nearby, said she was taking part to try to ensure continued access to a beach her family has enjoyed for generations. With SpaceX, Hinojosa said, Some days its closed, and some days you get turned away, Organizer Christopher Basald, a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas tribe, said his ancestors have long been in the area, where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf. Its not just important, he said, its sacred. ___Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas.

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Moroccans protest the docking of a Maersk cargo ship carrying airplane parts they suspect are headed to Israel, outside Tangier Med Port, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)2025-05-04T04:10:06Z TANGIER, Morocco (AP) More than a year of protests over Moroccos decision to normalize ties with Israel has emboldened activists and widened a gap between the decisions of the government and the sentiments of the governed. The fury has spilled into the countrys strategic ports.Amid shipping cranes and stacked containers, 34-year-old agricultural engineer Ismail Lghazaoui marched recently through a sea of Palestinian flags and joined protesters carrying signs that read Reject the ship, in reference to a vessel transporting fighter jet components from Houston, Texas.Activists are urging Moroccan port officials to try to block ships carrying military cargo to Israel, much like Spain did last year. Protests often target Danish shipping company Maersk, which helps transport components used to make Lockheed Martins F-35 as part of the U.S. Defense Departments Security Cooperative Participant Program that facilitates weapons sales to allies including Israel. A similar boycott campaign landed Lghazaoui in prison last year, but that didnt deter him from turning out again for resurgent protests last month, after his release. Lghazaoui is one of more than a dozen activists pursued by Moroccan authorities for criticizing the governments ties with Israel. During a rally in November in Casablanca where Lghazaoui spoke, plainclothes officers beat him and others to prevent them from advancing toward the U.S. Consulate, he said. He later posted about Maersk on social media and was arrested and charged with incitement. He spent four months in prison, from November to February.They try to silence people, Lghazaoui told The Associated Press. They were using me to dissuade people or to push people away from what they were doing. A push to topple normalizationMorocco is one of four Arab states that normalized ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords brokered in 2020 during President Donald Trumps first term. The deal delivered something Moroccan diplomats had chased for years: U.S. support for Moroccos claims over the disputed Western Sahara. But its cost growing public resentment toward normalization has ballooned throughout the Israel-Hamas war.Ive rarely seen such a chasm between public opinion and the monarchy. What the power elites are doing goes completely against what the Moroccan people want, said Aboubakr Jamai, dean of the Madrid Center at the American College of the Mediterranean.Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Morocco since the war began. While largely made up of families, students, Islamists, leftists and union members, the protests have also drawn more radical voices. Some have burned Israeli flags or chanted against royal adviser Andr Azoulay, a Jewish Moroccan.Clad in riot gear, security forces have stood by and watched as protesters denounce normalization and Moroccos expanding trade and military ties with Israel.But authorities have shown that their tolerance for dissent only goes so far.Moroccos constitution generally allows for freedom of expression, although it is illegal to criticize the monarchy or King Mohammed VI and those who do can face prosecution. Throughout the war, activists who have implicated the monarchy on social media or protested businesses targeted by boycotts due to their operations in Israel have received prison sentences. The constraints mirror Egypt and Jordan, which like Morocco have publicly sympathized with the Palestinians, maintained ties with Israel and imprisoned activists who direct their ire toward the government.However, unlike in those countries, the arrests in Morocco have done little to quell public anger or activists demands. A harbor draws heatIn recent weeks, protesters have set their sights on a new target: the countrys strategic ports and the companies using them to move military cargo. Activists and port workers recently demanded that two vessels crossing the Atlantic carrying fighter jet parts that they suspected would end up in Israel be blocked from docking in Morocco.Port protests gained momentum last month when Moroccos largest labor union backed the call to block the two ships, and dozens of religious scholars and preachers, many affiliated with the anti-monarchy Islamist movement Al Adl wal Ihsan, issued an edict with a similar message.While not officially allowed to participate in politics, Al Adl wal Ihsan has mobilized large crowds and helped lead pro-Palestinian activism throughout the Israel-Hamas war, drawing in young people who feel official parties dont speak to them. On a recent Friday, the group said Moroccans took part in 110 demonstrations across 66 cities in support of Palestinians in Gaza.Both Al Adl wal Ihsan and union members marched portside in Tangier and Casablanca, where the vessels eventually docked April 20.In a statement, Maersk acknowledged that ships that passed through the two Moroccan ports carried parts used in the fighter jet. But it denied activists claims of directly shipping weapons to conflict zones, stating that they require end-use certificates to verify the final destination of military cargo. A port official in Tangier who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak on the matter said that while cargo docked and unloaded in Morocco undergoes examination, ships docking en route to other destinations do not.The Israeli military did not respond to questions about the shipments. F-35s are typically assembled in the United States, using components sourced throughout the world, including outer wings and display systems manufactured in Israel.Moroccos Foreign Ministry did not respond to questions about normalization or its port policies, though diplomats have previously argued that relations with Israel allow them to press for a two-state solution and facilitate aid delivery to Gaza.Domestic fault lines exposedSome observers in Morocco have questioned whether the focus on Gaza has diverted attention from pressing domestic struggles. Voices from Moroccan nationalist circles on social media have instead highlighted the marginalization of the Indigenous Amazigh population and the dispute over Western Sahara, which they argue are more central to national identity and sovereignty.For others, the prolonged war has prompted clear shifts. The Islamist Justice and Development Party, which once backed normalization with Israel while in power, recently invited senior Hamas officials to its congress in Rabat. However, the officials were unable to obtain visas to enter Morocco.Palestine will remain our primary cause, said Abdelilah Benkirane, a former prime minister and general secretary of the Justice and Development Party. SAM METZ Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A woman exits a voting booth before casting her vote in the first round of the presidential election redo in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)2025-05-04T04:06:10Z BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Romanians are casting ballots Sunday in a critical presidential election redo after last years annulled vote plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades.Eleven candidates are vying for the presidency and a May 18 runoff is expected. Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday.Romanias political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first-round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.Like many countries in the EU, anti-establishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun. While data from local surveys should be taken with caution, a median of polls suggests that hard-right nationalist George Simion will enter the runoff, likely pitting him against Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, or the governing coalitions candidate, Crin Antonescu. Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, is running on a pro-EU Honest Romania ticket. He says Romania needs a president who has the will and the ability to reform the system. Veteran centrist Antonescu, 65, has campaigned on retaining Romanias pro-Western orientation, while Victor Ponta, a former prime minister between 2012 and 2015, has also pushed a MAGA-style Romania First campaign and boasts of having close ties to the Trump administration.Another hopeful, Elena Lasconi, came second in last years first round ballot and is participating in the rerun. She has positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she describes as a corrupt political class. Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Georgescu, a sizeable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into.The anti-establishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country, Simion, who came fourth in last years race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press. We are not a democratic state anymore.Simion said that his hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party is perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement, capitalizing on a growing wave of populism in Europe after U.S. President Donald Trumps political comeback. AUR rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election, proclaims to stand for family, nation, faith, and freedom, and has since doubled its support.The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the canceled election fiasco. The decision to annul the election and the ban on Georgescus candidacy drew criticism from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun.The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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Cardinals attend a Mass on the fifth day of mourning for the late Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)2025-05-04T04:07:31Z VATICAN CITY (AP) While Pope Franci s accomplished a lot in his 12-year papacy, he left much unfinished business and many challenges for his successor from the Vaticans disastrous finances to the wars raging on multiple continents and discontent among traditionalists about his crackdown on the old Latin Mass.When the conclaves cardinals finish casting their ballots under Michelangelos frescoed ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, the 267th pope will have to decide whether to continue Francis policies, tweak them, or abandon them altogether. Will he prioritize migrants, the environment and the social justice policies that Francis championed, or give precedence to other issues?Among the challenges facing the new pope: The role of womenFrancis did more to promote women to leadership positions in the Vatican than any pope before him, and his successor will have to decide whether to continue that legacy, accelerate it or back down and change course.The issue isnt minor. Catholic women do much of the churchs work in schools and hospitals and are usually responsible for passing the faith to the next generation. But they have long complained of second-class status in an institution that reserves the priesthood for men.Some are voting with their feet.Nuns are leaving in droves, either through attrition or simply quitting, leading to questions about the future of female religious orders. The Vatican says the number of nuns globally has been hemorrhaging about 10,000 per year for over a decade, with their numbers at 599,229 at the end of 2022, the last year for which there are statistics. In 2012, there were 702,529 nuns globally.The new pope will have to address womens expectations for not only a greater say in church governance, but greater recognition.We are the great majority of the people of God, said Maria Lia Zerbino, an Argentine named by Francis to advise the Vatican on bishop nominations, a first for a woman. Its a matter of justice. Its not an achievement of feminism, its in the churchs interest. Womens Ordination Conference, which advocates for female priests, goes further. The exclusion of women from the conclave, and from ordained ministry, is a sin and a scandal, it said.Gervase Ndyanabo, a prominent lay leader in Uganda, said there should be more participation of the laity and women in the administration of parishes and decision-making at all levels. Progress, he said, has come at a snails speed.Polarization of progressives and traditionalistsAn anonymous letter circulated among Vatican officials in 2022, highlighting what it called Francis disastrous pontificate and what a new pope must do correct the catastrophe he had wrought. Its author was Australian Cardinal George Pell, but that fact emerged only after his death in 2023. Once a close adviser to Francis but always conservative, Pell grew increasingly disillusioned with his papacy, signing the letter with the pen name, Demos the common people.Last year, a screed by another anonymous cardinal circulated, signed by Demos II. It resumed where Pell left off, denouncing what it called Francis autocratic, at times seemingly vindictive style of governance; a carelessness in matters of law; an intolerance for even respectful disagreement; and most seriously a pattern of ambiguity in matters of faith and morals causing confusion among the faithful. It blamed polarization in the church on the confusion Francis had sown and urged the next pope to focus on recovery and reestablishment of truths that have been slowly obscured or lost among many Christians.Those letters underscored the age-old divisions between traditionalists and progressives in the Catholic Church that were exacerbated during Francis pontificate. He emphasized inclusion and synodality, or listening to the faithful, and cracked down on traditionalists by restricting their celebration of the old Latin Mass. While the conservatives may not have enough votes to elect one of their own, a new pope will have to try to restore unity.The polarization is keenly felt in the United States, where anyone using social media can challenge the Vatican or even the local churchs perspective, said professor Steven Millies of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.Such forms of communications can have a narrative of what Catholicism is that doesnt come from any ordained minister, from any bishop, and can, night after night, the world over, suggest that the pope is wrong, he said. Clergy sexual abuseWhile many church leaders would like to think clergy sexual abuse