A view taken from a Cub artillery observation plane on July 10, 1945, shows vast areas of destruction in Berlin, after repeated Anglo-American air raids on the German capital. Seen on the left, center, is the heavily damaged building of the German Reichstag with its distinct cupola, in the background center are the remains of Lehrter Bahnhof, one of the city's train stations. (AP Photo, File)2025-05-05T05:00:07Z BERLIN (AP) Central Berlin was in ruins after the Red Army completed the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in an intense fight for the capital in May 1945.After decades of division and its revival as the capital of a reunited, democratic Germany, the city is now transformed, blending painstakingly restored buildings with modern architecture. But the scars of the past remain visible in many places: facades riddled with holes from bullets and shrapnel, or gaps in rows of houses sometimes plugged by new buildings.An Associated Press story from May 9, 1945, painted a stark picture. It read: This town is a city of the dead. As a metropolis it has simply ceased to exist. Every house within miles of the center seems to have had its own bomb.Berlin, the epicenter of Adolf Hitlers power, was the ultimate prize as the Allies closed in from east and west on the disintegrating German defenses in the final stage of World War II. We all had a little case next to the bed, even the children, recalled Eva-Maria Kolb, now 89, of the constant aerial bombing in the last six months of the war. When there was an air raid warning you had to pull something on quickly and then go down to the basement. The final Battle of Berlin in late April and early May 1945 reduced much of what was left of the city to rubble. The Soviet military attacked from several directions with an enormous concentration of troops, who faced a struggle to cross rivers and canals and an intensifying street fight as they moved deeper and deeper into the city. On April 25, Berlin was encircled. Hitler killed himself in his bunker on April 30; and on May 2, the commander of German military forces in Berlin, Gen. Helmuth Weidling, capitulated to Soviet forces. Berlin was a heap of rubble because of these last 10 days, almost everything in the center was ruined, said Jrg Morr, the director of the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst, located in the building where Germanys final surrender was signed. But the infrastructure could be repaired relatively quickly the sewerage system wasnt so badly damaged. They managed to get the water supply and pipes going again. A lot of old Berliners are still familiar with hand pumps ... electricity came, so that the trams starting running again, and the commuter trains.Kolb said: It was, of course, a great relief in 45 that the war was over and Hitler was no longer alive ... everyone who wasnt a Nazi was very, very grateful that the war was over.She recalled that parts of the city were rubble, but she went to a school in the Tempelhof district, south of the center, that was only half-ruined. It no longer had a roof and the second or third floor was missing but we had lessons. Only when it rained were lessons canceled. This marked the endPost-war Berlin was divided into sectors controlled by the wartime allies. That hardened into a Cold War division that saw two separate German states founded in 1949 and ultimately led to the building in 1961 of the Berlin Wall, which fell 28 years later as communist rule collapsed in East Germany. Germany was reunited in 1990 and the national government moved to Berlin in 1999. Parliament now meets in the restored Reichstag, where the raising of the Soviet Unions red flag in 1945 was emblematic of the victory over Nazi Germany. Graffiti left by Soviet troops at the Reichstag has been preserved at several places in the building.The military surrender of Berlin on May 2, 1945, wasnt quite the end of the war. Hitlers successor, Grand Adm. Karl Dnitz, tried to fight on but was quickly forced to negotiate Germanys surrender. Germanys unconditional capitulation was signed at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, on May 7 and came into effect the following day. But the Soviet Union had only a liaison officer at the ceremony and fighting against the Red Army continued in the east, so a second ceremony was agreed at Soviet headquarters in Berlin on May 8, Morr said. As a result, the West and Russia mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8 and May 9, respectively.In this room, World War II ended in Europe, he said, in the preserved hall where the capitulation was signed in Berlin. This marked the end.___Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Iraqi Justice Minister Khaled Shwani speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)2025-05-05T04:43:47Z BAGHDAD (AP) As a general amnesty law takes effect in Iraq, the countrys prisons are facing a crisis of overcrowding, housing more than double their intended capacity, the countrys justice minister said in an interview.Justice Minister Khaled Shwani told The Associated Press on Saturday that Iraqs 31 prisons currently hold approximately 65,000 inmates, despite the system being built to accommodate only half that number. He acknowledged that the overcrowding has put a severe strain on prison healthcare and human rights standards.When we took office, overcrowding stood at 300%, he said. After two years of reform, weve reduced it to 200%. Our goal is to bring that down to 100% by next year in line with international standards.Thousands more detainees remain in the custody of security agencies but have not yet been transferred to the Ministry of Justice due to lack of prison capacity. Four new prisons are under construction, Shwani said, while three have been closed in recent years. Two others have been opened and six existing prisons expanded. The general amnesty law passed in January had strong support from Sunni lawmakers who argue that their community has been disproportionately targeted by terrorism charges, with confessions sometimes extracted under torture. But opponents say the law would allow the release of people involved in public corruption and embezzlement as well as militants who committed war crimes. The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights, a watchdog group, said in a statement that the current version of the general amnesty law raises deep concerns over its potential legal and security consequences.Shwani said 2,118 prisoners have been released from the justice ministrys prisons since the amnesty law took effect, while others had been released from the custody of security agencies before being transferred to the Ministry of Justice. We have a committee studying the status of inmates and identifying those who may qualify for release, but the vision is not yet final, he said. The minister said he expects a good number to be released but cannot specify an exact percentage until we receive clarity from the judiciary on who qualifies for the amnesty.Iraqs prisons house hundreds of foreign nationals, most of them convicted of terrorism-related charges or affiliation with the al-Qaida and Islamic State militant groups. The inmates hail from countries including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Egypt, North African nations, and several European states, as well as a handful of U.S. citizens. Shwani said discussions are underway with several governments to repatriate their citizens, excluding those sentenced to death.He said inmates have been repatriated under existing agreements with Iran, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, including 127 Iranian inmates who were recently transferred back to Tehran.An Iranian who was convicted in the 2022 killing of a U.S. citizen in Baghdad remains in custody, however, Shwani said.Stephen Edward Troell, 45, a native of Tennessee, was fatally shot in his car in November by assailants as he pulled up to the street where he lived in Baghdads central Karrada district with his family. Iranian citizen Mohammed Ali Ridha was convicted in the killing, along with four Iraqis, in what was described as a kidnapping gone wrong. All executions have been halted following the issuance of the general amnesty law, Shwani said.Iraq has faced criticism from human rights groups over its application of the death penalty and particularly over mass executions carried out without prior notice to lawyers or family members of the prisoners.Shwani pushed back against the criticisms of prison conditions and of the executions.There are strict measures in place for any violations committed against inmates, he said. Many employees have been referred for investigation, dismissed, and prosecuted.He insisted that the number of executions carried out is limited not as high as reported in the media and said the death penalty is only applied in crimes that severely threaten national security and public safety, including inmates convicted in a 2016 bombing attack in Baghdads Karrada district that killed hundreds of people, as well as cases of child rape and high-ranking IS leaders.Executions have been paused to reassess cases under the new amnesty law, he said.

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Tazz Webster, who ultimately wound up homeless after an apartment manager allegedly ridiculed and shoved him because he is transgender, poses for a photo, April 9, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)2025-05-05T05:24:15Z As a transgender man, the words youre a girl gutted Tazz Webster, a taunt hurled at him from the day he moved into his St. Louis apartment.The government-subsidized buildings manager also insisted on calling Webster by the wrong name, the 38-year-old said, and ridiculed him with shouts of, Youre not a real man! I just felt like I was being terrorized, Webster told The Associated Press. I felt that I was being judged and mistreated, like I was less of a human being.Then one day in March 2022, the manager shoved Webster so hard he stumbled backward. After regaining his balance, Webster said he pushed the manager back. Four months later he was homeless. Webster filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office, the agency tasked with investigating housing discrimination and enforcing the landmark Fair Housing Act that guarantees equal access to housing for all Americans. Websters harassment allegation was serious enough that it was investigated for more than two years, until the office suddenly notified him in February it was dropping his case without a finding, citing lack of jurisdiction. The timing of the closure was not a coincidence.In the months since President Donald Trump took back the White House and installed a loyalist to lead the federal housing department, HUD Secretary Scott Turner and his team have moved swiftly and strategically to undo, uproot and remake the agencys decades of work and priorities. In the crosshairs is an intense focus on transgender people, as HUD retreats from long-established fair-housing protections by closing their discrimination complaints and, more broadly, moving to undo the Obama-era Equal Access Rule that cemented transgender peoples rights to discrimination protection in housing.Its time to get rid of all the far-left gender ideology and get government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in his own image male and female, Turner said in announcing in February that he was halting enforcement of the Equal Access Rule.Sex discrimination in the Fair Housing ActAt issue is the fact that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people wasnt specifically cited in the Fair Housing Act. But the Equal Access Rule enacted in 2012 under former President Barack Obama further defined sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity.The policy was expanded in 2016 to cover transgender people seeking help at federally funded emergency shelters, escalating opposition from the right. In 2020, the first Trump administration unsuccessfully moved to relieve shelters of any obligation to serve transgender people. Now, advocates fear an emboldened Trump will go further and forbid shelters from accommodating gender identity altogether, as his administration announces unspecified revisions to the Equal Access Rule. Our protections cant be a pingpong ball that changes every four years, said Seran Gee, an attorney for Advocates for Trans Equality. Have a news tip?Contact APs global investigative team at [emailprotected]. For secure and confidential communications, use the free Signal app +1 (202) 281-8604. Everything Webster owned was trashedAfter being left with permanent injuries in a car crash, Webster, who survives on disability payments, was grateful to move in April 2021 into an apartment near the citys 1,300-acre (526-hectare) Forest Park, scene of the 1904 Worlds Fair and home to museums and a zoo. His rent was initially less than $200 per month, he said. That is because Branscome Apartments had a contract with the federal government to provide subsidized housing to people with disabilities and low-income seniors.But the HUD money also comes with strings, said Linda Morris, staff attorney for the ACLUs Womens Rights Project, who leads