U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2026-01-09T20:29:22Z BOSTON (AP) A federal judge said Friday that she expects to temporarily block efforts by the Trump administration to end a program that offered temporary legal protections for more than 10,000 family members of citizens and green card holders.U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said at a hearing that she planned to issue a temporary restraining order but did not say when it would be issued. This case is part of a broader effort by the administration to end temporary legal protection for numerous groups and comes just over a week since another judge ruled that hundreds of people from South Sudan may live and work in the United States legally. The government, having invited people to apply, is now laying traps between those people and getting the green card, Justin Cox, an attorney who works with Justice Action Center and who argued the case for the plaintiffs, said. That is incredibly inequitable. This case involved a program called Family Reunification Parole, or FRP, and impacts people from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras. Most of them are set to lose their legal protections, which were put in place during the Biden administration, by Jan. 14. The Department of Homeland Security terminated protections late last year. The case involves five plaintiffs but lawyers are seeking to have any ruling cover everyone that is part of the program. Although in a temporary status, these parolees did not come temporarily; they came to get a jump-start on their new lives in the United States, typically bringing immediate family members with them, plaintiffs wrote in their motion. Since they arrived, FRP parolees have gotten employment authorization documents, jobs, and enrolled their kids in school.The government, in its brief and in court, argued Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has the authority to terminate any parole program and gave adequate notice by publishing the termination in the federal registry. It also argued that the programs termination was necessary on national security grounds because the people had not been property vetted. It also said resources to maintain this program would be better used in other immigration programs. Parole can be terminated at any time, Katie Rose Talley, a lawyer for the government told the court. That is what is being done. There is nothing unlawful about that.Talwani conceded that the government can end the program but she took issue with the way it was done. The government argued that just announcing in the federal registry that it was ending the program was sufficient. But Talwani demanded the government show how it has alerted people through a written notice a letter or email that the program was ending. I understand why plaintiffs feel like they came here and made all these plans and were going to be here for a very long time, Talwani said. I have a group of people who are trying to follow the law. I am saying to you that, we as Americans, the United States needs to. Lower courts have largely supported keeping temporary protections for many groups. But in May, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants for now, pushing the total number of people who could be newly exposed to deportation to nearly 1 million.The justices lifted a lower-court order that kept humanitarian parole protections in place for more than 500,000 migrants from four countries: Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The decision came after the court allowed the administration to revoke temporary legal status from about 350,000 Venezuelan migrants in another case.The court did not explain its reasoning in the brief order, as is typical on its emergency docket. Two justices publicly dissented. MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

Wrexham celebrated victory over Premier League opposition for the first time in 26 years, as they beat last season's semifinalists Nottingham Forest in penalty shootout in the FA Cup third round on Friday.

Steve Alexander highlights fantasy basketball names trending upward or downward, with key takeaways for each.

The opera, which has performed at the arts center since 1971, was concerned about declines in attendance and donations during President Trumps second term.

Protests have rocked Iran in recent weeks, and the countrys supreme leader has threatened to escalate a crackdown on demonstrators. Erika Solomon, our bureau chief for Iran and Iraq, discusses whats fueling the protests with our senior writer Katrin Bennhold.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not call the shootings justified, but said New York Police officers were placed in incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Even as the selection of a career agent, Christopher G. Raia, leaves an unusual three-person leadership structure in place, it returns a career agent to the second highest-ranking post.

In an executive order, President Trump is aiming to punish defense contractors that dont deliver weapons quickly enough.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson hailed their "special" FA Cup giant-killing triumph over Premier League Nottingham Forest and expressed his delight that the Welsh club's Hollywood owner Ryan Reynolds was there to see it.

Large marches against the government occurred despite an internet blackout and threats of a severe crackdown.

Venezuelas interim government said it would release an important number of imprisoned people, but only nine have been confirmed freed.

Without her parents knowledge, her portrait was entered as a prank in a contest in 1935 to represent the ideal Aryan infant and she won.

The president continued to advance an imperialist vision of American foreign policy, where the U.S. can dominate neighboring countries whether they like it or not.

Also, protests spread across Iran. Heres the latest at the end of Friday.

The Commanders have promoted David Blough to offensive coordinator after only two years as an assistant quarterbacks coach, a source told ESPN.

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators hurled threats at each other outside an event promoting real estate sales in Jerusalem. The mayor said those actions had no place in our city.

