The secretary of state helped steer President Trump to attacking Venezuela and seizing Nicols Maduro, and now aims to force the country to give U.S. companies access to its oil.

Its so practical!READ MORE...

But taking Venezuelas oil while leaving the regime in place werent among them.

The funding is part of an A.I. frenzy, as investors aggressively plow enormous sums into fast-growing start-ups at sky-high valuations.

The move against the medical aid group enforces policies limiting criticism of Israels conduct in the war and requiring personal details about Gazan employees.

The California Republicans sudden passing, on the same day that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greenes resignation took effect, made the partys House math even trickier.

The election on March 10, or a runoff in April, will determine who serves out the remainder of Ms. Greenes term after her unexpected resignation from Congress.

The post Trump Spotted Wearing Paper Sign Reading The President appeared first on The Onion.

Energy company stocks and the price of crude oil surged after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, with Trump claiming U.S. oil companies would participate in rebuilding the South American countrys energy infrastructure. What do you think?Which foreign leader do we have to arrest to get GameStop going again?Cesar Gruerio, Odor NeutralizerMy accountant has been encouraging me to invade Venezuela for years.Russell Forst, Oncology EnthusiastDamn. My parlay needed him to be killed.Diana Yee, Plate StackerThe post Oil Stocks Rise After U.S. Capture Of Maduro appeared first on The Onion.

HOUSTONCalling the executives demeanor unnervingly jovial, company sources confirmed Tuesday that Chevron CEO Mike Wirth sure was in a good mood this week. Man, normally that guy is a first-rate asshole, so something must be up, said an anonymous employee, who noted that the typically stone-faced executive had pulled into his reserved parking spot that morning singing along to Uptown Girl with the windows down. At first I thought he must have hit an endangered bird with his Mercedes again, but no, this is something bigger. I heard him whistling as he walked to his office, and he even called it a beautiful day out there. Thats crazy. Hes always said hehatesout there. Sources added that they hadnt seen Wirth with such a big grin on his face since he had gotten that journalist imprisoned.The post Chevron CEO Sure In Good Mood This Week appeared first on The Onion.

Your home is calling it needs a refresh.READ MORE...

Dallas-Fort Worth keeps showing up on best places to move lists. Living here tells a more complicated story.READ MORE...

Its THAT good.READ MORE...

President Trump has said since his first term that he wants to acquire Greenland, and he asked aides for an updated plan on Monday. European leaders rejected the presidents assertions.

Claudio Neves Valente, who is accused of killing two students at Brown and an M.I.T. professor, left rambling descriptions of the shootings.

The specifics of the memo are unclear. But Attorney General Pam Bondi told lawmakers in briefings this week that the administration would share the document with them.

As chief of the counterintelligence branch of the C.I.A.s Soviet division, he had access to some of the nations deepest secrets. He had been serving life without parole since 1994.

Ms. Weaver, a longtime tenant advocate who was appointed to a high-profile role in Mayor Zohran Mamdanis administration, is facing criticism for past comments on homeownership.

His first feature-length movie, in 1971, was called his countrys Stonewall moment, for jump-starting a gay-rights movement. He became a leading voice of it.

I dont think any governor in history has had to fight a war against the federal government every single day, Gov. Walz said after ending his re-election bid.

New layout, new appliances, and a new vibe!READ MORE...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was said to have listed the Trump administrations demands to Venezuelas new leader, Delcy Rodrguez, in a classified meeting Monday with senior congressional leaders.

The J6ers, as they refer to themselves, praised President Trump but called for more action from his administration, including financial restitution and prison reform.

The small but symbolic gesture, at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge, signals more ambitious street redesign plans from the new mayor.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani directed city agencies to make plans to comply with rules governing health and safety at the facilities, and said they must work to end solitary confinement.