the organizations housing discrimination work. The Equal Access Rule applies to HUD-funded programs and shelters, said Morris, who doesnt represent Webster. If an entity is going to accept federal funding they have to comply. Under the rule, HUD-funded housing and programs must provide equal access to everyone regardless of gender identity, and cant require intrusive questioning.Four months after the shoving incident, Webster found his door kicked in and his belongings trashed, even though, he said, he was up to date on his rent and never received an official eviction notice. Gone were his king-size bed, dishes, Social Security card and birth certificate. Even worse was the loss of the obituary for his mother, who died when he was 12, and her necklace, a treasured memento.I had nothing, said Webster, who had been mostly staying away from the apartment for fear of another run-in with the manager. I was so afraid to be there, I would go to my friends house and spent nights at a time and then come back, switch my clothes, and leave.Court records in an eviction case filed against Webster in April 2022 cited repeated unsuccessful efforts to serve him. After he was gone, the case was dropped. Last August, Webster filed a lawsuit in Missouri state court alleging he was illegally evicted. There was never a court order allowing them to change the locks, allowing them to throw away his belongings, said attorney KB Doman of Arch City Defenders, an advocacy group representing Webster. The suit seeks $25,000 in property damage and for severe emotional stress and trauma. The apartment has denied the allegations in court filings.Stephen Strum, the attorney representing the building, declined the APs requests for comment on the HUD case and said the pending lawsuit merely alleges that my client did not properly follow the steps for evicting.To Doman, Websters case reflects a larger trend. A lot of people that would have some recourse, at least through HUD investigating, really are just out on their own now, she said. Its going to be harder for trans people to find safe, stable housing, and its very hard already.Closure of Websters case is just one of many, HUD attorneys saySince Turner took the helm at HUD, the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity has instructed staff to pause investigations of all gender identity discrimination cases, according to two HUD attorneys who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs or benefits. One said letters were then issued closing the cases for lack of jurisdiction. HUD has not disclosed how many cases have been dropped. Websters letter and another provided to the AP cite Trumps executive order calling for the federal government to define sex as only male or female. Morris, of the ACLU, said she has never seen an executive order cited in a jurisdictional closure of a complaint. So thats really alarming, said Morris, who described the closures as very much consistent with this administrations broader attacks on trans people and on civil rights more broadly. Asked about policy changes concerning transgender discrimination, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said the agency was enforcing the Fair Housing Act while implementing Trumps executive order restoring biological truth to the federal government. In a statement citing Trumps order, she said government policy recognizes two sexes that are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.A nationwide federal push to erase trans identityBea Gonzalez, a transgender man, was kicked out of a suburban St. Louis domestic violence shelter on a chilly night in November 2021, along with his three children, then 2, 5 and 7. The family was just settling into a room after filling out paperwork at Bridgeway Behavioral Health Womens Center when Gonzalez was told they had to go because he disclosed he was a transgender man. I wasnt about to go back into the closet, the 33-year-old said of his insistence on telling the truth even after it was suggested he keep his trans identity secret. He needed a domestic violence shelter, he said, for greater security for the children and because he feared for his safety as a trans man in a mens shelter, some of which dont accept children anyway.The city had no domestic violence shelters for men, said his attorney Kalila Jackson. In the St. Louis metropolitan area, there was no place else for him to go. There were no other options. The family was sent to a motel, but when they arrived they discovered it hadnt been paid for, and the organization that sent them there was closed. So I was stranded, said Gonzalez, who did not have a car. I had to call a friend who was able to let us stay for the night.Jackson said Bridgeway received HUD funding and that its policy of barring transgender men was a violation of the Equal Access Rule and straight up sex discrimination. Jackson said the message the shelter sent was this: Youre biologically a girl, you should dress as a girl. Since you say that you are a man, we are not going to accept you here.HUD didnt address Gonzalezs or Websters complaints when the AP sought comment on their cases. HUD investigated Gonzalezs complaint for 2 1/2 years until it suddenly notified him in March the agency was dropping it without a finding. The company operating the shelter, Preferred Family Healthcare, did not respond to the APs requests for comment.After 455 days of being shuttled between six shelters in six cities in two states Missouri and Illinois Gonzalez ultimately found stable housing, where his children live with him part time.He sees what happened as part of what he describes as a nationwide federal push to erase trans identity.Shelters struggle to comply with Trump directivesAdvocates are concerned by HUDs shift, noting high rates of discrimination and homelessness among people who are LGBTQ+. Nearly one-third of trans people say they have been homeless at some point in their lives, while 70% who stayed in a shelter reported being harassed, assaulted or kicked out because of their gender identity, according to an Advocates for Trans Equality survey released in 2015, a year before Obama expanded protections for trans people in shelters. Teens who come out to families who arent accepting are particularly at risk, said Ann Olivia, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Some shelters that might have served them in the past are becoming less welcoming now amid upheaval with the Equal Access Rule, Olivia said.Folks who are trans just wont go if they dont think that theyre going to be treated with respect, she said, adding that is particularly problematic for young people who are vulnerable to sex traffickers and to other types of abuse.Further complicating the situation are seemingly contradictory requirements in new HUD contracts with nonprofits that find permanent housing and run shelters for the homeless. One section stipulates they cant promote gender ideology while another requires compliance with anti-discrimination law, according to a copy provided to the AP.Organizations say they are confused.What is promoting gender ideology? What does that mean? asked Jeannette Ruffins, CEO of Homeward NYC, a nonprofit that runs three permanent housing sites for LGBTQ+ young adults, as well as a homeless shelter. Does housing LGBTQ young adults promote gender identity? she asked. You know, theyre coming to us. This is already their gender identity. Like Im not promoting it. Ruffins called a board meeting to discuss potential vulnerabilities on their website, something she said most New York City nonprofits were doing as well.Her organization made small changes to their website, saying they were LGBTQ+ affirming and friendly in a few places rather than LGBTQ+ serving, hoping that will make them less of a target. In Memphis, Tennessee, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter for transgender people is looking to increase capacity because of the uncertainty. Kayla Gore, executive director of My Sistahs House, said it can do that because it doesnt take federal funding.People are confused, Gore said. They dont know what to do because they want to protect their bottom line.This is the world Nearly three years after losing his apartment, Webster remains homeless, staying with friends and sometimes sleeping on the floor. He is on a waiting list for subsidized housing because he cant afford rent otherwise. But he expects the massive federal funding cuts and Trump administration directives banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives will make the wait even longer.Lets be honest. This is the world, he said. People, they do hateful things. If you legalize them to hating, then they feel like they have a right. SALLY HO Ho is an investigative and business news reporter for The Associated Press. Shes filed public records requests in all 50 U.S. states and covered a range of major world events. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr calls out to his players in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)2025-05-05T05:47:11Z HOUSTON (AP) With a chance to close out their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets instead delivered a playoff flop to end their season Sunday night.The Rockets won consecutive games to claw back from a 3-1 deficit and force a Game 7 but played their worst game of the series to be sent packing with a 103-89 loss.We had our chances in this series, coach Ime Udoka said. We all expected to continue to be playing so its a letdown. Its going to sting now but use it as motivation and lets all come back better. Dont be satisfied.Houston won 52 games to capture the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and return to the postseason for the first time since 2020. The seven seed Warriors eliminated the Rockets in the playoffs for a fifth time after doing so four times between 2015 and 2019. We had whatever amount of wins and second place and all that, but nobody cares about that right now, Udoka said. Its about where we finished.Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and Buddy Hield made nine 3-pointers and finished with 33 points to lead Golden State to the win. Hield was 9 of 11 from 3-point range, setting an NBA record for a Game 7 and making more 3s than the Rockets, who were 6 of 18 from long range.They didnt lead after the first quarter and allowed Curry to get going in the second half to put the game away after Hield carried the team in first two quarters. Fred Vleet scored a combined 55 points in the last two games to help Houston extend the series. But he was limited to 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting Sunday as the Rockets were sent home early.He was far from the only Rockets player who struggled. Big man Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 14 rebounds. But he missed several easy shots on a 9-of-23 night.Despite the loss, Sengun was proud to see the growth of the team which won just 22 games in the 2022-23 season. We learned how to play together, he said. We talk every day. It was a hard series for us. Obviously, were upset right now, but its going to be a great offseason for us and its going to make us better next year.Jalen Green, who had 38 points to lead Houston to a Game 2 win, finished with eight points.First playoffs is no excuse, he said. Ive got to be better.Green, who was the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, was criticized during this series for not doing more to lead the team after scoring fewer than 10 points in four of the seven games.But VanVleet took up for his teammate.Everybodys journey is different, he said. The weight of the world seems to be on his shoulders at times, but he played well. We knew they were going to load up on him. On the path to greatness, theres going to be stumbles and failures.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Folklorico dancers from the group Viva Mexico perform their routine during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and mixer hosted by the Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, May 5, 2021, in Odessa, Texas. (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP, File)2025-05-05T05:09:37Z AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Cinco de Mayo festivities are taking place across the U.S. with music, tacos, tequila and colorful displays of Mexican culture even if theyre not always the most authentic.The day falls on a Monday this year, meaning the bulk of the celebrations took place over the weekend. In California, a state with a large Mexican American population, there was a mix of art displays, classic car shows, parades and food truck offerings. In Austin, Texas, events included an opportunity for children to get their photo taken with characters from the Disney animated musical Encanto, which is itself a celebration of Mexican culture. A luncheon with speakers talking about the significance of the Mexican holiday and Mexican Americans in Austin was planned for Monday.Heres a look at the celebration and its roots: What the day celebratesCinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over the better-equipped and much larger French troops was an enormous emotional boost for Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.In Mexico, historical reenactments are held annually in the central city of Puebla to commemorate the victory. Participants dress as Mexican and French troops, and as Zacapoaxtlas the Indigenous and farmer contingent that helped Mexican troops win.In the United States the date is seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture, stretching back to the 1800s in California. Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions and baile folklrico, or folkloric ballet, with whirling dancers wearing bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons. Latino activists and scholars say that disconnect in the U.S. is bolstered by the hazy history of Cinco de Mayo, and marketing that plays on stereotypes that include fake, droopy mustaches and gigantic, colorful sombreros. The day often is mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, which is in September. Its not all about tequila and tacosFor many Americans with or without Mexican ancestry, the day is an excuse to toss back tequila shots and gorge on tortilla chips, nachos and tacos. The celebrations in the U.S. started as a way for Mexican Americans to preserve their cultural identity, said Sehila Mota Casper, director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation. Since then weve seen a shift to more commercialization and commodification and mockery over the years, Mota Casper said. I think that has a lot to do with the commercialization of products and especially Latino heritage.Mota Casper encourages people to learn about that day in history and its importance in Mexico. Jacob Troncoza, 49, said he celebrates Cinco de Mayo in his household because hes proud of his Mexican ancestry. I try to make sure that the kids understand what its about, which was the revolution, the war, and the battles that our grandfathers fought on, said Troncoza, who was born in east Los Angeles. Others, like Andrea Ruiz dont because her Mexican dad never did. But she noted what she deemed the irony in widespread celebrations.I think its funny Trump and all of his supporters want to get Mexicans out, call them criminals, but then on Cinco de Mayo, they want to go and eat tacos and drink tequila, the 23-year-old Ruiz said. Political rhetoric Since returning to the White House, Trump has continued to label Mexican immigrants as criminals and gang members. Hes also sought to end birthright citizenship, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and ended the federal governments diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Trump acknowledged Cinco de Mayo during his first term, posting on X, Happy #CincoDeMayo! and I love Hispanics! as he sat with a taco bowl. In the last presidential election, data showed more young Hispanic men moved to the right and voted for Trump.Its unclear if the current administration will acknowledge Cinco de Mayo designated a holiday in Mexico but not in the United States. The Associated Press sent an email to the White House Press Office late Friday seeking comment. Trumps handling of immigration remains a point of strength as he ramps up deportations and targets people living in the U.S. without legal status, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While Trumps actions remain divisive, theres less of a consensus that the Republican president has overstepped on immigration than on other issues, the poll found.Organizers of Chicagos Cinco de Mayo parade said they canceled it because the city has become a target for immigration agents. ___Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed to this report. FERNANDA FIGUEROA Figueroa reports on Latino/Hispanic affairs as a member of the APs Race & Ethnicity team. twitter mailto

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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers conduct a search and rescue operation at one of the two passenger boats capsized in Qianxi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Liu Xu/Xinhua via AP)2025-05-04T13:18:13Z BEIJING (AP) Four boats capsized in a sudden storm at a tourist spot in southwestern China, killing 10 people, state media said Monday.More than 80 people fell into a river when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province late Sunday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said.The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm on the upper reaches of the Wu River, a tributary of the Yangtze, Chinas longest river. In one video shared by state media, a man could be seen performing CPR on another person, while one of the vessels drifted upside down.Initial reports said two tourist boats had capsized, but state media said on Monday that four boats were involved. The other two boats had no passengers, and the seven crew members were able to save themselves, CCTV said.Guizhous mountains and rivers are a major tourism draw, and many Chinese were traveling during a five-day national holiday that ended Monday. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to find the missing and care for the injured, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday. Seventy people were sent to a hospital, most with minor injuries. Noting a recent series of fatal accidents, Xi underscored the importance of strengthening safety at tourist attractions, large public venues and residential communities, as well as for the rush of people returning at the end of major holidays. CCTV said the capsized boats had a maximum capacity of about 40 people each and were not overloaded.An eyewitness told state-owned Beijing News the waters were deep but that some people had managed to swim to safety. However, the storm had come suddenly and a thick mist obscured the surface of the river.

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by Adam Friedman, Tennessee Lookout This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with the Tennessee Lookout. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. We are continuing to report on flex loans. Have you been sued by Advance Financial, Harpeth Financial or another flex loan lender? To share your experience, call or text reporter Adam Friedman at 615-249-8509. Rosita Hansen was working an evening shift at a tubing factory in 2023 when a sheriffs deputy showed up and handed her a court summons. She was being sued for failing to pay off a loan of $2,050. What confused Hansen was she had already paid a couple thousand more than she borrowed. But now the company, Advance Financial, said she owed more. Between what shed already paid the company and the lawsuit, Advance stood to receive over $12,500 from Hansen, records show.Hansen, 57, had taken out the loan in 2021 after her mortgage company threatened to foreclose on her modest three-bedroom house outside Morristown, a small city in East Tennessee. Hansen made enough money to support herself, but after taking in her four grandchildren, she struggled to cover the costs of extra food and school supplies, and she stopped paying her mortgage. Thats when she turned to Advance. I was providing for all of them, Hansen said. Financially, it was rough.Like most borrowers, Hansen could not afford an attorney to handle the suit, but she hoped to work out a payment plan with Advance. When she arrived at the Hamblen County courthouse in Morristown in May 2023, she was directed to a line of half a dozen people waiting to meet with an attorney representing the company. Across Tennessee, Advance has sued over 110,000 people since 2015, significantly more than any other payday lender, making it one of the largest plaintiffs of any Tennessee-based company collecting debt. In Hansens Appalachian county of 66,000, where nearly half the households make less than $50,000, the company has filed one case per every 32 residents over that time, the Tennessee Lookout and ProPublica found.Advance began filing thousands of lawsuits soon after Tennessee lawmakers approved the Flex Loan, a product pioneered by Advance in Tennessee. The loans $4,000 cap is nine times higher than the limit for most payday loans, and the company charges the equivalent of a 279.5% annual interest rate. Before Flex Loans became legal in 2015, payday lenders could only lend $425, and the borrower could never be required to pay back more than $500. Since then, those protections have been eliminated and thousands of borrowers have been defaulting. Flex Loans only stop growing when theyre completely paid off, when a flex lender declares the loan is in default or when it sues the borrower. If the loans do end up in court, the law allows lenders to recoup attorneys fees which cant be done with payday loans a practice that can add up to a third of the loan amount. Court judgments against customers are often thousands of dollars, with some exceeding $10,000, records show. About 40% of all cases end up with a wage garnishment, court records show. The consequences of Flex Loans were predicted when the Tennessee legislature legalized them 10 years ago, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wanted to regulate products like Flex Loans when Congress created the agency in 2011. The Trump administrations efforts to dismantle the CFPB are currently being reviewed by the courts. Advance has argued that the new product would help consumers by offering them loans that are technically cheaper than a payday loan. It downplayed concerns from consumer advocates that these high-interest loans targeted and trapped low-income borrowers in debt they could never pay off. The companys leaders made their case just as federal regulators planned to crack down on other Tennessee lenders for making different high-interest loans to people they knew could not pay them back.After just a few years, evidence started mounting that the loans were exacting a high toll on low-income borrowers while generating huge profits for lenders. Since then, the Flex Loan has buried tens of thousands of Tennesseans such as Hansen in a deep financial hole.Gabe Kravitz, a consumer finance researcher at The Pew Charitable Trusts, said loans above $1,000 paired with triple-digit interest rates are hard to pay off. It gets very expensive very quickly, he said. Only a few other states have approved products similar to the Flex Loan but, unlike Tennessee, when other states saw problems with the loans, they acted to rein them in. Virginia allowed banks to make line-of-credit loans but had never seen the need to cap interest rates as banks competed for customers. But soon after Advance showed up, regulators noticed the company filing thousands of lawsuits. The state attorney generals office investigated the company for deceptive practices in 2020, ultimately labeling the company as predatory and helping to pass legislation to shut down Flex Loan-like products in the state. Advance declined to answer a question about the Virginia attorney generals investigation. California and North Dakota also passed bills capping interest rates on open-ended lines of credit after Advance and other companies began to operate in those states. The Lookout and ProPublica sent Advance Financial detailed questions about its operations, including each of the cases cited in the article. Cullen Earnest, the senior vice president of public policy at Advance Financial, declined to answer specific questions and said he could not discuss individual cases due to privacy concerns. Earnest said in an email that the company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. He added that the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions has received just 91 complaints on flexible credit lenders since 2020, representing less than 0.001% of all new flex loan agreements, and that this data reflects the satisfaction of the vast majority of Advances customers.Company records show Hansen made her twice-a-month payments on time, paying over $6,600 in 10 months. The required minimum monthly payments are supposed to act like a safety net, ensuring borrowers pay enough to cover the interest, fees and 3% of the principal. But many times after Hansen made a payment, the company allowed her to immediately borrow the principal back, which she often did, extending the time it would take to pay off the loan. After almost a year of payments, she still owed more than $3,000. One Borrower Owed Over $8,000 in Interest and Court Fees Sources: Rosita Hansens loan billing statements and court records. (Lucas Waldron/ProPublica) Hansen said she knew the loan was costly every loan statement warns, This is an expensive form of credit. Only borrow what you can afford to pay back but she didnt realize how hard it would be to keep up with the interest and fees. The loan from Advance only made Hansens financial situation worse. As the payments became too much to handle, she lost the house. But the Flex Loan continued to grow, almost doubling in size by the time she received a court summons a year later. Who Is Advance?Michael and Tina Hodges started their payday lending business in the 1990s with a few stores in Nashville. The company, then called Advance Pay Day, steadily expanded, making payday loans and offering products like bus passes, check cashing and money transfers. In 2009, the Hodges told a