The president met with executives on a day when the U.S. seized another tanker carrying Venezuelan oil.

Summit Properties USA won an auction on Friday to buy more than 5,000 apartments out of bankruptcy from the Pinnacle Group despite City Halls efforts to intervene.

The review comes as the federal government escalates its immigration enforcement in the state.

Trae Young was introduced to the home crowd with a video during the first quarter of Washington's game against New Orleans.

The move was part of a broader effort to to freeze social services to some Democratic-led states amid a fraud investigation in Minnesota.

The Department of Homeland Security posted a clip of the video on social media and said it was taken by the agent, who killed a 37-year-old woman in the shooting.

The copy of Action Comics No. 1, published in 1938, was stolen from the actor Nicolas Cage in 2000 and recovered more than a decade later.

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His discovery of the protein fragment GLP-1 was crucial in the development of Ozempic, Wegovy and other blockbuster obesity and diabetes treatments.

In moves that embodied the contradictions and fast-changing nature of the two countries relationship, both said on Friday that they were eyeing reopening embassies and restoring long-severed diplomatic ties.

How either Miami or Indiana can win the title, plus X factors for both teams.

Amber Glenn wins her third consecutive U.S. Figure Skating title with a stunning free skate performance.

Undefeated Indiana's already impressive march through the College Football Playoff continued Friday with a 56-22 win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal.

President Trumps retaliation against top officials at the International Criminal Court has shut them out of American services and made even routine daily tasks a challenge.

The German automakers sales in the United States plunged last year, hit by tariffs and the end of tax credits for electric vehicles.

The president revived a campaign promise he has not actively pursued since taking office.

Kevin Durant passed Wilt Chamberlain for seventh on the NBA's career scoring list when he hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter of the Rockets' game against the Trail Blazers on Friday night.

The WNBA and its players' union failed to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement or an extension of the previous one at Friday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.

The Oregon Ducks sustained a second straight ugly exit from the College Football Playoff on Friday, with three first-half turnovers in a 56-22 loss to Indiana.

Actor Timothy Busfield smiles before an NFL football game in Detroit, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)2026-01-10T03:47:31Z Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant Friday for director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield to face a child sex abuse charge. An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint in support of the charge, which says a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of The Cleaning Lady, a TV series Busfield directed and acted in. The child said the first incident happened when he was 7 years old and Busfield touched him three or four times. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was 8. The childs mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said. Busfields attorney and agent did not immediately respond to email messages seeking comment late Friday. The arrest warrant, which was signed by a judge, said the charge is for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor. According to the complaint, the child, which it identifies only by his initials, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him and woken up scared. The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital. The childs parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said. The Cleaning Lady aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It starred Elodie Yung as a Cambodian doctor who comes to the United States to get medical treatment for her son, witnesses a mob killing and ends up becoming a cleaner for organized crime. The show was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.Busfield is known for appearances in The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991. He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert; there was no immediate response to an email sent to her publicist. AUDREY McAVOY McAvoy is a Honolulu-based reporter who covers news in Hawaii and beyond. twitter mailto

