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Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrives at the United States District Court District of Maryland, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Greenbelt, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)2025-12-22T05:05:13Z GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A federal judge on Monday will decide whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia should be returned to immigration custody after being free for just over a week. This is an extremely irregular and extraordinary situation, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, of Maryland, told attorneys.The Monday hearing was a glimpse into the complexity of immigration proceedings as Xinis tried to get information on the status of Abrego Garcias case. I am trying to get to the bottom of whether there are going to be any removal proceedings, she said as she questioned the governments lawyer. You havent told me what youre going to do next.Abrego Garcia, his wife and legal team were welcomed to the federal court building in Maryland by a boisterous reception that included a choir, bullhorn and drum as scores of supporters cheered. His mistaken deportation to El Salvador has become a lightning rod for both sides of the immigration debate. Inside the courtroom Abrego Garcia sat with at least half a dozen defense team members while a lone government attorney sat across from them. Abrego Garcia had been in immigration detention since August before his Dec. 11 release. In that time, the government has said it planned to deport him to Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and, most recently, Liberia. However, officials have made no effort to deport him to the one country he has agreed to go to Costa Rica. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, in Maryland, has even accused the government of misleading her by falsely claiming that Costa Rica was unwilling to take him. The governments persistent refusal to acknowledge Costa Rica as a viable removal option, their threats to send Abrego Garcia to African countries that never agreed to take him, and their misrepresentation to the Court that Liberia is now the only country available to Abrego Garcia, all reflect that whatever purpose was behind his detention, it was not for the basic purpose of timely third-country removal, she wrote. In court on Monday, Abrego Garcias reiterated that he is prepared to go to Costa Rica today. Xinis Dec. 11 order that Abrego Garcia be released from immigration custody also concluded that the immigration judge who heard his case in 2019 had failed to issue an order of removal from the U.S., and he cannot be deported anywhere without a removal order.Abrego Garcia has an American wife and child and has lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally from El Salvador as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, finding he faced danger there from a gang that had targeted his family. In March, he was mistakenly deported there anyway. U.S. officials resisted calls to bring him back until the Supreme Court weighed in. However, officials have said he cannot stay in the U.S. and have vowed to deport him to a third country.In filings last week, government attorneys argued that, with or without a final order of removal, they are still working to deport Abrego Garcia, so they can legally detain him during the process. If there is no final order of removal, immigration proceedings are ongoing, and Petitioner is subject to pre-final order detention, they wrote.For their part, Abrego Garcias attorneys cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that because immigration proceedings are civil, not criminal detention must be nonpunitive. They argued that in Abrego Garcias case, detention is punitive because the government wants to be allowed to hold him indefinitely without a viable plan to deport him. If immigration detention does not serve the legitimate purpose of effectuating reasonably foreseeable removal, it is punitive, potentially indefinite, and unconstitutional, they wrote. In addition to the Maryland case, Abrego Garcia is fighting human smuggling charges in a Tennessee court. His attorneys in that case on Friday asked the judge for sanctions after Border Patrols Gregory Bovino made disparaging comments about their client on national news. The judge previously ordered Justice Department and Homeland Security officials to cease making comments that could prejudice Abrego Garcias right to a fair trial. ___Loller reported from Nashville, Tenn. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this photo taken on Saturday Dec. 20, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier walks through the ruins of the town of Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)2025-12-22T15:11:26Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Initial drafts of U.S. proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyivs demands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, although he suggested that neither side in the almost four-year war is likely to get everything it wants in talks on reaching a settlement. Overall, it looks quite solid at this stage, the Ukrainian leader said of recent talks with U.S. officials who are trying to steer the neighboring countries toward compromises.There are some things we are probably not ready for, and Im sure there are things the Russians are not ready for either, Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv.U.S. President Donald Trump has for months been pushing for a peace agreement. However, the negotiations have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv. But U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday he held productive and constructive talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives. Zelenskyy said that nearly 90% of Ukraines demands have been incorporated into the draft agreements.The backbone of the proposed deal is a 20-point plan, he said. There is also a framework document on security guarantees between Ukraine, European countries, and the United States, as well as a separate document on bilateral security guarantees granted to Ukraine by the U.S. Zelenskyy mentioned several key points, such as the Ukrainian army remaining at a peacetime level of 800,000; membership in the European Union; and European forces, under the leadership of France and the U.K. and with a backstop from Washington, ensuring Ukraines security in the air, on land, and at sea. Some key countries will provide presence in these domains; others will contribute to energy security, finance, bomb shelters, and so on, the Ukrainian president said.Ukraine is arguing that the bilateral document with U.S. should be reviewed by the U.S. Congress, with some details and annexes kept classified, Zelenskyy said.The U.S. team is now in talks with Russian envoys, and Washington has asked that no details be released, he added. Ukraine strikes deep inside RussiaZelenskyy said Monday he met with his military commanders who reported that defensive lines are holding firm against the Russian onslaught.In (recent) weeks, the Russian army has significantly increased the intensity of attacks, and the number of Russian losses has increased accordingly, he said in a post on Telegram.Ukrainian forces hit an oil terminal, a pipeline, two parked jet fighters and two ships in a series of strikes on Russian soil, officials said Monday.The attacks are part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt the Russian war effort and sow fear behind the front line, where outnumbered Ukrainian troops are straining to hold back Russias bigger army.The strikes also seek to undermine President Vladimir Putins attempt to portray Russia as negotiating from a position of military strength in U.S.-led peace efforts, which have yet to make a breakthrough on key points.The killing of a top Russian general by a car bomb in Moscow on Monday, with investigators suspecting Ukraine was behind it, could be another instance of Kyiv picking surprise targets. Ukrainian partisans burn Russian fighter jetsUkrainian forces struck the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal, an ammunition depot and a launch site for attack drones inside Russian territory and Russian-held Ukrainian territory, Ukraines General Staff said in a statement Monday.A pipeline, two docks and two ships were damaged in the southern Krasnodar region, and a large blaze broke out, the statement said, without specifying what kind of weapons were used in the attack.It added that a Ukrainian-made missile also hit a temporary base for Russias 92nd River Boat Brigade in Olenivka, in the occupied Crimean Peninsula.A separate strike targeted an ammunition depot in a Russian-controlled portion of the Donetsk region, aiming to slow the Russian advance there, the General Staff said. A Russian launch site for attack drones was also hit.Ukrainian partisans set fire to two Russian jet fighters in an operation on Sunday evening at a base near Lipetsk, a city in western Russia, according to Ukraines military intelligence.Russias Ministry of Defense said only that its forces shot down 41 Ukrainian drones overnight, three of them over the Krasnodar region. Russia targets the power grid againMeanwhile, Russian forces kept up their targeting of Ukraines energy sector, aiming to deprive civilians of heat and running water during the frigid winter. Russia has tried to knock out power in Ukraine throughout the war, in a tactic that Ukraine refers to as weaponizing winter.Energy infrastructure across five regions were attacked during the night, Ukraines Ministry of Energy said.Russia struck Ukraine with 86 drones of different types overnight, Ukraines air force said. Ukrainian forces stopped 58 of them, it said.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Mandy and Copacabana singer said he would undergo surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his left lung, and he postponed several concert dates.

President Javier Milei is eliminating barriers to what had been a closed-off economy, moving in the opposite direction of his main political ally, President Trump.

