Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, right, speaks with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, center, and Doug Goodwin, who's home was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif., Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)2025-01-13T05:12:05Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Weaker winds and intense firefighting efforts over the weekend boosted containment of fires burning in and around Los Angeles, but the effects of the blazes on the entertainment world continue.Several projects and awards shows have been delayed, with the Producers Guild opting not to announce its nominations Sunday due to ongoing effects of the fire. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, also announced she would not launch a Netflix lifestyles program until March.After a fierce battle Saturday, firefighters managed to fight back flames in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near Pacific Palisades not far from the coast, where swooping helicopters dumped water as the blaze charged downhill. While firefighters have been able to push the flames away from several populated areas, strong winds are expected to resume this week and last through Wednesday. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and 24 people have died as a result of the fires. More are reported missing and officials expect that number to increase.Heres more on how the fires are affecting celebrities and the entertainment world. Meghan delays launch of Netflix seriesThe Duchess of Sussex has pushed back the release of her new Netflix series due to the wildfires that have ravaged the LA-area.With Love, Meghan was set to debut Wednesday, but the streaming service said Sunday that it supports her request to push the premiere to focus on helping those affected by the fires.The Duchess was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Montecito, California, with Harry, the Duke of Sussex and their two children.On Saturday, the royal couple visited Pasadena to hand out food and water to fire victims and thank first responders.With Love, Meghan is a lifestyle program featuring the Duchess chatting with celebrity pals and demonstrating tasks like floral arrangements and baking. Ive always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it, Meghan says in the trailer. The show will now drop March 4. Composer Arnold Schoenbergs original work lost in firesThe publisher Arnold Schoenbergs works says original manuscripts and scores from the composer were lost in the Los Angeles wild fires.Belmont Music Publishers, located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, made the announcement Sunday.We have lost our full inventory of sales and rental materials, the company said in a statement. We hope that in the near future we will be able to rise from the ashes in a completely digital form. There are some scores and performing materials for which we have digital scans.Born in Austria, Schoenberg moved to the U.S. when the Nazis took power and settled in Los Angeles, where he died in 1951.Schoenberg gained attention for a 12-tone technique of composition and along with his students, including Alban Berg and Anton Webern, became known as the Second Viennese School. Among his most-known works are Ewartung, Gurre-Lieder, Verklrte Nacht and Pierrot lunaire.Screen Actors Guild pledges $1 million to fire relief effortsThe Screen Actors Guild has joined the Walt Disney Co., the Grammys and other entertainment entities pledging millions in relief to help those affected by the fires.SAG announced it would commit $1 million to help members affected by the fires. While a lot of attention has been paid to stars who have lost homes, numerous less-famous industry workers have also lost homes or been displaced by the fires. ___Associated Press Writers Alicia Rancilio and Ron Blum contributed to this report.

Vehicles and trucks for export wait for transportation from a port in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province on Jan. 2, 2025. (Chinatopix via AP)2025-01-13T03:30:18Z HONG KONG (AP) Chinas exports in December grew at a faster pace than expected, as factories rushed to fill orders to beat higher tariffs that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose once he takes office. Exports rose 10.7% from a year earlier. Economists had forecast they would grow about 7%. Imports rose 1% year-on-year. Analysts had expected them to shrink about 1.5%. With exports outpacing imports, Chinas trade surplus grew to $104.84 billion.Here are some highlights from the report. Higher tariffs on the horizonTrump has pledged to raise tariffs on Chinese goods and close some loopholes that exporters now use to sell their products more cheaply in the U.S. If enacted, his plans would likely raise prices in America and squeeze sales and profit margins for Chinese exporters. Chinas exports are likely to remain strong in the near-term, said Zichun Huang of Capital Economics, as businesses try to front-run potentially higher tariffs.Outbound shipments are likely to stay resilient in the near-term, supported by further gains in global market share thanks to a weak real effective exchange rate, she wrote in a note. But exports will likely weaken later in the year if Trump follows through on his threat to impose tariffs, Huang said. Record exports and total tradeOfficials who briefed reporters in Beijing said the total value of Chinas imports and exports reached a record 43.85 trillion yuan (nearly $6 trillion), up 5% from a year earlier. China is the worlds largest exporter and the main trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions, said Wang Lingjun, the Customs Administrations deputy director general. While growth of the rest of Chinas economy has slowed following the pandemic and partly because of downturn in the housing industry, exports have surged. Under leader Xi Jinping, the ruling Communist Party is promoting upgrading of factories and a shift to more high-tech manufacturing. The report Monday said Chinas export of mechanical and electrical products increased by almost 9% last year from a year earlier, with growth in exports of high-end equipment jumping more than 40%.Exports of electric vehicles rose 13%, exports of 3D printers jumped almost 33% and shipments of industrial robots surged 45%. E-commerce trade, including sales by companies including Temu, Shein and Alibaba, registered 2.6 trillion yuan ($350 billion), more than twice the level in 2020. What about imports?China does not pursue a trade surplus and wants to increase its imports, the officials said. But while imports edged higher last year, they still lagged exports, partly due to lower prices for key commodities such as oil and iron ore. Regarding this years imports, we believe that there is still a lot of room for growth. This is not only because my countrys market capacity is large, there are many levels, and it has huge potential, said Lv Daliang, a Customs Administration spokesperson. China also is blocked