Timesha Beauchamp, 20, was found alive at a funeral home after she had been pronounced dead during a medical episode in Southfield, Mich. She died weeks later.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez smiles during a press conference at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas Venezuela, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)2026-01-06T21:52:09Z MIAMI (AP) In 2017, as political outsider Donald Trump headed to Washington, Delcy Rodrguez spotted an opening.Then Venezuelas foreign minister, Rodrguez directed Citgo a subsidiary of the state oil company to make a $500,000 donation to the presidents inauguration. With the socialist administration of Nicolas Maduro struggling to feed Venezuela, Rodrguez gambled on a deal that would have opened the door to American investment. Around the same time, she saw that Trumps ex-campaign manager was hired as a lobbyist for Citgo, courted Republicans in Congress and tried to secure a meeting with the head of Exxon.The charm offensive flopped. Within weeks of taking office, Trump, urged by then-Sen. Marco Rubio, made restoring Venezuelas democracy his driving focus in response to Maduros crackdown on opponents. But the outreach did bear fruit for Rodrguez, making her a prominent face in U.S. business and political circles and paving the way for her own rise. Joshua Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who spent two decades reporting from South America. From 2013 to 2019, he led APs bureau in Venezuela, where he interviewed then-president Nicols Maduro and spoke frequently with Delcy Rodrguez, Venezuelas new interim president. Delcy Rodriguez was a key contact with American press when she was Venezuelas foreign minister. Now, Rodriguez is leading the country after the U.S. captured President Nicolas Maduro. APs Joshua Goodman explains Rodriguezs rise to power. Shes an ideologue, but a practical one, said Lee McClenny, a retired foreign service officer who was the top U.S. diplomat in Caracas during the period of Rodrguezs outreach. She knew that Venezuela needed to find a way to resuscitate a moribund oil economy and seemed willing to work with the Trump administration to do that. Nearly a decade later, as Venezuelas interim president, Rodrguezs message that Venezuela is open for business seems to have persuaded Trump. In the days since Maduros stunning capture Saturday, hes alternately praised Rodrguez as a gracious American partner while threatening a similar fate as her former boss if she doesnt keep the ruling party in check and provide the U.S. with total access to the countrys vast oil reserves. One thing neither has mentioned is elections, something the constitution mandates must take place within 30 days of the presidency being permanently vacated. This account of Rodrguezs political rise is drawn from interviews with 10 former U.S. and Venezuelan officials as well as businessmen from both countries whove had extensive dealings with Rodrguez and in some cases have known her since childhood. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from someone who they almost universally described as bookishly smart, sometimes charming but above all a cutthroat operator who doesnt tolerate dissent. Rodrguez didnt respond to AP requests for an interview. Fathers murder hardens leftist outlookRodrguez entered the leftist movement started by Hugo Chvez late and on the coattails of her older brother, Jorge Rodrguez, who as head of the National Assembly swore her in as interim president Monday.Tragedy during their childhood fed a hardened leftist outlook that would stick with the siblings throughout their lives. In 1976 when, amid the Cold War, U.S. oil companies, American political spin doctors and Pentagon advisers exerted great influence in Venezuela a little-known urban guerrilla group kidnapped a Midwestern businessman. Rodriguezs father, a socialist leader, was picked up for questioning and died in custody. McClenny remembers Rodrguez bringing up the murder in their meetings and bitterly blaming the U.S. for being left fatherless at the age of 7. The crime would radicalize another leftist of the era: Maduro.Years later, while Jorge Rodrguez was a top electoral official under Chvez, he secured for his sister a position in the presidents office.But she advanced slowly at first and clashed with colleagues who viewed her as a haughty know-it-all.In 2006, on a whirlwind international tour, Chvez booted her from the presidential plane and ordered her to fly home from Moscow on her own, according to two former officials who were on the trip. Chvez was upset because the delegations schedule of meetings had fallen apart and that triggered a feud with Rodriguez, who was responsible for the agenda. It was painful to watch how Chvez talked about her, said one of the former officials. He would never say a bad thing about women but the whole flight home he kept saying she was conceited, arrogant, incompetent.Days later, she was fired and never occupied another high-profile role with Chvez. Political revival and soaring power under MaduroYears later, in 2013, Maduro revived Rodrguezs career after Chvez died of cancer and he took over. A lawyer educated in Britain and France, Rodrguez speaks English and spent large amounts of time in the United States. That gave her an edge in the internal power struggles among Chavismo the movement started by Chvez, whose many factions include democratic socialists, military hardliners who Chvez led in a 1992 coup attempt and corrupt actors, some with ties to drug trafficking. Her more worldly outlook, and refined tastes, also made Rodrguez a favorite of the so-called boligarchs a new elite that made fortunes during Chvezs Bolivarian revolution. One of those insiders, media tycoon Raul Gorrn, worked hand-in-glove with Rodrguezs back-channel efforts to mend relations with the first Trump administration and helped organize a secret visit by Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, to Caracas in April 2018 for a meeting with Maduro. A few months later, U.S. federal prosecutors unsealed the first of two money laundering indictments against Gorrin. After Maduro promoted Rodrguez to vice president in 2018, she gained control over large swaths of Venezuelas oil economy. To help manage the petro-state, she brought in foreign advisers with experience in global markets. Among them were two former finance ministers in Ecuador who helped run a dollarized, export-driven economy under fellow leftist Rafael Correa. Another key associate is French lawyer David Syed, who for years has been trying to renegotiate Venezuelas foreign debt in the face of crippling U.S. sanctions that make it impossible for Wall Street investors to get repaid.She sacrificed her personal life for her political career, said one former friend.As she amassed more power, she crushed internal rivals. Among them: once powerful Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, who was jailed in 2024 as part of an anti-corruption crackdown spearheaded by Rodrguez.In her de-facto role as Venezuelas chief operating officer, Rodrguez proved a more flexible, trustworthy partner than Maduro. Some have likened her to a sort of Venezuelan Deng Xiaoping the architect of modern China. Hans Humes, chief executive of Greylock Capital Management, said that experience will serve her well as she tries to jump-start the economy, unite Chavismo and shield Venezuela from stricter terms dictated by Trump. Imposing an opposition-led government right now, he said, could trigger bloodshed of the sort that ripped apart Iraq after U.S. forces toppled Saddam Hussein and formed a provisional government including many leaders who had been exiled for years.Weve seen how expats who have been outside of the country for too long think things should be the way it was before they left, said Humes, who has met with Maduro as well as Rodrguez on several occasions. You need people who know how to work with how things are not how they were.Democracy deferred?Where Rodrguezs more pragmatic leadership style leaves Venezuelas democracy is uncertain. Trump, in remarks after Maduros capture, said Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado lacks the respect to govern Venezuela despite her handpicked candidate winning what the U.S. and other governments consider a landslide victory in 2024 presidential elections stolen by Maduro.Elliott Abrams, who served as special envoy to Venezuela during the first Trump administration, said it is impossible for the president to fulfill his goal of banishing criminal gangs, drug traffickers and Middle Eastern terrorists from the Western Hemisphere with the various factions of Chavismo sharing power. Nothing that Trump has said suggests his administration is contemplating a quick transition away from Delcy. No one is talking about elections, said Abrams. If they think Delcy is running things, they are completely wrong. JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto

LEGO chief product and marketing officer and executive vice president Julia Goldin talks as a a Chewbacca stands behind her during an LEGO news conference ahead of the CES tech show Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)2026-01-06T06:09:49Z LAS VEGAS (AP) Nvidia, AMD and Intel all had important chip and AI platform announcements on the first day of CES 2026, but all audiences wanted to see more of was Star Wars and Jensen Huangs little robot buddies.CES is a huge opportunity annually for companies both large and small to parade products they plan to put on shelves this year. As predicted, artificial intelligence was anchored in nearly everything as tech firms continue to look for AI products that will attract customers. Here are the highlights from Day 1:Nvidia gets physicalThe biggest buzzword in the air at CES is physical AI, Nvidias term for AI models that are trained in a virtual environment using computer generated, synthetic data, then deployed as physical machines once theyve mastered their purpose.CEO Jensen Huang showed off Cosmos, an AI foundation model trained on massive datasets, capable of simulating environments governed by actual physics. He also announced Alpamayo, an AI model specifically designed for autonomous driving. Huang revealed that Nvidias next generation AI superchip platform, dubbed Vera Rubin, is in full production, and that Nvidia has a new partnership with Siemens. All of this shows Nvidia is going to fight increased competition to retain its reputation as the backbone of the AI industry.But once Huang called for two little, waddling, chirping robots to join him on stage, thats all the audience wanted to see more of. The chips are back in townAMD CEO Lisa Su announced a new line of its famed Ryzen AI processors as the company continues to expand its footprint in the world of AI-powered personal computers.For gamers, AMD also showed off the latest version of its gaming-focused processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Meanwhile, Intel announced its new AI chip for laptops, Panther Lake (also known as the Intel Core Ultra Series 3), and said the company has plans to launch a new platform to address a growing market for handheld video gaming machines. Intel, a Silicon Valley pioneer that enjoyed decades of growth as its processors powered the personal computer boom, fell into a slump after missing the shift to the mobile computing era unleashed by the iPhone. It fell further behind after the AI boom propelled Nvidia into the spotlight.President Donald Trumps administration stepped in recently to secure a 10% stake in the company, making the government one of Intels biggest shareholders. Federal officials said they invested in Intel to support U.S. technology and domestic manufacturing.Uber dives back into the robotaxi gameUber is giving the public a first look at their robotaxi at CES this week. Uber, along with luxury electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors and vehicle tech company Nuro, introduced an autonomous vehicle with an Uber-designed in-cabin experience. Uber calls it the most luxurious robotaxi yet. It features cameras, sensors and radars that provide 360-degree perception and a low-profile roof halo with integrated LEDs that will display riders initials to help them spot their car and track their ride status. Inside, riders can personalize everything from climate and seat heating to music, while real-time visuals show exactly what the vehicle is seeing on the road and the route it plans to take.Autonomous on-road testing began last month in San Francisco, led by Nuro, marking a major step toward what the companies said is a planned launch before the end of the year. Star Wars and Lego announce a new partnershipWhen Lucasfilm chief creative officer David Filoni brought out an array of X-Wing pilots, Chewbacca, R2D2 and C-3PO, he won the Star Wars fandom for Lego.Lego announced its Lego Smart Play platform on Monday, which introduces new smart bricks, tags and special minifigs for your collection. The new bricks contain sensors that enable them to sense light and distance, and to provide an array of responses, essentially lights and sounds, when they are used in unison. Combine this with a newly announced partnership with the Star Wars franchise and now you can create your own interactive space battles and light-saber duels. LG reveals a new robot to help around the homeFile this one under intrigued, for now. The Korean tech giant gave the media a glimpse Monday of its humanoid robot that is designed to handle household chores such as folding laundry and fetching food. Although many companies have robots on display at CES, LG certainly is one of the biggest tech companies to promise to put a service robot in homes.It will be on display beginning Tuesday, so well have more to report soon.Whats new with lollipops? Music you can taste was on display Monday at CES: Lollipop Star unveiled a candy that plays music while you eat it. The company says it uses something called bone induction technology, which lets you hear songs like tracks from Ice Spice and Akon through the lollipop as you lick it or bite it in the back of your mouth, according to spokesperson Cassie Lawrence. The musical lollipops will go on sale after CES on Lollipop Stars website for $8.99 each. And if that wasnt enough star power, Akon was expected to visit the companys booth Tuesday when CES opens to the public. Atlas holds up Hyundais (manufacturing) worldHyundai-owned Boston Dynamics publicly demonstrated its humanoid robot Atlas for the first time at the CES tech showcase, ratcheting up a competition with Tesla and other rivals to build robots that look like people and do things that people do. The company said a version of the robot that will help assemble cars is already in production and will be deployed by 2028 at Hyundais electric vehicle manufacturing facility near Savannah, Georgia.Delta gets spherical Delta Air Lines is taking entertainment to new heights as the official airline of the Sphere in Las Vegas. The airline announced a new multiyear partnership with Sphere Entertainment Co. that it says will deliver premium experiences to the venue, including a Delta SKY360 Club lounge. The carrier said SkyMiles members can unlock exclusive access to other experiences at the Sphere, starting during the final weekend of the Backstreet Boys residency in February with features including private suite seating, food and beverages. The partnership brings Delta branding to the Spheres massive exterior LED screen. Delta says more exclusive SkyMiles experiences will roll out in 2026 and beyond. RIO YAMAT Yamat is a national business reporter for The Associated Press. Based in Las Vegas, she covers airlines, travel and tourism. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump listens as he was speaking with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-06T01:03:34Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump hasnt minced words about the larger message hes trying to send the world with the U.S. military raid to capture Nicols Maduro and spirit the deposed Venezuelan leader and his wife to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges.American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, Trump declared following Maduros capture, will never be questioned again.In the days since the audacious raid, Trump and his team have doubled down on the notion that the new focus on American preeminence in the hemisphere is here to stay. He also held up Maduros capture to make the case to neighbors to get in line or potentially face consequences. Trumps rhetoric harkens back to the muscular talk of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when American presidents deployed the military for territorial and resource conquests, including to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Theres been periods, Vietnam and Iraq, which have evoked questions about a return to American imperialism, but the U.S. leaders messages in those periods were cloaked in talk of democracy. The way Trump is talking about it is something we havent seen in a very long time. said Edward Frantz, a historian at the University of Indianapolis. In the aftermath of the operation, Trumps tough talk has been been directed at titular allies in Greenland where he renewed calls for the U.S. to take over the Danish territory for national security reasons and Mexico. Trump says Americas southern neighbor needs to get their act together fighting drug cartels. Trump has also warned that longtime adversary Cuba is going down now that Maduro, who has provided deeply discounted oil to the economically isolated government in Havana, has been deposed. And the president has heightened anxiety with Venezuelas neighbor, telling reporters that a military operation in Colombia the epicenter of global cocaine production sounds good to me. The Republican president has also said his administration will run Venezuela policy and threatened the countrys new leader, interim President Delcy Rodrguez, with an outcome worse than Maduros if she does not do whats right. Hes made plain that he expects Caracas to open its vast oil reserves to U.S. energy companies, further igniting speculation about American overreach.Were going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure the oil infrastructure and start making money for the country, Trump said over the weekend.The Venezuela incursion has split Latin America, with Trumpaligned leaders mostly from the right applauding the ouster, and nonaligned leaders condemning it on sovereignty grounds. Its sharpened concerns that Trump might actually be serious about his desire to annex Greenland as well. Leaning on Monroe Doctrine, Trump puts neighbors on edgeDanish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Monday that Trump would mark the undoing of the transatlantic military alliance, NATO, if he attempts to follow through on his assertion that the U.S. absolutely needs to take over Greenland for national security reasons. The alliance, which includes the U.S. and Denmark, has been a linchpin of post-World War II security.If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2. In the early part of the 20th century, American leaders repeatedly turned to the Monroe Doctrine, a foundational U.S. foreign policy document authored by the nations fifth president, which had been aimed at opposing European meddling in the Western Hemisphere. Now, Trump too is leaning on the doctrine to justify U.S. intervention in Venezuela and threaten action around the hemisphere in the name of protecting the safety and welfare of Americans.Trumps rhetoric conjures up images of Teddy Roosevelt and gunboat diplomacy. The rhetoric is a return to a pre-Great War era, Frantz said, referring to the 26th presidents intercessions in unstable Caribbean and Central American economies as well as his backing of Panamas secession from Colombia in the name of the U.S. national interest. Just weeks before the ouster of Maduro, Trump rolled out a long-awaited National Security Strategy that had some disparate elements that seemed to be at odds with each other.On one hand, Trump, who has long eschewed Americas role in foreign wars, asserted that the administration would have a predisposition to non-interventionism. But the strategy document also made clear that the administration would push to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.With the ouster of Maduro, the administration has clearly doubled down on the latter.This is the Western Hemisphere, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday. This is where we live and were not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States. Anger at U.N. Security CouncilThe capture of Maduro and Trumps rhetoric could certainly be a level-setting moment for global leaders as they consider what may lay ahead in the final three years of Trumps second term.At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Monday, Colombian Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres said the raid in Venezuela was reminiscent of the worst interference in our area in the past.Democracy cannot be defended or promoted through violence and coercion, and it cannot be superseded, either, by economic interests, said Zalabata Torres, whose country requested the meeting.At the same time, Democrats are questioning whether Trumps actions have created a permission structure for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has designs of capturing further territory from neighboring Ukraine, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has vowed to annex the self-ruled island of Taiwan.What the presidents done in this case has essentially given Putin and Xi Jinping a hall pass, said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, in an appearance on CNN.The Russians, for their part, have condemned Trumps action in Venezuela. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, the countrys U.N. envoy, said the world body cannot allow the United States to proclaim itself as some kind of a supreme judge to the world.___AP writers Jennifer Peltz and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

