A boat is seen on the Susitna River near Talkeetna, Alaska, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with Denali in the background. Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent, is located about 60 miles northwest of Talkeetna. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)2025-01-26T12:58:09Z ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) North Americas tallest peak is a focal point of Jeff Kings life.The four-time winner of the 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race operates his kennel and mushing tourism business just 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) from Denali National Park and Preserves entrance, and the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) mountain looms large as he trains his dogs on nearby trails.King and many others who live in the mountains shadow say most Alaskans will never stop calling the peak Denali, its Alaska Native name, despite President Donald Trumps executive order that the name revert to Mount McKinley -- an identifier inspired by President William McKinley, who was from Ohio and never set foot in Alaska.For many who live near Denali, Trumps suggestion was peculiar.I dont know a single person that likes the idea, and were pretty vocal about it, King said. Denali respects the Indigenous people that have been here and around Denali for tens of thousands of years. The mountain was named after McKinley when a prospector walked out of the Alaska wilderness in 1896, and the first news he heard was that the Republican had been nominated for president. The name was quickly challenged, but maps had already been circulated with the mountains name in place.At the time, there was no recognition of the name Denali, or the high one, bestowed on the mountain in interior Alaska by Athabascan tribal members, who have lived in the region for centuries. The McKinley name stuck until 2015, when President Barack Obamas administration changed it to Denali as a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives on the eve of his Alaska visit to highlight climate change.Trump said he issued the order to restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent. The area lies solely in the United States, and Trump, as president, has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country.In Ohio, Trumps move drew praise.I was really excited to see President Trump do that executive order, former U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, told The Associated Press by telephone Thursday. McKinley was a great president, Gibbs said. It was the appropriate thing to do.Thats not how Alaskans see it.Trump injected a jarring note into Alaska affairs, Steve Haycox, professor emeritus of history at the University of Alaska Anchorage, wrote in the Anchorage Daily News.Historical analysis confirms that William McKinley is the wrong public figure for Alaskans to commemorate, he said.McKinley served as president from 1897 until he was assassinated in 1901. He was an imperial colonialist who oversaw the expansion of the American empire with the occupation of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Hawaii, pushed by business interests and Christian missionaries wanting to convert Indigenous peoples, Haycox said.Trumps push to rescind the name Denali for the colonialist and white elitist McKinley is insulting to all Alaskans, especially to Alaskas Native people, and should be soundly rejected, Haycox said. John Wayne Howe, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. House last year representing the Alaskan Independence Party, which holds that Alaskans should be allowed to vote on becoming an independent nation, said he is tired of people changing the names of stuff, period.He also is not in favor of naming anything after people because the persons that we consider absolutely perfect change over time, and it just leads to confusion.Howe said he prefers Denali because he knows McKinleys history and its the name most preferred by Alaskans.This past week, two resolutions were introduced in the Alaska Legislature to keep the name Denali.Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Trump ally who praised another order by the president aimed at spurring resource development in the state, said he had not had a chance to speak with Trump about the issue but hoped to have a conversation next month in Washington about what Denali means to Alaskans, Americans and our Native folks. But Sarah Palin, a former Republican governor who is also a Trump supporter, said the McKinley name should never have been removed.Palins Secret Service code name was Denali in 2008 when she was GOP presidential nominee John McCains running mate the year they lost to Obama and Joe Biden.But in an interview with Al Arabiya News this past week, Palin said she didnt see why the mountains name needed to be changed to begin with.Its always been Mount McKinley, said Palin, who didnt respond to a message from The Associated Press. Nobody was begging for a change in name in that peak. Just put it back the way it was, more common sense. Alaskas U.S. senators, Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, have supported the name Denali. U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, a first-term Republican, sidestepped the debate.Im focused on job creation, opportunities in Alaska, Begich told Politico. And what we call a mountain in Alaska is of little concern to me.The Alaska Native Heritage Center, the statewide Indigenous cultural center in Anchorage, supports preserving Indigenous place names.Restoring and honoring them acknowledges the deep, millennia-old connection Indigenous peoples maintain with these lands and is a step toward respect and reconciliation, the centers president, Emily Edenshaw, said in a statement.The quirky Alaska community of Talkeetna, about 140 miles (225.3 kilometers) south of the park and where a cat was once mayor, is the jumping off point for climbers before making the ascent of the peak. The historic community long rumored to be the inspiration for the 1990s television series Northern Exposure is also a popular tourist stop.Joe McAneney of Talkeetna worked as a summer raft-guide for two years before moving to Alaska full time in 2012. Hes now a pilot for an air taxi company, ferrying climbers and tourists to the mountain in a small airplane outfitted with skis to land at base camp, located on Kahiltna Glacier at 7,200 feet (2,194.6 meters) above sea level.He knows once tourist season comes around, he will have to answer their questions of what he thinks about Trump changing the name. He knows what his answer will be.Its always been Denali, and it always will be, he said.The executive order can instigate the name change, but compliance is another issue.The only people that are going to adhere to that are probably the people that would have been still calling it McKinley anyway, McAneney saidThere is a long-standing Alaska trait of ignoring what the rest of the world thinks, and its usually expressed like this: We dont care how they do it Outside. Outside, which is always capitalized, refers to every place that is not Alaska.I think unofficially and officially in Alaska, itll always be Denali, McAneney said. I dont think the president can change that.For King, the decorated Iditarod musher and fan favorite, Trumps decision had a whiff of arrogance.Im surprised he doesnt want to name it Trump Mountain, he said.___Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report. MARK THIESSEN Thiessen is an Associated Press all-formats reporter based in Anchorage, Alaska. He covers Alaska Native issues and other general assignments. twitter mailto

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows displaced Palestinians gathering with their belongings near a roadblock on the al Rashid Street, as they wait to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Mohammad Abu Samra)2025-01-26T12:12:42Z Ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon appeared at risk on Sunday as disputes continued over key deadlines, and local health officials said that Israeli forces opened fire on both fronts.In Gaza, Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire there by changing the order of hostages it has released. Citing that, Israel has stopped thousands of Palestinians from returning to the northern part of the Gaza Strip as expected by Sunday. Local health officials said that Israeli forces fired on the crowd, killing two.Israel said civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud should have been released before the four soldiers freed on Saturday. Mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt were working on the issue.In Lebanon, health officials said that Israeli forces opened fire on protesters in the south who demanded that Israel withdraw in line with the ceasefire agreement, killing at least 22. Separately, officials with Hamas and Jordan rejected U.S. President Donald Trumps suggestion that most of Gazas population should be at least temporarily resettled elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan.The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel in an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and abducted around 250. Israels retaliatory military operation has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of the victims children and women, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt distinguish between combatants and civilians.Here is the latest: Palestinian president condemns Trumps suggestion to clean out the Gaza StripRAMALLAH, West Bank The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sharply condemned U.S. President Donald Trumps suggestion to clean out the Gaza Strip and request that Egypt and Jordan take in more Palestinians.In a statement, the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, says the prospect of mass displacement from the Gaza Strip constitutes a violation of the red lines that we have repeatedly warned against.Our people will not leave, the statement said. We warn of the repercussions of such a dangerous Israeli policy that contributes to severing the ties of the Gaza Strip, and displacing its people, which will lead to destabilization and security.Trumps remarks suggesting that Palestinians be encouraged to leave Gaza gets at the core of Palestinian fears that they will be driven from their remaining homeland.The Palestinian presidency said it was ready to assume its full duties in the Gaza Strip in hopes of eventually establishing an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, briefly controlled Gaza after Israeli troops withdrew in 2005, only to be driven out by its rival Hamas two years later. France will consider allowing Israeli companies to take part in Paris Air Show PARIS France will consider allowing Israeli companies to participate in the Paris Air Show in June, thanks to ceasefire agreements in Gaza and Lebanon, the French presidents office said Sunday.That was among the results of a conversation Sunday between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron said France hopes to help speed up the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, two of whom are French citizens. Macron also urged Israel to allow for a massive facilitation of aid to Gazas population, and to fulfill its promises to withdraw troops from Lebanon under a truce brokered by the U.S. and France.Netanyahu asked about Israeli participation in the upcoming Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, a major industry event. The French president said Israeli participation could be favorably considered, as a consequence of the cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, according to Macrons office. Tensions surrounded Israels participation in two arms shows in France last year, Eurosatory and Euronaval. The French government did not want Israel displaying any weapons used in its wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Islamic Jihad group says the dispute over a hostage has been settled RAMALLAH, West Bank A spokesman for the Islamic Jihad, Gazas second-largest militant group, says the dispute over an Israeli hostage that has kept Palestinians from returning home to northern Gaza has been settled.Mohamed al-Hajj Mousa added in a statement that the group told mediators that the hostage, Arbel Yehoud, will be released before Saturday, when the next exchange of hostages from Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody is set to take place.There is no immediate comment from Israel, which has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by changing the order of hostages it has released. It expected Yehoud to be freed this weekend, and it has put the movement of Palestinians into northern Gaza on hold. UNRWA warns of far-reaching consequences if Israel goes ahead with its closureRAMALLAH, West Bank The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says that if Israel carries out its threat to close its east Jerusalem headquarters on Thursday, the outsize effects will be felt acutely and immediately by tens of thousands of Palestinians.The agency, known as UNRWA, runs 12 facilities that provide critical public services across east Jerusalem, including schools enrolling at least 1,200 children and free clinics serving over 70,000 people.Thats the thing, it has an impact on peoples lives, Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, said of the potential closure.In the Shuafat refugee camp, an impoverished neighborhood, people today can walk just a few meters and theyre in an excellent clinic, Touma said. But if its shuttered, she said, tens of thousands of Palestinians would have to cross a difficult checkpoint, pay for transport and, even if theyre eligible for Israeli primary health care, also pay for medicine in order to see a doctor or get a blood test.Were talking about the poorest of the poor, Touma said. Right now, they have no alternative.The closure of UNRWA schools would raise all sorts of problems given that there are already too few classrooms in the overcrowded Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem, she said. Touma said much remains unclear about the Israeli order, including whether the closure would apply to operations in east Jerusalem only or to the entirety of the Palestinian territories.Israel says the agency has allowed itself to be infiltrated by Hamas, allegations denied by the U.N.Israeli far-right leaders back Trumps suggestion to resettle Palestinians TEL AVIV, Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both want Israel to establish Jewish settlements in Gaza, supported Trumps remarks, calling it voluntary emigration.Palestinians and many of their supporters view it as code for ethnic cleansing.In a post on X Sunday, Smotrich called the idea of helping (Palestinians) find other places to start new, good lives great and said he would work with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to that end.Ben-Gvir, who quit Netanyahus government over the current ceasefire in Gaza, said Trumps remarks gave Israel the green light to move ahead on voluntary emigration.When the president of the worlds largest superpower brings it up himself, the government of Israel should implement it, he said in a statement.Netanyahu has said building Jewish settlements in Gaza is not realistic. Israel withdrew troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains a blockade with Egypt on the territory.UNRWA says Israel ordered it to vacate Jerusalem headquarters JERUSALEM The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says its staff was directed to vacate the premises by Thursday. Israel passed legislation last year cutting all ties with the agency and barring it from operating in its territory. It says the agency, which is the main provider of aid in the Gaza Strip, has allowed itself to be infiltrated by Hamas, allegations denied by the U.N. In a statement Sunday, the agency, known as UNRWA, said the order to vacate is in contradiction to international law obligations of U.N. member states, including Israel. United Nations premises are inviolable and enjoy privileges and immunities under the United Nations Charter.UNRWA closed its east Jerusalem headquarters last May after Israeli protesters set fire to its perimeter.Senior Hamas official rejects Trumps proposal to relocate PalestiniansDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Bassem Naim said that even if seemingly well-intentioned under the guise of reconstruction, the Palestinian people will never agree to such a proposal. He also said the Palestinians can rebuild Gaza even better than before if Israel lifts its blockade.Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in Gaza DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israeli forces fired on the crowds on three occasions overnight and into Sunday. Those killed included a child, according to Al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.Israel has pulled back from several areas of Gaza as part of the ceasefire, which came into force last Sunday, but the military has warned people to stay away from its forces, which are still operating in a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border and in the Netzarim corridor.

In this photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Service, President Alexander Lukashenko, center, visits the Minsk Automobile Plant in Minsk, Belarus, Jan. 21, 2025. (Belarus' Presidential Press Service via AP, File)2025-01-26T05:01:34Z The smiling face of President Alexander Lukashenko gazed out from campaign posters across Belarus on Sunday as the country held an orchestrated election virtually guaranteed to give the 70-year-old autocrat yet another term on top of his three decades in power.Needed! the posters proclaim beneath a photo of Lukashenko, his hands clasped together. The phrase is what groups of voters responded in campaign videos after supposedly being asked if they wanted him to serve again.But his opponents, many of whom are imprisoned or exiled abroad by his unrelenting crackdown on dissent and free speech, would disagree. They call the election a sham much like the last one in 2020 that triggered months of protests that were unprecedented in the history of the country of 9 million people.The crackdown saw more than 65,000 arrests, with thousands beaten, bringing condemnation and sanctions from the West. His iron-fisted rule since 1994 Lukashenko took office two years after the demise of the Soviet Union earned him the nickname of Europes Last Dictator, relying on subsidies and political support from close ally Russia. He let Moscow use his territory to invade Ukraine in 2022, and even hosts some of Russias tactical nuclear weapons, but he still campaigned with the slogan Peace and security, arguing he has saved Belarus from being drawn into war.Its better to have a dictatorship like in Belarus than a democracy like Ukraine, Lukashenko said in his characteristic bluntness. Fearing a repeat of election unrestHis reliance on support from Russian President Vladimir Putin himself in office for a quarter-century helped him survive the 2020 protests.Observers believe Lukashenko feared a repeat of those mass demonstrations amid economic troubles and the fighting in Ukraine, and so scheduled the vote in January, when few would want to fill the streets again, rather than in August. He faces only token opposition.The trauma of the 2020 protests was so deep that Lukashenko this time decided not to take risks and opted for the most reliable option when balloting looks more like a special operation to retain power than an election, Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich said.Lukashenko repeatedly declared that he wasnt clinging to power and would quietly and calmly hand it over to the new generation.His 20-year-old son, Nikolai, traveled the country, giving interviews, signing autographs and playing piano at campaign events. His father hasnt mentioned his own health, even though he was seen having difficulty walking and occasionally spoke in a hoarse voice.The successor issue only becomes relevant when a leader prepares to step down. But Lukashenko isnt going to leave, Karbalevich said. Top political opponents imprisoned or exiledLeading opponents have fled abroad or were thrown in prison. The country holds nearly 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center.Since July, Lukashenko has pardoned more than 250 people. At the same time, authorities have sought to uproot dissent by arresting hundreds more in raids targeting relatives and friends of political prisoners. Authorities detained 188 people last month alone, Viasna said. Activists and those who donated money to opposition groups have been summoned by police and forced to sign papers saying they were warned against participating in unsanctioned demonstrations, rights advocates said.Lukashenkos four challengers on the ballot are all loyal to him.Im entering the race not against, but together with Lukashenko, and Im ready to serve as his vanguard, said Communist Party candidate Sergei Syrankov, who favors criminalizing LGBTQ+ activities and rebuilding monuments to Soviet leader Josef Stalin.Candidate Alexander Khizhnyak, head of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice, led a voting precinct in Minsk in 2020 and vowed to prevent a repeat of disturbances.Oleg Gaidukevich, head of the Liberal Democratic Party, supported Lukashenko in 2020 and urged fellow candidates to make Lukashenkos enemies nauseous.The fourth challenger, Hanna Kanapatskaya, managed 1.7% of the vote in 2020 and says shes the only democratic alternative to Lukashenko, promising to lobby for freeing political prisoners but warning supporters against excessive initiative. Opposition leader calls election a senseless farceOpposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus under government pressure after challenging the president in 2020, told The Associated Press that Sundays election was a senseless farce, a Lukashenko ritual.Voters should cross off everyone on the ballot, she said, and world leaders shouldnt recognize the result from a country where all independent media and opposition parties have been destroyed and prisons are filled by political prisoners.The repressions have become even more brutal as this vote without choice has approached, but Lukashenko acts as though hundreds of thousands of people are still standing outside his palace, she said. The European Union rejected the election in Belarus on Sunday as illegitimate and threatened new sanctions.Todays sham election in Belarus has been neither free, nor fair, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said in a joint statement. Shortly after voting in Minsk on Sunday, accompanied by his white Pomeranian dog, Lukashenko told journalists that he did not seek recognition or approval from the EU. The main thing for me is that Belarusians recognize these elections and that they end peacefully, as they began, he said. Speaking at an hourslong news conference, Lukashenko said that he didnt rule out running for the top job again in 2030. Media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders filed a complaint against Lukashenko with the International Criminal Court over his crackdown on free speech that saw 397 journalists arrested since 2020. It said that 43 are in prison.Fears of vote-riggingAccording to the Central Election Commission, there are 6.8 million eligible voters. However, about 500,000 people have left Belarus and arent able to vote.Two hours before polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), the commission said that turnout stood at 81.85%, but a dearth of independent monitoring made that figure near-impossible to verify.At home, early voting that began Tuesday has created fertile ground for irregularities with ballot boxes unguarded until election day, the opposition said. A record 41.81% of voters cast ballots in five days of early voting. Meanwhile, Viasna activists reported internet issues across the country, and alleged Lukashenkos government was blocking access to VPN services commonly used to evade censorship. Polling stations have removed the curtains covering ballot boxes, and voters are forbidden from photographing their ballots a response to the oppositions call in 2020 for voters to take pictures to make it more difficult for authorities to rig the vote.Police conducted large-scale drills before the election. An Interior Ministry video showed helmeted riot police beating their shields with truncheons as a way to prepare for protest dispersals. Another featured an officer arresting a man posing as a voter, twisting his arm next to a ballot box. Belarus initially refused to allow observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored previous elections. It changed course this month and invited the OSCE when it was already too late to organize a monitoring mission.Increasing dependence on RussiaLukashenkos support for the war in Ukraine has led to the rupture of Belarus ties with the U.S. and the EU, ending his gamesmanship of using the West to try to win more subsidies from the Kremlin.He spoke of Russian nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus as a guarantee of peace, and said he would pick Moscow as his first official visit if hes reelected. Until 2020, Lukashenko could maneuver and play Russia against the West, but now when Belarus status is close to that of Russias satellite, this North Korea-style election ties the Belarusian leader to the Kremlin even stronger, shortening the leash, said Artyom Shraybman, a Belarus expert with the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center.After the election, Lukashenko could try to ease his total dependence on Russia by again seeking to reach out to the West, he predicted.Lukashenkos interim goal is to use the election to confirm his legitimacy and try to overcome his isolation in order to at least start a conversation with the West about easing sanctions, Shraybman said.American woman released from detentionAn early sign of Minsks desire to reengage with the West came on Sunday, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that Belarus had unilaterally released a U.S. citizen, Anastassia Nuhfer. It took the public and even Belarusian rights activists by surprise her name hadnt been publicly released, and hadnt featured on lists of political prisoners. YURAS KARMANAU Karmanau is an Associated Press journalist covering Belarus and the CIS countries. He has worked in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as other countries in the region, for more than 20 years. He is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. mailto