from importing some products due to trade restrictions, Lv said, alluding to controls by the U.S. and some other countries on strategically sensitive exports to China, such as sales of advanced semiconductors and items that can be used for military purposes. In addition, some countries politicize economic and trade issues, abuse export control measures, and unreasonably restrict the export of some products to China, otherwise we will import more, he said. Where are all those exports going?The officials emphasized Chinas efforts to expand trade with countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative to expand infrastructure construction and trade across much of the globe. Trade with those countries accounted for about half of Chinas total trade last year. They noted that China has completely eliminated tariffs on imports from the worlds poorest countries. But China also values trade with traditional markets like Europe and the United States, and two-way trade with the U.S. grew nearly 5% last year. We imported agricultural products, energy products, medicines, and aircraft from the United States, and exported clothing, consumer electronics, and household appliances to the United States, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results, Wang said. China and the overcapacity issueU.S. officials and other critics say Beijing has pushed an expansion of exports to help make up for sluggish demand inside China as the economy has slowed. With factories in some industries operating well below capacity, they contend that the country has an overcapacity problem.Chinese officials reject that contention.Whether from the perspective of comparative advantage or global market demand, there is no so-called Chinas overcapacity problem. This problem is a pure false proposition, Wang said when asked about the issue.China has made its industries more efficient through upgrading, investment and innovation supported by research and development, he said. We have ensured the stability of the global production and supply chain with our own complete manufacturing industry chain, and driven technological progress and industrial upgrading around the world. ZEN SOO Soo reports on technology and business in China and across Asia for The Associated Press. She is based in Hong Kong. twitter mailto ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the APs business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto

A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)2025-01-13T05:51:45Z LOS ANGELES (AP) After a weekend spent blocking the explosive growth of fires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area, firefighters got a slight break with calmer weather but cast a wary eye on a forecast for yet more wind.Should that happen, already burned homes and valleys could flare anew, sending embers to unburned territory miles downwind. New fires could add to the complication. A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Kevin Marshall sifts through his mother's fire-ravaged property in the the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher) Kevin Marshall sifts through his mother's fire-ravaged property in the the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The death toll surged late Sunday with an update from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. At least 16 people were missing, a number authorities said was also likely to rise. The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas, however. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting Sunday night. It will kind of ebb and flow over the next couple days, Burns said. Tomorrow night, it will really ramp up.Spotting new fires caused by blowing embers could happen as much as 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) or more downwind of areas that have already burned, Burns said. Despite their recent losses, stress, and uncertainty, the crowd in a Pasadena City College gym was mostly respectful, in contrast with harsh criticism elsewhere for Los Angeles and California leaders. Applause followed each of the experts, police, firefighters and community leaders who spoke. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. We are prepared for the upcoming wind event, Marrone said.Fire retardant dropped by aircraft will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months. Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four were missing from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Investigators were reconciling whether some of the missing might be among the dead but so far no children were among those reported missing, he said.Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 24 over the weekend. Eight deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 16 to the Eaton Fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. What appeared to be small fire tornadoes were spotted Friday night as the Palisades Fire blazed through Californias San Fernando Valley. A home stands above debris from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) A home stands above debris from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The sun rises behind a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, (AP Photo/Noah Berger) The sun rises behind a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The toll could rise still more as cadaver dogs conducted systematic searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities established a center where people could report the missing. Officials also were building an online database to allow evacuated residents to see if their homes were damaged or destroyed. In the meantime, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from scorched neighborhoods. There are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area, making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public, Crowley said at a Sunday morning briefing. Theres no power, theres no water, theres broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures. Officials warned the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials. About 150,000 people in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, with more than 700 residents taking refuge in nine shelters, Luna said. Officials said most of the orders in the Palisades area were unlikely to be lifted before the red flag warnings expire Wednesday evening.Please rest assured that first thing Thursday we will begin talking about repopulation, Marrone said. Helicopters battle flames as Palisades Fire burns on Santa Monica Mountains In all, four fires had consumed more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades Fire was 11% contained and containment on the Eaton Fire reached 27%. Those two blazes alone accounted for 59 square miles (nearly 153 square kilometers).Crews from California and nine other states are part of the ongoing response that includes nearly 1,400 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico. Fighting to save public and private areasAfter a fierce