People arrive for a funeral service for Brown University shooting victim Ella Cook, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)2025-12-22T19:16:23Z BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) A Brown University sophomore who was killed in an attack at the Rhode Island university was remembered Monday as smart, confident, curious, kind, principled, brave, at a funeral in her home state of Alabama.Hundreds gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham to remember Ella Cook, 19. She and freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, were killed Dec. 13 when a gunman entered a study session in a Brown academic building and opened fire on students. Nine other students were wounded.Authorities believe the attack was carried out by Claudio Neves Valente, 48, who had been a graduate student at Brown studying physics during the 2000-01 school year. Neves Valente then fatally shot Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at Loureiros Boston-area home two days later, officials said. Neves Valente, who had attended school with Loureiro in Portugal in the 1990s, was found dead days later in a New Hampshire storage facility, killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An autopsy determined that Neves Valente died Dec. 16, the same day Loureiro died in a hospital.On Monday, Cooks family invited attendees to wear Easter colors, underscoring Cooks Christian faith, at an Episcopal funeral service that also nodded to the Christmas season. AP AUDIO: Hundreds mourn Brown University sophomore Ella Cook, killed in campus shooting A memorial service was held in honor of one of the shooting victims at Brown University Ella Cook, just days before Christmas. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The Rev. Paul F.M. Zahl, who formerly led the church, read from several letters written by members of the Brown community to Cooks parents, Anna Bishop Cook and Richard Cook, who raised Ella and her two younger siblings in the affluent Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook. Ella was smart, confident, curious, kind, principled, brave. She had a big impact on campus in only three semesters, wrote Brown professor of political economy David Skarbek. I used to tell Ella, We need an Alabama to Brown pipeline. In fact, her nickname on campus was Ellabama. Zahl told the congregation that the funeral was a kind of bigger stage, a kind of more amplified mic for Cook to spread her Christian faith. Zahl said he dreamed last week that he was skiing behind Cook and her family. Ella turned around and shouted confidently, self-assuredly, Come on, will you? he said, saying he believed God had shown himself through the dream.I pray now that everyone who has loved Ella so much in this life would be given a vivid, individual feeling of Ellas love, still present with us, Zahl said. Because Ellas love is eternal and entirely altruistic.Cook was an accomplished pianist who was studying French, math and economics at Brown, where she also served as vice president of the college Republicans. Her political activity brought a wave of reaction from national and Alabama Republicans. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered flags to be flown at half-staff statewide in Cooks memory. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, in Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)2025-12-22T15:34:24Z Dictionaries define things. Its their job. So when dictionary.com pronounced 6-7 as their 2025 word of the year, youd think they would have, well, defined it.But no. Were all still trying to figure out exactly what it means, they told us of this years linguistic time capsule.But thats just how pop culture works, isnt it? Whos to explain why parents alone in their cars were suddenly singing up up up from that KPop Demon Hunters? song? Or why, in the Venn diagram of pop culture and zoology, it was the capybara that emerged victorious and beloved? Goodbye, Moo Deng. Youre adorable, but so 2024.Despite our new obsessions, though, some things remained constant by which we mean Taylor Swift and Beyonc, of course. It seems like every year gets