Emil Bove, attorney for former US President Donald Trump, sits Manhattan criminal court during Trump's sentencing in the hush money case in New York, Jan. 10, 2025. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP, file)2025-01-26T16:55:11Z CHICAGO (AP) Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove visited Chicago on Sunday to witness the start of ramped-up immigration enforcementin the nations third-largest city promised by the Trump administration, though few details of the operation were made public. Bove said he was in Chicago on Sunday morning and observed Department of Homeland Security agents, along with assisting federal agencies including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. He didnt say where the operations took place in the city or detail any arrests. We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities, Bove said in a statement. We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland. Most importantly, we will not rest until the work is done. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Jeff Carter said the agency began conducting enhanced targeted operations Sunday in Chicago but declined other details, citing an ongoing operation. Spokesmen for the FBI, ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed their involvement but didnt give other information. Chicago residents, especially in immigrant circles, have already been on edge for months in anticipation of large-scale arrests touted by the Trump administration. The atmosphere has been especially tense the past week as top Trump officials vowed to start immigration enforcement operations in Chicago the day after Trumps inauguration before walking back those statements. Immigrant rights groups have tried to prepare with campaigns for immigrants to know their rights in case of an arrest. City officials have done the same, publishing similar information at public bus and train stations. On Friday, Chicago Public Schools officials mistakenly believed ICE agents had come to a city elementary school and put out statements to that effect before learning the agents were from the Secret Service. Word of immigration agents at a school which have long been off limits to immigration agents until Trump ended the policy last week drew swift criticism from community groups and Gov. JB Pritzker. The Democratic governor, a frequent Trump critic, questioned the aggressive approach of the operations and the chilling effect for others, particularly for law-abiding immigrants who have been in the country for years.We need to get rid of the violent criminals. But we also need to protect people, at least the residents of Illinois and all across the nation, who are just doing what we hope that immigrants will do, Pritzker said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. Chicago has been one of Trumps favorite targets. The city has some of the strongest sanctuary protections, which bar cooperation between city police and immigration agents. On Saturday, several Chicago-based immigrant rights groups filed a lawsuit against ICE, seeking an injunction prohibiting certain types of immigration raids in Chicago.Immigrant communities who have called Chicago their home for decades are scared, said Antonio Gutierrez from Organized Communities Against Deportation, one of the plaintiffs. We refuse to live in fear and will fight any attempts to roll back the work weve done to keep families together. ___Durkin Richer reported from Washington. ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro arrives at the opening ceremony of COP16, a United Nations' biodiversity conference, in Cali, Colombia, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, file)2025-01-26T17:45:02Z BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he was ordering tariffs, visa restrictions and other retaliatory measures to be taken against Colombia after its government rejected two U.S. military flights carrying migrants.Trump said the measures were necessary because the decision of Colombian President Gustavo Petro jeopardized national security in the U.S.These measures are just the beginning, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.Earlier Sunday, Petro said his government would not accept flights carrying migrants deported from the U.S. until the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with dignity. Petro made the announcement in two X posts, one of which included a news video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil walking on a tarmac with restraints on their hands and feet. A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves, Petro said. That is why I returned the U.S. military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants... In civilian planes, without being treated like criminals, we will receive our fellow citizens. Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024. Last year, Colombia and other countries began accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama.The U.S. government didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press regarding aircraft and protocols used in deportations to Colombia.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement said Petro canceled his authorization for the flights when the aircraft were in the air. No official order had been issued as of Sunday afternoon that would allow for the implementation of the measures Trump announced. This is a clear message we are sending that countries have an obligation to accept repatriation flights, a senior administration official told the AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss issue publicly.Colombians emerged in recent years as a major presence on the U.S. border with Mexico, aided in part by a visa regime that allows them to easily fly to Mexico and avoid trekking though the treacherous Darien Gap. They ranked fourth with 127,604 arrests for illegal crossings during a 12-month period through September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.Mexico hasnt imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as they have on Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Peruvians.The government of Petro, a former leftist guerrilla, in a statement later announced that the South American countrys presidential aircraft had been made available to facilitate the return of migrants who were to arrive hours earlier on the U.S. military airplanes and guarantee them dignified conditions. As part of a flurry of actions to make good on Trumps campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration, his government is using active-duty military to help secure the border and carry out deportations. Two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the U.S. touched down early Friday in Guatemala. That same day, Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.In announcing what he called urgent and decisive retaliatory measures, Trump explained that he ordered 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States, which would be raised to 50% in one week. He said he also ordered A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on Colombian government officials, allies and supporters.All Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government, Trump wrote will be subject to Visa Sanctions. He did not say to which party he was referring to or provide any additional details on the visa and travel restrictions. Trump added that all Colombians will face enhanced customs inspections.Trumps actions would seem to undercut his goal to reduce his countrys trade deficit. Unlike Mexico or China, Colombia is one of the few countries with a trade deficit with the U.S., of around $1.4 billion, according to U.S. trade data.Colombia is the U.S.s fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil, shipping about 209,000 barrels of oil per day last year, although booming domestic production has reduced the U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Other imports include coal, coffee and gold. Colombia is also the U.S. largest supplier of fresh cut flowers, and with Valentines Day just weeks away, the price of saying I love you could be impacted.___Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Jill Colvin in New York, Joshua Goodman in Miami, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

Myrtle Felton, from left, Sharon Lavigne, Gail LeBoeuf and Rita Cooper, members of RISE St. James, conduct a live stream video on property owned by Formosa on March 11, 2020, in St. James Parish, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)2025-01-26T14:30:06Z For four years, the Environmental Protection Agency made environmental justice one of its biggest priorities, working to improve health conditions in heavily-polluted communities often made up largely of Black, Latino and low-income Americans. Now that short-lived era is over.President Donald Trump in his first week eliminated a team of White House advisors whose job it was to ensure the entire federal government helped communities located near heavy industry, ports and roadways. Trump eliminated the Justice40 initiative the Biden administraton had created. It required 40% of the benefits from certain environmental programs go to hard-hit communities.When the government reviews new facilities now, experts say officials are likely to ignore how any pollution they create may exacerbate what communities already experience. Trumps actions will likely halt funds from Biden administrations signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, for climate programs and environmental justice. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In making the decision this week, Trump eliminated federal policy dating back to the Clinton-era, which had established a government priority of addressing environmental health problems for low-income and minority groups. He also withdrew the nation from the Paris Agreement aimed at combatting climate change. The new administrations moves combine two goals: clawing back what Trump officials say are onerous environmental policies that constrain development and fighting diversity, equity and inclusion, according to Joe Luppino-Esposito, federal policy chief with the free-market law firm Pacific Legal Foundation. Weve had this discussion at the Supreme Court and otherwise for many years, past discrimination is not an excuse for future discrimination, he said, adding that Trumps executive orders allow the law to be enforced without a specific racial tinge to it. Many experts say Biden accomplished more than any previous administration in this area.An EPA-funded study found, for example, that Black people at all income levels are more likely to breathe pollution that causes heart and lung problems. Under Biden, regulators wrote public health rules, tighter air pollution standards and proposed mandates for harmful lead pipes. The EPA issued the largest-ever fine under the federal Clean Air Act and said it slashed more than 225 million pounds of pollution in overburdened communities. Federal grants went to communities to clean up Superfund sites or buy low-emissions school buses. The EPA set up an office to facilitate its substantial environmental justice work.What Im grappling right now with is both the grief of these losses, and the fact that we were on an upward swing, if you will, just weeks ago, said Jade Begay, an Indigenous rights and climate organizer in New Mexico.For years, government support for grassroots environmental justice efforts rose and fell depending who occupied the White House. Scrappy, local groups found ways, sometimes with help from foundations, to get their work done regardless. The Biden administration spent time, attention and resources on the issue, making it higher profile and a bigger target, according to Christophe Courchesne, a law professor and interim director of the Environmental Law Center at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Environmental justice got swept up into this pitched battle over diversity, equity and inclusion, Courchesne said. This developed over time into a target of conservative activism.Daniel Gall, an EPA spokesman, said the agency under Trump will work for clean air, land and water.EPA is working to diligently implement President Trumps executive orders, he said. The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back left, in Reserve, La., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back left, in Reserve, La., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The policy changes diverge from the last time Trump was president. Scott Pruitt, who headed the EPA for part of Trumps first term, once called environmental justice conversations critical to improving environmental and public health outcomes. Trumps new orders are more sweeping; moves that Rena Payan, chief program officer at the Oakland, California nonprofit Justice Outside, called rolling back decades of progress in addressing environmental discrimination. The Trump administration is not only ditching long-standing policies, it is directing agencies to eliminate jobs dedicated to environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion issues, according to a recent memo.They are not limited to the public sphere. The new administration is also looking to remove diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the private sector a step that goes further than some anticipated, according to Julius Redd, an environmental attorney at Beveridge & Diamond P.C.Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, which helps communities in the heart of the petrochemical industry, echoed other advocates and said the Biden administration did some great things, but didnt do nearly enough to enforce the law, allowing polluters too much free reign in heavily industrialized Louisiana. Now itll get worse and an already industry-friendly state is likely to let polluters build even more quickly. We just have to buckle up and get ready, she said.That change feels disheartening to Ash LaMont, national campaigns director for Honor The Earth, a non-profit focused on raising awareness and support for environmental issues in Native American communities. Weve been spending a lot of time really figuring out what is our next step, what are the things that we can do that will last, despite the administration, and what are the very apparent needs of our community members, she said.Trumps decision to cut off support will hurt, but many of these local organizations will return to operating without federal support, said Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice in New York. Advocacy will shift to the state and local level. That might work in some places, but itll be an uphill battle in Republican-controlled states like Louisiana and Texas where theres little receptivity to that advocacy, she said.They were finally beginning to get support at the EPA and at the White House, she said, and this is a big step back for the communities who are front line to some of these issues.___St. John reported from Detroit.___Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed reporting from Washington.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. MICHAEL PHILLIS Phillis is an Associated Press reporter covering the environment with a focus on water. He is based in St. Louis. mailto ALEXA ST. JOHN St. John is a climate solutions reporter for The Associated Press, based in Detroit. She covers the ways people and communities create viable and scalable solutions to the planets warming. twitter mailto

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)2025-01-26T22:23:03Z PHILADELPHIA (AP) Saquon Barkley sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown on his first carry of the NFC championship game and the Eagles running back had a 4-yard scoring run on his second carry to roaring MVP! MVP! chants each time.Barkley ran for 85 yards in the first half Sunday and helped the Eagles lead the Washington Commanders 27-15 at halftime.His 2,005 yards rushing in the regular season left him only 101 shy of breaking Eric Dickersons record of 2,105 in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Including the playoffs, Barkley extended an NFL record Sunday with his seventh rushing touchdown of 60-plus yards in a season. Again, postseason included, Barkley had 2,414 total yards rushing by halftime, just 63 yards away of breaking Terrell Davis mark of 2,476 yards set in the 1998 season when the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl.The Commanders got a field goal on the opening drive of the NFC title game to take some of the air out of the frenzied crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley had them going wild on the Eagles first offensive play from scrimmage when he cut left, spun around a pair of defenders and took off on the touchdown run. The Eagles recovered a fumble on the next drive and Barkley added the 4-yard run making him 2 for 2 on carries and touchdowns for a 14-3 lead.Stuck at just two career playoff games in six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley rushed for 324 yards combined against Green Bay and the Los Angeles Rams in his first two playoff games with the Eagles. ___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL DAN GELSTON Gelston is an an Associated Press sports writer covering major college and pro sports in Philadelphia, including the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Villanova. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Senate Budget Committee Chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives for a hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's choice for Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-01-26T17:40:39Z DORAL, Fla. (AP) A key ally of President Donald Trump said the White House pardoning rioters who fought with police while storming the U.S. Capitol in 2021 is sending the wrong signal and expressed concern about the future ramifications of issuing sweeping clemencies. I have always said that, I think, when you pardon people who attack police officers, youre sending the wrong signal to the public at large, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is close to Trump, told CNN on Sunday. Its not what you want to do to protect cops. Within hours of taking office last week, Trump issued a sweeping clemency order covering around 1,500 rioters for their role on the Capitol attack that attempted to block congressional certification of Joe Biden s 2020 election victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Among those released from prison was Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers, who orchestrated the plot that resulted in the attack. Rhodes was among a large group of supporters who were standing and cheering behind Trump on stage when the president delivered a speech at the Circa resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, before flying to Florida to spend the rest of the weekend at his resort in Doral. Asked about Rhodes attending the rally, Graham said, I dont think theres a restriction on him being there. The senator also noted that Biden had used his own string of pardons, including using his final hours in office to issue blanket clemencies for his relatives and leading government officials. I dont like this. I dont like it on either side. And I think the public doesnt like it either, Graham said. So, if this continues, if this is the norm, there may be an effort to rein in the pardon power of the president as an institution. He said he saw what occurred with blanket clemencies as a bigger precedent and that he was worried about the future consequences. I have said clearly I do not like it when President Trump pardoned people who beat up cops. But I didnt like it when Biden pardoned all of his family going out the door, he said. The senator made similar comments Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, saying that though Trump had the legal authority to issue such pardons, I fear that you will get more violence.Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, he said.Graham isnt the only Trump ally who has struggled with Trumps pardons for the Jan. 6 rioters. Vice President JD Vance said more than a week before Trump issued the clemencies, Obviously, if you committed violence on that day, you shouldnt be pardoned. But, in an interview on CBS Face the Nation that aired on Sunday, Vance said Trump and his team carefully reviewed the individual cases of Capitol rioters and made the right decision with the pardons. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) celebrates a touchdown by quarterback Jalen Hurts during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)2025-01-26T23:33:24Z PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Washington Commanders jumped offsides four times in a sequence of five plays while trying to stop Philadelphias vaunted tush push earning them a warning from a referee that he could award the Eagles a touchdown if the Commanders did it again.The Eagles had a first-and-goal in the fourth quarter as they tried to stretch their lead in Sundays NFC championship game.The Commanders Jonathan Allen was whistled for lining up in the neutral zone. That was the first penalty. After Washington stopped Jalen Hurts once, linebacker Frankie Luvu jumped over the Eagles offensive line on second down and was penalized for encroachment. Second-and-goal again. Luvu leaped over the line and was flagged again. Repeat second-and-goal. This time, Allen was flagged for encroachment.At that point, referee Shaun Hochuli had seen enough.Washington has been advised that referees can award a score if this type of behavior happens again, he told the crowd.The Commanders stayed onside on the next play, and Hurts rewarded the Eagles with a 1-yard touchdown for a 41-23 lead.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs against the Washington Commanders during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)2025-01-26T23:31:43Z PHILADELPHIA (AP) Saquon Barkley dashed 60 yards for a touchdown on Philadelphias first play and finished with 118 yards and three scores, Jalen Hurts rushed for three TDs and the Eagles soared into the Super Bowl with a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.Hurts and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and this time Barkley is along for the ride. The Eagles will play either the Buffalo Bills or former Eagles coach Andy Reids Kansas City Chiefs.The 55 points are the most any team has scored in a conference championship game since the 1970 merger. Hurts, wearing a brace on his left knee, also threw for 246 yards and a touchdown pass and the Eagles had a towel-waving crowd in a frenzy for the NFC championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. A.J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles scored a season high in points to usher the franchise into their fifth Super Bowl. The Commanders played a role in getting the NFC title game to Philly with two straight road wins including last weeks stunner at No. 1 seed Detroit that set the stage for the second-seeded Eagles to host. Jayden Daniels threw for 255 yards with one touchdown, one interception and fell short in his bid to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. The Commanders were doomed by four turnovers, including a lost fumble by Austin Ekeler in the third quarter and the Commanders down 34-23. The Eagles won their only Super Bowl in the 2017 season and Nick Foles, the QB in that game against New England, was the honorary captain. The Eagles cut to other stars from that game in attendance on the big screen and now two years after coach Nick Siriannis Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl the franchise has a chance at winning their second one.Much as he has all season, Barkley led the way for the Eagles. After the Commanders opened the game with an 18-play drive and a field goal that quieted a raucous crowd, Barkley whipped the fans that included actor Bradley Cooper into a frenzy on the Eagles first offensive play from scrimmage. Only the ninth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, Barkley took the pitch from Hurts and cut left, spun around a pair of defenders and took off on the touchdown run.The Eagles recovered a fumble on the next drive and Barkley added a 4-yard run making him 2 for 2 on carries and touchdowns for a 14-3 lead.Including the playoffs, Barkley extended an NFL record Sunday with his seventh rushing touchdown of 60-plus yards in a season.Daniels, who led the Commanders to six consecutive victories, made his share of big plays that included a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin that pulled them to 14-12.Hurts, who hurt his knee when he was sacked last week by the Rams, had his best game yet in a postseason where the Eagles played all three games at home. He closed the first half with a tush push 1-yard touchdown and threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Brown to send the Eagles into halftime with a 27-15 lead. Hurts secured the Super Bowl berth with a tush push touchdown in the fourth quarter after a humorous moment when an official said hed award the Eagles a touchdown if Washington didnt stop jumping offside and his ninth career postseason rushing score gave them a 41-23 lead.Small amounts of green confetti started to fly from the upper deck at that point at the countdown was officially on for the Super Bowl.The Commanders desperate gasp at another late comeback win ended with a thud when Nolan Smith sacked Daniels on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Will Shipley gave Barkley a needed breather in the blowout and punched in a 2-yard touchdown run for a 55-23 lead. The E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles! chants began in earnest and its sure to ring loud in New Orleans.InjuriesEagles: Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens was active but did not start because of a back injury. Landon Dickerson moved from left guard to center and Tyler Steen started at left guard. ... Dickerson suffered a knee injury. ... RB Kenneth Gainwell was evaluated for a concussion suffered in the third quarter.Up nextThe Eagles head to New Orleans for a Feb. 9 matchup against the AFC champion.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl DAN GELSTON Gelston is an an Associated Press sports writer covering major college and pro sports in Philadelphia, including the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Villanova. twitter mailto