battle Saturday, firefighters managed to fight back flames in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near Pacific Palisades not far from the coast, where swooping helicopters dumped water as the blaze charged downhill.The fire ran through chaparral-covered hillsides and also briefly threatened to jump over Interstate 405 and into densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley. A firefighter sets up a hose while fighting the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) A firefighter sets up a hose while fighting the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Vee Ban searches for a missing cat among Pacific Palisades homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Vee Ban searches for a missing cat among Pacific Palisades homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Arrests for lootingLooting continued to be a concern, with authorities reporting more arrests as the devastation grew. Those arrested included two people who posed as firefighters going into houses, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Michael Lorenz said.With California National Guard troops on hand to guard properties, Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: California will NOT allow for looting. Historical costThe fires that began Tuesday just north of downtown LA had burned more than 12,000 structures. No cause for the largest fires was determined. Early estimates suggest they could be the nations costliest ever, as much as $150 billion according to an AccuWeather estimate.Inmate firefighters on the front linesAlong with crews from other states and Mexico, hundreds of inmates from Californias prison system were also helping fight the fires. Nearly 950 prison firefighters were removing timber and brush ahead of the fires to slow their spread, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.The practice is controversial as the inmates are paid little for dangerous and difficult work: $10.24 each day, with more for 24-hour shifts, according to the corrections department. Faithful pray at a religious service in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire at Trinity Lutheran Church Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Faithful pray at a religious service in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire at Trinity Lutheran Church Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Police pass a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Police pass a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Rebuilding will be a challengeNewsom issued an executive order Sunday aimed at fast-tracking rebuilding by suspending some environmental regulations and ensuring that property tax assessments were not increased.Weve got to let people know that we have their back, he said. We want you to come back, rebuild, and rebuild with higher quality building standards, more modern standards.More than 24,000 people had registered for federal assistance made available by a major disaster declaration by President Joe Biden, according to the White House.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday that she had spoken with President-elect Donald Trumps incoming administration and expected that he would visit the city.Leadership accused of skimpingBass faces a critical test of her leadership during the citys greatest crisis in decades, but allegations of leadership failures, political blame and investigations have begun. Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to determine why a 117 million-gallon (440 million-liter) reservoir was out of service and some hydrants had run dry. ___Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York, Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia, and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed.

President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands after signing a security agreement on the sidelines of the G7, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Savelletri, Italy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-01-13T05:14:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden strode into the White House four years ago with a foreign policy agenda that put repairing alliances strained by four years of Republican Donald Trumps America First worldview front and center.The one-term Democrat took office in the throes of the worst global pandemic in a century and his plans were quickly stress-tested by a series of complicated international crises: the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Hamas brutal 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in the Middle East. As Biden prepares to leave office, he remains insistent that his one-term presidency has made strides in restoring American credibility on the world stage and has proven the U.S. remains an indispensable partner around the globe. That message will be at the center of an address he will deliver Monday afternoon on his foreign policy legacy. Yet Bidens case for foreign policy achievements will be shadowed and shaped, at least in the near term, by the messy counterfactual that American voters are returning the countrys stewardship to Trump and his protectionist worldview. The real question is: Does the rest of the world today believe that the United States is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world when it comes to our reservoir of national strength, our economy, our innovation base, our capacity to attract investment, our capacity to attract talent? White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an Associated Press interview. When we took office, a lot of people probably would have said China. ... Nobodys saying that anymore. After a turbulent four years around the globe, the Democratic administration argues that Biden provided the world a steady hand and left the United States and its allies on a stronger footing.But Biden, from the outset of his presidency, in which he frequently spoke of his desire to demonstrate that Americas back, was tested by war, calamity and miscalculation. Chaotic US exit from Afghanistan was an early setback for Biden With the U.S. completing its 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden fulfilled a campaign promise to wind down Americas longest war. But the 20-year conflict came to an end in disquieting fashion: The U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed, a grisly bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabuls airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush.The Afghanistan debacle was a major setback just eight months into Bidens presidency that he struggled to recover from.Bidens Republican detractors, including Trump, cast it as a signal moment in a failed presidency. Ill tell you what happened, he was so bad with Afghanistan, it was such a horrible embarrassment, most embarrassing moment in the history of our country, Trump said in his lone 2024 presidential debate with Biden, just weeks before the Democrat announced he was ending his reelection