A certified medical assistant holds a syringe for a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seattle, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)2026-01-05T23:34:13Z WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. health officials made broad changes to childhood vaccine recommendations Monday, alarming pediatricians and other medical experts who say they will sow confusion and undermine childrens health. The overhaul is effective immediately, meaning that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now recommend that all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases, down from 18 a year ago. The changes comes as U.S. vaccination rates have been slipping and the share of children with exemptions has reached an all-time high, according to federal data. At the same time, rates of diseases that can be protected against with vaccines, such as measles and whooping cough, are rising.Heres what to know about the changes: Heres what federal vaccine recommendations have changedOnce broadly recommended, the federal government now only recommends protection against these diseases for certain children at high risk or based on individual doctor advice in whats called shared decision-making. Flu Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Meningococcal disease Rotavirus RSV COVID-19, a change made in 2025 Heres what federal vaccine recommendations stayed the sameThe following vaccines were left on the recommended-for-all list: Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or whooping cough (DTaP) Polio Chickenpox Human papillomavirus, or HPV. But in a surprise, the guidance reduces the number of recommended vaccine doses against HPV from two or three shots to just one. Hib, or Haemophilus influenzae type B, bacteria that despite the name isnt related to flu PCV or pneumococcal conjugate vaccineWhy were the vaccine recommendations changed? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the overhaul was in response to a request from President Donald Trump in December. Trump asked the agency to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising U.S. guidance accordingly.HHS said its comparison to 20 peer nations found that the U.S. was an outlier in both the number of vaccinations and the number of doses it recommended to all children. Officials with the agency framed the change as a way to increase public trust by recommending only the most important vaccinations for children to receive.However, many European countries recommend some of the vaccines the U.S. removed from its list. What do doctors and pediatricians say?The nations large doctors groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, say they will continue to recommend the vaccines that the Trump administration has now demoted. They said there was no new science that warranted the changes, including no signs that the former U.S. vaccine schedule harmed children.Dr. Sean OLeary of the AAP said the changes could increase child illness and death from preventable disease. He voiced special concern that the U.S. would no longer recommend flu vaccine for children, just as the flu season is becoming severe and after last winters particularly harsh season.The pediatricians group has issued its own child vaccine recommendations. Also, states, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. While CDC requirements often influence those state regulations, some states have begun creating their own alliances to counter the Trump administrations guidance on vaccines. What will change for families?Its not yet clear. Because of the countering recommendations from pediatricians, doctor visits may not change. However, medical specialists say when the U.S. government doesnt explicitly recommend a shot, it will raise questions among parents, leading to more difficult conversations at the doctors office.If the changes mean fewer children are vaccinated, outbreaks that have historically been prevented by high vaccination rates could spread more widely, leading to more disease and more missed school and work. Will insurance continue to cover vaccines?The Trump administration said coverage will continue for families that still want the shots. Health insurers generally find vaccination a good deal, as shots are cheaper than hospitalizations, and many had previously said theyd planned to cover what was recommended last year through 2026.___AP writers Ali Swenson and Mike Stobbe contributed to this report from New York. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. LAURAN NEERGAARD Neergaard is an Associated Press medical writer who covers research on brain health, infectious diseases, organ transplantation and more. She is based in Washington, D.C. mailto

Arizona guard Brayden Burries passes during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Utah, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)2026-01-05T18:01:41Z Arizona held on to No. 1 by a single point over fast-closing Michigan in the AP Top 25 on Monday, making it one of the closest races for the top spot in the 78-year history of the mens college basketball poll.The Wildcats received 32 of 61 first-place votes and had 1,494 points, while the Wolverines scooped up the other 29 first-place votes from the national media panel. The one-point difference kept the first poll of 2026 from becoming the second ever with a tie for No. 1; Oregon State and Virginia shared the top spot on on Jan. 26, 1981.Arizona has been on top for the last five polls, but the Wolverines have been able to make up ground, thanks in part to becoming the first team in the poll era to win three consecutive games against ranked opponents by at least 30 points apiece. Michigan was 20 points behind Arizona in the last poll. All glory is fleeting, as you guys have heard me say, Michigan coach Dusty May said after the most recent blowout, 96-66 over then-No. 24 USC, which also kept his team among the six unbeatens left in Division I mens hoops.The Wolverines have not been No. 1 since Jan. 28, 2013, and that stint lasted just one week. The top six remained unchanged Monday from the final poll of 2025: Arizona and Michigan were followed by undefeated Iowa State, UConn, Purdue and Duke, while Houston jumped Gonzaga and BYU and Nebraska rounded out the top 10. The Huskers, who are riding a nation-best 18-game winning streak dating to last season and are off to the best start in school history, are in the top 10 for the first time since climbing to No. 9 on Feb. 28, 1966. Their latest win was a 58-56 slugfest with then-No. 9 Michigan State.Happy for Fred Hoiberg. Not that many years ago, everybody was on his butt, Spartans coach Tom Izzo said afterward. He did a hell of a job. Nebraska did a hell of a job. That was probably the best game their biggest game in 36 years. They responded. Vanderbilt, another program with scant mens basketball success, remained right behind the Huskers at No. 11. That is the highest the unbeaten Commodores have been since they were No. 7 in the preseason poll for the 2011-12 season.SEC play comes at you fast, and now we know the difficulties of this league and whats ahead of us, Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said after Saturdays win over South Carolina while looking ahead to Tuesday nights matchup with No. 13 Alabama.Michigan State fell three spots to No. 12 following its loss to Nebraska, while the Crimson Tide were followed by Texas Tech and Arkansas in this weeks poll. Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Iowa and Louisville rounded out the top 20, while Tennessee, Kansas, Virginia, SMU and UCF completed the initial top 25 of the new year.The Knights, who opened Big 12 play by beating the Jayhawks, are ranked for the first time since March 4, 2019.Were not just playing the opponent in front of us. Were trying to play to our standards, UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. I just want them to go out there and just follow their hearts, play for each other, and I thought they did that. Rising and slidingIowa made the biggest move by climbing six spots to No. 19 following its win over UCLA on Saturday, while Georgia jumped five spots to No. 18. Kansas and North Carolina, which lost to SMU on Saturday, each fell five spots but remained in the poll.In and outNo. 24 SMU is ranked for the first time since finishing No. 11 in the final poll of the 2016-17 season. The Mustangs and UCF joined the Top 25 at the expense of USC and Florida, which lost 76-74 to Missouri on Saturday night.On the doorstepVillanova was the first team outside the Top 25, five points back of UCF. Also on the rise are Utah State and Miami (Ohio), which at 15-0 is the only unbeaten still outside the poll.Conference watchThe Big 12 led the way with seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10, while the Big Ten had six in the Top 25 and three in the top 10. The ACC and SEC had five ranked teams apiece, and the West Coast and Big East each had one.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball 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.