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) leaves the field after injury against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)2025-01-27T00:18:37Z KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford was ruled out of the AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night with a concussion.Benford was carted from the field after a helmet-to-helmet hit with teammate Damar Hamlin while trying to make a tackle in the first quarter.Benford, who spent the week in the concussion protocol before getting cleared in time for the game, was ruled out just moments after he was driven up the tunnel in the corner of Arrowhead Stadium.Benford was chasing Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy near the Bills sideline when he clashed helmets with Hamlin, who wears a Guardian Cap on his own. Benford was shaky while standing up and tried to return to the field, but Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas stopped him in his tracks and made sure Buffalo trainers checked on him.The loss was a big one for Buffalo, which was counting on Benford to help cover the Chiefs fleet of wide receivers. He made a nice play earlier in the game to break up a pass deep downfield intended for Marquise Brown.The Bills already were thin in the secondary without safety Taylor Rapp, who was inactive with back and hip injuries. He would have played a significant role in covering Chiefs tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL DAVE SKRETTA Skretta is a Kansas City-based sports writer for The Associated Press. He covers the Royals, the Chiefs and college sports along with auto racing, the Olympics and other sports. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

El logotipo de TikTok en un telfono en San Francisco, el viernes 17 de enero de 2025. (AP Foto/Jeff Chiu)2025-01-26T20:42:30Z WASHINGTON (AP) Perplexity AI has presented a new proposal to TikToks parent company that would allow the U.S. government to own up to 50% of a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikToks U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.The proposal, submitted last week, is a revision of a prior plan the artificial intelligence startup had presented to TikToks parent ByteDance on Jan. 18, a day before the law that bans TikTok went into effect.The first proposal, which ByteDance hasnt responded to, sought to create a new structure that would merge San Francisco-based Perplexity with TikToks U.S. business and include investments from other investors.The new proposal would allow the U.S. government to own up to half of that new structure once it makes an initial public offering of at least $300 billion, said the person, who was not authorized to speak about the proposal. The person said Perplexitys proposal was revised based off of feedback from the Trump administration. If the plan is successful, the shares owned by the government would not have voting power, the person said. The government also would not get a seat on the new companys board. ByteDance and TikTok did not immediately responded to a request for comment.Under the plan, ByteDance would not have to completely cut ties with TikTok, a favorable outcome for its investors. But it would have to allow a full U.S. board control, the person said. Under the proposal, the China-based tech company would contribute TikToks U.S. business without the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app, according to a document seen by the Associated Press.The proposal seems to mirror a strategy Steven Mnuchin, treasury secretary during Trumps first term, discussed Sunday on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures that a new investor in TikTok could simply dilute down the Chinese ownership and satisfy the law. Mnuchin has previously expressed interest in investing in the company. But the technology needs to be disconnected from China, he added. It needs to be disconnected from ByteDance. Theres absolutely no way that China would ever let us have something like that in China.The Perplexity proposal comes as several investors are expressing interest in TikTok. President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he expects a deal will be made in as soon as 30 days. On a flight from Las Vegas to Miami on Air Force One, Trump also said he hadnt discussed a deal with Larry Ellison, CEO of software maker Oracle, despite a report that Oracle, along with outside investors, was considering taking over TikToks global operation. Numerous people are talking to me. Very substantial people, Trump said. We have a lot of interest in it, and the United States will be a big beneficiary. ... Id only do it if the United States benefits.Under a bipartisan law passed last year, TikTok was to be banned in the United States by Jan. 19 if it did not cut ties with ByteDance. The Supreme Court upheld the law, but Trump then issued an executive order to halt enforcement of the law for 75 days. Trump, on Air Force One, noted that Ellison lives right down the road from his Mar-a-Lago estate, but added, I never spoke to Larry about TikTok. Ive spoken to many people about TikTok and theres great interest in TikTok.TikTok briefly shut down in the U.S. a week ago, but went back online after Trump said he would postpone the ban. TikTok CEO Shou Chew attended Trumps inauguration Jan. 20, along with some other tech leaders whove been forging friendlier ties with the new administration. Congress voted to ban TikTok in the U.S. out of concern that TikToks ownership structure represented a security risk. The Biden administration argued in court for months that it was too much of a risk to allow a Chinese company to control the algorithm that fuels what people see on the app. Officials also raised concerns about user data collected on the platform. However, to date, the U.S. hasnt provided public evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or allowing them to tinker with its algorithm. ___Hadero reported from South Bend, Indiana. HALELUYA HADERO Haleluya covers Amazon, retail and technology. twitter mailto CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

This combination photo shows National Intelligence Director nominee Tulsi Gabbard, left, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York and FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-01-27T05:04:07Z LONDON (AP) As Russia moved closer to invading Ukraine nearly three years ago, the United States and its allies took the extraordinary step of declassifying and sharing intelligence to expose Moscows plans. Information flew across the Atlantic from U.S. spy agencies to NATO and Western partners showing that Russia was poised to launch the biggest attack on a European country since World War II. It was designed to muster support for Kyiv, and on the strength of the U.S. warning, some nations sent weapons to Ukraine, which moved some equipment out of the range of Russian strikes.Now, officials are bracing for a potentially changed security landscape under President Donald Trump. He has criticized Americas allies and lambasted its intelligence agencies. Hes been accused of disregarding secrecy rules and hoarding classified documents. Tulsi Gabbard, Trumps pick for director of national intelligence, has parroted Russian propaganda while his nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, has promised changes that could significantly curtail the flow of intelligence to Americas friends. Both are expected to face sharp questioning from lawmakers during confirmation hearings Thursday. The Associated Press spoke with 18 current and former senior European and U.S. officials who worked in NATO, defense, diplomacy or intelligence. Many raised questions and concerns about Trumps past relationship with Americas spies and their ability to share information at a time of heightened terror threats and signs of greater cooperation between U.S. adversaries. The importance of trustThe U.S. and its allies routinely share top-secret information, be it about potential terror threats, Chinese cyberattacks or Russian troop movements. Americas closest intelligence partners are New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Britain, and it often shares with other nations or sometimes even adversaries when lives are at stake.In July, the U.S. helped foil a Russian plot to assassinate the head of a German arms manufacturer that produced weapons for Ukraine. In August, the CIA said it provided intelligence to Austrian authorities that allowed them to disrupt a plan, allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group, to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.Cooperation particularly between the U.S. and the U.K. is strong and robust enough to withstand some turbulence at the political level, said Lord Peter Ricketts, former U.K. national security adviser and current chair of the European Affairs Committee of the upper chamber of the British Parliament. However, any strong intelligence relationship is underpinned by trust, and what if trust isnt there? Ricketts said.There was some skepticism about U.S. intelligence ahead of the invasion of Ukraine due to the faulty American information that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2001, said Oana Lungescu, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London and formerly NATOs longest-serving spokesperson. But when combined with information from its security partners, Americas remarkable intelligence enabled the NATO alliance to raise the alert about Russia, Lungescu said. European leaders are working to convince Trumps administration that threats on the continent also are relevant for the United States.There shouldnt be much debate, said former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Mike McFaul, who said theres a direct relationship between U.S. intelligence sharing and national security. He noted that U.S. authorities have warned of escalating terror threats.One of our great advantages is that we have incredible intelligence capabilities and we have allies that we share that with its a force multiplier for us, said McFaul, who now teaches at Stanford University. Well lose that if were no longer considered trustworthy.The Trump team has an open mind and is in a listening mode, Norways Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said, adding that was a good sign because when you come in with a new administration in a very eventful, rapidly changing environment, getting on the same footing is a challenge. Predicting Trumps moves, however, is difficult. He has criticized NATO allies for not spending enough on defense. He even suggested he would encourage Russia to invade countries that didnt pay what he thought they should. But he didnt follow through on the threat. Last time it didnt turn out so badly: He was going to throw NATO under the bus, but he didnt do that, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte said. The rhetoric turned out to be transactional.Spokespeople for the White House and Gabbard did not respond to questions about Trump and his nominees or how they planned to handle intelligence sharing with Americas allies.NATO members have hiked their defense spending as Trump has demanded and the alliance is now bigger than before, with Sweden and Finland joining after Russia invaded Ukraine. There is a big risk of continuing to take American support for European, NATO countries ... and defense of Ukraine for granted, said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.But it would also be risky to assume the U.S. is simply leaving. On that question, Kristersson said, the jury is very much out.Concerns about Trumps intel picks Trumps choice of Gabbard to oversee more than a dozen intelligence agencies has alarmed lawmakers from both parties and many current and former intelligence officials. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who later became a Trump ally, met since-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2017 in Damascus and has promoted Russian propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine.If confirmed, Gabbard would have the power to declassify information and direct some intelligence sharing with allies.A European intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that while there is concern around some of Trumps nominations, there is no reason to think we cant trust them because of who is in power. The official suggested nominees like Gabbard and Patel havent heard all the facts yet and could grow and learn when presented with the full picture.With thousands of professionals working in a multitude of agencies, the day-to-day operations of Americas spy services may look very similar under the Trump administration. And there are safeguards, current and former officials told the AP, that include agencies sharing intelligence but not sources. But those in top positions will have a huge impact if they lead to staff departures, curtail longstanding surveillance programs as Patel has suggested or politicize their offices in ways that can be exploited by Moscow and other adversaries.The task for Europe is to convince everybody to focus on Russia, the real troublemaker, the intelligence official said.Alongside Gabbard, Patel has rattled intelligence insiders in the U.S. and elsewhere because hes criticized surveillance programs like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which U.S. authorities use to keep tabs on suspected spies and terrorists overseas. The United States shared intelligence gathered through that law with Russia when public safety was at stake, passing along a warning before a deadly concert attack in Moscow in March that killed 145 people. It is not clear if Moscow tried to act on the warning. Allies heavily depend on US intelligenceThe European Union must be realistic that if the U.S. is reducing its participation in Europe, European members have to be ready to fill any gap, said former Finnish President Sauli Niinist, who has called for the 27-nation bloc to create its own intelligence agency.Many global tech and communication firms such as Google, Apple and Microsoft as well as Elon Musks X are based in the U.S., giving American law enforcement and spy agencies an advantage over their foreign counterparts, which may lack the political or legal means to obtain information.Niinist hosted a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, in which Trump openly questioned his own intelligence agencies finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to his benefit, restating Putins claim that Moscow was not involved.Niinist, whose country borders Russia, described his discussions with Trump while in office as clear, open and frank.I tried to tell him: We need you, but you need us, too, Niinist said. ___Klepper reported from Washington. EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter

Vehicles ply at a slow pace through a street with Dubai's iconic skyline in the background, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)2025-01-27T05:58:31Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Skyscraper-studded Dubai has been on a hot streak for the last five years and some residents are starting to feel burned.The city-state has seen record-breaking real estate transactions and as more and more people come to live there, and its state-owned airline Emirates is booking record earnings. But all that growth comes with strains for the citys population.Traffic feels worse than ever on Dubais roads. The price of housing continues to spike even with new real estate projects being announced almost daily. Caught in the middle are both its Emirati citizens and the vast population of foreigners who power its economy sparking rare public expressions of concern. Dubai is on steroids but affordability risks are increasing, warned Hasnain Malik in a starkly titled report he wrote for the global data firm Tellimer, where hes a managing director. Skyrocketing housing pricesUnder Dubais current plans, the city aims to have 5.8 million residents by 2040, adding more than half its current estimated population in just 15 years. Since 1980, its population has already soared from around 255,000 to around 3.8 million.Real estate lit the fire in Dubais growth in 2002, when the desert sheikdom began allowing foreigners to own property. After sharp falls during both the 2008-2009 financial crisis and Dubais brief coronavirus lockdown, prices have been soaring. Today, average prices per square foot are at all-time highs, according to Property Monitor. Rental prices increased as much as 20% in key neighborhoods last year, with further rises likely this year, with some residents moving to communities further out in the desert, the real estate firm Engel & Vlkers said. Jammed roadsEven before the boom, some people who worked in Dubai chose to live in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the citys downtown, or further away. Some 1 million commuters from other emirates jam the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road that runs through the center of the city and other highways every day, as studies suggest that as many as four out of five employees drive to work alone. That traffic has only intensified with Dubais new arrivals. While the rest of the world saw as much as a 4% increase in the number of registered vehicles in the last two years, the citys Road and Transportation Authority says theres been a 10% increase in the number of vehicles. So many vehicles have been registered that the city has had to make license plates longer. And while the city keeps building new flyovers and other road improvements, more cars are coming from more directions than ever before. Dubai is very attractive, more and more people are coming, said Thomas Edelmann, the founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, which advocates about traffic issues. I think its easier to get people quickly to come to Dubai and to convince them about Dubai, then to build a new intersection or a new highway. Boom concerns also raised by EmiratisCongestion has got so bad that its driving even prominent Emiratis to break their customary silence on public affairs.Habib Al Mulla, a prominent Emirati lawyer, wrote on the social platform X in December that while authorities were working on congestion, the problem demanded a set of immediate and long-term mechanisms. He followed up by publishing an opinion piece twice mentioning congestion as being among pressing issues for global cities like Dubai.While phrased in mild language, Al Mullas comments represented rare public criticism in the United Arab Emirates, where speech is tightly controlled by criminal law and social norms favor raising issues at a majlis a semiprivate setting convened by a traditional ruler. The concentration of wealth and opportunities created in global cities may cause income inequality that pushes out lower-income residents, Al Mulla warned in the English-language Khaleej Times newspaper on Jan. 15. The problem becomes acute when the wealth and opportunities remain inaccessible to segments of the national population who witness the citys allure being seized by outsiders. This may carry significant social risks, if not mitigated. Then theres demographic concerns as the Emirati share of the population dwindles. While the number of citizens isnt public, a back-of-the-envelope, informal calculation shared for years by experts suggests Emirati citizens represent around 10% of the countrys overall population of more than 9 million people, a number thats likely falling as foreigners rush in.In December, sermon scripts issued for the Dec. 13 Fridays prayers directly touched on the duty of having more children. Increasing offspring is both a religious obligation and a national responsibility, as it contributes to the protection and sustainability of nations, the sermon read, according to a transcript issued by the federal governments General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments. A search for high-tech solutionsFor Dubais autocratic government, overseen by ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, possible solutions to the grinding traffic have ranged from the practical to the fanciful. The government in recent months has repeatedly encouraged companies to allow more remote work options, including in a report released in November that also suggested staggered and flexible working hours. Adding as many as five remote workdays a month, along with the other steps, can reduce morning peak travel time across Dubai by 30%, the study stated. Dubais road toll system, known as Salik, has added gates to charge drivers more and will institute surge pricing at the end of the month. Dubais Metro, which boasts the worlds longest self-driving rail line, will also grow beyond its broadly north-south routes in a nearly $5 billion expansion.Then theres the flying taxi project. Since 2017, Dubai has been announcing plans for airborne cabs in the city. A first vertiport is being built by Dubai International Airport with the aim of offering the service from next year.Dubai also plans 3,300 kilometers (2,050 miles) of new pedestrian paths, although during Dubais summer months pedestrians have to contend with high humidity and heat of around 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). In the coming years, residents of Dubai will be able to move around by walking, cycling, its extensive network of roads and bridges, the Metro and its new lines, water taxis, or flying taxis on specific air routes, Sheikh Mohammed said on X in December. But for now, Dubai keeps attracting more people and more cars and the traffic jams only get longer. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

The wreckage of a Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air lies at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)2025-01-27T06:40:22Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The first report on last months Jeju Air crash in South Korea confirmed bird strikes in the planes engines, though officials havent determined the cause of the accident that killed all but two of the 181 people on board.The preliminary accident report released Monday said feathers and bird blood stains were found in both engines.The samples were sent to specialized organizations for DNA analysis, and a domestic organization identified them as belonging to Baikal Teals, the report said, referring to a migratory duck. The report also said the planes black box stopped recording about 4 minutes before the crash.South Korea earlier announced that it will remove a concrete structure at the end of the airports runway that was involved in the crash.Some experts have said that Muan International Airports localizer a set of antennas in a concrete structure that guide aircraft during landings likely made the crash of the Jeju Air plane worse. The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the airports runaway on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into the concrete structure and bursting into flames. Many observers said the structure should have been made with lighter materials that could break more easily upon impact.Investigators have said that air traffic controllers warned the pilot about possible bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming that a bird strike had occurred, after which the pilot attempted an emergency landing.