scandals are in the past, survivors and their advocates want the new pope to address it as a top priority.Francis and Pope Benedict XVI took steps to end decades of abuse and cover-ups, changing church laws to punish abusers and their clerical superiors who hid their wrongdoing.But a culture of impunity still reigns, and church authorities have barely begun to deal with other forms of spiritual and psychological abuse that have traumatized generations of faithful. Twenty years after the sex abuse scandal first erupted in the U.S., there is still no transparency from the Vatican about the depth of the problem or how cases have been handled. The new pope must deal with not only the existing caseload but continued outrage from rank-and-file Catholics and ongoing revelations in parts of the world where the scandal hasnt yet emerged.Ahead of the conclave, groups of survivors and their advocates held news conferences in Rome to publicize the problem. They created online databases to call out cardinals who botched cases and demanded the Vatican finally adopt a zero-tolerance policy to bar any abuser from priestly ministry. Peter Isely of the U.S. group SNAP said it was crazy and bizarre that the church doesnt apply the same rigor to abusers that it does to establishing criteria for ordination.You cant be a married man and a priest, he said. You cant be a woman and a priest. But you can be a child molester and a priest.LGBTQ+ outreachFrancis famously said, Who am I to judge? when asked in 2013 about a purportedly gay monsignor at the Vatican. Francis sought to assure gay people that God loves them as they are, that being homosexual is not a crime, and that everyone is welcome in the church.His successor must decide whether to follow in that outreach or pull back. Theres plenty of support for rolling it back. In 2024, African bishops issued a continent-wide dissent from Francis decision allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, and bishops from around the world attending his synod on the churchs future backed off language explicitly accepting LGBTQ+ people.We want a united Catholic Church, but we must stay with the fundamentals, said Ndyanabo, the Ugandan lay leader. The gospel should not change at all because of our own human weakness.The Rev. James Martin, who seeks to build bridges with LGBTQ+ Catholics, knows the degree of opposition but remains hopeful.The challenge for the new pope is to continue Francis legacy of reaching out to a group who has felt excluded from their own church, Martin said. Based on the synod, I would say that many cardinals feel that there needs to be welcome of LGBTQ+ people because they know their dioceses. But how far that goes is up in the air.___Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, and Giovanna DellOrto in Vatican City contributed.___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. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave, April 18, 2005. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)2025-05-04T04:08:04Z VITERBO, Italy (AP) It was the mounting rage of citizens in Viterbo, a small town north of Rome, that put an end to the longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church, forging for the first time the word conclave.The Viterbo conclave in the 13th century was a pivotal event in papal elections, lasting almost three years exactly 1,006 days due to deep divisions among the cardinals over the name of the new pope.Viterbo is also considered the birthplace of modern conclaves, where cardinals are confined to a single place until they elect a new pontiff, and often need to negotiate before reaching a compromise on the final name. In November 1268, the cardinals -- summoned in Viterbo to elect the successor of the late Pope Clement IV -- were split mainly between two factions and couldnt reach a consensus before September 1271. Drastic measuresAs the cardinals continued to deliberate in Viterbo, frustration rose among locals due to the lack of progress, as political and internal struggles had cast a shadow over the election.Those divisions stemmed from the cardinals allegiance to competing parties, mainly supporters of the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. That was further complicated by personal and family ties, making any agreement on the popes election extremely difficult. The electing marathon led citizens ,who at the time had to pay for the cardinals room and board expenses, to resort to drastic measures. The cardinals were first locked in Viterbos papal palace with a key, giving birth to the term conclave, which comes from the Latin words cum (with) and clavem (key). The cardinals left us a very important testimony, a parchment, dated June 8, 1270, where they said to be locked inside a palazzo discoperto, a palace with no roof, said Elena Cangiano, an archaeologist at Viterbos medieval Palazzo dei Papi (Palace of the Popes). Cangiano noted that, according to Viterbo oral tradition, the cardinals ended up camping inside the unroofed palace.Thats reportedly testified by some holes found on the halls floor, which could be those left by the tents poles, she explained. Then Viterbese also restricted the cardinals meals to bread and water to make them hurry up. As that didnt work either, they started tearing off part of the roof of the large room that hosted the college of cardinals, exposing them to the elements.Those extreme conditions only lasted three weeks, following which the cardinals were allowed access to the other rooms of the palace, but not to leave the building. It would take another 15 months before Gregory X was chosen as the new pope. That was the longest papal election ever: To avoid the same situation ever occurring again, Gregory X promulgated a new apostolic constitution called Ubi Periculum that imposed strict regulations on the election and allowed to isolate the cardinals. Gregorys election was also seen as a compromise, with his name chosen to unite the divided college of cardinals and bring an end to the exhausting process. Modern conclaveThats why the Viterbo conclave is seen by historians as setting the stage for future papal elections. The rules and practices established at the time laid the foundation for many of the procedures used currently in papal conclaves.Among the new rules, Gregorio X decreed that cardinals were restricted to one meal per day, and later, to bread, water and wine, to further encourage a quick decision. The newly elected Adrian V, however, suspended those rules a few years later. Fabrizio Cardoni, 61, born and raised in Viterbo, considers the citys primacy a matter of pride.This is the history of our city, he said. So, we care a lot about our medieval neighborhood, we care about the pope palace that is truly wonderful and, lets say, almost unique.Cristina Giusio, a tourist visiting from northern Italy, was struck by the history of the Viterbo conclave after a tour of the papal palace. It was something quite amazing. ... I did not know that first conclave started here, so it was a real surprise, she said. Vatican history experts stress that modern conclaves still owe to Viterbo some of their key characteristics, including shorter durations. Viterbos legacy could again play a role again in the conclave that starts on Wednesday in Romes Sistine Chapel to choose Pope Francis successor.Lets say that the timing is now almost certainly respected, also thanks to all that happened in Viterbo, said Cangiano. In recent times, usually, it doesnt take that long to elect the pope.