Mr. Reagan, who was adopted by Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman, had cancer, according to a statement.

The Trump administration said it was placing a hold on $10 billion in subsidies across five states, including New York.

Also, Europe discusses postwar plans for Ukraine. Heres the latest at the end of Tuesday.

A new web page on the official White House site blames the Capitol Police and Democrats for the pro-Trump mob riot, absolving the president of responsibility and calling participants innocent.

The ruling was the most robust effort to date to press the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, on why she has continued to serve as the U.S. attorney, despite an order throwing out her appointment.

LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson, left, shoots a jumper over Kentucky forward Teonni Key (7) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)2026-01-05T17:01:53Z Kentucky and Vanderbilt made major jumps in The Associated Press womens basketball Top 25 on Monday after four of the top 10 teams lost last week, causing a shakeup in the poll.This was the first week since the end of November that a new school had entered the top 10 this season.The first four remained unchanged with UConn still No. 1, receiving 28 first-place votes and No. 2 Texas getting the other four. South Carolina and UCLA followed while Oklahoma moved up to fifth, the Sooners highest ranking since they were fourth in the final poll of 2009.Kentucky and Vanderbilt each rose five spots to sixth and seventh, respectively, after each knocking off then-No. 5 LSU in consecutive games. The Wildcats edged LSU 80-78 on a last-second shot.Vanderbilt has not been in the top 10 since it was seventh on March 12, 2007. Vandys 65-61 win over LSU on Sunday was its first against a top five team in 17 years. The Tigers, one of seven unbeaten teams to lose over the last week, plummeted to 12th.Maryland fell one spot to eighth after losing to Illinois, its first defeat of the season. Michigan dropped two places to ninth after a loss at Washington, which re-entered the Top 25 at No. 23. Louisville moved up three spots to 10th. TCU dropped to 13th after losing its first game of the season to Utah in overtime.There are only four undefeated teams left: UConn, Texas, Vanderbilt and No. 17 Texas Tech. Unbeaten no moreBesides LSU, Maryland and TCU losing for the first time this season, No. 11 Iowa State, Arizona State, Alabama and Georgia also all suffered their first losses. Falling IrishNotre Dame saw its run of 85 consecutive appearances in the Top 25 end after the Irish (10-4) lost to Georgia Tech and Duke last week. It was the third-longest active streak, trailing only UConn (615) and South Carolina (257). Notre Dame had been in the poll every week since Nov. 29, 2021. Milestone winsLouisvilles Jeff Walz and Miamis Tricia Cullop both earned their 500th career victories last week, doing so in back-to-back games against Virginia Tech.Game of the weekNo. 2 Texas at No. 12 LSU, Sunday. The Tigers will have a chance to rebound from the tough week with a game against the Longhorns. A victory would get LSU back in the SEC regular-season title race. ___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP womens college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Chevron logos are displayed at a gas station in Columbus, Miss., Monday, Oct. 23, 2023.(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)2026-01-05T15:05:10Z Shares of major U.S. companies in the energy sector are sharply higher Monday after President Donald Trump announced plans to take control of Venezuelas oil industry, saying that it would be American companies helping to revitalize it following the capture of President Nicols Maduro. While the U.S. action is unlikely to have an immediate impact on crude prices given the current glut in the market, it could upend energy markets and have an impact on the geopolitical landscape. The shale oil revolution made the U.S. the worlds largest crude producer. Recent, massive oil finds off the coast of Guyana are largely controlled by ExxonMobil and Chevron. U.S. control of the Venezuelan energy industry, which sits on the worlds largest oil reserves, could reshape the balance of power in international energy markets, analysts with JP Morgan wrote Monday. The combined total could position the US as a leading holder of global oil reserves, potentially accounting for about 30% of the worlds total if these figures are consolidated under US influence, JP Morgan wrote. This would mark a notable shift in global energy dynamics. Venezuelas oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions. Yet some oil industry analysts believe that Venezuela could double or triple its current output of about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day and return the nation to historic production levels relatively quickly. With greater access to and influence over a substantial portion of global reserves, the US could potentially exert more control over oil market trends, helping to stabilize prices and keep them within historically lower ranges, according to JP Morgan. This increased leverage would not only enhance US energy security but could also reshape the balance of power in international energy markets.If or when that would happen, however, is more complex. Many energy analysts see a longer and more difficult road ahead. While the Trump administration has suggested large U.S. oil companies will go into Venezuela and spend billions to fix infrastructure, we believe political and other risks along with current relatively low oil prices could prevent this from happening anytime soon, wrote Neal Dingmann of William Blair. Material change to Venezuelan production will take a lot of time and millions of dollars of infrastructure improvement, he said. And any investment in Venezuelan infrastructure right now would take place in a weakened global energy market. Crude prices in the U.S. are down 20% compared with last year. The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude hasnt been above $70 since June, and hasnt touched $80 per barrel since the summer of 2024. A barrel of oil cost more than $130 in the leadup to the the U.S. housing crisis in 2008. Theres several factors that could impact Venezuelan production, including how quickly a government transition can take hold and how fast and willing multinational oil companies are to reenter the country, wrote John Freeman of Raymond James. At the opening bell, shares in the energy sector moved broadly higher, particularly companies with large refinery operations. Venezuela produces the kind of heavy crude oil thats needed for diesel fuel, asphalt and other fuels for heavy equipment. Diesel is in short supply around the world because of the sanctions on oil from Venezuela and Russia and because Americas lighter crude oil cant easily replace it.Big refiners like Valero, Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66 rose between 5% and 6% at the opening bell. Oilfield service companies, those that actually go into the field and do the drilling and upkeep, rose even more sharply. SLB and Halliburton rose between 7% and 8%. Major oil exploratory companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips rose between 2% and 4%. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Medical workers remove the debris in a damaged private clinic after, according to Ukrainian officials, a Russian drone hit a hospital room killing a patient, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2026-01-05T14:10:15Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced the head of Ukraines security service Monday, continuing a top-level reshuffle ahead of a trip to Paris where he hoped to finalize agreements with allies on how to ensure that Russia doesnt repeat its invasion if a peace agreement is signed.Zelenskyy is trying to revamp his administration as the grinding war of attrition with Russia marks its fourth anniversary next month. He is keen to keep up the momentum of U.S.-led peace talks as well as sharpen Ukraines focus on defense if those efforts collapse.The Paris talks are expected to include the leaders of about 30 countries, dubbed the coalition of the willing, which are ready to provide security guarantees to keep Ukraine safe in the future.Key issues include whether countries are prepared to deploy troops inside or close to Ukraine and what the remit of any force overseeing a ceasefire might be. Russia has said it wont accept troops from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil. AP AUDIO: Zelenskyy replaces Ukraines security chief ahead of Paris talks AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on a Russian attack on a Kyiv medical center. Zelenskyys changes at the top Zelenskyy also announced the appointment of Canadas former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as Ukraines economic development adviser, describing her as an expert on the issues with significant experience in attracting investment and carrying out economic transformations.Amid Ukraines biggest top-level reshuffle in about six months, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Security Service, or SBU, announced his resignation on the agencys website.Zelenskyy published a decree on the presidential website appointing Ievhen Khmara, former head of the A Special Operations Center of the Security Service, as the agencys acting head.Under Maliuk, the SBU produced some stunning successes against Russia, including Operation Spiderweb, which Ukraine said damaged or destroyed 41 Russian military aircraft in coordinated strikes on four air bases. On Friday, Zelenskyy appointed the head of Ukraines military intelligence as his new chief of staff.Announcing the appointment of Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs to focus on security issues, developing its defense and security forces, and peace talks areas that are overseen by the office of the president.New adviser has been a staunch critic of PutinZelenskyy also is looking to strengthen the war-battered economy, including through projects in partnership with the U.S. and other countries. Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage and is a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a former journalist and Canadian lawmaker. Besides being a former deputy prime minister, she also served as Canadas minister of international trade, foreign minister and finance minister, and helped negotiate trade agreements with both Europe and the U.S.The Harvard University graduate has served as Canadas special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine a position outside the Cabinet in addition to her responsibilities as a lawmaker.Freeland and U.S. President Donald Trump have had a sometimes-fraught relationship that could work against Ukraine. In Trumps first term, Freeland played a key role in negotiating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, and occasionally frustrated Trump aides with her tactics. During Trumps first meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office, the president recalled his own antipathy for Freeland. She was terrible, actually -- she was a terrible person, Trump said.When Freeland left former Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Cabinet, Trump said on social media that her behavior was totally toxic.One opposition lawmaker in Canada argued that Freeland could not be a member of the countrys parliament and at the same time work as an adviser to a foreign government. Ukraine seeks to counter size of Russian forcesIn his New Years address, Zelenskyy said a proposed U.S.-brokered peace deal was 90% ready but warned that the remaining 10%, believed to include issues such as the future of disputed territory, would determine the outcome of the push for peace.Moscow hasnt been forthcoming about details of the negotiations. Officials have, however, restated Russias demands and insist there can be no ceasefire until a comprehensive settlement is agreed.The fighting has not subsided along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line that snakes along southern and eastern Ukraine.Zelenskyy said he met with Budanov on Monday to look at ways to reduce Russias edge in larger armed forces.Russia has one significant advantage in this war, namely the ability to put pressure on Ukraine with the scale of strikes, the scale of assaults, he said on social media. We have and must respond with more active use of technology, faster development of new types of weapons, new tactics.An overnight Russian drone strike at a private clinic in Kyivs Obolon district killed a 30-year-old old patient and injured three others, the capitals prosecutors office said Monday. Energy workers and repair crews worked across the country after Russian drones damaged energy infrastructure, causing more power disruptions for civilians in the bitter winter, Zelenskyy said. Russia fired nine ballistic missiles and 165 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, the air force said Monday.Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an industrial facility in Yelets, in Russias western Lipetsk region, according to regional Gov. Igor Artamonov. There were no casualties, he said.The Russian airports of Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl briefly suspended flights because of Ukrainian drone attacks, authorities said.The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing another 50 Ukrainian drones later Monday over the Belgorod, Kursk and Lipetsk regions.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ILLIA NOVIKOV Novikov is an Associated Press reporter covering news in Ukraine since 2022. He is based in Kyiv. instagram mailto