An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. (AP Photo/Hendrik Osula)2025-01-26T17:57:02Z RIGA, Latvia (AP) Swedish prosecutors announced Sunday night that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated sabotage and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland earlier that day.Several authorities, including the National Police Operations Department, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces, are involved in the investigation, said Mats Ljungqvist, senior prosecutor at the National Security Unit, according to a press release.The Swedish Coast Guard confirmed to the newspaper Expressen that they were on site near the vessel which the paper identified as the Malta-flagged Vezhen, at anchor near the port of Karlskrona.We are directly on site with the seized ship and are taking measures as decided by the prosecutor, said Mattias Lindholm, spokesperson for the Coast Guard. According to data from Vesselfinder, the vessel departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga several days earlier and was navigating between Gotland and Latvia at the time the damage was suspected of having occurred. Latvias state-run radio and TV center said Sunday that it recorded disruptions in data transmission on the cable running from the town of Ventspils to the Swedish island of Gotland, and concluded there was a rupture.The media organization said it was able to operate using other data transmission routes, while it was taking steps to have the cable repaired. At the moment, there is reason to believe that the cable is significantly damaged and that the damage is caused by external influences, Vineta Sprugaine, head of corporate communications at LVRTC, was quoted as saying by the LSM state broadcaster.Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silia wrote on X that her government was working together with our Swedish Allies and NATO on investigating the incident, including to patrolling the area, as well as inspecting the vessels that were in the area. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X that at least one cable belonging to a Latvian entity was believed to have been damaged and that he has been in close contact with Silia during the day Sunday.Sundays rupture follows a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region. There have been previous incidents reported of ruptures of data cables running on the Baltic sea bed, allegedly linked to Russias shadow fleet hundreds of aging tankers of uncertain ownership that are dodging sanctions and keeping oil revenue coming into the country. Earlier this month, NATO began a new mission dubbed Baltic Sentry which included frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones to provide enhanced surveillance and deterrence in the Baltic Sea which the transatlantic alliance says is to protect undersea cables and pipelines. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Trees and bushes growing around the old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)2025-01-27T05:01:32Z OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) During World War II, men, women and children were transported from across Europe to Auschwitz-Birkenau, horrendous journeys in which they were packed into cramped cattle cars.They arrived onto an unloading platform, known as the ramp, where Nazi doctors made selections, deciding who would be murdered immediately and who would be used for slave labor.Many of those rail tracks are abandoned but still exist within the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, stark reminders of the industrial nature of the killing. But they also extend beyond the memorial site, cutting through fields and running along family homes and a bus station, aging testaments of the horrors making their mark on life today. Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, are seen next to the former camps parking in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, are seen next to the former camps parking in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In all, 1.1 million people perished at Auschwitz in gas chambers or from disease, starvation and exhaustion. About 90% of the victims were Jewish, while Poles, Roma and Sinti, and Soviet prisoners of war were also among the victims. The camp was liberated by Soviet troops on Jan. 27, 1945. Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Nazi Germany established its largest extermination camp in Oswiecim the name of the Polish town that was called Auschwitz under German occupation because it was centrally located in Europe, with the railway infrastructure making it possible to transport Jews there from all across Europe from Belgium, France and the Netherlands, from Italy and from Hungary. Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along stores in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along stores in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More On the grounds of Birkenau there is a memorial in the form of a rail carriage dedicated to the memory of the 420,000 Hungarian Jews who were deported to Auschwitz from May to July 1944. On Monday, the world will mark the 80th anniversary of the camps liberation, with elderly survivors of Nazi atrocities gathering with state leaders and royalty. Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs next to a bus station in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs next to a bus station in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along a road in the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along a road in the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More People visit the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) People visit the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Flowers lie on the old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, at the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Flowers lie on the old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, at the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More People visit railroad tracks and a carriage used for prisoner transports in WWII, just outside the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) People visit railroad tracks and a carriage used for prisoner transports in WWII, just outside the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, run outside the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, run outside the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)2025-01-27T07:13:41Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the countrys first leader to be indicted, less than two weeks after he was the first to be detained. The impeached, jailed president, who had been holed up in his presidential compound for weeks after issuing a shocking martial law decree last month, now faces rebellion charges that are punishable by the death penalty or life in prison. Its part of a tortuous saga that has plunged South Korea into political turmoil and further riven an already divided society. And its not the only legal headache Yoon faces. A separate proceeding will determine whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.As Seoul prepares for double court hearings, continuing chaotic protests and increasingly harsh rhetoric from pro-and anti-Yoon forces, heres what to expect next: What happens now? Yoon will stay in jail. He will be brought from a detention facility to a Seoul court for hearings in the rebellion trial, which is expected to last about six months.Prosecutors say that Yoon directed a rebellion when he briefly imposed martial law on Dec. 3. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but not on charges of rebellion or treason. Yoons defense minister, police chief and several other military commanders have already been arrested and indicted on alleged rebellion, abuse of power and other charges related to the martial law decree. Meanwhile, rival protests look likely to continue in downtown Seoul.After a local court on Jan. 19 approved a formal arrest warrant to extend Yoons detention, dozens of his supporters stormed the court building, destroying windows, doors and other property. They also attacked police officers with bricks, steel pipes and other objects. The violence left 17 police officers injured, and police detained 46 protesters. What about his other court case? Yoon also has to worry about the Constitutional Court, which has until June to determine whether to formally dismiss or reinstate him as president. Observers expect a ruling to come sooner than the deadline. In the cases of two past impeached presidents, Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016, the court spent 63 days and 91 days respectively before determining to reinstate Roh and dismiss Park. If the Constitutional Court removes Yoon from office, an election to choose his successor must be held within two months. Recent public surveys show that governing and opposition party candidates are running neck-and-neck in a possible presidential by-election race.How are the two camps taking the indictment?Both are promising that this is just the beginning. Shin Dong-wook, a spokesperson for the governing conservative People Power Party, is warning that prosecutors will face unspecified legal and political consequences for their wrong indictment of Yoon. Yoons defense team says the prosecutors who indicted the president are trying to curry favor with political forces who want Yoon gone. They called the indictment a shame in the history of South Korean prosecutors.The main opposition liberal Democratic Party, which led Yoons Dec. 14 impeachment, called his indictment and arrest the beginning of the punishment of the ringleader of a rebellion. Party spokesperson Han Min-soo warned Yoon to stop what he called his attempt to incite far-right supporters based on groundless delusion. Yoon has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and says his declaration of martial law was a legitimate act of governance meant to raise public awareness of the danger of the liberal-controlled National Assembly, which obstructed his agenda. After declaring martial law on Dec. 3, Yoon sent troops and police officers to the assembly, but enough lawmakers still managed to enter an assembly chamber to unanimously vote down Yoons decree, forcing his Cabinet to lift it. The martial law imposition, the first of its kind in South Korea in more than four decades, lasted only six hours. But it evoked painful memories of the military-backed rulers who used martial law and emergency decrees to suppress opponents in the 1960s through the 80s.___Klug reported from Tokyo. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto FOSTER KLUG Klug is the APs news director for the Koreas, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Hes covered Asia since 2005 and has reported from across the region, including multiple trips to North Korea. twitter

Survivors and relatives attend a ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, Jan. 27. 2025.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)2025-01-27T08:13:30Z OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops is being marked on Monday at the site of the former death camp, a ceremony that is widely being treated as the last major observance that any notable number of survivors will be able to attend.Nazi German forces murdered some 1.1 million people at the site in southern Poland, which was under German occupation during World War II. Most of the victims were Jews killed on an industrial scale in gas chambers, but the Germans also murdered many Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, gay people and others who were targeted for elimination in the Nazi racial ideology.Elderly camp survivors, some wearing blue-and-white striped scarves that recall their prison uniforms, walked together to the the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed, including many Poles who resisted the occupation of their country. They were joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, whose nation lost 6 million citizens during the war. He carried a candle and walked with Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum director Piotr Cywinski. At the wall, the two men bowed their heads, murmured prayers and crossed themselves. We Poles, on whose land occupied by Nazi Germans at that time the Germans built this extermination industry and this concentration camp, are today the guardians of memory, Duda said to reporters afterward. He spoke of the unimaginable pain inflicted on so many people, especially the Jewish people, and described the dozens of survivors attending the observances Monday as the last survivors coming to this site.May the memory of all the dead live on, may they rest in peace, he said.In all, the Germans murdered 6 million Jews from all over Europe, annihilating two-thirds of Europes Jews and one-third of all Jews worldwide. In 2005, the United Nations designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Across Europe, officials and others were pausing to remember.The Holocaust was a collective endeavor by thousands of ordinary people utterly consumed by the hatred of difference, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. That is the hatred we stand against today and it is a collective endeavor for all of us to defeat it.Later in the day, world leaders and royalty will join with elderly camp survivors, the youngest of whom are in their 80s. Politicians, however, have not been asked to speak this year. Due to the advanced age of the survivors, about 50 of whom are expected, organizers are choosing to make them the center of the observances. Among the leaders expected to attend are Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Germany has never sent both of its highest state representatives to the observances before, according to German news agency dpa.It is a sign of Germanys continued commitment to take responsibility for the nations crimes, even amid a growing far-right movement that would like to forget.French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also attend, while Britains King Charles III will also be there, along with kings and queens from Spain, Denmark and Norway. Russian representatives were in the past central guests at the anniversary observances in recognition of the Soviet liberation of the camp on Jan. 27, 1945, and the huge losses suffered by Soviet forces in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany. But they have not been welcome since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Associated Press writers Jill Lawless and Danica Kirka in London contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-01-27T05:17:24Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel on Monday began allowing thousands of Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.The opening was delayed for two days over a dispute between Hamas and Israel, which said the militant group had changed the order of the hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Mediators resolved the dispute overnight.Palestinians who have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over a year are eager to return to their homes -- even knowing that they have likely been damaged or destroyed. Many had feared Israel would make their exodus permanent, and expressed similar concerns about an idea floated by President Donald Trump to resettle large numbers of Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan. Ismail Abu Matter, a father of four who had waited for three days before crossing with his family, described scenes of jubilation on the other side, with people singing, praying and crying as they were reunited with relatives. Its the joy of return, said Abu Matter, whose family was among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation. We had thought we wouldnt return, like our ancestors. Hamas said the return was a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans.The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of dozens of hostages captured in the militants Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which triggered the fighting.Israel ordered the wholescale evacuation of the north in the opening days of the war and sealed it off shortly after ground troops moved in. Around a million people fled to the south in October 2023, while hundreds of thousands remained in the north, which had some of the heaviest fighting and the worst destruction of the war. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to enforce the ceasefire, and that anyone violating it or threatening Israeli forces will bear the full cost.We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7, he wrote on the platform X.Hostage dispute rattled week-old ceasefireIsrael had delayed the opening of the crossing, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, saying it would not allow Palestinians north until a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, was released. It also accused Hamas of failing to provide information on whether the remaining hostages set to be freed in the first phase are alive or dead.Hamas in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the crossing.The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, announced early Monday that an agreement had been reached to release Yehoud along with two other hostages before Friday.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the hostage release which will include female soldier Agam Berger will take place on Thursday. That release will be in addition to the one already set for next Saturday, when three hostages should be released. Hamas also handed over a list of required information about the hostages to be released in the ceasefires six-week first phase.Starting at 7 a.m., Palestinians were allowed to cross on foot without inspection through part of the so-called Netzarim corridor, a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza City that Israel carved out early in the war. A checkpoint for vehicles was to open later with an inspection mechanism, the details of which were not immediately known. A second and more difficult phase awaitsUnder the first phase of the ceasefire, which runs until early March, Hamas is to free a total of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The militants have released seven hostages, including four female soldiers, in the current ceasefire, in exchange for more than 300 prisoners, including many serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis.The second and far more difficult phase of the agreement has not yet been negotiated. Hamas says it will not release the remaining 60 or so hostages unless Israel ends the war, while Netanyahu says he is still committed to destroying the militant group and ending its nearly 18-year rule over Gaza.Hamas started the war when thousands of its fighters stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 90 hostages are still inside Gaza, and Israel believes around a third are dead.Israels air and ground war has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israeli bombardment and ground operations have displaced around 90% of Gazas 2.3 million people, often multiple times, and flattened entire neighborhoods. ___Magdy reported from Cairo and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

People displaced by the fighting with M23 rebels make their way to the center of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)2025-01-27T09:02:10Z GOMA, Congo (AP) Residents in eastern Congos largest city, Goma, were fleeing on Monday after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the regional hub from Congolese forces as fighting escalated in recent days despite calls from the U.N. Security Council for the insurgents to withdraw. Gunshots rang out across Goma overnight before dozens of rebels in military uniform early Monday morning marched into the capital of North Kivu province, which sits on the border with Rwanda. The Congolese government has not confirmed the fall of Goma, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of capital Kinshasa, after severing ties with Rwanda on Saturday. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region in the decades-long conflict, one of Africas largest. The rebels temporarily took over Goma in 2012, before they were forced to pull out under international pressure, and resurfaced in late 2021, with increasing support from Rwanda, according to Congos government and United Nations experts. Rwanda has denied such support. Analysts have warned the latest escalation of hostilities could further destabilize the region, which is already home to one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises with more than 6 million people displaced. More than a third of North Kivus population are among the displaced, according to a U.N. report. UN calls on the rebels to withdrawIn a statement late Sunday, the U.N. Security Council called on the M23 to immediately reverse its advances.The members of the Security Council condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC and that the M23 put an end to the establishment of parallel administrations in the DRC territory, the statement added, referring to Congos formal name, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rebels announced early Monday they had captured the city just as a deadline they gave to Congolese security forces to surrender was about to expire. The rebels asked the Congolese military to assemble at the central stadium and urged residents to remain calm. Congolese government officials have said the country is in a war situation and accused Rwanda of committing a frontal aggression (and) a declaration of war. Congo cut ties with Rwanda over the weekend as re cent attempts at diplomatic talks between the two countries failed. The advance into Goma is the culmination of a prolonged battle between the rebels and the Congolese security forces that saw several towns along the Rwandan border falling to the insurgents.Residents seek safety across the border in RwandaOn Sunday, hundreds of residents marched in the heat and through the night along roads with heavy traffic as they tried to flee Goma into Rwanda, carrying their babies, clothes and other belongings on their backs and heads. Many were still on the run on Monday morning.We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting, said Safi Shangwe, who was among those on the move.The U.N. special representative for Congo Bintou Keita told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council late Sunday that we are trapped, with the airport shut down and roads blocked. At least 13 U.N. peacekeepers have been killed in the hostilities in the past week. The U.N. peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.The Uruguayan army, in Goma serving with the U.N. peacekeeping mission, said in a statement on the social platform X late Sunday that more than 100 Congolese soldiers were laying down their weapons.___Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria; and Mednick, from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Monika Pronczuk and Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report. SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the West and Central Africa reporter for the Associated Press. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. twitter

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels from Las Vegas to Miami on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-26T20:34:41Z DORAL, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trumps push to have Egypt and Jordan take in large numbers of Palestinian refugees from besieged Gaza fell flat with those countries governments and left a key congressional ally in Washington perplexed on Sunday. Fighting that broke out in the territory after ruling Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023 is paused due to a fragile ceasefire, but much of Gazas population has been left largely homeless by an Israeli military campaign. Trump told reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One that moving some 1.5 million people away from Gaza might mean that we just clean out that whole thing. Trump relayed what he told Jordans King Abdullah when the two held a call earlier Saturday: I said to him, Id love for you to take on more because Im looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and its a mess. He said he was making a similar appeal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during a conversation they were having while Trump was at his Doral resort in Florida on Sunday. Trump said he would like Egypt to take people and Id like Jordan to take people. Egypt and Jordan, along with the Palestinians, worry that Israel would never allow them to return to Gaza once they have left. Both Egypt and Jordan also have perpetually struggling economies and their governments, as well as those of other Arab states, fear massive destabilization of their own countries and the region from any such influx of refugees. Jordan already is home to more than 2 million Palestinian refugees. Egypt has warned of the security implications of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypts Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza.Trump suggested that resettling most of Gazas population of 2.3 million could be temporary or long term.Jordans foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, said Sunday that his countrys opposition to what Trump floated was firm and unwavering. Some Israel officials had raised the idea early in the war. Egypts foreign minister issued a statement saying that the temporary or long-term transfer of Palestinians risks expanding the conflict in the region. Trump does have leverage to wield over Jordan, which is a debt-strapped, but strategically important, U.S. ally and is heavily dependent on foreign aid. The U.S. is historically the single-largest provider of that aid, including more than $1.6 billion through the State Department in 2023. Much of that comes as support for Jordans security forces and direct budget support.Jordan in return has been a vital regional partner to the U.S. in trying to help keep the region stable. Jordan hosts some 3,000 U.S. troops. Yet, on Friday, new Secretary of State Marco Rubio exempted security assistance to Israel and Egypt but not to Jordan, when he laid out the details of a freeze on foreign assistance that Trump ordered on his first day in office.Meantime, in the United States, even Trump loyalists tried to make sense of his words.I really dont know,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham, when asked on CNNs State of the Union about what Trump meant by the clean out remark. Graham, who is close to Trump, said the suggestion was not feasible. The idea that all the Palestinians are going to leave and go somewhere else, I dont see that to be overly practical, said Graham, R-S.C. He said Trump should keep talking to Mideast leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and officials in the United Arab Emirates.I dont know what hes talking about. But go talk to MBS, go talk to UAE, go talk to Egypt, Graham said. What is their plan for the Palestinians? Do they want them all to leave?Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, also announced Saturday that he had directed the U.S. to release a supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Former President Joe Biden had imposed a hold due to concerns about their effects on Gazas civilian population.Egypt and Jordan have made peace with Israel but support the creation of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories that Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War. They fear that the permanent displacement of Gazas population could make that impossible. In making his case for such a massive population shift, Trump said Gaza is literally a demolition site right now. Id rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, he said of people displaced in Gaza. Where they can maybe live in peace for a change. ___Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)2025-01-26T21:43:28Z SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) At the end of his Sunday service, the pastor of the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Ohio, asked ushers and musicians to form a circle around him as he knelt in prayer, flanked by the flags of Haiti and the United States.Many had come to receive his blessing and hear his guidance on how to deal with federal agents in case of raids stemming from President Donald Trumps crackdown on immigration. Other congregants stayed home out of fear and growing uncertainty.I asked God to protect my people, the Rev. Reginald Silencieux said after the service, reflecting on his final prayer. I prayed especially for the Haitian community, and I prayed for U.S.A. too, because Trump is our president. As a church, we have an obligation to pray for him because hes our political leader right now. Some of Springfields estimated 15,000 Haitians are seeking solace and divine intervention in their churches or at shops that sell spiritual products. Community leaders say many are overwhelmed by fears Trump will end or let expire the Temporary Protected Status program that allows them to remain in the U.S. legally. Congregants worship at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Congregants worship at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Ushers at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield hold hands during Sunday service, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Ushers at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield hold hands during Sunday service, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The community is panicking. said Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of Springfields Haitian Community Help and Support Center. They see the arrests on TV in other parts of the country and they dont know whats going to happen.The majority of immigrants in the U.S.A. are not criminals, and theyre hard-working people, he added. Any administration with common sense would rather work with those kinds of immigrants than deport them.Last year, Trump falsely accused Haitians in Springfield of eating their neighbors cats and dogs. The false rumors exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000.In the weeks after his comments, schools, government buildings and the homes of elected officials were targeted with dozens of bomb threats.Before, we had a different type of fear it was a fear of retaliation, whether it was the far right, the Proud Boys, said Jacob Payen, a Haitian community leader and owner of Milokan Botanica, a religious shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products.Now, theres a fear of deportation. That keeps a lot of people from going out and has caused a lot of people to have left, he said, pointing to the usually busy commercial plaza where his business is located and that was now more quiet than usual. Jacob Payton talks to customers at the entrance of Milokan Botanica, his religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Jacob Payton talks to customers at the entrance of Milokan Botanica, his religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Dieutela Charles comforts her 6-month-old daughter while getting guidance on her U.S. residency from Haitian community leader Jacob Payton at his store in Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Dieutela Charles comforts her 6-month-old daughter while getting guidance on her U.S. residency from Haitian community leader Jacob Payton at his store in Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Cards with information on the Temporary Protected Status, which allows thousands of Haitian immigrants to reside legally in the United States, sit on display at Milokan Botanica, a religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Cards with information on the Temporary Protected Status, which allows thousands of Haitian immigrants to reside legally in the United States, sit on display at Milokan Botanica, a religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Between selling religious candles and spiritual ointments, Payne guided customers with immigration forms, employment authorization cards and questions on their TPS applications.Brutus Joseph, 50, who works installing solar panels, said he came to the botanica to find spiritual relief. But he also wanted to speak his mind.I dont feel right at all. I have a lot in my chest, Joseph said in Creole through an interpreter. My wife and I cant even sleep because were so worried. Were law-abiding citizens all we did is to be Haitian. We didnt think wed be treated like this by the (Trump) administration. Im praying to God that the president changes his mind.Joseph especially worries about the future for his five children, including one who is a senior in high school in Springfield and plans to attend college this year.If I leave here, theres no future for my children. My children can get raped and killed if I go back, so I have everything to lose, he said, making an appeal to Trump as a fellow family man who is married to an immigrant.The Rev. Philomene Philostin, one of the pastors at the First Haitian Evangelical Church, bemoaned the lower-than-usual attendance at Sundays service.They dont have to be scared. They have to be alert, she said. They shouldnt be scared to the point where they dont come to church. The Rev. Reginald Silencieux kneels to pray, surrounded by the choir and worship team at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) The Rev. Reginald Silencieux kneels to pray, surrounded by the choir and worship team at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Suzette Cleophat worships with fellow congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Suzette Cleophat worships with fellow congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The migration concerns of clergy and other community members in Springfield are shared by many faith leaders nationwide. In several cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, interfaith groups are discussing how to provide security and support to migrants in their communities, including those who are undocumented.During his first administration, Trump used bluntly vulgar language to question why the U.S. would accept immigrants from Haiti and shithole countries in Africa. His 2024 campaign focused heavily on illegal immigration, often referring in his speeches to crimes committed by migrants.Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the TPS program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.Everything changed because Trump is president. People are scared right now. Most are staying in their homes they dont want to go outside, said Romane Pierre, 41, who settled in Springfield in 2020 under the TPS program after fleeing violence in his native Haiti.I love my country, but you cant live there; its terrible right now, said Pierre, who works at the Rose Gaute, a popular Haitian restaurant in Springfield. So where do you go back to?Last year, his 8-year-old daughter got ill in the middle of the night. Gunshots rang in their neighborhood in the capital of Port-Au-Prince, and her mother felt it was too dangerous to take her to the hospital. She died in the morning in front of the hospital entrance. Pierre couldnt get a permit on time to return for her funeral.Sometimes, life is difficult, he said pensively on a break from work.The TPS, which allows him and thousands of others to remain legally in Springfield, expires on February 2026. He still hopes Trump will keep in mind the violence in Haiti and renew it.Think about Haitians because Haiti is not a place to return to right now, he said. God, talk to Mr. Trump and do something for Haitians.The migrants fears were echoed by the president of Haitis transitional presidential council, who said the Trump administrations decisions to freeze aid programs, deport migrants and block refugees will be catastrophic for Haiti. Congregants leave First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield after Sunday service in Springfield, Ohio, January 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) Congregants leave First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield after Sunday service in Springfield, Ohio, January 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Leslie Voltaire made the comment in an interview with The Associated Press in Rome on Saturday following a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.The pontiff and Voltaire discussed the dire situation in Haiti where gangs have killed civilians and operate across the Caribbean nation with impunity. Half of Haitis 11.4 million people are already hungry, according to Voltaire, and losing humanitarian assistance will make the situation dramatically worse.This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the Rev. Philomene Philostins last name from Philo.___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. LUIS ANDRES HENAO Henao is a multimedia reporter on the APs Global Religion team. He focuses on features and has reported for the AP from Alaska, Antarctica and the Amazon. twitter instagram mailto