___Associated Press video journalist Isaia Montelione contributed to this report.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacts as he meets party faithful after winning a second term of the general election in Sydney, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)2025-05-04T03:46:39Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Australias re-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday was greeted by well-wishers at a Sydney caf and said the country had voted for unity over division.Albaneses center-left Labor Party won an emphatic victory in elections on Saturday. As vote counting continued, the government was on track to win at least 85 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form an administration.Labor held 78 seats in the previous Parliament, and gaining seats in a second term is rare in Australian politics.The Australian people voted for unity rather than division, Albanese told reporters in the crowded caf in inner-suburban Leichhardt where he and his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, gathered with colleagues and supporters for coffee.Well be a disciplined, orderly government in our second term, just like we have been in our first, he added. Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the governments top economic minister, explained the election result as voters seeking certainty after U.S. President Donald Trumps tariff disruptions to the global economy. This was beyond even our most optimistic expectations, Chalmers told Australian Broadcasting Corp. of the election result.We know that this second term has been given to us by the Australian people because they want stability in uncertain times, he added. Australian election result reminiscent of Canada In an election result reminiscent of Canadas recent contest, conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton lost his parliamentary seat. His alliance of parties was reduced to 37 seats.Canadas opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, lost his seat after Trump declared economic war on the U.S. neighbor. Poilievre had previously been regarded as a shoo-in to become Canadas next prime minister and shepherd his Conservative Party back into power for the first time in a decade.Senior Australian lawmakers say they feared late last year they would become the first government to be tossed out after a single three-year term since the turmoil of the Great Depression in 1931.Like the center-left Canadian government, the Australian government had linked their political opponents to Trumps administration and its Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.Australia was hit during the five-week election campaign with 10% tariffs on exports to the United States despite trading with its bilateral free trade partner at a deficit for decades.Opposition leader branded DOGE-y Dutton The opposition leader was branded DOGE-y Dutton, and Labor warned that a Dutton government would slash public sector services to pay for seven government-funded nuclear power plants.Labor said Dutton never campaigned at any of the proposed power plant sites and argued the conservatives realized that nuclear reactors were not popular. There is no nuclear power generation in Australia.Labor also accused Dutton of igniting culture wars. While Albanese stands before the Australian flag and two Indigenous flags at media announcements, Dutton had said that as prime minister, he would only stand in front of the national flag. Indigenous Australians account for 4% of the population and are the nations most disadvantaged ethnic minority.Chalmers said the direct impacts of U.S. tariffs on Australia were manageable and relatively modest.But there is a huge downside risk in the global economy. I think whats happening, particularly between the U.S. and China, does cast a dark shadow over the global economy. And were not uniquely impacted by that. But were really well-placed. We are quite well-prepared, Chalmers said.Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to lead a party to consecutive election victories since conservative John Howard in 2004. Revolving door for Australian political leadersHowards 11-year reign ended at the next election in 2007. Like Dutton, Howard also lost his seat in Parliament as well as his government. Howards departure coincided with the start of an extraordinary period of political instability that created a revolving door for political leaders. There have been six prime ministers since Howard, including one who served in the role twice in separate stints three years apart.Albanese said the first world leader to congratulate him on his election victory was Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, who phoned at 7:45 a.m.Hes a very good friend, Albanese said. I told him its a bit early to call.Albanese had also spoken to New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and received text messages of congratulation from British Prime Minister Kier Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.Albanese said he would speak to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later Sunday. ROD MCGUIRK McGuirk covers Australian and South Pacific news for The Associated Press. He is based in Melbourne. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A group of Florida International University students protest against cuts in federal funding and an agreement by campus police to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on the FIU campus on a day of protests around the country in support of higher education, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)2025-05-04T04:06:57Z On summer break from a Ph.D. program, an international student at University of California, San Diego, was planning a trip with a few friends to Hawaii. But after seeing international students across the United States stripped of their legal status, the student decided against it. Any travel, even inside the U.S., just didnt seem worth the risk.I probably am going to skip that to ... have as few interactions with governments as possible, said the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted.International students weighing travel to see family, take a vacation or conduct research are thinking twice because of the Trump administrations crackdown, which has added to a sense of vulnerability.Even before students suddenly began losing permission to study in the U.S., some colleges were encouraging international students and faculty to postpone travel, citing government efforts to deport students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. As the scale of the status terminations emerged in recent weeks, more schools have cautioned against non-essential travel abroad for international students. University of California, Berkeley, for one, issued an advisory last week saying upcoming international travel was risky due to strict vetting and enforcement. At least 1,220 students at 187 colleges, universities and university systems have had their visas revoked or legal status terminated since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements, correspondence with school officials and court records. The number of affected students appears far higher, though. At least 4,736 international students visa records were terminated in a government database that maintains their legal status, according to an April 10 Immigration and Customs Enforcement response to inquiries from Congress. Suddenly