Children watch television at ABC Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)2026-01-10T00:07:04Z A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trumps administration cannot block federal money for child care subsidies and other programs aimed at supporting low-income families with children from flowing to five Democratic-led states for now.The states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York argued that a policy announced Tuesday to freeze billions of dollars in funds for three grant programs is having an immediate impact on them and creating operational chaos. In court filings and a hearing earlier Friday, the states contended that the government did not have a legal reason for withholding the money from them.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was pausing the funding because it had reason to believe the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those states and not others. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze but said the five states met a legal threshold to protect the status quo for at least 14 days while arguments are made in court. Health department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The affected programs are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs. The five states say they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year from the programs.New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the lawsuit, called the ruling a critical victory for families whose lives have been upended by this administrations cruelty. The government had requested reams of data from the five states, including the names and Social Security numbers of everyone who received benefits from some of the programs since 2022.The states argue that the effort is unconstitutional and is intended to go after Trumps political adversaries rather than to stamp out fraud in government programs something the states say they already do.Jessica Ranucci, a lawyer in James office, said during the Friday hearing that at least four of the states had already had money delayed after requesting it. She said that if the states cant get child care funds, there will be immediate uncertainty for providers and families who rely on the programs.A lawyer for the federal government, Kamika Shaw, said it was her understanding that the money had not stopped flowing to states.The other 45 states face a new requirement to check attendance at child care centers and submit strong justification for the use of funds that aligns with the programs purpose.At about the same time the judge stopped the freeze on the child care subsidies, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the administration would freeze about $130 million a year in funding from her agency to Minnesota. Rollins said the states inability to stop fraud schemes led to the decision. Seventy-eight people have been charged since 2022 and 57 convicted after federal prosecutors said the Minnesota nonprofit group Feeding Our Future stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzs office did not immediately have a comment Friday evening. The states attorney general, Keith Ellison, said hed fight the new freeze of funds in court.In a letter to Walz that Rollins shared on social media, she suggested the state could restore its access to the funding by providing justification for how it spent federal dollars over the past year. All the states future transactions involving money from the agency will require the same justification, she said.Walz and Minnesota have become a main target of the administration in Trumps second term. Last month the president called the states Somali population garbage in the wake of the Feeding Our Futures investigation and other fraud cases involving Somali defendants. And this week the administration launched the largest immigration enforcement operation in history in Minneapolis, leading to a fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. GEOFF MULVIHILL Mulvihill covers topics on the agendas of state governments across the country. He has focused on abortion, gender issues and opioid litigation. twitter mailto HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Schoenbaum is a government and politics reporter based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also covers general news in the Rockies and LGBTQ+ rights policies in U.S. statehouses. twitter mailto

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) reacts during the second half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal against Oregon, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)2026-01-10T04:14:50Z ATLANTA (AP) Indiana is headed to the national championship game for the first time in program history. For Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, that means a chance to end a fairytale season in the place where his story first began.Its been a historic season for Indiana, and Mendoza is largely to credit. Indiana won its first Big Ten title since 1967, beat Ohio State for the first time since 1988, earned the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, won its first Rose Bowl, and in December, Mendoza became the programs first Heisman Trophy winner.After a five touchdown performance and 56-22 rout of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, theres now just one item left on the checklist for Mendoza and the Hoosiers and thats beating Miami on its home turf in the championship game. It will be a homecoming for the quarterback, who grew up in Miami and attended Christopher Columbus High School, roughly 30 minutes south of Hard Rock Stadium. Ive actually not played in Hard Rock before, but Ive been to a lot of games there, Mendoza said. Its a very full circle moment. If you open Google Maps and put my address to the University of Miami campus, its under a mile away. Mendoza said he often biked and walked over, played rec basketball and spent the offseason training on campus, but the Miami and Mendoza connections dont end there. Mendozas dad was a high school teammate of with Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal. The Heisman winner is familiar with the Hurricanes. He played for two years at California, including the programs inaugural season in the ACC in 2024, before transferring to Indiana in 2025. He faced his hometown team once, in October 2024, and threw for 285 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 39-38 loss.Hes looking forward to a rematch.They did switch defensive coordinators and last year was a very different offensive scheme as well, Mendoza said. It was a tight game. Cam Ward, who ended up being the No. 1 overall pick. That game came down to the wire... We lost that one by one point. It was heartbreaking, so just looking for the opportunity to play them again. Mendoza has performed well under bright lights, and the Peach Bowl was no exception. He finished the game completing 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns. He added 28 rushing yards on six carries and had a passer rating of 241.8.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football MAURA CAREY Carey runs the live blog for APs Top 25 college football poll every week. She is an Associated Press sports writer based in Atlanta. twitter instagram mailto

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo helped seal Milwaukee's 105-101 victory against the Lakers on Friday night with a pair of clutch defensive plays down the stretch against LeBron James.