Igor Abramovich surveys heavy damage to a house from the 14-month war between Hezbollah and Israel in Kibbutz Manara, on the border with Lebanon, northern Israel, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)2025-01-27T06:02:56Z KIBBUTZ MANARA, Israel (AP) Kibbutz Manara in northern Israel is so close to the Lebanese border that patrons of a local pub joke, with gallows humor, that the militant group Hezbollah could see if they were eating sunflower seeds or potato chips with their beers.The proximity made Manara so vulnerable in the war between Israel and Hezbollah that rockets and explosive drones damaged the majority of homes, turning the tiny community into a symbol of the heavy price of fighting. The kibbutzs 300 residents were among the 60,000 Israelis evacuated by the government from communities along the Lebanese border during the 14-month war.A tenuous ceasefire has largely held, though it was tested on Sunday as a 60-day deadline passed for Israel and Hezbollah to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon. Health officials in Lebanon said at least 22 people were killed by Israeli fire when demonstrators attempted to enter villages still under Israeli control. Israel says it is committed to withdrawing but says the process will take additional time. For now, residents of Israels north are taking their time returning, uncertain when or if they will go back to shattered communities. Many wonder what future they can have in a place so exposed to violence. The vast majority of displaced families still havent returned home. In hard-hit places like Manara, some who have ventured back have found unlivable, blackened homes. It will take years to rebuild. We are trying to understand what we can fix, what we can do better, how we can prepare for the next round (of fighting), said Igor Abramovich, who remained in Manara during the war and believes its just a matter of time before fighting erupts.All homes on the ridge facing Lebanon are destroyed, with gaping holes left by missile strikes or fires that burned so hot that cars partly melted. Because the kibbutz is so exposed, 70 meters (yards) from the border in some places, firefighters sometimes couldnt respond to the blazes. Instead, the emergency squad was forced to watch on security cameras as fires burned. Hezbollah began launching rockets and missiles toward Israeli border communities on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the deadly Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza. Soon after, Israel evacuated dozens of towns, villages and kibbutzim along the border, including Manara.In Lebanon, at the height of the war, more than 1 million people were displaced, and reconstruction will take years there as well. Piles of rubble that were once homes can be seen in towns across the border.Hezbollah rockets killed 77 people in Israel, more than half of them civilians. No one was killed in Manara. Israeli air and ground assaults killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians.Israel made returning the displaced residents to their homes an aim in its war against Hezbollah and has promised incentives to entice them back. The return has been slow, in part because many residents are skeptical of the governments pledges to ensure their safety and because much work remains to rehabilitate communities. Remote kibbutzim on the bordersManara is prone to howling winds and snow usually once a winter, attracting a hardy, close-knit group of people. Such remote kibbutzim were an integral element of the Israeli pioneer ethos, and Israel as a fledgling state once relied on them to protect its borders in the face of threats from neighboring Arab countries. Those threats appeared to have waned until Hamas attacked into southern Israel and Israeli authorities assessed that Hezbollah was planning a similar cross-border raid in the north.The war was a clear reminder for Israelis that the country still depends on the border communities and needs to ensure their viability so that the country doesnt collapse toward its center.Many in Manara are determined to return and restore their homes.Its really a physical thing. They miss the air here, said Orna Weinberg, 58, who has lived on the kibbutz her entire life.Weinberg was displaced to a town about 45 minutes south, but she coordinated with the army and returned to Manara almost every day during the war, helping other evacuated residents who asked her to save photo albums, transfer the kibbutzs archives or carry out other tasks to keep the community from falling apart. Now shes involved in coordinating Manaras rehabilitation, both physical and emotional. She and Abramovich spend hours walking through the kibbutz with appraisers for different government agencies to determine the financial losses and compensation. They also need to check the kibbutzs infrastructure, including gas, water and electricity lines. All suffered damage. The question no one asksOut of 157 homes or apartments in the kibbutz, 110 were damaged, including 38 that were completely destroyed. In the part of Manara that faces Lebanon, all houses were destroyed. The ones facing the valley and the city of Kiryat Shmona are damaged but likely salvageable.Abramovich said an initial estimate of rebuilding costs is at least NIS 150 million ($40 million).Were having this weird discussion now, who has it better, someone whose house is partially destroyed or totally destroyed, said Hagar Erlich, 72, whose father was one of Manaras founders and is living in a hotel in the city of Tiberias with other kibbutz members. It may be cheaper and faster to demolish and rebuild rather than renovate, she said.The kibbutz is committed to reopening the nursery school by Sept. 1, convinced that if young families dont return as soon as possible, the communitys future is in danger, Abramovich said.So far, none of Manaras residents have announced they are leaving. The Ambramovich family Igor, his wife and two daughters will return in February, the first family to do so.Its hard for people to say, Im not coming back, Erlich said. We decided that we are not asking that question, not as an organization, and not as individuals.The community even wants to continue an expansion of 92 housing units that was planned before the war started.Signs of life are reemerging.In late December, 50 Manara residents gathered to work in the community garden, the hub of the kibbutz where they mark important celebrations and gatherings. The older members cooked a feast as children ran through the weeds and removed rocks from the garden beds to get them ready for new plants.It was the first time since the war began where I heard voices of people talking and chatting around here, Weinberg said. Whenever I think about that, thats home. MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The cargo ship Vezhen is anchored outside Karlskrona, Sweden, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, for examination by Swedish authorities. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)2025-01-27T11:42:03Z SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) A Bulgarian shipping company on Monday denied that one of its ships had intentionally damaged an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland.In a statement, Navibulgar CEO Alexander Kalchev said it was possible that the Vezhen ship had caused a cable to break but dismissed any possibility of sabotage or any other action on the part of the crew.He cited information obtained from the crew that the ship was sailing late on Sunday in extremely bad weather. Eventually, the crew discovered that the left anchor was apparently being dragged along the seabed.Kalchevs statement followed the announcement that Swedish prosecutors had launched a preliminary investigation on suspicion of sabotage, after the ship was detained in the Baltic Sea.He added that the automatic ship identification system clearly showed that the Vezhen passed over the cable, and that it was not clear when exactly it was cut. I hope that the investigators will quickly establish that this is not a matter of any intentional action, but a technical incident due to bad weather, and that the ship will be released, Kalchev said.The Maltese-flagged Vezhen was sailing to South America, loaded with fertilizer. The 32,000-ton vessel was launched in 2022, Kalchev said.

Workers secure a net to prevent mudslides over the burned side of a mansion in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2025-01-27T11:31:19Z LOS ANGELES (AP) More rain fell Monday on parts of Southern California after causing mudflows over the weekend, helping firefighters but boosting the risk of toxic ash runoff in areas scorched by Los Angeles-area wildfires.Flood watches were in effect for burn areas from recent fires that broke out around the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, Altadena and Castaic Lake, said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.All these fresh burns are very susceptible to rapid runoff, Sirard said, warning of even small amounts of rain in a few minutes time. What that means is we have a fairly high danger of mud and debris flows once we get above those thresholds.A portion of the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles County was closed as of Sunday afternoon due to mudflows in Topanga Canyon, the California Department of Transportation said. Snow fell in the mountains. One benefit that could come from the rain: It may help firefighters who are reining in multiple wildfires after weeks of windy and dry weather.Los Angeles County crews spent much of last week removing vegetation, shoring up slopes and reinforcing roads in devastated areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and ash after breaking out during powerful winds on Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 11 people, reached 90% containment Sunday. The Eaton Fire, which broke out near Altadena and has killed at least 16 people, was 98% contained. The Hughes Fire, which ignited last week north of Los Angeles and caused evacuation orders or warnings for more than 50,000 people, was 95% contained as of Sunday evening.In San Diego County, firefighters made progress to contain the smaller Border 2 Fire as it burned through a remote area of the Otay Mountain Wilderness near the U.S.-Mexico border. Most of the region was forecast to get about an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) of precipitation over several days, but the weather service warned of a risk of localized cloudbursts causing mud and debris to flow down hills. So the problem would be if one of those showers happens to park itself over a burn area, weather service meteorologist Carol Smith said on social media. That could be enough to create debris flows. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order last week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.Fire crews filled sandbags for communities, while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.Officials cautioned that ash in recent burn zones was a toxic mix of incinerated cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and other household items. It contains pesticides, asbestos, plastics and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up. Concerns about post-fire debris flows have been especially high since 2018, when the town of Montecito, up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge blaze. Hundreds of homes were damaged and 23 people died. The rain snapped a near-record streak of dry weather for Southern California. Most of Southern California is currently in extreme drought or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Vaccines are prepared for students during a pop-up immunization clinic at the Newcomer Academy in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)2025-01-27T12:01:37Z HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Vaccination bills are popping up in more than 15 states as lawmakers aim to potentially resurrect or create new religious exemptions from immunization mandates, establish state-level vaccine injury databases or dictate what providers must tell patients about the shots.Many see a political opportunity to rewrite policies in their states after President Donald Trumps return to the White House and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. s nomination as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency oversees virtually every aspect of vaccination efforts in the U.S., from funding their development to establishing recommendations for medical providers to distributing vaccines and covering them through federal programs.Childhood vaccination rates against dangerous infections like measles and polio continue to fall nationwide, and the number of parents claiming non-medical exemptions so their kids dont get required shots is rising. In 2024, whooping cough cases reached a decade-high and 16 measles outbreaks, the largest among them in Chicago and Minnesota, put health officials on edge. Most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks. About half of Americans are very or extremely concerned that those declining childhood vaccination rates will lead to more outbreaks, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Yet only about 4 in 10 Americans oppose reconsidering the governments recommendations for widely used vaccines, while roughly 3 in 10 are in favor. The rest about 3 in 10 are neutral. Scott Burris, director of Temple Universitys Center for Public Health Law Research, has tracked public health legislation for years, and watched backlash against COVID-19 vaccines grow to include more routine vaccines as anti-vaccine activists take hold of powerful political pulpits. I think COVID and the politics gave standard vaccine denialists a lot of wind in their sails, he said.Its hard to predict what will pass into law in the states, Burris said, considering the vast majority of proposed bills in any state go nowhere. But the proposed legislation offers a glimpse into lawmakers thoughts, and what else might follow.Religious exemptions lead the packReligious exemptions for school vaccine requirements are among the most popular proposals so far. Lawmakers in New York, Virginia, Connecticut and Mississippi have introduced bills that would allow more people to waive routine shots. Indiana lawmakers will weigh religious exemptions for medical students. Earlier this month, West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order on his first day in office that enabled families to receive religious exemptions from required school vaccinations. Thats a huge step, said Brian Festa, co-founder of the law firm We The Patriots USA, which works on vaccination-related cases throughout the country. Thats a state that never had a religious exemption. Now, only four states allow just a medical exemption from childcare and K-12 immunization requirements: Connecticut, California, New York and Maine.Festa credited West Virginias new religious exemption to Trumps nomination of Kennedy, as well as a 2023 federal court ruling that required Mississippi to allow residents to cite religious beliefs when seeking exemptions from state-mandated vaccinations for children.I think the writings on the wall and they did feel the pressure, Festa said of West Virginia.In Connecticut, at least four Republican bills will try to revive the states religious exemption for schools, colleges and daycares something a contentious 2021 state law eliminated for students without an existing exemption. Connecticut health experts said at the time there was a slow but steady increase in the number of religious exemptions and declining vaccination rates in some schools. The state has historically maintained some of the highest childhood vaccination rates in the county, and in the 2023-2024 school year, more than 97% of kindergarteners protected against chickenpox, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, polio and more. Given that the U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected a challenge to the Connecticut law and the statehouse is controlled by Democrats, GOP state Sen. Eric Berthel said hes not optimistic legislative leaders will allow debate on his exemption bill, but does believe the broader cultural shift means maybe there is a bit of an appetite to look at things like this again.I think that were not being fair to families who have a true faith-based reason to not vaccinate their child, he said.Theres one outlier so far among statehouse trends on exemptions. Hawaii, where legislators are looking to move in the opposite direction with a bill to eliminate all non-medical waivers after struggling for years with high exemption rates. Vaccine injuries and consent lawsOther vaccine-related bills touch on some of the opposition thats been growing since the pandemic.Oklahoma and Alabama have proposals that would require parental consent for any vaccine given to minors. Bills in Wyoming, Oregon and Oklahoma would prohibit discrimination against people who arent vaccinated against COVID-19 or other diseases. New York and Oklahoma have bills that would require providers to give people getting shots a full ingredient list, and Florida legislation would ban edible vaccines, though none are approved for use in the U.S. and research is still in early stages.Vaccine injury is also a popular topic, and bills in Indiana and North Dakota propose creating state versions of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System a federal database that drew the attention of vaccine skeptics during the pandemic. Anyone can file a report about a potential issue after a vaccine, though the CDCs website notes a report doesnt prove the shot caused a health issue.North Dakota Republican state Sen. Dick Anderson said hes not against people getting vaccines he got one COVID-19 shot himself but proposed the bill because many people dont trust the CDC. We have to do something to restore trust in the system, Anderson said. But experts note state databases are unnecessarily duplicative. A lot of these proposals, theyre trying to fix something thats not broken and really working to counter the goal of preventing the spread of communicable disease, said Andy Baker-White, senior director of state health policy for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.Policy should be focused on getting rid of barriers to vaccination, not adding to them, said Dr. Susan Kressly, a pediatrician and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Many families miss vaccinations not because of ideology, she said, but because of lack of transportation or not having primary care doctors or clinics nearby, among other things. But because most Americans are vaccinated, they havent seen the effects of dangerous infections like bacterial meningitis that Kressly fielded calls about from fearful parents early in her career. Vaccines are really an American success story, she said.___Shastri reported from Milwaukee.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. SUSAN HAIGH Haigh covers the Connecticut General Assembly, state government, politics, public policy matters and more for The Associated Press. She has worked for The AP since 2002. twitter mailto DEVI SHASTRI Shastri is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Milwaukee. She covers housing access, the social safety net, medical misinformation and other topics that influence the health of communities broadly. twitter mailto