at risk for deportation, some students went into hiding while others left the country on their own. Many of the students said they had only minor infractions on their records or didnt know why their records were removed. After federal judges raised due process concerns in several students cases, the U.S. government reversed the terminations but then issued new guidance expanding the reasons international students can lose their legal status in the future. Under the new policy, valid reasons for status termination include the revocation of the visas students used to enter the U.S. In the past, if a students visa was revoked, they generally could stay in the U.S. to finish school. They simply would not be able to reenter if they left the country.The fast-evolving situation has left colleges struggling to advise students.A Michigan college employee who helps international students navigate the visa process said they are inquiring more than ever about summer travel. The employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said he often has been unable to give sufficient answers.Last year, the U.S. hosted around 1.1 million international students, a source of essential tuition revenue at many schools. Advocates say that number is likely to shrink as the crackdown hurts Americas appeal. Over the past few weeks, Rishi Ozas immigration law firm in North Carolina has received calls about travel risks almost daily from people of varied immigration status, including international students.You kind of shake your head and say, Is this the character of the country we want? Oza said. It just seems that its a bit out of whack that people are fearful of leaving and whether theyll be able to come back.Students in the U.S. with a visa need to decide if their travels are critical, Oza said. When attempting reentry after leaving the country, they should bring immigration documents, school transcripts and even court documents if they were charged with a crime and the court dismissed the case. Ultimately, lawyers cant foretell what will happen at the airport, he said.The unpredictability has put one international student at the University of Illinois in distress. The student, who requested anonymity to avoid being targeted, has laid low since one of his classmates left the country after their legal status was terminated. The students plan to travel to his home country in Asia this summer causes feelings of panic, but he has nowhere else to stay. He bought his plane ticket and is committed to the trip. His anxiety over what could happen when he returns, however, is still there.Right now, he said, Im afraid I might not be able to come back. ___Associated Press reporter Christopher L. Keller contributed from Albuquerque, New Mexico.___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. MAKIYA SEMINERA Seminera is a state government reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

After another less-than-exciting performance, Canelo Alvarez's next fight is finally what boxing fans deserve.

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Palestinians look at a house targeted by an Israeli army strike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-05-04T07:24:05Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to meet on Sunday to vote on whether to intensify the countrys military operations in the Gaza Strip, as the army began to call up thousands of reserve soldiers in preparation for an expanded assault, Israeli officials said.Also Sunday, a missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen prompted air traffic at Israels main Ben-Gurion Airport to halt, police said. The Israeli military said a projectile landed in the area of the airport, although it was not immediately clear if it was the missile or an interceptor of the countrys missile defense system.The plans to escalate fighting in Gaza more than 18 months after the war there erupted come as a humanitarian crisis in the territory deepens.As part of its efforts to pressure the militant group Hamas to negotiate on Israels terms for a new ceasefire, Israel in early March halted the entry of goods into Gaza. That has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis since the war began. An eight-week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that brought a lull in fighting and freed Israeli hostages collapsed in March. Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza on March 18 and has captured swaths of the coastal enclave. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the fighting resumed, according to local health officials. At least six Israeli soldiers have been killed in the renewed fighting. An Israeli official said the countrys influential security Cabinet would meet on Sunday evening to vote on plans to expand the fighting. A military official said the country was calling up thousands of reserve soldiers. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, said he wanted to see a powerful expansion of the war, but did not disclose details as to what that would entail. We need to increase the intensity and continue until we achieve total victory. We must win a total victory, he said.The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israels offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children according to Palestinians health officials, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.The fighting has displaced more than 90% of Gazas population, often multiple times. Hunger has been widespread and the shortage of food has set off looting.As the war in Gaza has dragged on, Israel has faced continued attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who on Sunday launched a missile that set off air raid sirens in many parts of the country. A large plume of smoke could be seen rising near the airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling to take cover. It was not clear whether the fragment had landed inside the area of the airport, but police said they were closing the entrances to it while they dealt with the scene. Police later said road and rail traffic would resume. Israels paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded following the attack.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed retribution for the strike: Whoever harms us we will harm them sevenfold.___Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer contributed to this report from Nahariya, Israel.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war TIA GOLDENBERG Goldenberg is an Associated Press reporter and producer covering Israel and the Palestinian territories. She previously reported on East and West Africa from Nairobi. twitter mailto

A sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)2025-05-04T07:41:18Z LONDON (AP) British counterterrorism officers arrested several Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target in London, the Metropolitan Police force said Sunday.Police said five men aged between 29 and 46 were detained on Saturday in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth is still being established.Three other Iranian men, aged 39, 44 and 55, were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offense as part of a separate investigation, police said.All the suspects are being questioned at police stations and have not been charged. Police said they are searching several properties in London, Manchester in northwest England and Swindon in western England.Police said the attack plot targeted a single location that was not being named for operational reasons. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the forces Counter Terrorism Command, said police are still working to establish a motive as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the arrests were serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats. The government continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to support all the action and security assessments that are needed to keep the country safe, she said. In October, the head of Britains MI5 domestic security service, Ken McCallum, said his agents and police have tackled 20 potentially lethal plots backed by Iran since 2022, most aimed at Iranians in the U.K. who oppose the countrys authorities.He said at the time there was there is the risk of an increase in, or broadening of, Iranian state aggression in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East deepened.The U.K.s official terror threat level stands at substantial, the middle of a five-point scale, meaning an attack is likely. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto

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Municipal workers clean up around burnt cars in the residential area following Russia's drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2025-05-04T09:02:38Z Russian President Vladimir Putin said in comments broadcast Sunday that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not.In a preview of an upcoming interview with Russian state television, published on Telegram, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a logical conclusion.Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Putin said: There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons ... and I hope they will not be required.We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires, he said.Putin signed a revamped version of Russias nuclear doctrine in November 2024, spelling out the circumstances that allow him to use Moscows atomic arsenal, the worlds largest. That version lowered the bar, giving him that option in response to even a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power.Russia and Ukraine are at odds over competing ceasefire proposals.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, in comments made public Saturday, that Moscows announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire next week in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II is merely an attempt to create a soft atmosphere ahead of Russias annual celebrations. Zelenskyy instead renewed calls for a more substantial 30-day pause in hostilities, as the U.S. had initially proposed. He said the proposed ceasefire could start anytime as a meaningful step toward ending the war. Putin on Monday declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II, as the U.S. presses for a deal to end the 3-year-old war. The Kremlin said the truce, ordered on humanitarian grounds, will run from the start of May 8 and last through the end of May 10 to mark Moscows defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 Russias biggest secular holiday. Meanwhile, 11 people were wounded in a Russian drone attack overnight on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, Ukraines State Emergency Service said Sunday. Two children were among the wounded. The attack woke up Valentyna Fesiuk, an 83-year-old resident of Kyivs Obolon district.I was just sleeping when the house shook. It was at 12:30. An apartment on the 12th floor caught fire, she told The Associated Press.The car of another resident, Viacheslav Khotab, caught fire. I saw my car burning. I was covered with broken glass, he said. I couldnt do anything.The 54-year-old was frustrated with stalled peace negotiations: They cant agree on anything, and we are the ones who suffer the consequences.Daryna Kravchuk, an 18-year-old student in the district, described how five to six minutes after the air raid was activated, we heard a strong impact, everything started shaking. ... There were three strikes almost in a row after the air raid was activated.Its very scary to witness, we have been suffering from this for so long. People are just suffering all the time. ... Its still very hard to see our country constantly being destroyed, she told the AP. Russia fired a total of 165 exploding drones and decoys overnight, Ukraines air force said. Of those, 69 were intercepted and a further 80 lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russia also launched two ballistic missiles.Russias Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 13 Ukrainian drones overnight.

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A person holds a copy of the Constitution of the United States of America and Declaration of Independence at a May Day rally for the Rule of Law, May 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)2025-05-04T11:37:11Z ATLANTA (AP) Its what one historian calls an elaborate, clunky machine, one thats been fundamental to American democracy for more than two centuries.The principle of checks and balances is rooted in the Constitutions design of a national government with three distinct, coequal branches. President Donald Trump in his first 100 days tested that system like rarely before, signing dozens of executive orders, closing or sharply reducing government agencies funded by Congress, and denigrating judges who have issued dozens of rulings against him. The framers were acutely aware of competing interests, and they had great distrust of concentrated authority, said Dartmouth College professor John Carey, an expert on American democracy. Thats where the idea came from.Their road map has mostly prevented control from falling into one persons hands, Carey said. But he warned that the system depends on people operating in good faith ... and not necessarily exercising power to the fullest extent imaginable.Heres a look at checks and balances and previous tests across U.S. history. A fight over Jefferson ignoring Adams appointmentsThe foundational checks-and-balances fight: President John Adams made last-minute appointments before he left office in 1801. His successor, Thomas Jefferson, and Secretary of State James Madison ignored them. William Marbury, an Adams justice of the peace appointee, asked the Supreme Court to compel Jefferson and Madison to honor Adams decisions.Chief Justice John Marshall concluded in 1803 that the commissions became legitimate with Adams signature and, thus, Madison acted illegally by shelving them. Marshall, however, stopped short of ordering anything. Marbury had sued under a 1789 law that made the Supreme Court the trial court in the dispute. Marshalls opinion voided that law because it gave justices who almost exclusively hear appeals more power than the Constitution afforded them.The split decision asserted the courts role in interpreting congressional acts - and striking them down - while also adjudicating executive branch actions. Hamilton, Jackson and national banksCongress and President George Washington chartered the First Bank of the United States in 1791. Federalists, led by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, favored a strong central government and wanted a national bank that could lend the government money. Anti-Federalists, led by Jefferson and Madison, wanted less centralized power and argued Congress had no authority to charter a bank. But they did not ask the courts to step in.Andrew Jackson, the first populist president, loathed