Minneapolis Public Schools families, educators and students hold signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools and Minnesota following the killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by federal agents earlier on Wednesday. (Kerem Ycel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)2026-01-09T17:31:31Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minneapolis school system will offer families the option of remote learning for a month, officials said Friday, responding to concerns that children might feel unsafe venturing out in a city where tensions are high over federal immigration enforcement.Under the temporary plan, teachers will simultaneously deliver lessons from their classrooms to students in the classroom and at home, similar to the way many did during the COVID-19 pandemic.Immigration enforcement in cities across the U.S. has led to dips in attendance, parents and educators say. Advocates in other cities facing federal interventions have sought remote learning options, particularly for immigrant families that might feel vulnerable, but Minneapolis appears to be one of the few districts to reintroduce the option of virtual learning.This meets a really important need for our students who are not able to come to school right now, a Minneapolis school administrator wrote in an email to their staff late Thursday. Administrators emails to staff indicate the decision to offer remote learning wasnt a quick one. They refer to long meetings with input from school principals and the teachers union, acknowledging the planning and coordination required to deliver virtual school. In light of the devastating academic and emotional impact remote learning had during the pandemic, some also see it as a last resort. A desire to keep students engaged in school appeared to prevail. This will keep them safe and help them keep up with their work, the school administrator explained in one of the emails obtained by The Associated Press. It will also allow them to be counted present, so we dont have a ton of dropouts next week. Schools see remote learning as a way to help in stressful timesThat Minneapolis, a district of nearly 30,000 students, would willingly offer remote learning again suggests a new level of fear after an onslaught of federal attention and conflict. Theres been President Donald Trumps verbal attacks on the Somali community living there, a pledge to send 2,000 federal immigration agents and a federal agents deadly shooting of Renee Good, a mother of three and a U.S. citizen, on Wednesday. On the same day as the shooting, immigration enforcement agents detained someone outside the citys Roosevelt High School around dismissal time, which led to altercations with bystanders. The Minneapolis Federation of Educators said agents deployed tear gas and detained an educator before releasing them.We will not tolerate ICE inhibiting our citys youth from their constitutional right to attend school safely or inhibiting educators from doing their job, the union said.Federal officials said agents had been pursuing a U.S. citizen who rammed a Border Patrol vehicle before a 5-mile (8-kilometer) chase that ended outside the school. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, who has been in Minneapolis this week, said on social media that protesters assaulted agents and there were four total arrests.It used to be that school campuses were no-go zones for immigration arrests, but Trump dismissed that guidance early in his second term. The way ICE has escalated in our community has made it so that there are people who feel unsafe coming to and from school, said Natasha Dockter, first vice president of the local union representing Minneapolis public school teachers. Weve, you know, heard concerns from our members, from families, and wanted to advocate that there is an option for remote learning.Boisey Corvah, a 15-year-old sophomore at South High School, said students have been sharing videos from social media of the shooting and the episode at Roosevelt High. He said he worries especially about his friends who are Latino because of possible encounters with immigration enforcement, and the crackdowns effects for their mental health.Theyre probably going to have to go straight home, you know. They wont be able to hang out with their friends, he said. Other districts have considered offering virtual optionsThis fall, Chicago school board members called for a remote option during a federal intervention there, but Chicago Public Schools has resisted offering it. New York state last year allowed districts to offer virtual schooling to students afraid of Trumps immigration crackdown, but its not clear how many districts took advantage of it. One concern some school districts have raised is they are normally prohibited from asking families about their immigration status. If the school offers virtual learning for students worried about immigration enforcement, it could unintentionally identify that someone in their home is here illegally.To get around this problem, advocates have urged districts to offer the option to everyone, not just students from immigrant homes.We are hoping and recommending for districts to have flexible options for all of their students. Learning doesnt necessarily have to happen in the classroom, said Viridiana Carrizales, chief executive officer of ImmSchools, a Texas-based group that consults with school districts on their policies for immigrant students. Carrizales said shes working with districts in New Jersey, New York and Texas on trying to help worried parents who are keeping children home from school and even withdrawing them. The conversations have become more urgent in the past few weeks, she said, because school districts are losing students.Some districts that already had ongoing virtual programs have seen an uptick in demand since Trump returned to office. In the Portland, Oregon, suburb of Hillsboro, the school district has opened enrollment slots at its online academy, district spokesperson Beth Graser said.In a statement Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Education said districts and charter schools can provide remote options for enrolled students.Plans for online instruction need to consider how the needs of all students can be met, including students with disabilities and students learning English, Commissioner Willie Jett said. Minneapolis public schools were closed Thursday and Friday because of the tumult, but the district directed teachers to report to their school building to receive more details from administrators about the online instruction option. The virtual option will be available until Feb. 12, the district said.___Associated Press writer Claire Rush contributed to this report from Portland, Oregon. Vzquez Toness reported from Boston. REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto STEVE KARNOWSKI Karnowski covers politics and government from Minnesota for The Associated Press. He also covers the ongoing fallout from the murder of George Floyd, courts and the environment, among other topics. twitter mailto BIANCA VZQUEZ TONESS Vzquez Toness is an Associated Press reporter who writes about the continuing impact of the pandemic on young people and their education. twitter mailto