A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot stands outside the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2026-01-05T12:20:16Z WASHINGTON (AP) Approaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found. Its not on display at the Capitol, as is required by law. Its whereabouts arent publicly known, though its believed to be in storage. A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot hangs outside the office of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot hangs outside the office of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque. And the Trump administrations Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss a police officers lawsuit asking that it be displayed as intended. The Architect of the Capitol, which was responsible for obtaining and displaying the plaque, said in light of the federal litigation, it cannot comment.Determined to preserve the nations history, some 100 members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have taken it upon themselves to memorialize the moment. For months, theyve mounted poster board-style replicas of the Jan. 6 plaque outside their office doors, resulting in a Capitol complex awash with makeshift remembrances.On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on Jan. 6, 2021, reads the faux bronze stand-in for the real thing. Their heroism will never be forgotten. Jan. 6 void in the CapitolIn Washington, a capital city lined with monuments to the nations history, the plaque was intended to become a simple but permanent marker, situated near the Capitols west front, where some of the most violent fighting took place as rioters breached the building.But in its absence, the missing plaque makes way for something else entirely a culture of forgetting. Visitors can pass through the Capitol without any formal reminder of what happened that day, when a mob of President Donald Trumps supporters stormed the building trying to overturn the Republicans 2020 reelection defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. With memory left unchecked, it allows new narratives to swirl and revised histories to take hold. Five years ago, the jarring scene watched the world over was declared an insurrection by the then-GOP leader of the Senate, while the House GOP leader at the time called it his saddest day in Congress. But those condemnations have faded. A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot hangs outside the office of Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot hangs outside the office of Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Trump calls it a day of love. And Johnson, who was among those lawmakers challenging the 2020 election results, is now the House speaker.The question of January 6 remains democracy was on the guillotine how important is that event in the overall sweep of 21st century U.S. history, said Douglas Brinkley, a professor of history at Rice University and noted scholar.Will January 6 be seen as the seminal moment when democracy was in peril? he asked. Or will it be remembered as kind of a weird one-off?Theres not as much consensus on that as one would have thought on the fifth anniversary, he said.Memories shift, but violent legacy lingersAt least five people died in the riot and its aftermath, including Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by police while trying to climb through a window toward the House chamber. More than 140 law enforcement officers were wounded, some gravely, and several died later, some by suicide.All told, some 1,500 people were charged in the Capitol attack, among the largest federal prosecutions in the nations history. When Trump returned to power in January 2025, he pardoned all of them within hours of taking office.Unlike the twin light beams that commemorated the Sept. 11, 2001, attack or the stand-alone chairs at the Oklahoma City bombing site memorial, the failure to recognize Jan. 6 has left a gap not only in memory but in helping to stitch the country back together.Thats why you put up a plaque, said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa. You respect the memory and the service of the people involved. Police sue over Jan. 6 plaque, DOJ seeks to dismissThe speakers office said in a statement late Monday the statute authorizing the plaque is not implementable and proposed alternatives also do not comply. Johnsons spokesman said if Democrats are serious about commemorating the police, theyre free to work with the appropriate committees to develop a framework for proper vetting and consideration.Lawmakers approved the plaque in March 2022 as part of a broader government funding package. The resolution said the U.S. owes its deepest gratitude to those officers, and it set out instructions for an honorific plaque listing the names of officers who responded to the violence that occurred. It gave a one-year deadline for installation at the Capitol.This summer, two officers who fought the mob that day sued over the delay.By refusing to follow the law and honor officers as it is required to do, Congress encourages this rewriting of history, said the claim by officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges. It suggests that the officers are not worthy of being recognized, because Congress refuses to recognize them. The Justice Department is seeking to have the case dismissed. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and others argued Congress already has publicly recognized the service of law enforcement personnel by approving the plaque and displaying it wouldnt alleviate the problems they claim to face from their work.It is implausible, the Justice Department attorneys wrote, to suggest installation of the plaque would stop the alleged death threats they claim to have been receiving.The department also said the plaque is required to include the names of all law enforcement officers involved in the response that day some 3,600 people. Makeshift memorials emergeLawmakers whove installed replicas of the plaque outside their offices said its important for the public to know what happened.There are new generations of people who are just growing up now who dont understand how close we came to losing our democracy on Jan 6, 2021, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the Jan. 6 committee, which was opposed by GOP leadership but nevertheless issued a nearly 1,000-page report investigating the run-up to the attack and the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot stands outside the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot stands outside the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Raskin envisions the Capitol one day holding tours around what happened. People need to study that as an essential part of American history, he said.Think about the dates in American history that we know only by the dates: Theres the 4th of July. Theres December 7th. Theres 9/11. And theres January 6th, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-calif., who also served on the committee and has a plaque outside her office. They really saved my life, and they saved the democracy and they deserve to be thanked for it, she said.But as time passes, there are no longer bipartisan memorial services for Jan. 6. On Tuesday, the Democrats will reconvene members from the Jan. 6 committee for a hearing to examine ongoing threats to free and fair elections, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York announced. Its unlikely Republicans will participate.The Republicans under Johnson have tapped Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia to stand up their own special committee to uncover what the speaker calls the full truth of what happened. Theyre planning a hearing this month.We should stop this silliness of trying to whitewash history -- its not going to happen, said Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., who helped lead the effort to display the replica plaques.I was here that day so Ill never forget, he said. I think that Americans will not forget what happened.The number of makeshift plaques that fill the halls is a testimony to that remembrance, he said.Instead of one plaque, he said, theyve now got 100.