local news outlet that they wanted to shed the image of a simple payday advance company, so the company took on a new name, Advance Financial. By 2010, Advance had generated a modest $15 million in revenue from about two dozen stores, according to statements it made in news reports at the time.Not long after, the growing business collided with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal regulator Congress created after the banking crisis. The CFPB had started to take aim at high-interest payday lenders, releasing a 2013 report on the dangers of the loans as debt traps. A subsequent agency report found that payday lenders, particularly in Tennessee, relied heavily on offering loans to those who couldnt afford them. Advance declined to respond to a question about the CFPB report. Advance Financial lobbied Tennessee lawmakers to approve bigger loans that accumulate higher fees, saying the new offering would be a little bit more expensive but arguing it would be good for consumers. (Stacy Kranitz for ProPublica) Looking for an alternative product that wouldnt fall under the CFPBs looming regulations, Advance turned to Tennessee lawmakers, who have power over statewide interest rates. The company hired Earnest, the former top aide for the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, which regulates payday lenders. It also opened up a political action committee and began to push lawmakers to allow it to create the Flex Loan. In a hearing discussing the Flex Loan legislation before its passage, Earnest told a Tennessee Senate committee the new loan was like a line of credit you could get at a bank, acknowledging it would be a little bit more expensive.But the proposal added significant potential costs. To allow lenders to circumvent the states interest rate cap, the legislature simply called the interest something else: a customary fee. The law would permit flex lenders to charge 24% interest plus a daily fee until the loan is paid off. The fee is calculated by multiplying the loan amount by 0.7%. Over 365 days the fee adds 255.5% to the cost of the loan. Advances own documentation tells borrowers that although the state and Advance call it a fee, the federal government sees it for what it is, an interest rate. The bill passed the state Senate without opposition. In the House, only Democratic state Rep. Mike Stewart spoke against the bill, which passed overwhelmingly and was later signed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.Stewart pointed out the new law allowed companies to recoup attorneys fees in court, something payday lenders had not been allowed to do, and a practice he knew as a lawyer would likely increase the number of lawsuits. The legislation was structured to maximize the amount of money they could extract from these debtors, Stewart, who has since left the legislature, said in an interview. After legalization of the Flex Loan, Advance Financials business boomed. The company expanded to all corners of Tennessee, growing to 105 locations by the end of the 2010s. As a private company, Advance is not required to release financial information. But Advance and the Hodges were vocal about their success, at least at first. The company self-reported to the Nashville Business Journal in 2019 that it made $392 million, quintupling its revenue from the year before it started offering the Flex Loan, and making more than 25 times as much as it had at the start of the decade. Advances revenue no longer appeared on any of the business journals lists after 2019. Those numbers parallel the growth of the flex loan industry in Tennessee. By 2019, all flex lenders across the state had generated about $730 million in operating income, a number that has continued to grow, according to state records. In 2022, the latest available year of data, flex lenders earned $880 million in operating income. The company is one of the top campaign donors to Tennessee politicians, having spent roughly $2.5 million since 2014. Advance has also spent over $3 million lobbying state lawmakers over the past decade. The Hodges have also made roughly $10 million in political donations to federal candidates since 2014, including over $3 million to support President Donald Trumps campaigns. In a 2019 recording obtained by The Washington Post, Hodges told a payday lending industry group his political donations granted him better access to Trump. Hodges told the Post he was an enthusiastic supporter of Trump and never used his status to ask the Trump administration for help.A Trump-appointed CFPB director rescinded most of the payday lending regulations in 2020. The new Trump administration has tried to gut the CFPB, but an appeals court on April 28 upheld a lower court ruling preventing the acting CFPB director from firing about 90% of the departments employees.Today, Advances only product is the Flex Loan.A Wave of LawsuitsBefore the Flex Loan, court records show that payday lenders like Advance rarely took borrowers to court. The low $500 cap on loan amounts and the prohibition on collecting attorneys fees often made suing people unprofitable. The Flex Loan law changed all that, unleashing a wave of lawsuits. Across the 59 counties where electronic court records are available home to over four-fifths of the states roughly 7 million people Advance has brought one lawsuit for every 50 residents since 2015, according to a data analysis by the Tennessee Lookout and ProPublica. For Tonya Davis, a single mother who works at a local hospital, Advance waited six years to sue. Tennessees debt collection law allows lenders to file a suit within six years and, if the company wins a judgment in court, to pursue the debt for another decade. Davis lives in Davidson County, where Advance operates more stores than in any other county in Tennessee. Advance has filed over 22,000 lawsuits in Davidson over the decade since it began offering Flex Loans, its highest county total. Its stores in Nashville, which is located in that county, are generally in neighborhoods where households have lower incomes. Davis said Advance contacted her in 2018, claiming she owed money on a Flex Loan taken out the previous year. Davis said she never borrowed the money and was the victim of identity theft, a claim the company told her it would look into after she told Advance in a phone call that the Social Security number on the account wasnt hers.The company never reached back out to her, she said, and for years, she heard nothing from Advance, but in 2024, she received a summons declaring it was suing her for almost $4,800. Tonya Davis says she never borrowed money from Advance and was a victim of identity theft. The company told her it would look into the matter and then, almost six years later, sued her for $4,785. (Stacy Kranitz for ProPublica) At the time Davis was caring for her dying mother and missed her court hearing. Because she didnt appear, Advance won a default judgment against her for the full amount. Davis could not afford an attorney, so she filed an appeal on her own, but she never got a chance to challenge the judgment. Soon after the hearing began, attorneys for Advance noted that Davis had filed her appeal one day past the filing deadline and the judge denied her appeal. The companys default judgment means Davis is required to pay Advance $175 a month.Im not a lawyer, Davis said in an interview. Im trying to do the best I can with what I have. I dont know anything about this, or I would have paid, but they didnt even give me the opportunity to present my information.Challenging Advance in court can be daunting. When Advance goes to court for a Flex Loan, it wins a majority of the time, in part because borrowers often fail to show up and in part because the company has more legal resources. The company has won over $200 million in judgments since the start of 2015. Mandy Spears, the deputy director of the Tennessee-based think tank The Sycamore Institute, said in court that lenders have all the advantages because they have lawyers with vast experience in the system. Its just complicated for the average person versus a more sophisticated business or law firm, she said. Its really a gap in knowledge and expertise. Many defendants dont realize that when they fail to appear in court, the company doesnt have to provide detailed documents proving what a borrower owes. Tessa Shearon, a 27-year-old mother in McMinnville, thought she paid off her loan with Advance Financial in 2020. When the company sued her almost three years later, she missed her court hearing because she was eight months pregnant and on bed rest. A judge ruled her in default and Advance won a judgment for $4,700. Tessa Shearon thought she paid off her loan with Advance in 2020. The company sued her three years later. (Stacy Kranitz for ProPublica) Shearon didnt keep any documentation after paying off her loan, but she said she reached out to Advances lawyer to dispute the lawsuit. The company has not sought to garnish her wages. But she remains in limbo: Under the law, the company can choose to file a wage garnishment any time in the next 10 years to recover the judgment amount. My only worry is them attempting to collect, Shearon said. I dont have anything.Marla Williams, a consumer law attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, is one of a handful of lawyers whove helped defend borrowers against Advance.In several cases, Williams has been able to block wage garnishments and reduce the customary fee the company charges. Marla Williams is a lawyer who has helped defend borrowers against Advance. (Stacy Kranitz for ProPublica) Williams said that in a 2024 case, she was able to lower the payments from an unaffordable several hundred dollars a month to around $50 per month, which her client could afford. Advance fought the reduction, but a judge ruled in her favor. In another case, Williams said Advance tried to charge a borrower thousands of dollars in additional fees months after he stopped paying the loan. After a hearing, which most borrowers without lawyers dont ask for, a judge reduced the fees, calling the added charges unconscionable and unjust, court records show. Williams said the company often uses aggressive tactics in court, something that shes observed over the past decade. This is their business model, she said.Advance declined to discuss its business model or legal strategy.Sometimes Advance has already made money off the borrower before suing them, as in the case of Hansen. Over 10 months, Hansen paid Advance nearly $2,200 more than she borrowed, records show.She still owed almost $3,000 when she stopped paying Advance. The company waited around three months before declaring her in default, letting her debt grow before it sued her several months later. With the addition of attorneys fees and court-added interest, the company sued her for $6,000. Hansen, who asked to use her maiden name because shes no longer married, lost her home in 2022, moving into an apartment, which she said costs more than her mortgage had.Hansen said she plans to pay Advance by the summer. A February bonus check, which the company garnished 25% of, has helped. I understand its every person for themselves, and theyre out to make a buck, Hansen said about Advance. But you know what, people out there are struggling every single day, and thats what they take advantage of. How We Tracked Advance Financials LawsuitsFor this story, the Tennessee Lookout and ProPublica used online portals to find civil cases in Tennessee General Sessions Courts for the 59 counties where electronic court records are available. More than four-fifths of the states population lives in these counties. Our analysis included cases filed and uploaded to the online portals from 2009 through 2024. We filtered the data for cases brought by payday lenders in Tennessee, using company names, and found that Advance was filing significantly more suits than any other payday lender, according to court records. Advance Financial often uses a related company called Harpeth Financial Services to file lawsuits against borrowers. Not every case listed the type of loan behind the lawsuit, but a pattern emerged: After Advance started offering Flex Loans in 2015, the number of lawsuits it filed significantly increased.Of the cases in our data that were filed by Advance, over half had a judgment amount awarded, indicating the company won its lawsuit. About three-quarters of the cases filed had information on whether a wage garnishment was or wasnt filed against a borrower. Our analysis found that among cases where that information was available, 40% included wage garnishment. Have you taken out a flex loan and struggled to pay it back? Have you been sued by Advance Financial, Harpeth Financial or another flex loan lender?Reporters at the Tennessee Lookout and ProPublica want to hear from you as they investigate flex loan lenders, who have sued more than 100,000 Tennesseans.To share your experience, call or text reporter Adam Friedman at 615-249-8509. Mollie Simon contributed research and Joel Jacobs contributed data reporting.

The April 22 terrorist attack in Kashmir inflamed a long-simmering conflict that could boil over into military confrontation.