This frame grab from a video released Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, by Iranian state television shows a man holding a device to document burning vehicles during a night of mass protests in Zanjan, Iran. (Iranian state TV via AP)2026-01-10T08:48:25Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Protests sweeping across Iran neared the two-week mark Saturday, with the countrys government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 65 people killed and over 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings.The United States supports the brave people of Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote Saturday on the social platform X. The State Department separately warned: Do not play games with President Trump. When he says hell do something, he means it. State TV split-screen highlights Irans challengeSaturday marks the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Internal Iranian government websites are believed to be functioning.State TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the Epic of Khorramshahr by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war launched by Israel, honors Irans 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair to protest the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well. Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night, a state TV anchor reported. After a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to peoples private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night. That was directly contradicted by an online video verified by The Associated Press that showed demonstrations in northern Tehrans Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands on the street.Death to Khamenei! a man chanted.The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. In it, a protester appeared to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw gasoline bombs at what appeared to be a government compound. The Young Journalists Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guards all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well as one person slain in Mashhad. State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shiite seminary city just south of Tehran. More weekend demonstrations planned Irans theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatars state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work. Irans exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday with Irans old lion-and-sun flag, used during the time of the shah. Pahlavis support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isnt clear whether thats support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the countrys economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Irans theocracy. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

Protesters confront federal agents outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)2026-01-10T05:40:14Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Protests against immigration enforcement are planned for cities and towns across the country on Saturday after one federal officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.The demonstrations come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Donald Trumps administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who weaponized their vehicles to attack officers. Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed ICE Out for Good using the acronym for the agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year. In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot in a residential neighborhood on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Goods life and call for an end to deadly terror on our streets. Protests held in the neighborhood so far have been peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and agents guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown. The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part. Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Tourists kayak at sea in front of Nuuk Cathedral in Nuuk, Greenland, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Kwiyeon Ha, File)2026-01-10T09:56:30Z NUUK, Greenland (AP) Greenlands party leaders have rejected President Donald Trumps repeated calls for the U.S. to take control of the island, saying that Greenlands future must be decided by its people. We dont want to be Americans, we dont want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and four party leaders said in a statement Friday night.Trump said again on Friday that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region thats part of NATO ally Denmark, the easy way. He said that if the U.S. doesnt own it, then Russia or China will take it over, and the U.S. does not want them as neighbors.If we dont do it the easy way, were going to do it the hard way, Trump said, without explaining what that entailed. The White House said it is considering a range of options, including using military force, to acquire the island. Greenlands party leaders reiterated that Greenlands future must be decided by the Greenlandic people.As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States contempt for our country ends, the statement said. Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss the renewed push by the White House for the control of the island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO. The party leaders statement said that the work on Greenlands future takes place in dialogue with the Greenlandic people and is prepared on the basis of international laws.No other country can interfere in this, they said. We must decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure for quick decision, delay or interference from other countries.The statement was signed by Nielsen, Pele Broberg, Mte B. Egede, Aleqa Hammond and Aqqalu C. Jerimiassen. While Greenland is the largest island in the world, it has a population of around 57,000 and doesnt have its own military. Defense is provided by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by that of the U.S.Its unclear how the remaining NATO members would respond if the U.S. decided to forcibly take control of the island or if they would come to Denmarks aid. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A plane carrying Donald Trump Jr. lands in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 7, 2025. (Emil Stach/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, file)2026-01-10T05:36:26Z U.S. President Donald Trump wants to own Greenland. He has repeatedly said the United States must take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich island, which is a semiautonomous region thats part of NATO ally Denmark.Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss a renewed push by the White House, which is considering a range of options, including using military force, to acquire the island.Trump said Friday he is going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.If its not done the easy way, were going to do it the hard way, he said without elaborating what that could entail. In an interview Thursday, he told The New York Times that he wants to own Greenland because ownership gives you things and elements that you cant get from just signing a document. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO, and Greenlanders say they dont want to become part of the U.S.This is a look at some of the ways the U.S. could take control of Greenland and the potential challenges. Military action could alter global relationsTrump and his officials have indicated they want to control Greenland to enhance American security and explore business and mining deals. But Imran Bayoumi, an associate director at the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said the sudden focus on Greenland is also the result of decades of neglect by several U.S. presidents towards Washingtons position in the Arctic.The current fixation is partly down to the realization we need to increase our presence in the Arctic, and we dont yet have the right strategy or vision to do so, he said. If the U.S. took control of Greenland by force, it would plunge NATO into a crisis, possibly an existential one.While Greenland is the largest island in the world, it has a population of around 57,000 and doesnt have its own military. Defense is provided by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by that of the U.S. Its unclear how the remaining members of NATO would respond if the U.S. decided to forcibly take control of the island or if they would come to Denmarks aid.If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, Frederiksen has said.Trump said he needs control of the island to guarantee American security, citing the threat from Russian and Chinese ships in the region, but its not true said Lin Mortensgaard, an expert on the international politics of the Arctic at the Danish Institute for International Studies, or DIIS. While there are probably Russian submarines as there are across the Arctic region there are no surface vessels, Mortensgaard said. China has research vessels in the Central Arctic Ocean, and while the Chinese and Russian militaries have done joint military exercises in the Arctic, they have taken place closer to Alaska, she said.Bayoumi, of the Atlantic Council, said he doubted Trump would take control of Greenland by force because its unpopular with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and would likely fundamentally alter U.S. relationships with allies worldwide. The U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement, and Denmark and Greenland would be quite happy to accommodate a beefed up American military presence, Mortensgaard said.For that reason, blowing up the NATO alliance for something Trump has already, doesnt make sense, said Ulrik Pram Gad, an expert on Greenland at DIIS. Bilateral agreements may assist effort U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a select group of U.S. lawmakers this week that it was the Republican administrations intention to eventually purchase Greenland, as opposed to using military force. Danish and Greenlandic officials have previously said the island isnt for sale.Its not clear how much buying the island could cost, or if the U.S. would be buying it from Denmark or Greenland. Washington also could boost its military presence in Greenland through cooperation and diplomacy, without taking it over, Bayoumi said. One option could be for the U.S. to get a veto over security decisions made by the Greenlandic government, as it has in islands in the Pacific Ocean, Gad said.Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have a Compact of Free Association, or COFA, with the U.S.That would give Washington the right to operate military bases and make decisions about the islands security in exchange for U.S. security guarantees and around $7 billion of yearly economic assistance, according to the Congressional Research Service.Its not clear how much that would improve upon Washingtons current security strategy. The U.S. already operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, and can bring as many troops as it wants under existing agreements. Influence operations expected to failGreenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz told The Associated Press that Greenlanders want more rights, including independence, but dont want to become part of the U.S. Gad suggested influence operations to persuade Greenlanders to join the U.S. would likely fail. He said that is because the community on the island is small and the language is inaccessible.Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen summoned the top U.S. official in Denmark in August to complain that foreign actors were seeking to influence the countrys future. Danish media reported that at least three people with connections to Trump carried out covert influence operations in Greenland.Even if the U.S. managed to take control of Greenland, it would likely come with a large bill, Gad said. Thats because Greenlanders currently have Danish citizenship and access to the Danish welfare system, including free health care and schooling. To match that, Trump would have to build a welfare state for Greenlanders that he doesnt want for his own citizens, Gad said.Disagreement unlikely to be resolvedSince 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations to 200 at the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island, Rasmussen said last year. The base supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News on Thursday that Denmark has neglected its missile defense obligations in Greenland, but Mortensgaard said that it makes little sense to criticize Denmark, because the main reason why the U.S. operates the Pituffik base in the north of the island is to provide early detection of missiles. The best outcome for Denmark would be to update the defense agreement, which allows the U.S. to have a military presence on the island and have Trump sign it with a gold-plated signature, Gad said.But he suggested thats unlikely because Greenland is handy to the U.S president.When Trump wants to change the news agenda including distracting from domestic political problems he can just say the word Greenland and this starts all over again, Gad said. EMMA BURROWS Burrows covers security, defense and intelligence for The Associated Press in Europe. She is based in London. twitter