campaign. Bidens legacy in Ukraine may hinge on Trumps approach going forwardWith Russias invasion of Ukraine, Biden rallied allies in Europe and beyond to provide Ukraine with billions in military and economic assistance including more than $100 billion from the U.S. alone. That allowed Kyiv to stay in the fight with Russian President Vladimir Putins vastly bigger and better-equipped military. Bidens team also coordinated with allies to hit Russia with a steady stream of sanctions aimed at isolating the Kremlin and making Moscow pay an economic price for prosecuting its war.But Biden has faced criticism that hes been too cautious throughout the war about providing the Ukrainians with certain advanced lethal weaponry in a timely matter and setting restrictions on how theyre used initially resisting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys requests to fire long-range ATACMS missiles deep into Russian territory as well as requests for Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter jets and other systems. Biden often balked, before eventually relenting, out of a concern that it was necessary to hold the line against escalation that he worried could draw the U.S. and other NATO members into direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. Trump, for his part, has criticized the cost of the war to U.S. taxpayers and vowed to bring the conflict to a quick end. Biden said Friday he remains hopeful that the U.S. will continue to aid Ukraine after he leaves office.I know that there are a significant number of Democrats and Republicans on the Hill who think we should continue to support Ukraine, Biden said. It is my hope and expectation they will speak up ... if Trump decides to cut off funding for Ukraine.Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland and adviser to Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, said Bidens Ukraine legacy now will largely be shaped by Trump.He added that Trump just may succeed in bringing what many Americans can accept as a decent end to the Ukraine war. Thats not necessarily going to happen, but it could, Fried said. And if he does, then the criticism of Biden will be that he acted to help Ukraine, but hesitated, dithered, did a lot of hand wringing, and it took Trump to actually bring about a fair settlement.Sullivan makes the case that Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, should consider the backing of Ukraine through the prism of a dealmaker.Donald Trump has built his identity around making deals, and the way you make a good deal is with leverage, Sullivan said. Our case publicly and privately to the incoming team is build the leverage, show the staying power, back Ukraine, and it is down that path that lies a good deal.Bidens Mideast diplomacy shadowed by devastation of GazaIn the Middle East, Biden has stood by Israel as it has worked to root out Hamas from Gaza. That war spawned another in Lebanon, where Israel has mauled Irans most powerful ally, Hezbollah, even as Israel has launched successful airstrikes openly inside of Iran for the first time. The degradation of Hezbollah in turn played a role when Islamist-led rebels last month ousted longtime Syrian leader Bashar Assad, a brutal fixture of Irans Axis of Resistance.Bidens relationship with Israels conservative leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been strained by the enormous Palestinian death toll in the fighting now standing at more than 46,000 dead and Israels blockade of the territory that has left much of Gaza a hellscape where access to food and basic health care is severely limited.Pro-Palestinian activists have demanded an arms embargo against Israel, but U.S. policy has largely remained unchanged. The State Department in recent days informed Congress of a planned $8 billion weapons sale to Israel.Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator, said the approach has put Iran on its heels, but Biden will pay a reputational cost for the devastation of Gaza.The administration was either unable or unwilling to create any sort of restraint that normal humans would regard as significant pressure, Miller said. It was beyond Joe Bidens emotional and political bandwidth to impose the kinds of sustained or significant pressures that might have led to a change in Israeli tactics.More than 15 months after the Hamas-led attack that prompted the war, around 98 hostages remain in Gaza. More than a third of those are presumed dead by Israeli authorities.Bidens Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is in the Middle East, looking to complete an elusive hostage and ceasefire deal as time runs out in the presidency. Trump, for his part, is warning that all hell will be unleashed on Hamas if the hostages arent freed by Inauguration Day.Sullivan declined to comment on Trumps threats to Hamas, but offered that the two sides are in agreement about the most important thing: getting a deal done.Having alignment of the outgoing and incoming administration that a hostage deal at the earliest possible opportunity is in the American national interest, he said. Having unity of message on that is a good thing, and we have closely coordinated with the incoming team to this effect.___ AAMER MADHANI Aamer Madhani is a White House reporter. twitter mailto

Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe celebrates after winning the Republican primary for governor, Aug. 6, 2024, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)2025-01-13T05:01:19Z JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Within minutes of his inauguration Monday, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move reflects a national trend.After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor in the U.S.Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting anti-crime initiatives as a new year of lawmaking gets underway in state capitols. That comes after voters in several states approved ballot measures in the fall imposing stricter penalties for crimes ranging from shoplifting to deadly drug dealing.Kehoe, a Republican who cruised to election, is set to take the oath of office at noon. He plans a Day One Action Ceremony shortly afterward. As soon as my hand comes off the Bible, the Kehoe administration will be relentless in our efforts to make Missouri safer, Kehoe pledged. In some states, the anti-crime measures are intertwined with efforts to crack down on those living in the U.S. illegally, mirroring an emphasis of President-elect Donald Trump. Many also propose tougher penalties for trafficking fentanyl, a synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the U.S. Other measures go beyond that. Some seek stricter sentences for sexual offenses involving children, violent crimes or retail theft rings, which have gained attention from social media videos showing shoplifting crews rampaging through stores. In Maryland, Democratic state Sen. Ron Watson is sponsoring legislation he said would let prosecutors file felony charges against everyone