bigger for Swift. But in 2025, she put a bow or ring on it with Travis Kelce, announcing your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married. As for Beyonc, the musical goddess finally won that best album Grammy she long deserved and, on tour, introduced a new force: her daughter, Blue Ivy.So from the inexplicable to the familiar, heres our annual, highly selective journey down pop culture memory lane: JANUARYThey may not be TAYVIS, but theyre a delightful couple just the same: ZENDAYA and TOM HOLLAND are engaged. Lets hear it also for DEMI MOORE, who wins a GOLDEN GLOBE for her wild performance in The Substance. At the bookstore, fans go wild for ONYX STORM, the third installment of REBECCA YARROS romantasy series. A NIRVANA reunion highlights FireAid, a fundraiser for relief efforts following the Los Angeles wildfires. At the Australian Open, U.S. tennis star COCO GAUFF mourns the temporary loss of TikToks app back home, drawing a broken heart on a TV lens. FEBRUARYSalutations! says SAMUEL L. JACKSON, introducing KENDRICK LAMAR, the first solo hip-hop artist and Pulitzer winner to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. (P.S. Is that SERENA WILLIAMS?) At the GRAMMYS, members of the Los Angeles Fire Department present BEYONC with her best album trophy for COWBOY CARTER the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammy history becomes the first Black woman to win the top prize in the 21st century. In the age of TikTok, you never know whats going to catch fire like those hand-penned party invitations from 87-year old DOUG TURNER to his Pennsylvania neighbors, with the priceless line: 4 p.m. until the cops arrive. MARCHIts OSCAR month! All hail to SEAN BAKERS victorious, Brooklyn-set ANORA and its star, MIKEY MADISON. Also scoring an acting prize is ADRIEN BRODY for THE BRUTALIST who probably should have found another place to put his chewing gum. WICKED, an audience favorite, misses out on big prizes, but its stars, CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE, perform a rousing opening number. Meanwhile, the once-promising Netflix contender EMILIA PREZ wins two prizes but sees best picture chances evaporate in the wake of an uproar over past tweets from star KARLA SOFA GASCN. APRILThe blender! The poisonous fruit! The lizard! And SAM ROCKWELL! The Thailand-set third season of THE WHITE LOTUS is certainly a talker. KATY PERRY may be wishing shed headed to Thailand rather than outer space: her Earth-kissing return from an 11-minute trip on a JEFF BEZOS Blue Origin rocket is widely mocked even by Wendys, which writes on X: Can we send her back. On BEYONCS Cowboy Carter tour, a star has emerged 13-year old BLUE IVY. In a megadeal, HAILEY BIEBER sells her Rhode skincare and makeup brand for a cool $1 billion. MAYA crisis, at CANNES! The film fest bans nudity on the carpet do they think this will halt the naked dress phenomenon? Bonne chance. Also at Cannes, TOM CRUISE again shows hell risk life and limb to entertain, this time atop a classic biplane in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING. Across the ocean, the MET GALA turns its focus to menswear and Black style over the centuries. It took a minute, says an approving SPIKE LEE. You belong with me, SWIFT sings, buying back the rights to her first six albums. Finally, cue the Chicago Pope memes in honor of the first American pope, LEO XIV. Later this year, hell reveal his WORDLE strategy. JUNEThe world will know you as pop stars but you will be much more than that. Like, perhaps, the surprise, multigenerational hit of the summer? KPOP DEMON HUNTERS starts streaming this month, and in August will give Netflix a big box office win with its singalong screenings. On TV, its a new season of love LOVE ISLAND USA, that is, chronicling the goings-on at a luxury villa in Fiji. Its the album cover that launched a thousand conversations: Some are offended when SABRINA CARPENTER illustrates her MANS BEST FRIEND album with a photo of her on all fours, with a man holding her hair. Is it offensive, a purposeful joke, or nothing at all? Meanwhile politics finds its way into the GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL in Britain, as rap-punk duo BOB VYLAN spark a police probe after leading a chant calling for death to the Israeli military. JULYOASIS begins a reunion tour, and the GALLAGHER brothers are still getting along! SYDNEY SWEENEY has great jeans, goes the much-discussed advertisement, and American Eagle insists its about the denim. CBS says it will end STEPHEN COLBERTS show in May 2026 a move that will remove from air one of President DONALD TRUMPS most outspoken critics. We cannot leave July behind although at least two people would have loved to without mentioning the saga of the COLDPLAY KISSCAM. Finally, within six days, the world loses three 80s icons: mustachioed wrestling icon HULK HOGAN, heavy metal godfather OZZY OSBOURNE, and beloved Cosby Show actor MALCOLM-JAMAL WARNER.AUGUSTLets just give this whole entry to pop cultures biggest LOVE STORY because, baby, she said yes! TAYLOR-TRAVIS skeptics eat their words when the couple announces their happy news, in whats destined to become one of the most liked posts in Instagram history. Its the fairytale culmination of a courtship that began during the Eras Tour and for two years captivated millions around the world but especially Swifties, the pop stars loving and fiercely protective fan base.SEPTEMBERProving once again that Hollywood loves stories about itself, the EMMYS heap awards on SETH ROGENS movie-biz satire THE STUDIO. Also triumphing is THE PITT, the edgy medical drama starring beloved ER veteran NOAH WYLE that beats out the mighty SEVERANCE. Perhaps the biggest Cinderella story of all: 15-year-old OWEN COOPER, the youngest Emmy winner in over 40 years for the searing ADOLESCENCE. Also this month, JIMMY KIMMEL is temporarily suspended by ABC bosses for comments that angered supporters of the slain CHARLIE KIRK. The world says goodbye to ROBERT REDFORD, Hollywoods golden screen idol turned influential activist. OCTOBERSo, how was your October? Oh, 6-7. Thats apparently how one should use the new viral term accompanied by that palms-up gesture. You know who has better moves than that? BAD BUNNY, who hosts the season premiere of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In SWIFT updates, her new album THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRLsets sales records. The shocking LOUVRE HEIST captures the worlds attention, not least for the impossibly dapper stranger who walks into an AP photographers frame. Another sad loss: DIANE KEATON, famous for her fedoras, vests and especially La di da, La di da.NOVEMBERAre we at the end of the yellow brick road? The WICKED press tour, which reached all ends of the universe actual and fictional, wraps with the release of JON M. CHUS second installment, WICKED: FOR GOOD. The reviews are much less, er, enthusiastical this time, but the movie defies gravity at the box office. Thats not enough for JONATHAN BAILEY, aka FIYERO, who is named Peoples Sexiest Man Alive. Another fan favorite, ROBERT IRWIN, is also having a very good month: a decade after his sister, BINDI, did the same, the son of late conservationist STEVE IRWIN is crowned winner of DANCING WITH THE STARS.DECEMBEROne award after another! Excuse the rather obvious pun, but its the perfect one to describe momentum in the OSCARS race. While some films see their fortunes fade on GOLDEN GLOBE nominations day, the emerging favorite is ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, director PAUL THOMAS ANDERSONS father-daughter saga of political resistance starring LEONARDO DiCAPRIO and newcomer CHASE INFINITI. Its success also lends a victory to WARNER BROS. in the middle of its NETFLIX acquisition deal which, at years end, is in a holding pattern, facing antitrust challenges and a hostile takeover effort from PARAMOUNT, and sowing one fear after another that the very nature of entertainment will change. JOCELYN NOVECK Noveck is an Associated Press national writer specializing in culture and gender, and a film critic. twitter mailto

JPMorgan has had to pay tens of millions in legal costs for the convicted fraudster. It wants the public to see a newly unredacted list of itemized expenses.