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates his touchdown with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)2025-01-26T23:39:02Z Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are going for a three-peat in a Super Bowl rematch.This time, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have Saquon Barkley.The Eagles and Chiefs will face off for the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three years on Feb. 9 in New Orleans. Kansas City aims to become the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce celebrate victory against the Buffalo Bills after the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce celebrate victory against the Buffalo Bills after the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Each one of these is special, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said after being handed the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is named after his father. Now, we get to do something thats never been done before. Chiefs kingdom, were heading to New Orleans to make history.Mahomes rallied the Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Eagles two years ago in Arizona and a 25-22 overtime win over San Francisco in Las Vegas last season.The two-time Super Bowl and NFL MVP led Kansas City to a 32-29 win over Josh Allen and the Bills in the AFC championship game on Sunday, eliminating Buffalo for the fourth time in five years. Its not about one guy, its not about a couple guys, its about the whole team, Mahomes said. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts to a win over Buffalo Bills, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts to a win over Buffalo Bills, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More With girlfriend Taylor Swift watching on the field, smiling and nodding in approval, Kelce shouted: Never satisfied, baby! and then sang a line from Get Down Tonight by KC and The Sunshine Band.Earlier, the Eagles ran past the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC title game behind seven rushing touchdowns, including three apiece from Barkley and Hurts. It will be the 10th Super Bowl rematch and fifth within a five-year span. The winners of the four rematches within five years were the teams that won the first meeting, including the Chiefs over the 49ers last season. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates after scoring against the Washington Commanders, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates after scoring against the Washington Commanders, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Barkley had another 60-yard touchdown run plus two other rushing scores, finishing with 118 yards. His third TD from 60 yards or more in two weeks came on Philadelphias first play from scrimmage. No other player has three TDs of at least 60 yards in a playoff career. I always dreamed about it but the dream wasnt about just getting there, it was to win it, Barkley said of the Super Bowl.Playing with an injured knee, Hurts threw for 246 yards and one touchdown to go with his three rushing scores. How about our quarterback, coach Nick Sirianni shouted from the stage after the presentation of the George Halas Trophy. Hes a stud. I knew he would play that way. I knew it. Dont doubt him. All he does is win.The 55 points Philadelphia scored are the most by any team in a conference championship game since the 1970 merger. The Eagles (17-3) are aiming for their second Super Bowl title in five tries. Backup quarterback Nick Foles led them to a 41-33 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots seven years ago. Foles presented owner Jeffrey Lurie with the Halas trophy.Were there to win it, Lurie said about going back to the Super Bowl. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs against the Buffalo Bills, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs against the Buffalo Bills, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Chiefs (17-2) are 4-2 in the Super Bowl and making their fifth appearance in six years with coach Andy Reid, who will be facing his former team again.Reid spent his first 14 seasons in Philadelphia and won more games than any coach in franchise history. But the Eagles couldnt win it all with Reid. They were 1-4 in the NFC championship game and lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl ROB MAADDI Maaddi is senior NFL writer for The Associated Press. Hes covered the league for 24 years, including the first two decades as the Eagles beat writer. mailto

On this special guest episode of the 404 Media Podcast, I talked to Alexzandra Kekesi, VP of Brand and Community at Pornhub. Kekesi started in her current role in August 2023, after working for Pornhub and its parent company for more than a decade. She joined us from Montreal, where Pornhub is headquartered. We discuss the stigma facing the adult industry, Luigi Mangione porn, the trad wife to feet pics pipeline, and algorithms that shut you down for showing side boob. Kekesi also breaks down Pornhubs choice to pull out of states in more than a third of the U.S., following regressive age verification laws.Listen to the weekly podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orYouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism.If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. Pornhub Sees Surge of Interest in Tradwife Content, Modesty, and MindfulnessPornhub Is Now Blocked In Almost All of the U.S. SouthAge Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet

A person walks past a Nippon Steel Corporation sign at the company headquarters Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2025-01-27T12:46:05Z An asset manager is seeking to quash Nippon Steels takeover of U.S. Steel and oust the leadership of the U.S. steelmaker after taking a stake in the company. Ancora Holdings Group reported acquiring a 0.18% stake in the Pittsburgh company and said Monday that the board of U.S. Steel and its CEO David Burritt have prioritized the sale to Nippon because they stand to receive more than $100 million if it goes forward. Earlier this month Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel filed a federal lawsuit challenging a Biden administration decision to block Nippons proposed $15 billion acquisition citing national security. Ancora is seeking an independent slate of directors at U.S. Steel and new CEO that are committed to walking away from the Nippon deal. In an open letter on Monday, the firm said it has nominated nine independent directors for election at U.S. Steels annual shareholders meeting this year. Those directors have a plan that includes making Alan Kestenbaum, former Chairman and CEO of Stelco, the new CEO of U.S. Steel. Ancora wants new board members to focus on U.S. Steels turnaround, not trying to find alternative bidders or selling the company. It also wants them to pursue the $565 million breakup fee. U.S. Steel is now in a dire state due its excessive capital spending, high debt, soft earnings and nonexistent contingency plan, Ancora wrote. There are consequences associated with having out-of-touch leadership with weak involvement in local communities. Absent a miracle, Ancora believes a substantial and urgent reconstitution of the companys leadership is necessary, it continued. Ancora also said that President Donald Trump has opposed U.S. Steels deal with Nippon and is unlikely to waver. Last month Trump vowed to block the transaction, pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the American steelmaker.U.S. Steel, based in Pittsburgh, said early Monday that it remains committed to pursuing a deal with Nippon, believing it is the best deal for the U.S. steel industry, supply chains and job market. It expressed concern over Ancoras plans.Ancoras interests are not aligned with all U.S. Steel stockholders, U.S. Steel said. Our stockholders will not be well served by turning over control of the company to Ancora. We are also concerned about the motivations behind these nominations, given Ancoras and Alan Kestenbaums recent dealings with failed bidder Cleveland-Cliffs.U.S. Steel rejected a bid from rival U.S. steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs in favor of the offer from Nippon in 2023. Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said this month that he wanted to make a new bid for U.S. Steel. Ancora is also based in Cleveland. U.S. Steel has filed a lawsuit in the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, accusing Cleveland-Cliffs and Goncalves, in coordination with David McCall, the head of the U.S. Steelworkers union, of engaging in a coordinated series of anticompetitive and racketeering activities to block its deal with Nippon.

Judy Sandler, who was diagnosed in her 50s with ADHD, poses at her home, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Lincolnville, Maine.(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)2025-01-27T14:27:59Z NEW YORK (AP) Allison Burks teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too.During her daughters evaluation, Burk thought, Wait a minute. This sounds familiar, she recalled.I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing, said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 42.More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the last few years. A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults roughly 1 in 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years, said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University.Heres a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. ADHD symptoms in adultsADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. Its like theres an engine in you and you feel like its always running, and you cant turn it off except with medication, said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people arent diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness.Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didnt complete college until her 30s because, when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine.Diagnoses have been risingDiagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates.We havent had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time, said one of the studys authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have. But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home. Its very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids, Claussen said. That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people whod had mild ADHD but were able to cope before the pandemic. How ADHD is diagnosed in adultsThe last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of I have ADHD social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes.Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether its become overdiagnosed.Theres no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood.Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications. There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose, said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist.The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year. The goal is to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country, said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-01-27T14:30:07Z President Trumps first week in office included a flurry of executive orders with implications for Earths climate and environment.While former President Joe Biden made climate change a hallmark of his administration and some of his policies remain, at least for now, Trump is quickly unraveling that, even as many of his moves are likely to be challenged in court.Experts say Trumps moves to step away from global climate action, ramp up domestic oil and gas production and remove incentives for electric vehicles are worrisome as the planet continues to heat up. 2024 was Earths hottest year on record, and climate scientists say the rising heat is contributing to extreme weather affecting millions.These orders will make our air dirtier, make people sicker, make energy more expensive, and make our communities less prepared for extreme weather, wrote Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist, policy expert and author who co-founded the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab. Pumpjacks operate in the foreground as the Buckeye Wind Energy wind farm rises in the distance, Sept. 30, 2024, near Hays, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) Pumpjacks operate in the foreground as the Buckeye Wind Energy wind farm rises in the distance, Sept. 30, 2024, near Hays, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Here are some of Trumps most notable moves affecting climate and environmental issues in his first week: Pulling the U.S. out of the Paris AgreementPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement aimed at global cooperation on climate change.The agreement requires participating countries to come up with nationally determined contributions to the effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet. Trumps move means the federal government wont be trying to meet emissions reductions goals, nor any financial commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Walking away from the Paris Agreement wont protect Americans from climate impacts, but it will hand China and the European Union a competitive edge in the booming clean energy economy and lead to fewer opportunities for American workers, said Ani Dasgupta, president and CEO of the World Resources Institute. Declaring a national energy emergency, doubling down on oil and gasTrump declared an energy emergency via executive order earlier this week amid a promise to drill, baby, drill. The order urges oil and gas expansion including through federal use of eminent domain and the Defense Production Act, which allow the government to use private land and resources to produce goods deemed to be a national necessity.Experts dispute his description of an inadequate energy supply as part of the basis for the order.The reality is that the United States is well-supplied with energy in all of its forms, said Gary Dirks, senior director of the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. Dirks said he thinks the move is actually more targeted at bringing down prices at the pump.Its important to note that the United States right now is the largest producer of oil of any nation in history. And we got to that point under the Biden administration, not because of the Biden administrations policies necessarily, but because of policies that have been ongoing for four decades, he said.Faster permitting for energy; harsh words for Endangered Species Act and Arctic protections One section of the order declaring an energy emergency states that the Endangered Species Act cannot be an obstacle to energy development.The Endangered Species Act has been a hurdle for the development of fossil fuels in the U.S. for decades, and weakening it would accelerate the decline and potential extinction of numerous endangered species, including whales and sea turtles, said Gib Brogan, a campaign director with conservation group Oceana.Trump also opened up areas in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. Biden had previously both restricted and approved drilling in other parts of the Arctic, part of a long process mired in litigation and complicated by political battles.I would begin by pointing out that there was an attempt to lease for oil drilling recently and nobody bid, Dirks said. I dont actually think that the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is an exciting place for oil and gas exploration.But he expressed concern about preserving biodiversity, something other scientists and environmental groups have highlighted. The Arctic is a very fragile system, said Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of global futures at Arizona State. Schlosser added that drilling there would disrupt the land and sea, and that potential contamination or oil spills are more difficult to clean up there due to low temperatures. A sign is displayed at an electric vehicle charging station, March 8, 2024, in London, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File) A sign is displayed at an electric vehicle charging station, March 8, 2024, in London, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Revoke Bidens goals on electric vehiclesTrump promised to eliminate what he incorrectly calls Bidens electric vehicle mandate.What that means in practice is that the order will revoke a non-binding goal set by Biden to have EVs make up half of new cars sold by 2030. He will also likely seek repeal of a $7,500 tax credit for new EV purchases approved by Congress as part of Bidens landmark 2022 climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act.All of that is likely frustrating for automakers, who have to make long-term decisions, said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at auto-buying research firm Edmunds. As the rest of the world moves to electric cars, automakers have to decide how to factor in the global direction the industry is headed alongside the sudden lack of federal support.We do think that the long-term end goal here is going to be electrification. Its just the timeline it seems is uncertain right now, she said. Eliminate a push for environmental justiceWhen the government reviews new facilities that emit pollution, officials are no longer likely to consider a concept known as environmental justice, or how that new pollution will add to the emissions that have tended to fall more heavily on poor and minority communities.Those are sweeping moves that Rena Payan, chief program officer at nonprofit Justice Outside, called rolling back decades of progress in addressing environmental discrimination.That means more of a burden for state and local groups to fight to protect those communities. Trumps decision to cut off support will hurt, but many of these organizations are used to operating without federal support they have done so for years, according to Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. What Im grappling right now with is both the grief of these losses, and the fact that we were on an upward swing, if you will, just weeks ago, said Jade Begay, an Indigenous rights and climate organizer.___Associated Press reporters Seth Borenstein, Patrick Whittle, Jennifer McDermott, Michael Phillis, Alexa St. John and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.___Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @melinawalling.bsky.social.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. MELINA WALLING Walling covers the intersections of climate change and agriculture in the Midwest and beyond for The Associated Press. She is based in Chicago. twitter instagram facebook mailto

DeepSeek, a relatively unknown Chinese-developed AI model, is now the most popular app in the US Apple App Store based on hype associated with it releasing an an AI model that outpaces OpenAIs and other companies models on some benchmarks while being trained on older chips at a much lower cost. It has caused Nvidia stock, which has become one of the most valuable companies in history thanks to the AI boom, to tumble and is causing more widespread panic in the U.S. market. Marc Andreessen has called this AIs Sputnik moment, referring to the first Russian satellite which got ahead of and accelerated the US space program.People in the AI space and those who follow it closely started freaking out when DeepSeeks newest model, DeepSeek R1, was released last week, and that freakout has now seemingly captured the entire world, impacting the stock market, causing people to wonder if American companies like OpenAI and Nvidia can really dominate the AI industry, if the AI bubble is finally popping, and if this is a sign of imminent Chinese world domination and censorship. DeepSeek is particularly notable because it is free, modifiable, and less expensive to run, which has experts worried about the viability of OpenAIs already unprofitable subscription products.Im going to be upfront with you here and say that 404 Media does not provide any financial advice and that if I had definitive answers to any of these questions Id be playing the stock market instead of blogging, but in a day when the takes are going to come fast and furious my take is this: The AI industry continues to develop very fast, its hard to extrapolate how its all going to unfold based on single event, even if its monumental, and the fact that DeepSeek comes from China, a perceived adversary to the United States/the West is making hawks and xenophobes, and tankies foam at the mouth.Lets take a deep breath and start with the biggest headline, which is that Nvidia stock dropped over 12 percent early this morning, its worst performance since 2020. GPU maker Nvidia became a trillion dollar company because it is largely making the chips that power the generative AI boom. These are not only the chips that people need to generate text, images, audio etc locally on their machines, but the massive training clusters of thousands of chips that these foundational models are trained on. In July, for example, Elon Musk proudly announced that xAI started training the most powerful AI training cluster in the world, composed of 100,000 Nvidia H100s.For the most part, AI companies in the US have competed on the general idea that more data and more compute creates more advanced and more intelligent AI models and tools. One of the general strategies, therefore, has been for companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta to feed more and more data into their models and to compete to build incredibly expensive and resource intensive data centers. But last year, we started to see some doubts about the existing consensus on AI scaling laws, which up until recently showed that the performance of AI models improved as the size of the model, data, and compute increased, with some people, including Open AI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and Andreessen saying that AI companies are starting to see diminishing returns. Despite these doubts bubbling up, AI companies were still competing for compute, which largely means access to Nvidias chips. Musk wants to grow xAIs cluster to one million GPUs eventually, and the CEO of Broadcom recently said he predicts other companies will attempt to build similarly gigantic clusters.This demand for highly specialized and hard to produce hardware has made Nvidia incredibly valuable and critically important to building AI. Because the US government believes that the United States, not China, must be the world leader in AI, its also why it has introduced export restrictions that forbid Nvidia from selling its most advanced chips to Chinese companies. This is part of why you see OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank proposing to throw $500 billion into projects like Stargate, a massive AI data infrastructure project that they may or may not have the money for.The main reason people are excited/scared/throwing up right now is that DeepSeek was developed and released under Americas export restrictions that prevent Chinese companies from getting the latest and most powerful Nvidia chips. As Wired explained, DeepSeek was spun out from Fire-Flyer, a Chinese hedge fund that originally acquired GPUs to analyze financial data, before it invested its money and resources in developing AI. That a new player in this space was able to build an AI model without access to the latest and greatest Nvidia chips (though people in China have found ways to obtain them despite restriction), using new, more efficient reinforcement learning strategies, has undermined the idea that companies like Nvidia or OpenAI have built a moat around their companies that will secure their lead in the AI race forever, and, by extension, has undermined the notion of American AI world supremacy. It also at least raises the possibility that a Chinese company has found a better, more efficient, and cheaper way to train AI models than any American company has discovered thus far.As others have pointed out, its hard to say exactly what DeepSeek actually spent to make its model without trusting it blindly. The true cost may be hidden in ways we dont understand, and is definitely benefiting by building on top of the very expensive research (primarily from American companies) that came before it. But if AI companies can build competitive models at a fraction of the cost on a comparatively tiny number of lesser GPUs, then much of Nvidias value and the billions of dollars AI companies are burning on training suddenly seems excessive and wasteful (even to AI boosters), hence the stock tumbling.Does this mean Nvidia, OpenAI, and other AI companies are doomed? Again, this is not financial advice but the market appears to be spasming based on vibes, and definitely before we have a great understanding of DeepSeeks impact. The most obvious rebuttal from Nvidia bag holders in this situation is that DeepSeeks newfound efficiencies will only benefit AI incumbents. If these new methods give DeepSeek great results with limited compute, the same methods will give OpenAI and other, more well-resourced AI companies even greater results on their huge training clusters, and it is possible that American companies will adapt to these new methods very quickly. Even if scaling laws really have hit the ceiling and giant training clusters dont need to be that giant, theres no reason I can see why other companies cant be competitive under this new paradigm. We should also probably hope that this is the case since it could lower the environmental impact of AI.I dont have a dog in this fight, but the argument I would add here is that this type of leapfrogging seems totally normal, and we have seem variations of it over the last couple of years. People love to prematurely dance on OpenAIs grave whenever a new and shiny model is released. Metas Llama, Frances Mistral, and Anthropics Claude have all seemed like theyre getting ahead at one point or another and are favored by different users for different uses, only for another model to be released by OpenAI or another company that leapfrogs the hot new technology and makes them seem old.The difference is that DeepSeek is from China and that a lot of people including the US government dont like the idea of China being dominant in any arena, let alone one as supposedly consequential as AI. This is obvious given the hysteria on social media right now, the markets, and the way people are talking about DeepSeeks censorship and the possibility that it could be tied to Chinese surveillance or the Chinese government in some way. Steven Heidel, who works at OpenAI, tweeted Sunday americans sure love giving their data away to the CCP in exchange for free stuff, which has gone viral and served as the basis for discussion about DeepSeek as possible surveillance software, the new TikTok, etc. Whats particularly notable here is that DeepSeek has been released in a way that can be run locally without an internet connection.On various AI subreddits, where DeepSeek is all people have been talking about for days, some users are now suggesting that the conversation is being manipulated by propaganda from a few accounts. People have repeatedly shared screenshots on social media of DeepSeek refusing to engage with questions about Tiananmen Square and other topics subject to censorship in China, with the implication that this is the information ecosystem wed live under if China was to dominate the AI race.Fair enough, I suppose, but as the developers of uncensored AI models have been shouting from the rooftops since the beginning: any AI model that the user cant control entirely is subject to censorship. OpenAI is a prude, and will refuse to engage users on a lot of topics, sometimes for reasons stated in OpenAIs policy, and sometimes for reasons well never understand because OpenAI is a black box.Why should the open-source AI running on my computer, get to decide for itself when it wants to answer my question? This is about ownership and control. If I ask my model a question, I want an answer, I do not want it arguing with me, Eric Hartford, a developer of uncensored AI models, told me last year.If anything, DeepSeek maps a better AI future for those concerned about censorship because it was released as an open weights model, meaning people could modify it to talk about Tiananmen Square and whatever else they want.We do not know how this will all shake out, but the release of DeepSeek does seem to be a seismic moment for the AI industry. And it will certainly be used, rightly or wrongly, as a political cudgel to highlight the urgency of the competition for AI supremacy between the United States and China.