involved in a group theft if the total value exceeds $1,500, even if each person stole less than that. Criminals have become emboldened because they can get away with things and pretty much get a slap on the wrist, Watson said. Violent or nonviolent, a crime is a crime. And that crime needs to be punished. Drug crimes in the spotlightUtah state Rep. Matthew Gwynn, a Republican, is among many lawmakers targeting fentanyl traffickers. Gwynn said his bill would impose heftier penalties for selling large quantities of illicit fentanyl than for other drugs like heroin and methamphetamine. The federal government and many states have backed away from 1980s policies that imposed harsher sentences on crack cocaine than powder cocaine, as civil rights activists noted a disproportionate impact on minorities. But Gwynn, who is police chief of the Salt Lake City suburb of Roy, said sentencing enhancements for fentanyl are justified.I believe fentanyl to be almost terroristic in nature because of the amount of people it can kill, Gwynn said. Many types of crimes rose during the coronavirus pandemic. More recently, the rates of violent crimes and many property crimes have trended back down, though shoplifting remains above pre-pandemic levels, according to the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank.But peoples sense of security isnt necessarily tied to statistics. High-profile crimes such as the New Years Day attack in New Orleans, the burning of a woman on the New York subway or the fatal shooting of a health insurance executive outside a New York City hotel can impact perceptions of public safety. When you see randomness, brazenness, that makes people feel vulnerable and suggests there is a sense of lawlessness, a breakdown of behavioral norms, said Adam Gelb, president and CEO of the Council on Criminal Justice. Many people seem to think that the reforms over the past two decades overshot the mark and there needs to be a rebalancing, Gelb added.Crime is on voters mindsNearly 8 in 10 voters in the U.S. said they were very or somewhat concerned about crime in their own communities, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters conducted during the fall election. The percentage saying they were very concerned was higher than the national rate in several states including Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama and California. California voters gave overwhelming approval in November to a ballot initiative making shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders and increasing penalties for some drug charges, including those involving fentanyl. The measure rolled back parts of progressive law passed by voters in 2014 that downgraded several nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors, including theft valued under $950 and some drug offenses. In Colorado, voters approved a ballot initiative lengthening the time people must serve in prison before they can be paroled for certain categories of murder, assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, burglary and robbery. Arizona voters approved measures boosting penalties for deadly fentanyl sales and mandating life imprisonment for certain child sex trafficking crimes. Rethinking loose sentencing lawsOther states have backtracked just years after relaxing sentencing laws. Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a measure rolling back a 2020 voter-approved law that had made possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine only punishable by a ticket and a maximum fine of $100. A new law that took effect last year makes that a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and imposes harsher penalties for selling drugs near parks and other places.Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed numerous anti-crime laws last year, including longer sentences for carjacking and fentanyl crimes, the elimination of parole for most offenders and the reversal of a 2016 law that had treated 17-year-olds charged with crimes as juveniles instead of adults.In Missouri, lawmakers in 2014 approved an overhaul of the states criminal laws that reduced possible prison sentences for some nonviolent drug crimes. In 2019, they added a law exempting some nonviolent offenders from requirements to serve between 40% and 80% of their prison terms, making hundreds of people eligible for release sooner. This year, Missouri lawmakers are backing numerous anti-crime measures, including bills targeting fentanyl, stunt driving, rioting, retail theft and resisting arrest. Other measures encourage recruiting more police.Too many Missouri families are being torn apart by violence and crime, House Speaker Jon Patterson said on the Legislatures opening day. Nothing is more harmful to the growth of our state than criminals who roam our streets with little fear of punishment. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A cardboard cut-out of Selahattin Demirtas is pictured at an election kiosk in Istanbul, June 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)2025-01-13T05:01:09Z ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Talks between politicians from Turkeys pro-Kurdish party and jailed Kurdish leaders have been gathering steam as they try to end 40 years of fighting between the state and the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.The latest peace effort comes at a time of heightened instability and fundamental changes reshaping the region. These include the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the weakening of the Hezbollah militant movement in Lebanon, and the reconfiguration of power in Syria after the toppling of President Bashar Assad. The cautious process was initiated in October by Devlet Bahceli, a firebrand ultranationalist who has usually opposed any concessions to Kurdish identity or rights.Since then, the fall of Assad in a lightning rebel offensive has triggered intensified fighting between Turkish-backed and Kurdish groups in northern Syria. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have controlled northeast Syria for the past decade, are under attack from the Syrian National Army, an umbrella of militias fighting on behalf of Turkey, which regards the SDF as an extension of the PKK and wants to neutralize it as an independent fighting force.Recently, senior members of the Peoples Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, met jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Selahattin Demirtas, another imprisoned figurehead of the Kurdish movement. They have also met with the leaders of other political parties to explain their discussions. What is the PKK?The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey. The conflict between militants and state forces, which has spread beyond Turkeys borders into Iraq and Syria, has killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is considered to be a terror group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Who is Ocalan?Abdullah Ocalan, who as a student of political science in Ankara became deeply involved in leftist movements, formed the PKK in 1978 as a Marxist organization. He fled to Syria in 1979, along with other PKK members, where he remained until 1998, when Syria expelled him under intense pressure from Turkey.Ocalan was captured in Kenya in 1999 and imprisoned on Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara, where he remains to this day. His death sentence for treason was commuted to a life term in prison after Turkey abolished the death penalty.The 75-year-old endures as a symbol for Kurdish independence and rights and continues to wield influence over the Kurdish movement, with past messages relayed through family members or lawyers resonating beyond Turkey, in Iraq and Syria.In a message relayed by his nephew in December, Ocalan said he has the power to end the conflict if the conditions are right. Renewed effort for peaceIn October, Bahceli, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggested Ocalan could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands the PKK. It was a major shift for the hardline politician who had previously strongly supported the states military action against the militant group and its affiliates in neighboring Syria and rejected any notion of negotiation.Erdogan appears to have endorsed Bahcelis stance.There is a mixed reaction among politicians and analysts to suggestions of a new peace effort. Some describe it it as a historic opportunity, while others strongly oppose any notion of leniency toward Ocalan or the PKK.A recent attack on Turkeys key aerospace company outside of Ankara that killed several people was claimed by the PKK, complicating the debate. Past peace effortsThere have been several peace efforts between the Turkish state and the PKK over the years, including secret negotiations held in Oslo, Norway from 2009 until 2011. However, none have yielded results.The last attempt to reach a peace deal took place between 2013 and 2015 with a series of talks between Turkish officials and Ocalan, who declared a ceasefire and withdrew fighters to bases in northern Iraq.Turkish officials took steps to improve Kurdish rights, including allowing Kurdish-language broadcasts. The process collapsed in July 2015, after a series of violent attacks, including one by the Islamic State group that killed 33 pro-Kurdish activists.Since then, Turkey has cracked down on its pro-Kurdish movement and has jailed thousands of people, including the former leader of the main pro-Kurdish political party, Selahattin Demirtas, over alleged links to the PKK.Why now?The latest peace effort comes at a time when Turkey and the Kurds are both seeking security to face the challenges in the Middle East.However, some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogans government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.Bahceli has openly called for a new constitution, saying it was essential to keep Erdogan in power for Turkeys future. Erdogan and Bahceli are reportedly seeking parliamentary support from the DEM.

Foxconn's Foxtron Model C electric car is displayed during the Hon Hai Tech Day (HHTD 24) at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)2025-01-13T06:23:34Z BANGKOK (AP) Auto industry newcomers like Taiwan-based iPhone maker Foxconn and Chinas Huawei Technologies are maneuvering to gain an edge in the electric vehicle sector, prompting automakers like Japans Nissan and Honda to announce plans to join forces against a flood of ambitious competitors.Also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, Foxconn has been snapping up links in the automotive supply chain, one of a growing number of technology companies that are leveraging their knowhow in electronics and communications.Foxconns auto venture with Taiwan automaker and importer Yulon Motor Co., Foxtron, showcased its Model B, a sleek EV hatchback, as well as its automotive electronics, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week.Honda and Nissan announced in December that they plan to seek a merger, a move that reports said may have partly been driven by Foxconns interest in Nissan. Heres an update on Foxconns auto ambitions. From iPhones to electric vehicles Whether or not Foxconn wanted to make a bid for Nissan, it has big ambitions, saying it eventually intends to make four of every 10 EVs sold in the world. The contract manufacturer has invested nearly $1.3 billion in auto-related acquisitions in the past decade, according to Mergermarket, a merger and acquisitions research firm.In addition to Foxtron, its automaking joint venture with Taiwans Yulon Motor, it has a 50% joint venture with Stellantis NV to design and sell automotive semiconductors and a 50% joint venture with Germanys ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a major auto supplier, to make passenger car chassis. It has invested in Indigo Technologies, which is commercializing a road sensing system developed at MIT. It also has a collaboration agreement with Blue Solutions to develop solid state batteries and has a collaboration with Italian auto designer Pininfarina. Foxconn holds a 34% stake in Japanese electronics company Sharp, which has been inching toward the automotive sector. This year, Foxconn and Sharp introduced an LDK+ (living, dining, kitchen) concept vehicle, a boxy minivan that converts to a living space with solar and storage battery and a big LCD screen. Leveraging a plug-and-play strategy similar to its electronics operations, Foxconns foray into electric vehicles is a pre-emptive move in anticipation of the increasing convergence of electronics and automotive technologies, Vivian Wong, head of Mergermarkets M&A Analytics for the Asia Pacific, said in an emailed comment. Other new tech companies turned automakersChinas Huawei Technologies, smartphone and appliance maker Xiaomi and e-commerce giant Alibaba and Baidu also are scaling up their EV operations, relying on their scale and strength in advanced technologies as vehicles become ever more computerized. Huawei has several EV joint ventures in what it has dubbed its Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, including Luxeed brand EVs with Chery Automobile and Aito brand EVs with Seres Group. Its joint venture with JAC Motor, an automaker based in eastern Chinas Anhui province, has announced plans to compete with luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce and Mercedes Benz AG. Some Japanese electronics companies also are jumping on the bandwagon. Apart from Sharps partnership with Foxconn, entertainment and technology giant Sony Corp. has an EV joint venture with Honda that plans to introduce the EV Afeela sedan for pre-sale this year.The increasing reliance on connectivity between cars, phones, laptops and televisions has lured such companies into a market that is quickly being transformed by electrification, even if inroads into some markets have stalled due to tariffs and other factors.What about Nissan?Nissan introduced the Leaf, the first mass-market EV, in 2010 and