the bank, believing it to be a sop to the rich. Congress voted in 1832 to extend the charter, with provisions to mollify Jackson. The president vetoed the measure anyway, and Congress failed to muster the two-thirds majorities required by the Constitution to override him. In 1836, the Philadelphia-based bank became a private state bank. Lincoln and due processDuring the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus a legal process that allows individuals to challenge their detention. That allowed federal authorities to arrest and hold people without granting due process. Lincoln said his maneuver might not be strictly legal but was a public necessity to protect the Union. The Supreme Courts Roger Taney, sitting as a circuit judge, declared the suspension illegal but noted he did not have the power to enforce the opinion.Congress ultimately sided with Lincoln through retroactive statutes. And the Supreme Court, in a separate 1862 case challenging other Lincoln actions, endorsed the presidents argument that the office comes with inherent wartime powers not expressly allowed via the Constitution or congressional act.Reconstruction: Johnson vs. CongressAfter the Civil War and Lincolns assassination, Radical Republicans in Congress wanted penalties on states that had seceded and on the Confederacys leaders and combatants. They also advocated Reconstruction programs that enfranchised and elevated formerly enslaved people (the men, at least). Johnson, a Tennessean, was more lenient on Confederates and harsher to formerly enslaved people. Congress, with appropriations power, established the Freedmens Bureau to assist newly freed Black Americans. Johnson, with pardon power, repatriated former Confederates. He also limited Freedmens Bureau authority to seize Confederates assets. Spoils system vs. civil serviceFor a century, nearly all federal jobs were executive branch political appointments: revolving doors after every presidential transition. In 1883, Congress stepped in with the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. Changes started with some posts being filled through examinations rather than political favor. Congress added to the law over generations, developing the civil service system that Trump is now seeking to dismantle by reclassifying tens of thousands of government employees. His aim is to turn civil servants into political appointees or other at-will workers who are more easily dismissed from their jobs. Wilsons League of NationsAfter World War I, the Treaty of Versailles called for an international body to bring countries together to discuss global affairs and prevent war. President Woodrow Wilson advocated for the League of Nations. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Republican Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, brought the treaty to the Senate in 1919 with amendments to limit the League of Nations influence. Wilson opposed the caveats, and the Senate fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to ratify the treaty and join the League. After World War II, the U.S. took a lead role, with Senate support, in establishing the United Nations and the NATO alliance.FDR and court packingFranklin D. Roosevelt met the Great Depression with large federal programs and aggressive regulatory actions, much of it approved by Democratic majorities in Congress. A conservative Supreme Court struck down some of the New Deal legislation as beyond the scope of congressional power. Roosevelt answered by proposing to expand the nine-seat court and pressuring aging justices to retire. The presidents critics dubbed it a court-packing scheme. He disputed the charge. But not even the Democratic Congress seriously entertained his idea. Presidential term limitsRoosevelt ignored the unwritten rule, established by Washington, that a president serves no more than two terms. He won third and fourth terms during World War II, rankling even some of his allies. Soon after his death, a bipartisan coalition pushed the 22nd Amendment that limits presidents to being elected twice. Trump has talked about seeking a third term despite this constitutional prohibition.Nixon and WatergateThe Washington Post and other media exposed ties between President Richard Nixons associates and a break-in at Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel during the 1972 campaign. By summer 1974, the story ballooned into congressional hearings, court fights and plans for impeachment proceedings. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Nixon in his assertion that executive privilege allowed him not to turn over potential evidence of his and top aides roles in the cover-up including recordings of private Oval Office conversations. Nixon resigned after a delegation of his fellow Republicans told him that Congress was poised to remove him from office. Leaving VietnamPresidents from John F. Kennedy through Nixon ratcheted up U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia during the Cold War. But Congress never declared war in Vietnam. A 1973 deal, under Nixon, ended official American military involvement. But complete U.S. withdrawal didnt occur until more than two years later a period during which Congress reduced funding for South Vietnams democratic government. Congress did not cut off all money for Saigon, as some conservatives later claimed. But lawmakers refused to rubber-stamp larger administration requests, asserting a congressional check on the presidents military and foreign policy agenda. The Affordable Care ActA Democratic-controlled Congress overhauled the nations health insurance system in 2010. The Affordable Care Act, in part, tried to require states to expand the Medicaid program that covers millions of children, disabled people and some low-income adults. But the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that Congress and President Barack Obama could not compel states to expand the program by threatening to withhold other federal money already obligated to the states under previous federal law. The court on multiple occasions has upheld other portions of the law. Republicans, even when they have controlled the White House and Capitol Hill, have been unable to repeal the act. BILL BARROW Bill Barrow covers U.S. politics. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, Sunday April 27, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Reba Saldanha)2025-05-04T11:51:59Z ATLANTA (AP) The billionaire heir and the former bartender.Many Democrats have been in and out of the spotlight as the party looks for effective counters to President Donald Trump and his second administration. But two disparate figures, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have seen their national profiles rise by delivering messages that excite a demoralized and fractured party. The governor, a 60-year-old heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, and the congresswoman, the 35-year-old with working-class roots, both won their first elections in 2018. Both have urged mass resistance and accused their party of not fighting more. Each has stood out enough to draw sharp retorts from Trump loyalists. But as messengers, Pritzker and Ocasio-Cortez could not be more different. And their arguments, despite some overlap, are distinct enough to raise familiar questions for Democrats: Should they make their challenges to Trump about threats to democracy and national stability, as Pritzker has done, or portray him as a corrupt