LGBTQ activists in New Jersey say theyre fortunate to live in New Jersey as the new administration kicks-off its term by attacking the transgender community and diversity initiatives. Advocates at Garden State Equality say New Jersey sets a standard for legal equality that can inspire states throughout the country. As part of its education and [...]The post New Jersey LGBTQ Advocates from Garden State Equality Say Theyll Continue to Pushback with Facts first appeared on GLAAD.

In July 2023 the world became a less funny, less quirky, and less queer place when Paul Rubens, best known for creating the character Pee-wee Herman, passed away at the age of 70, leaving behind an enduring legacy of queer acceptance.While during his life Ruebens never openly discussed his sexuality, he finally shared his truth posthumously in the documentary Pee-wee as Himself . But for anyone paying attention the signs he was family have been there in his work all along there was an undeniable queerness imbued in the characters and the setting that made a huge impact on LGBTQ+ kids and adults.Not only was the show full of campy characters and colorful over-the-top set design, but Pee-wee himself was often read as either an asexual man-child or an effete, gay man. The way that masculinity was portrayed on the show was transgressive especially in the '80s when the character first graced our screens.Everything about Pee-wee's Playhouse was unquestionably gay without ever saying the words out loud. From the campy comedy to queer guest stars to Pee-wee even cross-dressing in Pee-Wees Big Adventure, the show has left an imprint on queer culture that cant be overstated.So lets celebrate the life and work of Paul Rubens and take a look back at the ten queerest moments from his career as Pee-wee Herman.Jambi the GenieJambi the Genie, portrayed by the late John Paragon, usually appeared once per episode to grant Pee-wee a wish. The blue-faced genie is considered to be a drag queen by most and if you peep the make-up and styling we can see why!'Pee-wee Playhouse Christmas Special' Guest Stars1988s Pee-Wees Playhouse Christmas Special included a list of guests full of gay icons like Cher, Grace Jones, Little Richards, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Zsa Zsa Gabor and even k.d. lang.The Never-Ending Fruit CakesDuring Pee-Wees Playhouse Christmas Special, Pee-wee receives a fruitcake from every guest that comes through his door and eventually admits to using them to add a new room onto the Playhouse. We are then treated to a glimpse of the muscular construction workers, one of whom is wearing a tank top and the other is shirtless the queerness is really right there on the surface once you start to look.Miss YvonneMiss Yvonne was a frequent guest at the Playhouse whose '50s aesthetic was so campy she would have looked at home in a John Waters filmCrossdressing in 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure'In the movie Pee-Wees Big Adventure, Pee-wee crossdresses ignorer to elude the cops.The Time Pee-wee Marries A Fruit SaladOn one episode of Pee-wees Playhouse, Pee-wee marries a fruit salad as a play on the frequent if you love X so much, why dont you marry it joke very subtle!The Show's Adult JokesAdult jokes were peppered throughout the show, often with queer overtones. Like on the short-lived HBOs The Pee-Wee Herman Show when Jambi the Genie who is a disembodied head receives hands in the mail and says, Ive had something Ive wanted to do for a long time.The Hot LifeguardRoland Rodriguez plays a lifeguard on Pee-wee's Playhouse who shows off his chiseled physique while wearing short shorts and at one point appears in nothing but tiny gold shorts and gold bow-tie it's hard to get gayer than that!The 'Magic Mike' JokeIn Pee-wee's Big Holiday we get yet another example of a quip that adults would enjoy, but would sail right over kids heads, when Joe Manganiello asks Pee-wee if hes seen Magic Mike. Pee-wee responds, Ha! Youd think so, but no.The Queer-Coded Ending Of 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday'In 2016 Rubens appeared in his final feature-length role as Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee's Big Holiday. In it, Pee-wee meets Joe Manganiello (as himself) and then leaves his small town to travel to New York to celebrate Joe's birthday. The whole film is often read as a coming out story, but it's really the end of the movie that sells it for us. Pee-wee and Joe exchange friendship bracelets and then ride off into the sunset together on Joe's motorcycle. So sweet!

Writer-director Carmen Emmi's feature debut, Plainclothes, tells the story of an undercover cop who's assigned to lure and arrest gay men. Upon meeting a particularly irresistible target, however, the closeted cop can no longer resist his suppressed sexual urges.Tom Blyth (Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and Russell Tovey (Kevin Matheson on HBO's Looking) play the two main characters in Plainclothes, which is set in 1990s New York.The movie follows a cop named Lucas (Blyth) performing bait-and-catch missions to arrest gay men for lewd conduct. But upon meeting Andrew (Tovey), it is Lucas who is arrested by the palpable sexual tension between him and his target.Plainclothes, which is expected to have a wide release later this year, just had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. To give fans a taste of what's to come, the movie's official Instagram account shared a titillating clip of Blyth and Tovey engaging in some casual bathroom cruising with each other.See on InstagramThe first set of reviews for Plainclothes have been very positive, such as high praise from IndieWire's Ryan Lattanzio noting that Lucas is "the most emotionally (and physically) naked performance yet from rising British star Tom Blyth."In an interview with Vanity Fair, Tovey discussed the many closeted men he's gotten to play throughout his career, recalling that he also struggled to accept his sexuality when he was young. "That feeling was so visceral and overwhelming as a kid, that there's something in exorcising it when I'm playing these roles," he said.The cast of Plainclothes also includes actors like Christian Cooke (Ron), Amy Forsyth (Emily), Maria Dizzia (Marie), John Bedford Lloyd (Lt. Sollars), Gabe Fazio (Uncle Paul), and Sam Asa Brownstein (Christian).Plainclothes, which recently had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, is set to wide release later this year.See on Instagram

The New York Stock Exchange is shown in New York's Financial District on Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)2025-01-27T03:50:40Z NEW YORK (AP) Wall Streets superstars are tumbling Monday as a competitor from China threatens to upend the artificial-intelligence frenzy theyve been feasting on.The S&P 500 was down 1.9% in midday trading and heading for its worst day in more than a month. Big Tech stocks took some of the heaviest losses, with Nvidia down 17.6%, and they dragged the Nasdaq composite down 3.3%. Stocks outside of AI-related industries held up much better, though, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down just 58 points, or 0.1%, as of 11:40 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow, which has much less of an emphasis on tech than the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, had briefly been on track for a small gain earlier in the morning. The shock to financial markets came from China, where a company called DeepSeek said it had developed a large language model that can compete with U.S. giants but at a fraction of the cost. DeepSeeks app had already hit the top of Apples App Store chart by Monday morning, and analysts said such a feat would be particularly impressive given how the U.S. government has restricted Chinese access to top AI chips. Skepticism, though, remains about how much DeepSeeks announcement will ultimately shake the AI supply chain, from the chip makers making semiconductors to the utilities hoping to electrify vast data centers gobbling up computing power. It remains to be seen if DeepSeek found a way to work around these chip restrictions rules and what chips they ultimately used as there will be many skeptics around this issue given the information is coming from China, according to Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. DeepSeeks disruption nevertheless rocked AI-related stocks worldwide. In Amsterdam, Dutch chip supplier ASML slid 7.4%. In Tokyo, Japans Softbank Group Corp. lost 8.3% to pull closer to where it was before leaping on an announcement trumpeted by the White House that it was joining a partnership to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure. And on Wall Street, shares of Constellation Energy lost nearly a fifth of its value, 19.5%. The company has said it would restart the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to supply power for data centers for Microsoft.All the worries sent investors toward bonds, which can be safer investments than any stock. The rush pushed the yield of the 10-year Treasury down to 4.54% from 4.62% late Friday.Its a sharp turnaround for the AI winners, which had soared in recent years on hopes that all the investment pouring in would remake the global economy and deliver gargantuan profits along the way. Such stellar performances also raised criticism that their stock prices had gone too far, too fast. Before Mondays drop, Nvidias stock had soared from less than $20 to more than $140 in less than two years, for example. Other Big Tech companies had also joined in the frenzy, and their stock prices had benefited too. It was just on Friday that Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg was saying he expects his company to invest up to $65 billion this year and grow its AI teams significantly, while talking up a datacenter in Louisiana that will be so large it would cover a significant part of Manhattan. A small group of such companies has become so dominant that theyve come to be known as the Magnificent Seven. These companies Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla alone accounted for more than half the S&P 500s total return last year, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.Their immense sizes in turn have also given them huge sway over the S&P 500 and other indexes that give more weight to bigger companies. It shows the risk of betting too much on just a few winning stocks, something that market experts call concentration risk.That can feel good when those few names or ideas are on the ascent, but it is even more dangerous when disruptions take place, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management.Still, he suggested not overreacting to Mondays sharp swings. It is possible that the news out of China could be overstated and then we could see a reversal of the recent market moves, Jacobsen said. It is also possible that the news is true, but then that would present new investment opportunities. More big swings may be ahead. Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Tesla are all on the schedule this upcoming week to report how much profit they made at the end of 2024.The pressure is on companies to keep delivering strong profits, particularly after a recent jump in Treasury yields, even with Mondays decline. When bonds are paying more in interest, they put downward pressure on stock prices. So far, big U.S. companies have been reporting better results than analysts expected. AT&T became the latest on Monday, and its stock rose 6%. In stock markets abroad, movements for broad indexes across Europe and Asia werent as forceful as for the big U.S. tech stocks. Frances CAC 40 fell 0.2%, and Germanys DAX lost 0.5%. In Asia, stocks edged 0.1% lower in Shanghai after a survey of manufacturers showed export orders in China dropping to a five-month low. The Federal Reserve holds its latest policy meeting later this week. Traders dont expect recent weak data to push the Fed to cut its main interest rate. Theyre virtually certain the central bank will hold steady, according to data from CME Group. ___AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. ___This story has been corrected. Meta is planning to build a data center in Louisiana, not Manhattan.

A U.S. consular official explains to people with scheduled visa document submissions that their appointments were canceled due to Colombian President Gustavo Petro's refusal to accept repatriation flights of Colombian citizens from the U.S., at a U.S. Embassy Applicant Service Center in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)2025-01-27T16:44:20Z BOGOT, Colombia (AP) Visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia were canceled Monday following a dispute over deportation flights from the U.S. that nearly turned into a costly trade war between the two countries.Dozens of Colombians showed up outside the U.S. Embassy in Bogota and were handed letters by local staff that said their appointments had been canceled due to the Colombian governments refusal to accept repatriation flights of Colombian nationals. Others with visa appointments for Monday received similar email messages.Obtaining an appointment can take up to two years.Tensions between Colombia and the United States escalated Sunday after President Gustavo Petro wrote an early morning message on X saying he would not allow two U.S. air force planes carrying Colombian deportees to land in the country. He had previously authorized the flights. Petro also shared a video that showed another group of deportees reportedly arriving in Brazil with shackles on their legs. He said Colombia would only accept deportation flights when the United States had established protocols that ensured the dignified treatment of expelled migrants. President Donald Trump responded with a post of his own on Truth Social, in which he called for 25% emergency tariffs on Colombian exports to the United States, and also said that the U.S. visas of Colombian government officials would be revoked, while goods coming from the South American country would face enhanced customs inspections. Meanwhile, the State Department said Sunday it would stop issuing visas to Colombian nationals until deportation flights resumed.Tensions decreased Sunday night following negotiations between the countries, with the White House saying in a statement that Colombia had allowed the resumption of deportation flights and agreed to all of President Trumps terms, including the arrival of deportees on military flights. In the past, most Colombians removed from the United States had been arriving on charter flights organized by U.S. government contractors.The White House said tariffs on Colombian exports would be put on hold, but added that visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced custom inspections would remain until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned. The State Department has not responded to requests for comment on the resumption of visa appointments.Last year, more than 1.6 million Colombians traveled to the U.S. legally, according to a report by the Ministry of Commerce. The report said the United States was the top destination for Colombians traveling abroad.

In a documentary that premiered this week at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Paul Reubens comes out posthumously after keeping his sexual orientation private for his entire career.Reubens died in 2023 from cancer at 70 after keeping the illness a secret for several years.The new documentary Pee-wee as Himself sees the comic open up about being in a romantic relationship with a man named Guy, according to the New York Post. It was in fact Guys voice and behavior that influenced the character of Pee-wee Herman.Reubens was known for playing the quirky, innocent character on the Saturday morning show Pee-wees Playhouse, which ran from 1986 to 1990, and in several movies, including Pee-wees Big Adventure and Big Top Pee-wee. He took the character to Broadway in The Pee-wee Herman Show in 2010-2011. He appeared in guest roles on many TV series and lent his voice to numerous animated characters.I was out of the closet, and then I went back in the closet, Reubens says in the documentary. I wasnt pursuing the Paul Reubens career; I was pursuing the Pee-wee Herman career.The film, which will eventually air on HBO, according to the Post covers the actors decades-long career. Its director, Matt Wolf, spent hours with Reubens and spoke with him about his work and also his sex scandals.Reubens's reputation was tarnished somewhat when he was arrested on an indecent exposure charge for masturbating in an adult theater in Florida in 1991. He entered a plea of no contest and had to pay a small fine and do community service. Then in 2001, he was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of possessing child pornography. He said, however, that the images in his collection were not of children but of adults in physique poses such as those used in mid-century magazines that were popular with gay men. He agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge, pay a $100 fine, and register with the police for three years.More than anything, the reason I wanted to make a documentary was for people to see who I really am, and how painful and dreadful it was to be labeled something I wasnt, Reubens says in the documentary, the Post reports. To be labeled a pariah; to have people be scared of you, or untrusting.In speaking about his relationship with Guy, who was from Echo Park in Los Angeles, Reubens said Guy would say things like Mmmm! Buttery in a Yoda-like brogue the outlet reports.Its a vocal style the character Pee-wee Herman used.Reubens shares in the film about visiting Guy in the hospital as Guy was dying due to complications from AIDS.While he had secret relationships, Reubens says his career became his focus but he also internalized a lot of homophobia.I was secretive about my sexuality even to my friends [out of] self-hatred or self-preservation, he says. I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated.The subject of the obscenity charge led to Reubens to stop cooperating with Wolf and the film team when it was brought up, according to the outlet. Eventually, he sent a final audio recording to Wolf to help complete the film.Reubens was born in Peekskill, N.Y., and grew up in Sarasota, Fla. He began his career in comedy with the Groundlings troupe in Los Angeles, then created a stage show in L.A. as the Pee-wee Herman character. Titled The Pee-wee Herman Show, it ran for five months and was taped for an HBO special that aired in 1981, bringing Reubens national fame. He became a popular guest on Late Night With David Letterman and appeared at comedy clubs around the country. In 1985, Pee-wee's Big Adventure was released and added to his fan following.Outside of the Herman character, Reubens played guest roles on many TV series, including Murphy Brown, The Blacklist, and What We Do in the Shadows.When he revived his stage show in Los Angeles prior to a Broadway run, he spoke to The Advocate in character as Pee-wee. The interviewer noted that he once married a bowl of fruit salad on Pee-wee's Playhouse, and then asked if Herman supported marriage equality, not yet the law of the land at that time (it being 2010), and Herman said he did.

One of the oldest tricks in the right-wing homophobic playbook is to call anything remotely feminine gay. Having emotions? Gay. Having personal style? Gay. Having female friends? Gay. If there is one thing you can count on Republicans for, its loudly proclaiming, No homo!But with the rise of the MAGA movement, the things they claim are gay have only gotten more bizarre. Now, a man having sex with a woman can somehow be spun into homosexuality by people who seem desperate to hold onto a wildly outdated version of masculinity to the point where their arguments become nonsensical.Conservatives have always delighted in using gay as an insult. At this point, its a cliche. As anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has skyrocketed in recent years, and the person holding the highest office in the land makes his disdain for the queer community loud and clear, its important to call these things outand maybe laugh at MAGA a little in the process. Hey, were only human!Giving your wife orgasms, not babies? That's gay. (@) When political commentator Luke Beasley interviewed a right-wing couple on his YouTube show The Grudge, he was surprised when the husband, MAGA influencer Josiah Moody, said having sex with his wife with the goal of an orgasm and not reproduction is actually gay sex.As soon as were together, its like no birth control, no nothing, because Im not going to have gay sex, Moody explained. Gay sex is more than just another man and a man, its just the idea of looking at sex as such a materialistic thing and just like, Oh well, we just have an orgasm, and thats fun or whatever.Wearing a face mask? That's gay. (@) At the height of the pandemic, right-wing commentator Tomi Lahren labeled mask-wearing as gay while people were dying left and right from COVID-19. Apparently, wanting to protect yourself and your community from a highly communicable disease is super gay.Are you Tim Walz? That's gay. (@) During the presidential campaign, Fox News host Jesse Watters analyzed Democratic VP nominee Tim Walzs body language and deemed it too feminine. Watters claimed Walz waving profusely was unsettling because men should not move this way.He then took things a step forward when he compared the way Walz hugged his wife to how he hugged Kamala Harris husband, Doug Emhoff, clearly insinuating that Walz was gay for the presidential candidates hubby.Does sex with a woman feel good? That's gay. (@) Last year, before conservative alpha male influencer Andrew Tate was put under house arrest for allegations of sex trafficking minors and money laundering, he took to X (then Twitter) to announce to the world that he thinks that men who are having sex for pleasure and have less than five kids are actually gay.Sex is for making children, he wrote. Any man who has sex with women because it feels good is gay. Oh my pee pee feels good this is great! In fact if you are 40 with less than 5 children you're probably gay. All that feel-good pee pee sex and hardly any genetic legacy?Are you attracted to strong women? That's gay. (@) A right-wing man on X made a perfectly logical argument when he posted that being attracted to a strong woman is peak homosexual behavior. Wanting a strong woman is a sign of homosexuality, @hxtman_ wrote. Any masculine man was a submissive woman.Thats what it always seems to come back to. Not just a hatred of homosexuality but a hatred of independent women too.