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This undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)2025-12-22T16:31:08Z NEW YORK (AP) A judge on Monday scolded Jeffrey Epsteins longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell for including confidential victim names in court papers seeking to set aside her 2021 sex trafficking conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence.Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said exhibits included with Maxwells habeas petition which she filed on her own, without a lawyer will be kept under seal and out of public view until they have been reviewed and appropriately redacted to protect the identities of victims.Any future papers Maxwell files must be submitted under seal, the judge wrote.He said he reminds Maxwell, in strong terms, that she is prohibited from including in any public filings any information identifying victim(s) who were not publicly identified by name during her trial.A message seeking comment was left with Maxwells lawyer, David Markus. Maxwell filed the petition last Wednesday, two days before the Justice Department started releasing investigative records pertaining to her and Epstein in accordance with the recently enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act. Maxwell contends that information that would have resulted in her exoneration was withheld and that false testimony was presented to the jury. She said the cumulative effect of the constitutional violations resulted in a complete miscarriage of justice.Engelmayer said Maxwell has until Feb. 17, 2026, to notify him whether she plans to include any information from the so-called Epstein files in her petition and must file an amended version by March 31, 2026. A slow, heavily redacted release of filesProtecting victim identifies has been a key sticking point in the Justice Departments ongoing release.The department has said it plans to release records on a rolling basis by the end of the year, blaming the delay on the time-consuming process of obscuring victims names and other identifying information. So far, the department hasnt given any notice when new records arrive.That approach angered some accusers and members of Congress who fought to pass the transparency act. Records that were released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context.The Senates top Democrat on Monday urged colleagues to take legal action over the incremental and heavily redacted release.Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted last month that required disclosure of records by last Friday.Instead of transparency, the Trump administration released a tiny fraction of the files and blacked out massive portions of what little they provided, Schumer, D-N.Y. said in a statement. This is a blatant cover-up.In lieu of Republican support, Schumers resolution is largely symbolic. The Senate is off until Jan. 5, more than two weeks after the deadline. Even then, itll likely face an uphill battle for passage. But it allows Democrats to continue a pressure campaign for disclosure that Republicans had hoped to put behind them. There were few revelations in the tens of thousands of pages of records that have been released so far. Some of the most eagerly awaited records, such as FBI victim interviews and internal memos shedding light on charging decisions, werent there.Nor were there any mentions of some powerful figures whove been in Epsteins orbit, like Britains former Prince Andrew.Some files removed, then restoredDeputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Departments decision to release just a fraction of the files by the deadline as necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier.Blanche pledged that the Trump administration would meet its obligation required by law. But he stressed that the department was obligated to act with caution as it goes about making public thousands of documents that can include sensitive information. And he said legal precedent had long established that obligations to protect the privacy of victims permit authorities to go beyond deadlines to ensure they are protected. Blanche, the Justice Departments second-in-command, also defended its decision to remove several files related to the case from its public webpage, including a photograph showing Trump, less than a day after they were posted. The missing files, which were available Friday but no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showed a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epsteins longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Blanche said the documents were removed because of a concern that they might also show victims of Epstein. Blanche said the Trump photo and the other documents would be reposted once redactions, if necessary, were made to protect survivors.The Trump photograph was returned to the public webpage without alterations Sunday after it was determined that a concern by some government workers that victims may have been depicted in the picture proved unfounded, the Justice Department said.We are not redacting information around President Trump, around any other individual involved with Mr. Epstein, and that narrative, which is not based on fact at all, is completely false, Blanche told NBCs Meet the Press.Blanche said Trump, a Republican, has labeled the Epstein matter a hoax because theres this narrative out there that the Department of Justice is hiding and protecting information about him, which is completely false.The Epstein files existed for years and years and years and you did not hear a peep out of a single Democrat for the past four years and yet ... lo and behold, all of a sudden, out of the blue, Senator Schumer suddenly cares about the Epstein files, Blanche said. Thats the hoax.___Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report. MICHAEL R. SISAK Sisak is an Associated Press reporter covering law enforcement, courts and prisons. He is based in New York. twitter mailto

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ship seizures were meant to force Venezuelas president Nicols Maduro from power.

At a funeral in Alabama, the Brown University student was mourned as a gifted musician and protective sister who was committed to her faith.