billionaire exacerbating an uneven economy, as Ocasio-Cortez does? And beyond the message itself, what qualities should the best messenger have? What links them, said one prominent Democrat, is assertiveness. People want Trump and Trumpism to be met with equal passion and force, said National Urban League President Marc Morial, a former New Orleans mayor deeply connected in Democratic politics. On that front, he added, Pritzker and Ocasio-Cortez are both effective national figures - but in very different ways. Pritzker, an establishment power playerPritzker was born at the bridge of the baby boomers and Generation X into a sprawling family now entrenched in Democratic politics. Like Trump, he inherited great wealth, but he lambastes the president as a poser on working-class issues.He chaired Illinois Human Rights Commission before running for governor. In office, he has signed an Illinois minimum-wage increase and is an ally of unions. His familys hotels are unionized, making them regular options for official Democratic Party events. When Democratic President Joe Biden exited the 2024 campaign, Pritzker was floated as a replacement. He made no visible moves, quickly backed Vice President Kamala Harris and acted as the de facto host of her nominating convention in his home state.Take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity, Pritzker said in Chicago. Since Harris defeat, Pritzker has behaved like a future candidate. One of the nations highest-profile Jewish politicians, he fired up liberals by comparing the Trump administration to the Third Reich. If you think Im overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic, the governor said his joint budget and State of the State address on Feb. 19. All Im saying is when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control. Addressing party faithful in the traditional early nominating state of New Hampshire, Pritzker bemoaned do-nothing Democrats, called for party honchos to set aside decades of stale decorum and urged voters into the streets.Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I am now, he said. Democrats, he added, must castigate (Republicans) on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box.It was enough for senior Trump aide Stephen Miller to accuse Pritzker of inciting violence. Pritzker wasted no time returning the volley, calling it terrible hypocrisy for Trump allies to complain given the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trumps pardons of the rioters. AOC, a progressive party crasherOcasio-Cortez is a millennial progressive who earned degrees in international relations and economics and worked as a waiter and bartender before entering politics. With support from the progressive Working Families Party, she ousted a top House Democrat, Joe Crowley, in a 2018 primary. Like Trump, she leverages millions of social media followers. Also like Trump, she is an economic populist. But she comes from the left wing of U.S. politics and without the anti-immigration and cultural conservatism of Trumps right wing or the alliances with billionaire business and tech elites. She has recently headlined Fighting Oligarchy tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a two-time presidential candidate. The tour has drawn tens of thousands of people across the country, notably including reliably Republican states, often with overflow crowds outside many stops. Ocasio-Cortezs next political move seems less certain than Pritzkers. She is seen as a potential primary challenger to Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader from New York, and she only recently became old enough to be constitutionally eligible for the presidency. But she appears poised to inherit the mantle of the 83-year-old Sanders movement. She freely criticizes Trump. But she leans more heavily into broader economic and social critiques that shes made since her first House bid and that Sanders has offered for decades. For years we have known that our political system has slowly but surely become dominated by big money and billionaires and time after time we have seen how our government and laws are more responsive to corporations and lobbyists than everyday people and voters, she said in Folsom, California. She advocated for living wages stable housing guaranteed health care, and blasted the agenda of dark money to keep our wages low and to loot our public goods like Social Security and Medicare.She also played up her roots: From the waitress who is now speaking to you today, I can tell you: impossible is nothing.Little consensus on the left about the better pitchOcasio-Cortez and Pritzker are allied against a common opponent, Trump, and not each other. Advisers to Ocasio-Cortez and Pritzker did not respond to questions.Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, argues Pritzker could be more attractive as a traitor to his class in the tradition of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. An East Coast patrician, Roosevelt authored the New Deals federal expansion to combat the Great Depression of the 1930s.How powerful would it be if a billionaire was the one helping to lead the charge against corrupt billionaires and corrupt billionaire corporations that are trying to crack the Constitution and loot the American people? Green said, adding that continued silence on billionaire issues should disqualify Pritzker. We have to be speaking to the shake-up-the-system vibe that people want to see.Matt Bennett, a co-founder of Third Way, which typically backs centrist Democrats, countered that Pritzker could bring a more stable version of Trumps argument that his wealth and success is an asset. Trumps biggest liability, Bennett said, is chaos that negatively affects peoples lives.People are very mad at Elon Musk, but not because hes rich, Bennett said of the Tesla CEO who is leading Trumps Department of Government Efficiency. Theyre mad at him because hes vandalizing our government and doing it in a destructive way.A relative of the governor, Rachel Pritzker, chairs Third Ways board of trustees.Ocasio-Cortez is often criticized by more moderate Democrats, including Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who has also positioned herself as a thought leader in the party. Slotkin recently suggested the word oligarchy didnt resonate with working-class voters. It was an implicit rebuke of the Ocasio-Cortez-Sanders tour. Shortly after Slotkins comments about oligarchy, Ocasio-Cortez posted on X: Plenty of politicians on both sides of the aisle feel threatened by rising class consciousness. Bennett said Democrats who emerge as party leaders, including the 2028 nominee, will be those who offer solutions for voters frustration over their needs not being met. Its a notion that Green insisted is indistinguishable from criticizing the billionaire class, along with the tax and labor policies that drive wealth and income gaps in the U.S. Whatever direction Democrats choose, Bennett said, Ocasio-Cortez has secured her place as a national voice.Shes very good at what she does. Shes formidable, he said. And anybody on the center-left who denies that is just kidding themselves. BILL BARROW Bill Barrow covers U.S. politics. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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More than $800 million in N.I.H. grants canceled as of early May nearly half of those terminated to date covered the health of sexual and gender minority groups, The Times found.