A line forms at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, as jury selection continues in the trial for former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)2026-01-05T05:00:20Z CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) A Texas judge seated a jury Monday in the trial of a former school police officer in Uvalde who was part of the hesitant law enforcement response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history and has been charged with failing to protect children from the gunman.Adrian Gonzales, one of the first officers to respond to the 2022 attack, is charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment in a rare prosecution of an officer accused of not doing more to save lives. Authorities waited more than an hour to confront the teenage shooter who killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.Gonzales has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney has said the officer tried to save children that day.The panel of 12 jurors and four alternates were seated Monday evening by Judge Sid Harle, after hundreds of prospective jurors were asked what they knew about the response and their impressions of what happened. The judge had said the court was not looking for jurors who knew nothing about the shooting but wanted those who could be impartial. About 100 people were dismissed after saying they already formed opinions. One man said more officers should be on trial, while a teacher said she would throw herself in front of her students to protect them. Bill Turner, a special prosecutor, told potential jurors they would would need to consider whether the inaction of the officer proved harmful. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on If there is a duty to act and you fail to act, thats child endangerment, he said. The judge said the trial was expected to last about two weeks.Among the potential witnesses are FBI agents, rangers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, school employees and family members of the victims.Nearly 400 officers from state, local and federal law enforcement agencies responded to the school, but 77 minutes passed from the time authorities arrived until a tactical team breached the classroom and killed the shooter, Salvador Ramos. An investigation later showed that Ramos was obsessed with violence and notoriety in the months leading up to the attack. Gonzales and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo were among the first on the scene, and they are the only two officers to face criminal charges over the response. Arredondos trial has not been scheduled.The charges against Gonzales carry up to two years in prison if he is convicted.Police and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott initially said swift law enforcement action killed Ramos and saved lives. But that version quickly unraveled as families described begging police to go into the building and 911 calls emerged from students pleading for help.The indictment alleges Gonzales placed children in imminent danger of injury or death by failing to engage, distract or delay the shooter and by not following his active shooter training. The allegations also say he did not advance toward the gunfire despite hearing shots and being told where the shooter was.State and federal reviews of the shooting cited cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned why officers waited so long. According to the state review, Gonzales told investigators that once police realized there were students still sitting in other classrooms, he helped evacuate them.Some family members of the victims have said more officers should be indicted.They all waited and allowed children and teachers to die, said Velma Lisa Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of the two teachers who were killed.Prosecutors will likely face a high bar to win a conviction. Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.Sheriffs deputy Scot Peterson was charged with failing to confront the shooter in that attack. It was the first such prosecution in the U.S. for an on-campus shooting, and Peterson was acquitted by a jury in 2023.At the request of Gonzales attorneys, the trial was moved about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast to Corpus Christi. They argued Gonzales could not receive a fair trial in Uvalde, and prosecutors did not object. Uvalde, a town of 15,000, still has several prominent reminders of the shooting. Robb Elementary is closed but still stands, and a memorial of 21 crosses and flower sits near the school sign. Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie was one of the students killed, said even with a three-hour drive to Corpus Christi, the family would like to have someone attend the trial every day.Its important that the jury see that Jackie had a big, strong family, Rizo said.___Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, and Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.

Performing there has become charged and political, the 18-time Grammy winner said.

The job cuts expected this month are part of a plan by the Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, to remake the agency.

With widespread power outages, medicine shortages and rising food prices, experts say Cubas economy has never been worse, with the crisis coming just as the supply of Venezuelan oil is threatened.

President Trumps trusted adviser is casting his hard-right gaze abroad, saying the world must be governed by force.

Policies meant to lure importers to Hainan, a resort island off Chinas coast, signal an opening up, Beijing says. One expert calls it a bait and switch.

The world must not stop supporting dissidents in Belarus despite the release of some from prison.

Federal health officials upended the immunization schedule for American children this week. These are the diseases affected.