has strong EV technology, vehicle platforms and sales capacity that would appeal to a newcomer like Foxconn. Reports by Japanese media and by Taiwans Central News Agency said Hon Hais chief strategy officer, Nissan veteran executive Jun Seki, visited France for talks with Frances Renault SA, which holds a 15% stake in Nissan and more shares held in a French trust. Seki is a former chief operating officer of Nissan and former president of Dongfeng Nissan, a joint venture in China. In formally announcing plans to attempt a merger with Honda, Nissan Motor Corp. CEO Makoto Uchida said Foxconn had not directly approached his company about a possible merger. Foxconn did not respond to requests for comment.Nissans internal woes are a small part of the bigger challenge posed to all major automakers by the ascent of Tesla, which makes more than half of its EVs in China, and Chinese automakers like BYD in an industry so competitive that more than a dozen Chinese EV makers have already folded, bested by bigger and stronger companies that got into the game before them. So far, the roads not been smoothAs the pace of sales growth slows, with car buyers questioning the affordability and convenience of switching to electrics, the going has been rough, and Foxconn has a long way to go before it can compete with industry leaders like BYD and Tesla. It was set to manufacture the Endurance battery EV truck at a former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which it acquired in 2023. Lordstown Motors Corp. then filed for bankruptcy. Foxconn also set up a partnership in 2021 with Fisker Inc., maker of the Ocean EV truck, that called for making up to 250,000 vehicles. Fisker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June.But the company appears undaunted. Foxconn lists six models of EVs on its website, including its Model T bus, Model V pickup truck, Moden N van, its Model B, and its luxury flagship Model E sedan. ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the APs business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto

Mohammad Eid carries the body of one of his three relatives killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike, as they are prepared for the funeral in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-01-13T07:58:32Z CAIRO (AP) U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal has not been reached yet, officials said Monday.Three officials acknowledged progress has been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks.One of the three officials and a Hamas official said there were still a number of hurdles to clear. On several occasions over the past year, U.S. officials have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.One person familiar with the talks said there had been a breakthrough overnight and that there was a proposed deal on the table. Israeli and Hamas negotiators will now take it back to their leaders for final approval, the person said. The person said mediators from the Gulf country of Qatar had put renewed pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement, while President-elect Donald Trumps envoy, Steve Witkoff, was pressing the Israelis. Witkoff recently joined the negotiations and has been in the region in recent days. The person said the mediators had handed off the draft deal to each side and that the next 24 hours would be pivotal. An Egyptian official said there had been good progress overnight but that it would likely take a few more days, and that the sides were aiming for a deal before Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration. A third official said the talks were in a good place but had not been wrapped up. That official also assessed that a deal was possible before the inauguration.A Hamas official, however, said a number of contentious issues still need to be resolved, including an Israeli commitment to ending the war and details about the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the hostage-prisoner exchange. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke anonymously.The Egyptian official confirmed that those issues were still being discussed. Months of negotiations have repeatedly stalledThe Biden administration, along with Egypt and Qatar, has spent over a year trying to broker an agreement to end the deadliest war ever fought between Israelis and Palestinians and secure the release of scores of hostages captured in Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which triggered the conflict.But the sides have been divided over the details of the planned exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, as well as the nature of the ceasefire itself. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without an end to the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the campaign until total victory over the militant group.Under discussion now is a phased ceasefire. Netanyahu has repeatedly signaled he is committed only to the first phase, a partial hostage release in exchange for a weekslong halt in fighting. The possibility of a lasting ceasefire and other issues would be negotiated after the first phase begins. Hamas has demanded a full withdrawal and complete end to the war, and is hoping this first phase will lead to that outcome. U.S. President Joe Biden, who hopes to wrap up a deal before leaving office next week, spoke with Netanyahu about the talks on Sunday.The head of Israels Mossad foreign intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Bidens top Mideast adviser, Brett McGurk, were both in the Qatari capital, Doha. Barneas presence meant high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are once again involved in the talks.McGurk has been working on final details of a text to be presented to both sides, Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNNs State of the Union. But he said he would not predict whether a deal can be reached by Jan. 20, the day of the inauguration.We are very, very close, he said. Yet being very close still means were far because until you actually get across the finish line, were not there. Palestinians and families of the hostages hope for a dealJust one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that was in the earliest weeks of fighting. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that a deal is very close and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration.Israels campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, according to the territorys Health Ministry, whose count does not give a breakdown between fighters and civilians. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others in the attack that ignited the war.Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza are pressing Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home. Israelis rallied again Saturday night in the city of Tel Aviv, with photos of hostages on display. In Gaza, Palestinians were tempering their hopes for a stop to Israels campaign, which has devastated much of the territory and driven around 90% of its 2.3 million people from their homes. We hear that there are negotiations every day, but we see nothing, said Mazen Hammad, a resident of the southern city of Khan Younis. When we see it on the ground, then we believe that there is a truce.___Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.___Follow coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