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Just when you thought the WNBA couldnt get any more sapphic, it did. Not only did Brittney Griner have a baby with her wife last year and WNBA stars NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington gag us with their adorable relationship, but rookie Shyanne Sellers got drafted by the Golden State Valkyries and engaged to her girlfriend all in the same week!With the 2025 WNBA draft, and the fab orange carpets fits, in the rear view mirror, and the new season starting on May 16, its time to take a look at all of the LGBTQ+ players in the league this year.Last year there were 37 queer women playing in the WNBA, and although the have been some retirements, there are even more queer folks starting the new season. With 43 active players this season who identify as queer, there is a lot to celebrate. So scroll through to see all of the sapphics on the roster and who theyre playing for this year.Shyanne SellersMaryland shooting guard Shyanne Sellers was drafted as a rookie by the brand new Bay Area team the Golden State Valkyries for their inaugural season. But Sellers wasnt just the 17th pick for the 2025 WNBA draft, but also proposed to her girlfriend Faith Masonius that same week and announced their engagement via Instagram with the caption, Forever & More.Julie AllemandJulie Allemand is a Belgian basketball player who is a guard for the Los Angeles Sparks. She played two season with the Indiana Fever in 2020 and was signed to the Chicago Skye in 2022 before joining the Sparks last year.DeWanna BonnerDeWanna Bonner is an American-Macedonian who joined the Indiana Fever as a free agent fringe the offseason after being a forward-guard for the Connecticut Sun. She has been in the WNBA since 2009 when she was signed to the Phoenix Mercury before being traded to the Sun in 2020. She shares two children, twins Cali and Demi, with her ex-wife, former WNBA star Candice Dupree.Jordin CanadaGuard for the Atlanta Dream Jordin Canada was a star player at the University of California Los Angeles before playing professionally with the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm. She took home the WNBA Championship trophy in 2018 and 2020.Emma CannonForward Emma Cannon just signed to the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2025 season after playing for the Dallas Wings last year. Prior to joining the Wings, she was a star player at Florida Southern college before entering the WNBA and playing for Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun, and Phoenix Mercury.DiJonai CarringtonDiJonai Carrington signed with the Dallas Wings for the 2025 WNBA. She has been in the league for four years and was a Guard-Forward for the Connecticut Sun last season. She is dating fellow WNBA star NaLyssa Smith, who currently plays for the Dallas Wings.Layshia ClarendonLayshia Clarendon is a Los Angeles Sparks Guard and also the WNBAs first openly trans and nonbinary player. The ten-year veteran of the league uses any pronouns and has also played for the Minnesota Lynx, the New York Liberty, the Connecticut Sun, the Atlanta Dream, and the Indiana Fever.Natasha CloudNew York Liberty Guard Natasha Cloud played at St. Joseph's University in Pennsylvania before joining the league and playing for Washington Mystics and Phoenix Mercury. She has been in the WNBA for eight years and won the WNBA Championship back in 2019.Sydney ColsonSydney Colson is the #51 Guard for the Indiana Fever. She was a star player at Texas A&M college before joining the WNBA and playing for the Chicago Sky, the Las Vegas Aces, and the New York Liberty. The nine-year veteran of the league won the Championship in both 2022 and 2023. Kahleah CopperPhoenix Mercury Guard-Forward Kahleah Copper has been in the league for eight years, where she has also played for the Washington Mystics and the Chicago Sky.Elissa CunaneElissa Cunane was just signed to the brand-new Bay Area team, the Golden State Valkyries, for their inaugural season. Prior to joining the Valkyries, she was a Center for the Seattle Storm.Crystal DangerfieldCrystal Dangerfield joined the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2025 season after playing as a Guard for the Dallas Wings. She started her basketball career at the University of Connecticut before winning Rookie of the Year while playing for the Minnesota Lynx. She has also played for the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever.Stefanie DolsonStefanie Dolson has been in the WNBA for more than decade and is currently the #31 Center for the Washington Mystics. She played for UConn before joining the New York Liberty and then the Chicago Sky.Asia (AD) DurrAsia (AD) Durr is a Guard for the Atlanta Dream, but started their career with the New York Liberty. Durr uses they/them pronouns and played for the University of Louisville before starting their professional career.Chelsea GrayChelsea Gray is the #12 Guard for the Las Vegas Aces, but started her decade-long professional career with the Connecticut Sun. She played college ball at Duke University and has also played for the Los Angeles Sparks. She shares one child with her wife, Tipesa.Brittney GrinerBrittney Griner left the Phoenix Mercury after the 2024 season to join the Atlanta Dream as the #42 Center. Griner, who has been in the league for more than a decade, made international headlines back in 2022 when she was detained in Russia for cannabis vape cartridges at the airport. Originally sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison, she was released after 293 days when then-President Joe Biden made a deal to trade Griners release for the "Merchant of Death" Russian arms trafficker, Viktor Bout. Griner had her first child, a son named Bash, with her wife Cherelle in July 2024.Natisha HiedemanMarquette University alum Natisha Hiedeman is now the #2 Guard for the Minnesota Lynx. Before being drafted by the Lynx, she played for the Connecticut Sun. Hiederman is married to former Sun player Jasmine Thomas.Jordan HorstonThis season will mark Jordan Horstons third year as the #23 Guard-Forward for the Seattle Storm. She started her basketball career at the University of Tennessee before joining the WNBA.Natasha HowardForward Natasha Howard is returning to the Indian Fever this season after having left the team to play for the Dallas Wings. She has spent more than a decade in the league and also played for the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, and New York Liberty. She was a star player while at Florida State University where she was a three-time Champion and former Defensive Player of the Year. Jonquel JonesJonquel Jones is a Bahamian WNBA player who is the #35 Forward for the New York Liberty. The George Washington University alum has been in the league for nine years and played for the Connecticut Sun before joining the Liberty.Lou Lopez SnchalLou Lopez Snchal is the #8 Guard for the Dallas Wings. The UConn graduate was born in Mexico and the 2025 season will mark her third year in both the WNBA and with the Wings.Jewell LoydJewell Loyd just joined the Las Vegas Aces as the #24 Guard. Last season she played for the Seattle Storm where she played for nine years. Shes had a storied basketball career that has included being a two-time WNBA Champion and Olympic gold medalist with team USA in the 2020 Olympics.Aerial PowersMichigan State graduate Aerial Powers is the #3 Guard for the Atlanta Dream. This is Powers second season with the Dream after playing for the Dallas Wings, the Washington Mystics, and the Minnesota Lynx. She is also a WNBA Champion, winning the title in 2016.Alanna SmithAustralian basketball star Alanna Smith is the #8 Forward for the Minnesota Lynx. The Stanford University alum has been in the WNBA for six years and this will mark her second season with the Lynx. She has also played for the Phoenix Mercury, the Indiana Fever, and the Chicago Sky.NaLyssa SmithNaLyssa Smith just joined the Dallas Wings as their #1 Forward after playing for the Indiana Fever. The Baylor University graduate is currently in a relationship with Connecticut Sun star player DiJonai Carrington.Breanna StewartBreanna Stewart started her basketball career as the University of Connecticut and is now the #30 Forward for the New York Liberty. The two-time WNBA Champion and former Seattle Storm player met her wife, former WNBA player Marta Xargay, while the pair were playing together in Russia.Sug SuttonGuard Sug Sutton signed with the Washington Mystics for the 2025 season after playing for the Phoenix Mercury, where she started her professional career. Sutton has three years of experience in the league after playing for the University of Texas.Brittney SykesBrittney Sykes is the #20 Guard for the Washington Mystics. She came from Syracuse University and joined the WNBA eight years ago, playing for the Atlanta Dream and the Los Angeles Sparks before joining the Mystics. Alyssa ThomasForward Alyssa Thomas is starting her first season with the Phoenix Mercury after playing for the Connecticut Sun. She has been in the WNBA for more than a decade and spent all those years with the Sun before leaving for Arizona. Thomas has been engaged to DeWanna Bonner, who was her teammate on the Sun, since 2023. Courtney VanderslootGuard Courtney Vandersloot is returning to the Chicago Sky this season after playing for the New York Liberty. Vandersloot has been in the league for 13 years since coming from Gonzaga University. She spent most of these years with the Chicago Sky before briefly leaving to play for the Liberty. She is married to Allie Quigley, who was her Chicago Sky teammate before retiring from the WNBA.Victoria ViviansMississippi University alum Victoria Vivians is the #35 Guard for the Seattle Storm. She has been in the WNBA for six years, and while she plays for the Storm now, she started her career with the Indiana Fever.Erica WheelerIndiana Fever Guard Erica Wheeler has been in the league for nine years. After playing for Rutgers University, she joined the Atlanta Dream, the New York Liberty, and the Los Angeles Sparks.Sami WhitcombSami Whitcomb is now the #32 Guard for the Phoenix Mercury after leaving the Seattle Storm. The 36-year-old is originally from Australia, but went to college at Washington University. She has been in the WNBA for eight years and has also played for the New York Liberty.Christyn WilliamsGuard Christyn Williams just signed a training-camp contract with the Minnesota Lynx after having a rocky start in the league. She was drafted by the Washington Mystics in 2022, but was unable to play her first season with the team because of a knee surgery that needed surgery. In 2023 she signed a rest-of-the-season hardship contract with the Phoenix Mercury, but she was waived in May 2024.Courtney WilliamsCourtney Williams is the #10 Guard for the Minnesota Lynx. The 30-year-old player has been in the league for nine years after coming from the University of South Florida. She has also played for the Phoenix Mercury, the Connecticut Sun, the Atlanta Dream, and the Chicago Sky.Emily EngstlerEmily Engstler is the #21 Forward for the Washington Mystics. She played college ball for Syracuse and formerly played for the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota LynxKayla McBrideKayla McBride is a shooting guard for the Minnesota Lynx. McBride has been with the league since 2014 when she was drafted third overall by the San Antonio Stars. She also played for the Las Vegas Aces before joining the Lynx in 2021. Last year, McBride became the first Lynx player in franchise history to have 100+ 3-point shots in a single season.Kierstan BellKierstan Bell is the #1 Forward for the Las Vegas Aces. Bell joined the WNBA in 2022 when she was drafted 11th overall by the Aces. She statred her career as an athlete playing basketball for Florida Gulf Coast and Ohio State before joining the league.Sevgi UzunSevgi Uzun is a Turkish basketball player who is currently the #1 Guard for the Phoenix Mercury. The 27-year-old point guard also plays for the Turkish Super League, EuroLeague Women, and the Turkish national team.Natasha MackNatasha Mack is the #4 Forward for the Phoenix Mercury. Mack was the second round draft pick for the Chicago Sky in 2021, but ended up being let go that same year after going back and forth with signing a Hardship Contract. She then signed a 7-Day contract with the Minnesota Lynx in 2021 before playing overseas in Poland, New Zealand, and Turkey for two years before joining the Mercury for the 2024 season.Cecilia ZandalasiniCecilia Zandalasini was just drafted by the Golden State Valkyries and will play Forward for the inaugural season. The 30-year-old basketball star has been in the league since 2017 when she was signed by the Minnesota Lynx. She then left to play abroad before returning to the Lynx last season.Courtney WilliamsUniversity of South Florida alum Courtney Williams joined the WNBA in 2016 when she was signed by Phoenix Mercury. Now, she is the Minnesota Lynx #10 Guard. Since then, she has played for the Connecticut Sun (twice), the Atlanta Dream, and the Chicago Sky before being picked up the Lynx last year.Arike OgunbowaleArike Ogunbowale is the #24 Guard for the Dallas Wings. The 28-year-old basketball pro started her career at Notre Dame, where she was named the Athlete of the Year. The 2025 season will mark her sixth year with the Wings. She also plays for Vinyl BC in Unrivaled, the new women's 3-on-3 basketball league.