Rescuers continue operations on a collapsed waste segregation facility in Binaliw, Cebu city, central Philippines on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Hernandez)2026-01-10T06:29:23Z MANILA, Philippines (AP) Rescuers detected signs of life in an avalanche of garbage that killed at least four workers and left more than 30 others missing Thursday in a central Philippines landfill and plan to intensify search efforts, an official said Saturday.Twelve workers have been rescued with injuries from the huge mound of garbage that collapsed among the low-slung buildings of a waste management facility in the village of Binaliw in Cebu City, authorities said.Dozens of rescuers including police, firefighters and disaster-response personnel have raced against time to find more survivors in dangerous conditions in the rubble of twisted tin roofs, iron bars and combustible heaps of garbage and debris.Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation and the deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane, which is enroute with police escort, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a statement. Safety of responders remains paramount due to hazards such as unstable debris and acetylene risks, prompting adjustments to the security perimeter and controlled access, Archival said. The four dead, including an engineer and a female office worker, were all employees of the landfill and waste management facility with a staff of 110, according to the mayor and police.The initial list of victims on Friday included two dead and 36 missing, which increased Saturday to four dead, according to Archival, who did not provide an updated nunber of people missing. The cause of the collapse of the mountain of garbage remains unclear, but a survivor told The Associated Press on Friday that it happened in an instant without any warning despite fairly good weather at the time.Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, said the wall of garbage cascaded down and destroyed the administrative office he was in. He extricated himself with bruises on his face and arms by crawling in darkness in the rubble and debris. I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared there will be more landslides, Antigua said. It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.It is unclear how the accident would affect garbage disposal in the landfill in Cebu, a bustling port city of nearly a million people that serves as a regional hub for trade, commerce and tourism.Preparations are also underway to manage the looming garbage collection issue, Archival said in his statement without further details.Such landfills and open dumpsites have long been a source of safety and health concerns throughout the Philippines, especially in areas close to poor communities where many residents scavenge for junk and leftover food in the garbage heaps.In July 2000, a huge garbage mound in a shantytown in suburban Quezon City, part of metropolitan Manila, collapsed and ignited a fire after days of stormy weather.The disaster left more than 200 people dead and many more missing, damaged scores of shanties and prompted a law requiring the closure of illegal dump sites nationwide, as well as improved and more sustainable waste management by authorities. JIM GOMEZ Gomez is The AP Chief Correspondent in the Philippines. twitter mailto

New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2026-01-10T00:01:32Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Washington National Opera announced Friday that it will move performances away from the Kennedy Center in another high-profile departure following President Donald Trumps takeover of the U.S. capitals leading performing arts venue. The opera said it will seek to end its affiliation with the Kennedy Center through an amicable transition and will return to operating independently. It cited financial constraints imposed after Trump fired the Kennedy Centers board and installed allies to oversee it. The opera will reduce its spring season and move performances to other venues to ensure fiscal prudence and fulfill its obligations for a balanced budget, the opera said in a statement. The statement did not mention Trump or the decision by the Kennedy Centers new board to add the presidents name to the venue. Though Congress still formally calls it the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the buildings exterior and website now refer to it as the Trump Kennedy Center. Ric Grenell, a Trump aide serving as the Centers interim executive director, said the venue has spent millions to support the Washington National Opera but it continues to operate at a deficit. Parting ways will provide the flexibility and funds to bring in operas from around the world and across the U.S., Grenell wrote on X. Artists ranging from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to rock star Peter Wolf have called off events at the Kennedy Center since Trump ousted the previous leadership early last year and arranged for himself to head the board of trustees. The December rebranding as the Trump Kennedy Center led to a new wave of cancellations. Opera officials said the Centers new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance, which it said is incompatible with opera operations. Ticket sales cover only a fraction of production costs, and opera companies rely on grants and donations to make up the difference but cant secure them years in advance, when theyre planning productions. The business model also doesnt accommodate the operas model practice of using revenue from popular works to subsidize lower-grossing, lesser-known works, the opera said. I have been proud to be affiliated with a national monument to the human spirit, a place that has long served as an inviting home for our ever-growing family of artists and opera lovers, said Francesca Zambello, the Washington National Operas artistic director for the past 14 years.She vowed to continue offering a variety of shows, from monumental classics to more contemporary works.Late Friday, WNO productions of Treemonisha, The Crucible and West Side Story were still listed on the Kennedy Center website. JONATHAN J. COOPER Cooper is a national politics reporter based in Phoenix. He previously covered news and politics in Arizona, California and Oregon. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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