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Archivists have saved and uploaded copies of the 60 Minutes episode new CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss ordered be shelved as a torrent and multiple file sharing sites after an international distributor aired the episode.The moves show how difficult it may be for CBS to stop the episode, which focused on the experience of Venezuelans deported to El Salvadorian mega prison CECOT, from spreading across the internet. Bari Weiss stopped the episode from being released Sunday even after the episode was reviewed and checked multiple times by the news outlet, according to an email CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi sent to her colleagues.You may recall earlier this year when the Trump administration deported hundreds of Venezuelan men to El Salvador, a country most had no connection to, the show starts, according to a copy viewed by 404 Media.Do you know anything else about this? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.Multiple social media users noticed on Monday that the 60 Minutes episode was available via the Global TV app. To view the episode, viewers need to connect to the app from a Canadian IP address.People then uploaded copies of the episode to a variety of file sharing sites and services, including iCloud, Mega, and as a torrent. Even political commentator Mueller She Wrote uploaded a copy.According to Alfonsis email, which was widely leaked shortly after she sent it, she learned Weiss spiked the 60 Minutes episode, called INSIDE CECOT on Saturday.Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it nowafter every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one, the email read.Weiss was recently appointed to the editor-in-chief of CBS News after Paramount acquired Weisss website The Free Press in October. Weiss garnered a reputation on the right as something of a fearless truth teller after she quit the New York Times as an opinion writer in 2020. In reality, stories published by The Free Press are often contrarian and fundamentally flawed, such as one that attempted to show that children who starved to death in Gaza already had underlying health conditions.Weisss appointment as the head of CBS News brought fears she might have one of the most respected journalism institutions do much the same work as her website, or deliberately bow to the Trump administration.In a memo Weiss sent to top 60 Minutes brass, obtained by Axios, she said the episode left out comment and perspective from administration officials. In her earlier email, Alfonsi said CBS News requested comment or sought interviews with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the White House, and the State Department. Goverment silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story, she wrote.The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that the men sent to El Salvador were overwhelmingly violent criminals; Pro Publica reported that the administration knew at least 197 of the men had not been convicted of crimes in the United States, and six had been convicted of violent offenses.404 Media previously used hacked data from GlobalX, one of the airlines supporting ICEs deportations, which showed at the time dozens of unknown people on three deportation flights to El Salvador.CBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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A union representing career diplomats said such a mass recall had never happened in the history of the U.S. Foreign Service.

Senator Richard Blumenthal is requesting information from an architect hired to oversee the ballroom design and people invited to a donor dinner with the president.

A billboard advertising the Powerball lottery is displayed, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)2025-12-22T20:37:42Z Powerball drew the winning lottery numbers Monday night for a record 46th time since its last jackpot was claimed, as a string of failed sweepstakes ballooned the top prize to $1.6 billion.The numbers selected were 3, 18, 36, 41, 54 and the Powerball 7.So far, its the 5th-largest jackpot in U.S. history after more than three months without a Powerball winner. The games long odds created a massive windfall that has enticed people to splurge on $2 tickets ahead of the live drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET Monday night.Lottery officials made the odds tougher in 2015 to create these humongous jackpots and draw more attention, while also making it easier to win smaller prizes. Experts say its a sign the lottery is operating exactly as designed, and that no one should really expect to match all six numbers and make a killing. Still, somebody will likely win at some point, and many players are hoping to be that lucky winner.Everybody wants to be a millionaire, said Saqi Anwer, an Atlanta gas station manager who sold $800 worth of tickets on Saturday. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on How much would the winner take home?Mondays estimated $1.6 billion jackpot has a cash value of $735.3 million.That means a winner can choose to be paid the whole amount through an annuity, with an immediate payment and then annual payments over 29 years that increase by 5% each time. Winners almost always opt for the up-front cash value, however both eye-popping figures are before taxes. The last time someone won the Powerball top prize was on Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion the second-highest jackpot in U.S. history. Matt Strawn, who chairs the Powerball Product Group, said in an interview that nothing special predated back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots this year other than the odds of the game. Still, he said it would be magical for a winning ticket to be cashed in during the holidays.Imagine if someone is giving the gift of a winning Powerball ticket away, whether its in a stocking or a thank-you note to your mail carrier, Strawn said. How does the