Nature, Published online: 05 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01353-zTo foster research excellence, institutions should value both researchers and technicians and facilitate collaborations between them.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool on a free transfer this summer, with sources telling ESPN he rejected a massive pay deal at Anfield.

by Peter Elkind ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. The Trump administration has eliminated or stifled critical data at dozens of federal agencies. Now the administrations actions are hitting a new realm: the energy industry.For decades, the Energy Information Administration, an independent agency housed inside the Department of Energy, has provided crucial reports on everything from oil and gas to the future of alternative energy. Relied on by oil company CEOs and government policymakers alike, the EIAs data has been called the gold standard by Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of S&P Global and an minence grise in the world of oil. No less a source than Project 2025 described the EIA as historically providing independent and impartial analysis.Last month, the EIA released its signature report: the Annual Energy Outlook for the United States. Largely based on data gathered during the administration of Joe Biden, the report projected rapid growth in alternative energy and declines in American reliance on coal, oil and natural gas. Agency officials feared that the findings would rankle the Drill, Baby, Drill proponents in the Trump administration, according to multiple EIA sources. So instead of promoting the reports publication with an hourlong webcast and PowerPoint presentation spotlighting key findings, as it has in recent years, the agency released it without any of that. And at a late stage, the EIA deleted the analytical narrative then 53 pages in draft form that is typically the centerpiece of the report. Instead the agency posted links to hundreds of data-filled tables and charts and a seven-page explanation of its methods. That didnt stop the Energy Department from pillorying the findings. In a press release on the same day the report was published, a department spokesperson attacked the EIAs report for featuring the disastrous path for American energy production under the Biden administration and failing to reflect Trump-initiated policy changes aimed at ensuring Americas future is marked by energy growth and abundance not scarcity.Now the EIA has privately informed staff that it is scrapping publication of its closely followed International Energy Outlook for 2025. The previous edition of the international outlook, released every two years, contained 70 pages detailing global trends. The paradox: That will leave the field open to the equivalent publication from the Paris-based International Energy Agency, which conservatives accuse of bending its forecasts to promote climate-change goals. (Unlike the U.S. agency, whose projections take into account only formally adopted policies, the international one includes some policies that havent been adopted and are considered aspirational.)In an April 16 internal email announcing the cancellation of the international report, which has not previously been reported, Angelina LaRose, assistant administrator in the EIAs office of energy analysis, blamed the decision on the departure of so many staff experts. More than 100 of the EIAs 350 staff have left as a result of firings or resignations, in the wake of Fork in the Road buyout offers from Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. At this point, you can assume we will not be releasing the IEO this year, she wrote. This was a difficult decision based on the loss of key resources.In the same memo, LaRose ordered an all hands-on-deck type of effort, before even more EIA analysts departed, to try to preserve as much institutional knowledge as possible about the models and procedures used to formulate the international report.Failing to publish that report is viewed as consequential. Amy Myers Jaffe, a prominent energy consultant and research professor at New York University, called the EIAs reports and analysis essential. These are global markets, she said. The only way to figure out which policies work or dont is to have accurate EIA data. Everybody benefits from that analysis, whether youre in the private sector or the public sector.The EIA was established nearly a half-century ago, amid the energy crises of the 1970s, to tackle what had become an urgent need: to collect and report objective data on energy production and consumption. Its regular stream of postings now track oil and gasoline prices, electricity rates, natural gas and crude oil exports, automobile fuel consumption, wind and solar energy generation, coal production and nuclear plant outputs.Its U.S. Annual Energy Outlook projects long-term trends, based on multiple scenarios, and customarily provides detailed analysis discussing key takeaways from reams of data. For 2025, its baseline reference case projected how markets would operate through 2050 under laws and regulations in place as of December 2024, prior to the Trump administrations efforts to promote fossil fuels. In addition to eight side cases based on variations in economic growth, energy pricing and supply, the EIA also modeled two alternative policy scenarios. These projected impacts from the elimination of Biden-era laws and regulations reducing carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants and boosting adoption of electric vehicles.According to the contents pages from the draft, which ProPublica obtained, the deleted narrative highlighted projections in the reference case showing that increased electricity demand would be met through 2050 mainly by generation from renewable sources; that coal generation falls to close to zero; and that there would be declines in domestic consumption of oil and natural gas.The decision to jettison the reports traditional explanatory narrative was announced to EIA staff in a March 10 internal email, after the document was largely complete following months of work. After conferring with the [EIA] front office, we are shifting gears on the material that will be released with this years AEO, assistant administrator LaRose wrote. We will not be releasing the narrative as currently written and will not be hosting a release event.The omission of the analytical section left readers to sort through the data for themselves. Joseph DeCarolis, who served as EIA administrator under Biden and is now an engineering professor at North Carolina State, called the annual outlooks narrative extremely important. Its important to be able to look at the results, interpret them, and explain to your audience what you think the insights are.EIA employees said they believe the changes were made out of fear that spotlighting unwelcome findings and projections would make the agency a Trump target. There was a concern that any narrative we put out would be seen as ideological, said Emily Schaal, an EIA statistician who worked on the U.S. report. Another EIA employee commented: Fewer people were going to get mad if we just threw the numbers out.Asked about the decision, EIA spokesperson Chris Higginbotham said the agencys leadership jettisoned the analysis because it decided it was most important to prioritize getting our AEO results to the public as soon as we could rather than waiting longer to complete a written market analysis. He added, We do not make decisions about our data or our analyses with the goal of influencing outcomes or avoiding pushback.With regard to EIAs international report, Higginbotham said, We remain committed to maintaining our long-term energy modeling capabilities. He asserted that the staff reductions will not compromise the agencys work. We are committed to meeting EIAs quality standards, he said, and we will not publish any data or analysis that doesnt meet those standards.Meanwhile, the EIA has canceled or delayed other data reports and projects. Those moves, combined with the turmoil and departures, have devastated morale, according to current and former EIA employees.Schaal was among those grappling with the tumult. After completing a doctorate in math, Schaal, 28, joined the EIA as a statistician in June 2024, working remotely from Michigan, and expected to remain at the agency for years. Instead, she was one of about 30 probationary employees who were abruptly terminated on Feb. 13, just weeks into the new administration. A lawsuit challenging firings at six agencies, filed by a union that represents government workers, prompted a federal judge to order their reinstatement, and Schaal returned to the EIA in mid-March.Everyone at EIA had been through a month of torture, she told ProPublica. Employees were dealing with chaos, uncertainty and fears of termination. In early April, Schaal accepted a new deferred resignation offer, with plans to depart on April 19.On April 11, hours before a midnight deadline for the resignation program, EIAs acting administrator presided over an all-hands meeting with a top deputy, where he read a prepared statement urging employees to take the offer. Then the two managers gave assurance they had done a great job defending the agency in a meeting with DOGE officials, who were certain to treat them all appropriately, according to four people who attended the all-hands meeting.Schaal was furious. After the session ended, she pounded out an angry email to the two bosses and then shared it with everyone who still remained at EIA. DOGE doesnt care what we do and will treat us the same as all other agencies: with contempt, she wrote. Shame on you for falling in line and giving up without any perceptible effort to fight. Shame on you for keeping those you purport to lead in the dark. Shame on you for betraying the mission set to us by Congress and selling out the American people.On the following Monday, Schaal was summoned to a virtual meeting with her supervisor, where she was presented with a formal letter of reprimand for her unprofessional and disrespectful email, as well as a second letter notifying her that she was being placed on administrative leave, a week ahead of her planned departure. The episode made her something of a hero among colleagues who remained behind, who have taken to sharing their frustrations with one another on private Signal groups. (EIAs spokesperson declined to comment on the episode. Neither DOGE nor the White House replied to requests for comment for this article.)The EIA, whose director is a presidential appointee, typically chosen from among apolitical academic or industry figures, is poised to get new leadership. Trumps nominee is Tampa energy consultant Tristan Abbey, a self-described think-tanker at conservative groups who has called U.S. dominance in natural gas exports a generational opportunity. Abbey, 39, served as an energy staffer on the National Security Council in the first Trump administration. His financial disclosure reports $103,083 in senior fellow fees since 2024 from the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation and $435,833 in income from his consulting business, whose clients included Thiel Capital. (Abbey worked for Trump-friendly billionaire Peter Thiels investment firms before going into government.) Abbeys consulting firm also has an eclectic side business focused on publishing books written by or about explorers and historical figures in philosophy and math.Abbey enjoyed a friendly confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. He testified that he would leave his policy role behind and affirmed his commitment to the EIA providing nonpartisan facts.Abbey praised the EIA as the worlds premier energy data agency but also said it is in urgent need of revitalization. He presented an ambitious must-do list seemingly at odds with the current administrations wholesale cuts. The EIA, Abbey declared, must clear the decks of unfinished projects, recruit and retain the best talent and develop the most powerful analytical capabilities. Among his top priorities, Abbey testified: the expansion of global energy data collection and analysis. Doris Burke contributed research.

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In the last several years, weve seen the open floor plans popularity wane. Once a standard of new builds, people are again seeing the value of having defined spaces for the homes distinct activities. But all of those open-concept housing units are still there, and the people who live in them are finding creative ways to make rooms within their multipurpose spaces.READ MORE...