Ethylene oxide was once considered an unremarkable pollutant. The colorless gas seeped from relatively few industrial facilities and commanded little public attention.All that changed in 2016, when the Environmental Protection Agency completed a study that found the chemical is 30 times more carcinogenic than previously thought.The agency then spent years updating regulations that protect millions of people who are most exposed to the compound. In 2024, the EPA approved stricter rules that require commercial sterilizers for medical equipment and large chemical plants to slash emissions of ethylene oxide, which causes lymphoma and breast cancer.It was doing what the EPA has done countless times: revising rules based on new scientific knowledge.Now, its ability to do that for many air pollutants is under threat.In government records that have flown under the radar, President Donald Trumps EPA said it is reconsidering whether the agency had the legal authority to update those rules.Chemical companies and their trade organizations have argued that the EPA cannot reevaluate hazardous air pollution rules to account for newly discovered harms if it has revised them once already.It doesnt matter if decades have passed or new information has emerged.If the EPA agrees, environmentalists fear that the decision could have wide implications, significantly curbing the EPAs ability to limit nearly 200 pollutants from thousands of industrial plants. The next time new science reveals that a chemical is much more toxic, or that the amount of pollution released from a factory had been underestimated and would cause legally unacceptable health risks, the agency would not be able to react.Its a poor reflection on this administrations claim that they are actually interested in clean air, said Ana Baptista, a professor of environmental policy and sustainability management at The New School. By saying were no longer going to consider science, its abdicating your mission.The EPA didnt address ProPublicas questions about the ethylene oxide reevaluation or its broader implications. Instead, the agency pointed to a March press release about how it was reconsidering multiple air pollution rules issued by President Joe Bidens administration, including the ones for chemical plants and commercial sterilizers. EPA is committed to using the gold standard of science during these reviews, a spokesperson said in an email. Since day one, EPA has been clear that providing clean air, water, and land for all Americans is a top priority.The EPAs reconsideration focuses on the Clean Air Act, the countrys most powerful air quality law, which regulates hazardous air pollutants for different types of industrial operations. Theres a specific rule for oil refineries, for instance, and another for steel mills. Within eight years after each rule is published, the EPA is required to conduct an assessment, called a residual risk review, to decide if an update is necessary.These assessments use detailed data on the quantity of emissions coming from each facility, the toxicity of each chemical and other information on how the chemicals are released and dispersed in the air. The combined data reveals how the emissions put local residents at risk of cancer, respiratory diseases, reproductive harm and other health problems.If the EPA determines the overall risks exceed whats allowed under the law, the agency must tighten the rules.The Clean Air Act doesnt say whether the EPA is required to conduct additional residual risk reviews after the first one. Nor does it specifically prohibit the agency from doing so.As far back as 2006, the EPA under President George W. Bush asserted that the agency had the right to revisit and revise the rules based on risk.The issue became newly relevant in 2021, when the EPAs Office of Inspector General cited the new conclusions about the toxicity of ethylene oxide. The office estimated that nearly half a million Americans were exposed to unacceptable cancer risks from industrial emissions by chemical plants, commercial sterilizers and other facilities pumping out ethylene oxide.In its report, the inspector generals office advised the agency to exercise its discretionary authority to conduct new residual risk reviews as needed when new data or information indicates an air pollutant is more toxic than previously determined. (The inspector general was a Trump appointee.)The EPA had already conducted the first, mandatory risk reviews for large chemical plants and commercial sterilizers in the early 2000s. In response to the inspector general report, the agency launched additional reviews using the updated science on ethylene oxide. Ultimately, the EPA determined the health risks were unacceptable and revised the rules to lower them. The agency asserted that the Clean Air Act does not limit our discretion or authority to conduct another risk review should we consider that such review is warranted.According to the EPAs estimates, the new regulations for chemical plants under the 2024 revised rule would cut the number of nearby residents who are exposed to unacceptable cancer risks from 90,000 to 3,000.But the chemical industry opposed the stricter rules. Industry representatives disagreed with the EPAs new assessment of ethylene oxide, contending that it overestimated the risk the chemical posed, and argued the agency didnt have the authority to conduct those risk reviews. In a 2023 letter, the American Chemistry Council said the Agency has erred in conducting a new risk review, as the plain text of the Clean Air Act indicates that EPA actually lacks this authority.Similarly, the Louisiana Chemical Association submitted public comments on the chemical plant rule stating the EPA has no statutory authority to conduct a second risk review and that doing so was arbitrary and capricious.David Cresson, president and CEO of the association, told ProPublica that the trade group supports protecting the publics health through regulatory frameworks that are lawful, while remaining based in sound science.Brendan Bradley, a spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council, said the organization had no further comment on the issue.After Trump was inaugurated, one of his appointees to the EPA let the industry know the agency was conducting a reconsideration of the two rules focused on ethylene oxide emissions. Last spring, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Abigale Tardif, a former oil and gas lobbyist, hinted at how the EPA might challenge those rules.In letters addressed to trade groups representing commercial sterilizers and chemical plants, Tardif said the agency was reconsidering multiple issues related to the rules, including the EPAs authority and decision to undertake a second residual risk review under the Clean Air Act, as well as the analysis and determinations made in that review, and the resulting risk standards.Tardif didnt respond to requests for comment.The agency also filed a regulatory notice about its plans to revise the 2024 chemical plant rule. Citing the part of the Clean Air Act that deals with the updated rule assessments, the notice said the EPA had identified items for reconsideration around its CAA section 112(f)(2) residual risk review authority.While the stricter ethylene oxide rules are technically still in effect, the Trump administration has exempted dozens of large chemical plants and sterilizer facilities from following them as the agency works through a formal process that is widely expected to result in watered-down standards.If the Trump EPA does decide it lacks the legal authority to conduct multiple risk reviews, the agency might still have the authority to strengthen hazardous air pollution rules by using a separate part of the Clean Air Act, said Abel Russ, a senior attorney at the Environmental Integrity Project, an advocacy group. That section of the act allows the EPA to update a rule if agency scientists conclude that better pollution-control technology is affordable and available. But limiting the agencys ability to conduct residual risk reviews would be a serious blow to the act, Russ said, kneecapping the agencys authority over these toxic pollutants.Environmental groups will almost certainly sue if the EPA concludes it does not have the legal authority to revise hazardous air pollution rules more than once based on risk. Russ called industrys comments absurd and said they dont account for the reality that our knowledge of industrial pollution is changing all the time.As ProPublica reported in October, the agency recently received clear evidence that many industrial facilities are leaking far more pollution than the companies that own them previously reported. In 2023, researchers who conducted their own air monitoring in the industrial corridor of Louisiana known as Cancer Alley found much higher concentrations of ethylene oxide than expected. For more than half the areas they sampled, the local cancer risk from ethylene oxide would be unacceptable if residents were exposed to these concentrations over a lifetime.If the EPA decides it lacks the legal authority to conduct multiple risk reviews, it would find itself in the position of not being able to take action even if the agency confirmed similar results.The whole premise of risk assessment is that its based on the best available science, said Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist at the Environmental Integrity Project. As our knowledge grows, researchers tend to find that chemicals are linked to additional health effects, she added, so blocking these updates pretty much ensures the EPA is underestimating the risks.The post Trumps EPA Could Limit Its Own Ability to Use New Science to Strengthen Air Pollution Rules appeared first on ProPublica.

The former envoy Elliott Abrams says the administration should push harder.