Dusty Deevers, a Baptist preacher turned Republican Senator in Oklahoma, introduced eight legislative measures aimed at restoring moral sanity that include making pornography a crime punishable by a year in jail.As spotted by Mike Stabile, director of public policy at the Free Speech Coalition, Deevers said in a press release that the bills set a course for pushing back against the moral decay foisted upon Oklahoma by the far-lefts march through our institutions to destroy the moral foundations upon which the United States and Christian Civilization had long rested.Oklahoma Senator Dusty Deevers has just introduced SB593, a bill that would criminalize p**rnography in the state of Oklahoma, establishing a 10 year prison term for anyone who makes, distributes or even possesses adult content. https://t.co/DvqmM6Aku9 pic.twitter.com/I0ZwMzFlvM Mike Stabile (@mikestabile) January 23, 2025Deevers seeks the total abolition of porn by imposing criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison for production, distribution, or possession of porn and 10-to-30-year criminal penalties for organized pornography trafficking. The bill states:No person shall knowingly photograph, act in, pose for, model for, print, sell, offer for sale, give away, exhibit, publish, offer to publish, or otherwise distribute, display, or exhibit any book, magazine, story, pamphlet, paper, writing, card, advertisement, circular, print, picture, photograph, motion picture film, electronic video game or recording, image, cast, slide, figure, instrument, statue, drawing, presentation, or other article which is obscene material, unlawful pornography, or child sexual abuse material, as defined in Section 1024.1 of this title.Unlawful pornography is defined by the bill, in ironically pornographic detail, as any visual depiction or individual image stored or contained in any format on any medium including, but not limited to, film, motion picture, videotape, photograph, negative, undeveloped film, slide, photographic product, reproduction of a photographic product, play, or performance in which a person is engaged in any of the following acts with a person: a. sexual intercourse which is normal or perverted, b. anal sodomy, c. sexual activity with an animal, d. sadomasochistic abuse, e. flagellation or torture, f. physical restraint such as binding or fettering in the context of sexual conduct, g. fellatio or cunnilingus, h. excretion in the context of sexual conduct, i. lewd exhibition of the uncovered genitals in the context of masturbation or other sexual conduct, and j. lewd exhibition of the uncovered genitals, buttocks, or, if such person is female, the breast, for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.Violating this law would be a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail or a fine of at least $2,000, or both.We can and should imagine and move toward a society that celebrates virtue in the public square rather than vice, Deevers said in the press release. We can restore normalcy, decency, and morality; we can protect the most vulnerable, restore a high view of marriage, and shield children from explicit material that can warp their innocent minds. We simply must have the courage to stand against the most radical and degenerate elements of the far-left.Along with porn (or any kind of sexual expression even outside of the adult industry) those radical and degenerate elements, according to Deevers, include:No-fault divorce: a concept thats been around since the 1700s but was first written into law in the U.S. in 1969, resulting in drastically reduced suicide rates among women. Vice President JD Vance has spoken publicly about divorce being too easily accessible, and said during a Christian high school assembly that people shouldnt be able to shift spouses like they change their underwear. In the last few years, Republican politicians in Texas, Nebraska, Louisiana, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Dakota have tried, with varying degrees of extremity, to curb their constituents rights to no-fault divorce.Reproductive rights: Deevers wants to end access to abortion medications by mail in the state. The bill declares that life begins at conception, an unscientific sentiment emboldened by Trumps executive order Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government which normalizes the extreme religious belief that fetal tissue has rights.Drag performances: Under Deevers bill, performers would be subject to a prison sentence of one-to-five years and organizers would face up to one year in prison.This isnt the first time Deevers has tried to push his Christofascist beliefs onto constituents through legislation. Last year, he introduced a bill that would have charged Oklahoma women who get an abortion with murder, and within weeks of being in office, he tried to criminalize pornography and was widely mocked for it. At the time, many pointed out that this would make sexting illegal, toowhich seems to be the case again, according to the bills text.

People reflected in a window with a slogan about AI at a representation of a company ahead of the World Economy Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2025-01-27T19:25:46Z A frenzy over an artificial intelligence chatbot made by Chinese tech startup DeepSeek was upending stock markets Monday and fueling debates over the economic and geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China in developing AI technology.DeepSeeks AI assistant became the No. 1 downloaded free app on Apples iPhone store Monday, propelled by curiosity about the ChatGPT competitor. Part of whats worrying some U.S. tech industry observers is the idea that the Chinese startup has caught up with the American companies at the forefront of generative AI at a fraction of the cost. That, if true, calls into question the huge amounts of money U.S. tech companies say they plan to spend on the data centers and computer chips needed to power further AI advancements. But hype and misconceptions about DeepSeeks technological advancements also sowed confusion. The models they built are fantastic, but they arent miracles either, said Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon, who follows the semiconductor industry and was one of several stock analysts describing Wall Streets reaction as overblown. Theyre not using any innovations that are unknown or secret or anything like that, Rasgon said. These are things that everybodys experimenting with. What is DeepSeek?The startup DeepSeek was founded in 2023 in Hangzhou, China and released its first AI large language model later that year. Its CEO Liang Wenfeng previously co-founded one of Chinas top hedge funds, High-Flyer, which focuses on AI-driven quantitative trading.DeepSeek began attracting more attention in the AI industry last month when it released a new AI model that it boasted was on par with similar models from U.S. companies such as ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and was more cost-effective in its use of expensive Nvidia chips to train the system on huge troves of data. The chatbot became more widely accessible when it appeared on Apple and Google app stores early this year. But it was a follow-up research paper published last week on the same day as President Donald Trumps inauguration that set in motion the panic that followed. That paper was about another DeepSeek AI model called R1 that showed advanced reasoning skills such as the ability to rethink its approach to a math problem and was significantly cheaper than a similar model sold by OpenAI called o1. What their economics look like, I have no idea, Rasgon said. But I think the price points freaked people out.The Sputnik backdropBehind the drama over DeepSeeks technical capabilities is a debate within the U.S. over how best to compete with China on AI. Deepseek R1 is AIs Sputnik moment, said venture capitalist Marc Andreessen in a Sunday post on social platform X, referencing the 1957 satellite launch that set off a Cold War space exploration race between the Soviet Union and the U.S. Andreessen, who has advised Trump on tech policy, has warned that over regulation of the AI industry by the U.S. government will hinder American companies and enable China to get ahead.But the attention on DeepSeek also threatens to undermine a key strategy of U.S. foreign policy in recent years to restrict the sale of American-designed AI semiconductors to China. Some experts on U.S.-China relations dont think that is an accident. The technology innovation is real, but the timing of the release is political in nature, said Gregory Allen, director of the Wadhwani AI Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Allen compared DeepSeeks announcement last week to U.S.-sanctioned Chinese company Huaweis release of a new phone during diplomatic discussions over Biden administration export controls in 2023. Trying to show that the export controls are futile or counterproductive is a really important goal of Chinese foreign policy right now, Allen said.Trump signed an order on his first day in office last week that said his administration would identify and eliminate loopholes in existing export controls, signaling that he is likely to continue and harden Bidens approach. MATT OBRIEN OBrien covers the business of technology and artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Sundance Film Festival is underway and in addition to the numerous LGBTQ titles in the lineup, GLAAD will be co-hosting the second Cheers Queers event alongside NewFest and Frameline. On January 23, director Matt Wolf had the world premiere of his two-part HBO documentary Pee wee As Himselfat the Ray Theater in Park City. [...]The post Pee-wee as Himself Premieres at Sundance, Director Matt Wolf Says Paul Reubens Was Ready To Come Out first appeared on GLAAD.

Its been a week since President Donald Trump was inaugurated, but hes already begun implementing his mass deportation plan, removed HIV resources from federal websites, ended efforts to lower prescription drug costs, signed an executive order stating that the federal agencies will recognize only two sexes, male and female, AND he hasnt lowered the price of eggs.Now, his die-hard MAGA supporters are starting to regret their devotion to a politician who theyre realizing doesnt have their best interests at heart. As the internet would say, this is what happens when you eff around and find out!Between Black MAGA supporters realizing their party is actually racist, gay Trump voters being disappointed when the queer community wants nothing to do with them, and people waking up to the fact that their lives are going to be materially worse under a Trump presidency, they are only now becoming aware of the giant mistake they made.Trump supporters are not only starting to voice their disappointment on social media but are realizing there are real consequences to their votes. One woman lost her job after posting a TikTok video doing a Nazi salute, a man boasted that he bought a new sports car with his Trump-loving daughters inheritance, a Trump voters undocumented husband got deported, and a teacher who invited ICE to raid his school is being investigated by the school district.Keep scrolling to experience the schadenfreude of watching MAGA realize the chickens have come home to roost! (@) A TikToker who voted for Trump was devastated to learn that he's going through with his promise to have Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) start rounding up and mass deporting immigrants because now people she knows are afraid to go to work. "I hate that I voted for him," she laments. (@) Laura Smith, a Pennsylvania MAGA supporter, had to resign from her positions on the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and the Montgomery County Public Library after coming under fire for posting a TikTok video doing a Nazi salute after Elon Musk made the same gesture at the inauguration. (@) A man posted that he spent the money he'd saved for his daughter's inheritance after finding out she voted for Trump. "This the new Corvette I bought with my daughters inheritance when she voted for Trump," he wrote. (@) Indiana resident Helen Beristain voted for Trump and was convinced that he would split up families with his mass deportation plan was shocked when her husband was deported and sent back to Mexico. (@) "This article states that Jason Buchanan of Ft. Worth, TX got FAFOd." A substitute teacher in Texas is now under investigation after taking to X (formerly Twitter) to urge ICE to raid his school because many of his students "don't even speak English." (@) Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a vocal Trump ally who represents a majority Hispanic Florida district, sent a letter to Homeland Security requesting they exempt people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from Trump's mass deportation plans and ICE raids because they were allowed to enter the U.S. by President Joe Bidens administration under a humanitarian parole program. (@) "I no longer trust Donald Trump, nor anyone surrounding him. Hes a one-termer, and hes going to do what he wants, not what MAGA 'demands.' MAGA is dead, you just dont know it yet. Stop genuflecting," a Trump voter wrote on X after the election. (@) "Donald Trump is now reposting Elon Musks pro-immigration sentiments. So, were talking about more immigrants before mass deportations even start? This is NOT what we voted for," a Trump supporter wrote on X after becoming angry that Trump was supporting H1-B visas after Musk expressed his love of them. (@) After feeling like her X account was being unfairly targeted after she was critical of Musk, far-right Trump supporter Laura Loomer was angry that "some of the biggest accounts who helped get Trump elected have now been demonetized and unverified." (@) The Boston College Republicans wrote an op-ed after the presidential election where they claimed there were "escalating attacks on conservative students" and wanted protections against "hate speech."

It has been a whirlwind of a week since Donald Trumps return to the White House, which, as promised is proving to be oligarchy-central.Among the many executive orders signed was the Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing action, which claims the Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).Unfortunately, companies including Meta, Amazon, Walmart, McDonalds, Target, Lowes, and many more complied and removed these programs.Fortunately, other brands, like Costco and Ben & Jerry's are not backing down from their programs, nor are they intimidated by Trumps salesman tactics and threats. (@) Over the weekend, the progressive ice cream Ben & Jerry's came under fire from all the MAGA-hats for doubling down on their DEI programs and maintaining their status as an ally for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.See on InstagramBefore the video, the company released a statement stating that while the election may be over, the work isnt. Theyve partnered with the ACLU, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), Black Votes Matter, and also have a page dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and resources.They even took part in the most recent People's March in Washington DC:See on InstagramWith all that in mind, it shouldnt come as a shock that they posted a video in response to people telling them to stick to ice cream.To which Ben & Jerry's responded: We use our power, our privilege, our platform, and our relationship with our fans to advocate for progressive social change, they said in a video posted to their official TikTok. So no, were not just gonna stick to ice cream.They went on to reiterate they would not stop fighting laws that restrict trans rights, ban books, and roll back abortion protections, and that part of their DNA has been caring for and helping these marginalized communities and that we must "dismantle white supremacy."As with Costco and any other company brave enough to stand up for whats right, MAGA is calling for a boycott of Ben & Jerrys.During all of this chaos, its a positive sign that some companies are sticking to what they believe.Check out the video below, and keep scrolling for some other reactions.@benandjerrysWeve spent 46 years fighting for a more just world for ALL and year 47 will be no different. Your voice matters more now than ever. Sign up to join the movement and take action with us and our partners at the link in our bio. #benandjerrys #justice"Weve spent 46 years fighting for a more just world for ALL and year 47 will be no different. Your voice matters more now than ever." (@) "This is the latest Ben & Jerrys video that has folks talking and MAGA losing their shit! We need to support @benandjerrys yall, because we dont ever want them to stick to just the ice cream." (@) "Not some of the grocery stores locking up the Ben & Jerrys ice cream smh. I hope Ben nem see that shit & get to suing. That has to be a violation of contract." (@) "Man I need to go buy more Ben and Jerry's." (@) "So maga is going to boycott Ben & Jerrys for what ? Because B&J stand up for whats right ? No one cares if the maggots stop eating ice cream. Its more for the democrats!" (@) "Well, I really doubt many MAGAs were buying Ben & Jerrys anyway, and sane people will remain loyal." (@) "My dad told me a story when Ben and Jerry had just started their business and were selling ice cream samples at one of my (black) grandfather's country music concerts in the 1980s. Said they were some of the nicest two people he'd ever met. Nice to see them on this list." (@) "Stores are locking up Ben & Jerrys ice cream so it cant be sold because they took a stand against the government. Wow." (@) "Ben & Jerrys always been the best ice cream!!! I LOVE THIS" (@) "I love this, and support all corporations that fight against fascism. Good on Ben and Jerry's." (@) "As someone who is lactose intolerant I will be eating more Ben & Jerry's" (@) "I am not an ice cream girl but I will be I also hear that stores are making it harder to buy B&J by locking the shelves and things. Go get yall some Ben and Jerrys they are standing for everyones rights."

After months of anticipation, Lady Gaga has officially revealed the title and release date of her highly awaited new album. Titled Mayhem, the album will be released on March 7, 2025. This marks Gagas first full pop album since 2020s Chromatica, following her previous jazz-infused Joker: Folie Deux album, Harlequin, which she released in September 2023.Gaga, known for her dramatic flair and surprise reveals, chose an unconventional route to announce Mayhem. Rather than using a press release or a social media post, the pop superstar made the announcement by purchasing billboards in prominent locations in New York and Las Vegas, which went up early this morning. The bold move added to the growing excitement surrounding her return to pop music.Mayhem Details: Producers, Singles, and MoreIn a follow-up press release, Lady Gaga shared more details about Mayhem, including the albums tracklist and production. The album will feature 14 songs and is executive produced by Lady Gaga herself, alongside Michael Polansky and Andrew Watt. Production duties are handled by Gaga, Watt, Cirkut, and Gesaffelstein.Gaga also teased the release of the albums third single, which is set to drop on February 2, 2025. The yet-to-be-named track will make its debut during a commercial break at the 2025 Grammy Awards, giving fans an added layer of excitement leading up to the ceremony. While the full tracklist has not been revealed yet, Gagas fans are eagerly awaiting more details as the release date approaches.Lady Gaga attends the UK Premiere of Joker Folie Deux at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England. Photo: Fred DuvalIn her statement, Gaga explained the emotional and creative process behind Mayhem, saying, The album started as me facing my fear of returning to the pop music my earliest fans loved. She likened the making of the album to reassembling a shattered mirror: even if you cant put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way.Mayhem Singles: Die With A Smile and DiseaseLeading up to the release of Mayhem, Lady Gaga has already dropped a couple of singles that will appear on the album. In August 2023, she released Die With A Smile, a duet with Bruno Mars, which quickly became a commercial hit. The song topped the charts in the U.S. and is currently holding the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. As of the latest chart updates, its expected to remain at the top, further fueling anticipation for Mayhem.In October, Gaga followed up with a solo track, Disease, a dance-pop anthem that gained some traction but did not have the same commercial success as Die With A Smile. Despite this, both singles are set to be part of Mayhem, contributing to the diverse mix of sounds that fans can expect from the album.Additionally, Gaga made an unexpected appearance in the video for Bruno Mars new collaboration with rapper Sexyy Red, titled Fat Juicy & Wet, further keeping her name in the spotlight ahead of the Mayhem release.What to Expect from MayhemWith Mayhem, Lady Gaga seems to be returning to her pop roots, aiming to satisfy the expectations of her earliest fans while also exploring new creative directions. After a brief foray into jazz with Harlequin and the cinematic Joker: Folie Deux soundtrack, Gaga is returning to the genre that first made her a global superstar.While the albums full tracklist and third single are still under wraps, Gagas commitment to pushing boundaries is evident in her comments and the buzz surrounding her comeback. As her previous albums have shown, Gaga is never one to play it safe, and Mayhem is shaping up to be yet another genre-defying moment in her career.Pre-order and Release InformationMayhem will be available on March 7, 2025, under Interscope Records. Fans can pre-order the album now to secure their copy ahead of its release. With her unique promotional strategies and continued success with her singles, Lady Gagas new album is poised to make a huge impact on the charts and pop culture.As March 7 approaches, its clear that Mayhem will be one of the most talked-about albums of the year. With its blend of pop, dance, and Gagas signature theatricality, fans are eager to see how shell continue to evolve while delivering the hits that have made her a household name.Stay tuned for more updates and surprises from Lady Gaga as the release date nears.Mayhem drops on March 7, 2025. Pre-order now on major streaming platforms and digital stores.Lady Gaga Announces New Album Mayhem Set for March Release2025 Grammys: First Slate of Performers Announced, Featuring a Diverse Lineup of Queer ArtistsSecretary of State Marco Rubio Orders Suspension of X Gender Marker in U.S. Passport ApplicationsTS Madison Speaks Out Against Trumps Executive Order Impacting Transgender PrisonersRep. Lauren Boebert Apologizes After Mistakenly Accusing Woman of Being Transgender in Capitol RestroomThe post Lady Gaga Announces New Album Mayhem Set for March Release appeared first on Gayety.

President Donald Trump signs an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-27T20:19:49Z NEW YORK (AP) U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, John Nkengasong, sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all agency staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and await further guidance. Experts said the sudden stoppage was a surprise and would set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa, as well as brewing threats from around the world. It also comes as health authorities around the world are monitoring bird flu outbreaks among U.S. livestock.The Associated Press viewed a copy of Nkengasongs memo, which said the stop-work policy applied to all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centers, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or other means in person or virtual. It also says CDC staff are not allowed to visit WHO offices. President Trump last week issued an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the U.S. from WHO, but that did not take immediate effect. Leaving WHO requires the approval of Congress and that the U.S. meets its financial obligations for the current fiscal year. The U.S. also must provide a one-year notice. His administration also told federal health agencies to stop most communications with the public through at least the end of the month. Stopping communications and meetings with WHO is a big problem, said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a University of Southern California public health expert who collaborates with WHO on work against sexually transmitted infections.People thought there would be a slow withdrawal. This has really caught everyone with their pants down, said Klausner, who said he learned of it from someone at CDC. Talking to WHO is a two-way street, he added, noting that WHO and U.S. health officials benefit from each others expertise. The collaboration allows the U.S. to learn about new tests and treatments as well as about emerging outbreaks information which can help us protect Americans abroad and at home.A U.S. health official, who was not authorized to talk about the memo and spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the stoppage.A WHO spokesperson referred questions about the withdrawal to U.S. officials.Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.