In this image taken on Monday, April 28, 2025, and made available Saturday, May 3, 2025, by Vatican Media, workers prepare the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, where the upcoming conclave will start May 7, backdropped by Michelangelo Buonarroti's fresco 'The Last Judgement'. (Vatican Media via AP)2025-05-05T10:09:56Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Cleaners and cooks. Doctors and nurses. Even drivers and elevator operators. All the support staff for the cardinals who will elect the successor to Pope Francis are taking an oath of secrecy on Monday ahead of the conclave thats starting on Wednesday.The punishment for breaking the oath? Automatic excommunication.The oath-taking is being held in the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican for all those assigned to the upcoming conclave. They include clerics in support roles, including confessors speaking various languages. The cardinals themselves will take their oath on Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel, before they cast their first ballots.But an array of laypeople are also required to house and feed the cardinals. A conclaves duration cannot be predicted and it will only be known when white smoke rises out of the Sistine Chapel chimney to signal a winner. All those people will be sequestered to be on hand for any medical needs, and maintain the majestic beauty appropriate for the election of the next head of the 1.4 billion strong Catholic Church. The oathThe provisions for the oath-taking are laid down in Vatican law.St. John Paul II rewrote the regulations on papal elections in a 1996 document that remains largely in force, though Pope Benedict XVI amended it twice before he resigned in 2013. He tightened the oath of secrecy, making clear that anyone who reveals what went on inside the conclave faces automatic excommunication. In John Pauls rules, excommunication was always a possibility, but Benedict revised the oath that liturgical assistants and secretaries take to make it explicit, saying they must observe absolute and perpetual secrecy and explicitly refrain from using any audio or video recording devices.They now declare that they: Promise and swear that, unless I should receive a special faculty given expressly by the newly elected pontiff or by his successors, I will observe absolute and perpetual secrecy with all who are not part of the College of Cardinal electors concerning all matters directly or indirectly related to the ballots cast and their scrutiny for the election of the Supreme Pontiff. I likewise promise and swear to refrain from using any audio or video equipment capable of recording anything which takes place during the period of the election within Vatican City, and in particular anything which in any way, directly or indirectly, is related to the process of the election itself.I take this oath fully aware that an infraction thereof will incur the penalty of automatic excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See. So help me God and these Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hand.Preparations underwayThe Sistine Chapel has already undergone a week-long transformation following the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88.Technicians installed a floating floor to level out the space and make way for ceremonial furnishings, including tables for the electors and their aides, which are draped by Vatican upholsterers. The famous stove used to signal the voting outcomes was placed in its designated corner, a placement dictated by protocol, and firefighters installed the chimney on the roof. Twelve technicians and maintenance craftsmen will remain inside for the duration, maintaining temperature, lighting, and electrical systems, and assisting with ceremonial logistics like operating the stove, the Vatican City State administration said.As tradition dictates, all windows in the conclave zone are darkened to guarantee privacy. Nearly 80 access points around the perimeter are sealed with lead on the eve of the conclave.A colonel and a major of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps are among those taking the oath they will be responsible for surveillance near the Sistine Chapel, the frescoed Renaissance jewel where 133 cardinal electors will be voting. ___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. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

FILE -Sean 'Diddy' Combs participates in "The Four" panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)2025-05-05T04:11:16Z NEW YORK (AP) Sean Diddy Combs, the hip-hop entrepreneur whose wildly successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence, will be brought to a New York courthouse Monday to be tried on charges that he used the influence and resources of his business empire to sexually abuse women.Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the morning and potentially take several days. Opening statements by the lawyers and the start of testimony is expected next week. The 17-page indictment against Combs reads like a charging document filed against a Mafia leader or the head of a drug gang, accusing him of engaging in sex trafficking and presiding over a racketeering conspiracy.The indictment says that with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses, Combs engaged in a two-decade pattern of abusive behavior against women and others. Women were manipulated into participating in drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers that Combs called Freak Offs, prosecutors say. To keep women in line, prosecutors say Combs used a mix of influence and violence: He offered to boost their entertainment careers if they did what he asked or cut them off if they didnt. And when he wasnt getting what he wanted, the indictment says Combs and his associates resorted to violent acts including beatings, kidnapping and arson. Once, the indictment alleges, he even dangled someone from a balcony. Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent. Any group sex was consensual, they say. There was no effort to coerce people into things they didnt want to do, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket, they said.The trial is expected to take at least eight weeks.Combs, 55, has acknowledged one episode of violence that is likely to be featured in the trial. In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, did.Combs attorney, Marc Agnifilo has said Combs was not a perfect person and that there had been drug use and toxic relationships, but said that all sexual activity between Combs, Cassie and other people was consensual.The trial is the latest and most serious in a long string of legal problems for Combs.In 1999 he was charged with bursting into the offices of an Interscope Records executive with his bodyguards and beating him with a champagne bottle and a chair. The executive, Steve Stoute, later asked prosecutors to go easy on Combs, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and took an anger management class.Later that same year, Combs was stopped by police after he and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, fled a nightclub where three people were wounded by gunfire. Combs was acquitted of all charges related to the incident at a 2001 trial, but a rapper in his entourage, Jamal Shyne Barrow, was convicted in the shooting and served nearly nine years in prison. Then in 2015, Combs was charged with assaulting someone with a weight-room kettlebell at the University of California, Los Angeles, where one of his sons played football. Combs said he was defending himself and prosecutors dropped the case. Now, Combs faces his most serious case yet.If convicted, he faces the possibility of decades in prison.

Warren Buffett, presidente y director general de Berkshire Hathaway, concede una entrevista a Liz Claman en el programa "Countdown to the Closing Bell" de Fox Business Network, el 7 de mayo de 2018, en Omaha, Nebraska. (AP Foto/Nati Harnik, archivo)2025-05-05T11:29:49Z OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Billionaire Warren Buffett will remain with Berkshire Hathaway as chairman of the board when vice chairman Greg Abel takes over as CEO to begin 2026. The board of directors at the cash-rich conglomerate voted Sunday to keep the legendary 94-year-old investor as head of the board, a decision likely to relieve investors worried about Berkshires remarkable winning streak as the U.S. and global economies are beset by tariff shocks, financial turmoil and a growing risk of recession.The board in the same meeting also approved Buffetts chosen successor as CEO, veteran Berkshire executive Greg Abel, 62. In a surprise announcement Saturday, Buffett said he would step down from that top spot at the end of the year.Berkshire Class B shares fell nearly 3% before the opening bell Monday.Macrae Sykes, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, praised the transparent way Buffett announced the transition at the meeting and believes investors can have confidence that he isnt going anywhere. Retaining the position of Chairman means he can continue to mentor Greg and the Berkshire leaders, while also providing additional intellectual capacity when the inevitable time for more major capital allocation occurs, Sykes said. In six decades at the helm, Buffett turned a Massachusetts textile company into a sprawling but nimble conglomerate that owns everything from Daily Queen and Sees Candies to BNSF Railway and giant insurers. As the company grew, Warrens reputation grew with it as shares of Berkshire Hathaway climbed steadily, exceeding major indexes by wide margins and returning an average 19.9% each year versus 10.4% for the Standard & Poors 500. The decision to continue with the so-called Sage of Omaha as head of the board came amid speculation that Howard Buffett, the second-born of the investors three children, would move into that spot. The older Buffett has said that after he dies he would like Howard to take over as chairman. A current vice-chairman, Abel, will take over as CEO as big questions hover over the company. Buffett himself has said President Donald Trumps tariffs were a big mistake. There are also worries that Berkshire might not able to avoid the fate of most conglomeratesforced to break up to recapture focus.Then there is Berkshires $348 billion in cash. Buffett says he doesnt see many bargains to invest that money in now, not even Berkshires own stock, but assured some of the estimated 40,000 attendees of the companys celebratory weekend annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, that one day the company would be bombarded with opportunities.Abel, a low-key Canadian with a love a hockey, has been overseeing many of Berkshires non-insurance businesses for years, but has not been deciding where to invest the companys cash.Buffett said his trust in Abel can seen in where he is putting his money.I have no intention zero of selling one share of Berkshire Hathaway. I will give it away eventually, Buffett said. The decision to keep every share is an economic decision because I think the prospects of Berkshire will be better under Gregs management than mine. What to do with that personal fortune, nearly $170 billion, will eventually be in the hands of Buffetts three children, including would-be Berkshire chairman, Howard Buffett.Howard was designated in June along with his siblings as manager of Buffetts trust when he dies and he said that they will decide where to donate that money. Buffett has already given away billions, most notable more than $40 billion to the Gates Foundation started by Bill and Melinda French Gates.Howard, 70, has his own foundation through which he has donated billions to humanitarian and food security causes, including helping coffee farms in El Salvador and clearing landmines in Ukraine.Tributes to Buffett came tumbling in over the weekend praising his investment savvy and folksy management style.Theres never been someone like Warren, and countless people, myself included, have been inspired by his wisdom, Apple CEO Tim Cook posted on X. Its been one of the great privileges of my life to know him. JP Morgans CEO Jamie Dimon said Buffett represented everything that is good about American capitalism and America itself, and praised his integrity, optimism and common sense.____AP Business writer Bernard Condon is in New York City. AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this report from New York City. BERNARD CONDON Condon is an Associated Press investigative reporter covering breaking news. He has written about the Maui fire, the Afghanistan withdrawal, gun laws, Chinese loans in Africa and Trumps business. twitter facebook mailto JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers all the major freight railroads including Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian National and CPKC. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway and has been attending Buffetts Woodstock for Capitalists annual meeting every spring in Omaha, Nebraska, for 19 years. twitter mailto