prize rank among the largest jackpots ever?Mondays potential bounty now tops the existing 5th-biggest jackpot of a $1.586 billion drawn on Jan. 13, 2016. Four other jackpots, all from the past three years, have bested the current prize. The biggest U.S. jackpot ever was $2.04 billion back in 2022. That lotto winner bought the ticket at a Los Angeles-area gas station and opted for a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million.In Atlanta on Sunday, players were lining up to get their tickets ahead of Mondays drawing.My wife encourages me to buy a ticket because she wants to go on a big trip and she wants to do something good in society, Bob Wehner said outside a car wash. And she thought, Well, we can do both if we win, for crying out loud!Ronan Farrell, a middle schooler, speculated about buying an Xbox and a Lamborghini if his family won. With an Xbox controller as well, he added. What are the odds of winning? Not goodThe odds of winning Mondays jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Before the switch a decade ago, the odds were 1 in 175 million. Players now have a 1 in 24.9 chance overall of winning some kind of prize. Tim Chartier, a Davidson College math professor, said hes never bought a lottery ticket despite knowing those odds inside and out.Picking a winning lottery ticket is equivalent to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles high roughly the height of more than 115 Statues of Liberty, or 30 kilometers, Chartier said. If you have the funds and you enjoy dreaming about a billionaire life, enjoy the ride. Of course, you could win, Chartier said. But when the numbers dont fall your way, recognize that the odds were never in your favor and that the twinkle of possibility is what made the journey worth the almost-certain letdown.___Associated Press videojournalist Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report.___Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. OLIVIA DIAZ Diaz covers Virginia politics with the Associated Press. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The political point scoring that has erupted after the terror attack last week is unusual in Australia, where leaders tend to unite after catastrophes.

After years of planning for cars that would let drivers take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, Chinas regulators have become more cautious.

President Trump should press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ease military pressure on Gaza, Lebanon and Syria for the sake of his own policy.

The political point scoring that has erupted after the terror attack last week is unusual in Australia, where leaders tend to unite after catastrophes.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks as President Donald Trump looks on, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-12-23T04:03:40Z WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person.In a social media post, U.S. Southern Command said, Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Southern Command provided no evidence that the vessel was engaged in drug smuggling.A video posted by U.S. Southern Command shows splashes of water near one side of the boat. After a second salvo, the rear of the boat catches fire. More splashes engulf the craft and the fire grows. In the final second of the video, the vessel can be seen adrift with a large patch of fire alongside it.Earlier videos of U.S. boat strikes showed vessels suddenly exploding, suggesting missile strikes. Some strike videos even had visible rocket-like projectiles coming down on the boats. The Trump administration has said the strikes were meant to stop the flow of drugs into the U.S. and increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. At least 105 people have been killed in 29 known strikes since early September. The strikes have faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and human rights activists, who say the administration has offered scant evidence that its targets are indeed drug smugglers and say the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard has stepped up efforts to interdict oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea as part of the Trump administrations escalating campaign against Maduro.

Freed students from St. Mary's Catholic School in the Papiri community arrive at the government house, in Minna, Nigeria, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)2025-12-22T21:59:58Z MINNA, Nigeria (AP) Nigerians on Monday got their first look at 130 children and teachers released after being seized in one of the largest mass abductions in the countrys history.Some of the children appeared to be malnourished or in shock as they arrived at a government ceremony. Police said they were freed Sunday, a month after gunmen stormed their Catholic school in Niger states Papiri community in a predawn attack.Authorities said plans were underway to reunite the children with their families before Christmas.Authorities earlier said 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were seized and 50 of them escaped in the hours that followed. But on Monday, Niger state Gov. Mohammed Bago indicated that 230 had been taken and all had now been released.School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africas most populous country. Officials did not say whether a ransom common in such abductions had been paid. No group has claimed responsibility, but residents blamed armed gangs that target schools and travelers in kidnappings for ransom across Nigerias conflict-battered north.Most of those seized in the attack were aged between 10 and 17, the school said. One of the children released earlier told The Associated Press that gunmen threatened to shoot them during the attack.Maj. Gen. Adamu Garba Laka, national coordinator at Nigerias Center for Counter Terrorism, told Mondays event that Nigeria will work with community leaders to boost safety in high-risk areas. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site