This combination of photos show Anna Wintour, from top left, Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, from bottom left, A$AP Rocky, who will serve as co-chairs, and LeBron James, who will serve as honorary chair for the 2025 Met Gala. (AP Photo)2025-05-05T04:00:06Z NEW YORK (AP) Pharrell Williams has high hopes for the Met Gala, the first to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years to have a menswear theme.I want it to feel like the most epic night of power, a reflection of Black resiliency in a world that continues to be colonized, by which I mean policies and legislation that are nothing short of that, he recently told Vogue.Its our turn.Indeed. And welcome to the first Monday in May.How to watch the 2025 Met GalaVogue will livestream the gala starting at 6 p.m. Eastern on Vogue.com, its YouTube channel and across its other digital platforms. Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony and Ego Nwodim will host the stream. Emma Chamberlain will also do interviews on the carpet.The Associated Press will livestream celebrity departures from the Mark Hotel beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern and will stream the gala carpet on delay beginning at 6:30 p.m. The feeds will be available on YouTube and APNews.com.E! will begin live coverage at 6 p.m. on TV. The livestream will be available on Peacock, E! Online and YouTube, along with the networks other social media feeds. Whos hosting the 2025 Met Gala?This year, the fundraising gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosted by a group of Black male celebrities, including Williams, the musical artist and Louis Vuitton menswear director, and Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and A$AP Rocky, with NBA superstar LeBron James as honorary chair. Theyre joined by Vogues Anna Wintour, the mastermind behind the gala, considered the years biggest and starriest party.Also guaranteed to show up is a second tier of hosts from a variety of worlds: athletes Simone Biles and husband Jonathan Owens; Angel Reese and ShaCarri Richardson; filmmakers Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee and Regina King; actors Ayo Edebiri, Audra McDonald and Jeremy Pope; musicians Doechii, Usher, Tyla, Janelle Mone and Andr 3000; author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; artists Jordan Casteel, Rashid Johnson and Kara Walker; playwrights Jeremy O. Harris and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins; and fashion figures Grace Wales Bonner, Edward Enninful, Dapper Dan and Olivier Rousteing.The gala raises the bulk of the curation budget for the museums Costume Institute. This years Met Gala dress code is...Its more like a firm suggestion. From Wintour. This year, its about tailoring and suiting as interpreted through the history and meaning of Black dandyism across the Atlantic diaspora. The theme is inspired by the annual spring exhibition, which this year is based in large part on Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, a book written by Monica L. Miller. She is guest curator of the exhibit.Historical manifestations of dandyism range from absolute precision in dress and tailoring to flamboyance and fabulousness in dress and style, Miller writes in the exhibit catalog. Whether a dandy is subtle or spectacular, we recognize and respect the deliberateness of the dress, the self-conscious display, the reach for tailored perfection, and the sometimes subversive self-expression. How the dress code goes, in terms of taste and style, is anyones guess. Wintour has a hand in virtually all things gala, so the presumption is things cant go too far off the rails. She recently knocked down the rumor that she approves all looks, telling Good Morning America shell weigh in if asked. The exhibit, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, draws on other sources beyond Millers book. Its organized into 12 sections. Each symbolizes a characteristic of dandy style as defined by Zora Neale Hurston in her 1934 essay, Characteristics of Negro Expression.Among them: ownership, presence, distinction, disguise, freedom, respectability and heritage. Presumably, for gala guests who do deep-dive research (or have stylists to do it), some of these factors will play out on the museum steps that serve as the events red carpet.Who else is going to show up?The guest list amounts to about 450 high-profile people from tech, sports, art, entertainment and more. The mix, Williams said, is a must.Its so important to me to have successful Black and brown people of every stripe in the room: not just athletes and actors and actresses, entertainers, but also authors, architects, folks from the fintech world, he told Vogue. Weve got to invest in each other. Weve got to connect with each other, because its going to take everybody to coalesce the force of Black and brown genius into one strong, reliable force.___For full coverage of the Met Gala, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/met-gala LEANNE ITALIE Italies work spans the lifestyles and entertainment space, from fashion and family to film, music and theater. She is based in New York and has worked across the United States for The Associated Press. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Pakistan's Rangers soldiers, in black, and Indian Border Security Forces soldiers, lower their flags during a daily closing ceremony at the Wagah, a joint post on the Pakistan and India border, near Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)2025-05-05T09:25:47Z NEW DELHI (AP) India and Pakistan are scrambling resources both military and diplomatic to respond to a crisis triggered by a massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir that has heightened fears of a conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. India blames Pakistan for backing the gunmen behind the April 22 killing of 26 people, most of them Indian Hindu tourists, and has described it as a terror attack. Islamabad denies the charge. Both countries have expelled each others diplomats and nationals, as well as closed their borders and shuttered airspace. India has also suspended a critical water-sharing treaty with Pakistan.A Pakistani minister last week said his country had credible intelligence that an Indian strike was imminent. There has been no military action from India so far.Heres where the situation stands since the attack: World leaders urge de-escalation After an initial wave of condemnations of the attack on tourists, world leaders are calling for both sides to avoid escalation. The U.N. Security Council is expected to hold closed consultations on Monday to discuss the situation.International pressure has been piling on both New Delhi and Islamabad which fought two of their three wars over disputed Kashmir to ease tensions. Senior officials from the U.S., China, Russia and Saudi Arabia have urged both sides to exercise restraint. Iran has offered to mediate.Meanwhile, both nations have launched an aggressive diplomatic campaign to shore up support for their positions. India has made efforts to highlight what it called the cross-border link to the attack by briefing diplomats of dozens of countries.The diplomatic outreach this time has been quite extensive and the idea for India would be to showcase whatever evidence it has to its partners and to make a case that whatever actions might be coming from its side has the support of its partners and allies, said Harsh Pant, foreign policy head at the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi. Pakistan has offered to cooperate with an international investigation into the attack and reached out to dozens of foreign diplomats. Islamabad, however, said that it will match or exceed any military action by India. Tensions on the border, fears in KashmirIndian army has said its troops have exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers along the de facto border, the Line of Control, in Kashmir, blaming the neighbour for unprovoked firing for 10 straight nights. Islamabad, meanwhile, has accused India of violating a ceasefire.In Kashmir, Indian forces have launched a huge operation to hunt the April 22 attackers. At least 2,000 people have been detained and questioned. Some have been arrested under anti-terrorism laws that allow authorities to detain people without formal charges. Indian forces also blew off at least nine family homes of suspected rebels, who have been fighting for independence or merger with Pakistan.The crackdown has led to fear and anxiety in Kashmir, stirring traumatic memories of the regions decades-long insurgency and Indias brutal response. Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said Kashmiris are always the first to bear the brunt of any political or military tensions between India and Pakistan. The collective punishment imposed on Kashmiris and the state violence unleashed against them further inflames the conflict, Donthi said.India and Pakistan are flexing military mightOn Monday, Pakistans military test-fired a short-range missile, the second test launch since a medium-range ballistic missile on Saturday. Indias navy also test-fired missiles last week. In 2019, a skirmish between the two countries almost spiralled out of control, before U.S. intervention eased tensions.Associated Press writers Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India and Rajesh Roy in New Delhi contributed to this report. SHEIKH SAALIQ Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi. twitter mailto

A Telegram bot that does nothing but AI generate nonconsensual short videos of men ejaculating on womens faces has more than 100,000 monthly active users.Telegram bots that produce nonconsensual pornography are common, but this particular bot is notable for amassing 115,016 users in just a few weeks and for making the bleeding edge of AI video generation cheap and easy to access for nefarious means. The bots popularity also shows how quickly open AI tools released by tech giants are being adopted to cause harm.The size of the bots audience, and the rapid speed at which it grew, shows just how quickly abusive tools like this are spreading across Telegram and the communities that use them. It also shows how Telegram is one of the major platforms where this abuse takes place, despite this content technically violating its terms of service.I found the bot promoted in a different Telegram channel dedicated to making and sharing AI-generated nonconsensual pornography which has about 50,000 members. As I previously reported, in late February the Chinese tech giant Alibaba released an open weights AI video generation model called Wan 2.1, which was quickly modified to create several AI video generation models dedicated to creating porn. About 24 hours after Alibaba released Wan 2.1, those porn AI models started appearing on Civitai, a site for sharing modified AI models that multiple 404 Media investigations have shown is widely used by people who create nonconsensual content.As I reported in March, the users in the Telegram channel have been sharing nonconsensual AI videos created with a variety of apps that are available via the Apple App Store since 2024, but since Wan 2.1 was released, an increasing number of users in the Telegram channel have been sharing nonconsensual AI generated videos they say use modified Wan 2.1 models that are shared on Civitai.AI-generated videos of men ejaculating on celebrity womens faces have been particularly popular in the Telegram channel seemingly because they are easier to produce and more convincing. Im not going to repeat every detail, but according to several users in the channel who shared instructions on how to create these videos, the process involves using a Civitai image-to-video AI model and running it locally or in the cloud. Image-to-video AI models allow users to feed a single still image to the model, then type a text prompt in order to animate that image how they like.In mid-April, similar AI-generated videos started flooding the Telegram channel but with a watermark with a URL, registered April 18, that directed users to the Telegram bot that now has 115,016 users. Another Telegram channel with an almost identical name and logo was banned by Telegram sometime in April for violating its terms of service, but the bot was still active at the time of writing.Users who join the bots Telegram channel get one free credit that allows them to generate one of these videos. All they have to do is upload a still image and the bot will generate it within minutes. When I tested it, my queue position was #172 and it took the bot 20 minutes to generate the video. Users can buy additional credits in packages which are cheaper the more credits they buy. Four credits cost $4.60, for example, while 240 credits cost $195. Users also get a 20 percent discount for paying in cryptocurrency.Cumshot AI bots are an evolution of tributes, where people physically ejaculate on photographs of women and share videos of it online. Women whove been targeted by tributes have said they find it disturbing at its mildest and serious harassment and threatening at worst. Sometimes tributes escalate to threats of violence and rape.Im not sure exactly how the bot grew so fast in such a short time, but its notable that it is now almost double the size of the original Telegram channel where I found it. Ive also found that videos with the watermark advertising it are hosted on a porn tube site where they have gained thousands of views, as well as another Telegram channel dedicated to creating nonconsensual AI-generated pornography of Korean pop stars. One user who uploaded these videos to a tube site also uploaded a couple of videos labeled as highschool crushes, explained that they were videos of women he knew in real life, and left instructions in the description of the video on how to find these womens real Instagram accounts.While nonconsensual AI-generated adult content violates Telegrams policies, and while the company has taken action on such channels and bots before, they are still very common on the platform. I did a quick search while researching this article and found various such bots, including an undress bot with more than 170,000 monthly users.Telegram and Alibaba did not respond to a request for comment.

Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore is expected to be suspended for two games for the upcoming 2025 season as part of self-imposed sanctions by the university for the Connor Stalions advanced scouting scandal, industry sources told ESPN.