The Blue Origin New Glenn rocket stands ready on Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)2025-01-13T08:28:05Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Blue Origin called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble.The 320-foot (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Floridas Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to deal with an unspecified rocket issue in the final minutes of the countdown and ran out of time. Once the countdown clock was halted, they immediately began draining all the fuel from the rocket.Blue Origin did not immediately set a new launch date, saying the team needed more time to resolve the problem. The test flight already had been delayed by rough seas that posed a risk to the companys plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origins New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas. Amazons Jeff Bezos founded the company 25 years ago. He took part in Mondays countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASAs Kennedy Space Center about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Orlando, Florida.No matter what happens, Bezos said Sunday evening, were going to pick ourselves up and keep going. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside of Tsiolkovsky, in the far eastern Amur region, Russia on Sept. 13, 2023. (Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-01-13T05:30:03Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers on Monday that two North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting alongside Russian forces in Russias Kursk border region havent expressed a desire to seek asylum in South Korea.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the social media platform X that hes willing to hand over the soldiers to North Korea if the countrys authoritarian leader, Kim Jong Un, arranges for an exchange with Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia. Zelenskyy added that there may be other options for North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return home, and a video released by his government indicated that at least one of the captured soldiers expressed a desire to remain in Ukraine.In a closed-door briefing at South Koreas National Assembly, the National Intelligence Service confirmed its participation in the questioning of the North Korean soldiers by Ukrainian authorities. The agency said the soldiers havent expressed a request to resettle in South Korea, according to two lawmakers who attended the meeting. The agency said it was willing to discuss the matter with Ukrainian authorities if the soldiers eventually do ask to go to South Korea. About 34,000 North Koreans have defected to capitalist rival South Korea to avoid economic hardship and political suppression at home, mostly since the late 1990s. Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson of South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said facilitating the asylum of the North Korean soldiers would require legal reviews, including on international law, and consultations with related nations. Theres nothing we can say at the current stage, Koo said. Seouls spy agency believes that about 300 North Korean soldiers have died and another 2,700 have been injured while fighting against Ukrainian forces, in what represents North Koreas first involvement in large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War. The agency assessed that the North Koreans are struggling to adapt to drones and other elements of modern warfare. They are further disadvantaged by the crude tactics of their Russian commanders, who have thrown them in assault campaigns without providing rear-fire support, according to Lee Seong Kweun, a lawmaker who attended the agencys briefing.The agency said memos found on dead North Korean soldiers indicated that they had been ordered to commit suicide before being captured, according to Lee. The agency said one North Korean soldier, facing the threat of being captured by Ukrainian forces, shouted General Kim Jong Un and tried to detonate a hand grenade before he was shot and killed. Zelenskyy confirmed the capture of the North Korean soldiers on Saturday, days after Ukraine, facing a slow Russian onslaught in the east, began pressing new attacks in Kursk to retain ground captured in a lightning incursion in August the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II.Moscows counterattack has left Ukrainian forces outstretched and demoralized, killing and wounding thousands and retaking more than 40% of the 984 square kilometers (380 square miles) of Kursk that Ukraine had seized. Moon Seong Mook, a retired South Korean brigadier general, said the high death toll for North Korean soldiers was predictable, as they would not have been sufficiently prepared for an unfamiliar mission in the terrain of the Kursk region, which is vastly different from North Koreas mountainous landscape.Another disadvantage for the North Koreans is that they are not conducting independent operations but are being thrust into combat under Russian commanders, possibly struggling with unfamiliar tactics and communication issues due to language barriers, said Moon, who has taken part in numerous military talks with North Korea. The North Korean forces could be operating special surveillance teams to arrest or execute attempted deserters, he said.The current battlefield environment, combined with drones and other technologies, have created situations North Korean soldiers have never encountered before, Moon said. They are also being deployed in large numbers in wide-open fields, where there is no place to hide, in continuous battles to retake the area, and that seems to be where the casualties are coming from. North Koreas decadeslong financial troubles, which have forced many soldiers to grow their own food or spend long hours deployed in construction and other work to sustain the national economy, could also have impacted the quality of training they receive at home, Moon said.Still, there are concerns in Seoul that North Koreas participation in the Ukraine crisis poses a significant threat to South Korea, as North Korean forces may gain crucial combat experience and Russia may provide technology transfers that could enhance North Koreas nuclear-armed army. KIM TONG-HYUNG Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Koreas nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Koreas economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children. twitter mailto

Novak Djokovic, left, of Serbia talks with his coach Andy Murray during his first round match against Nishesh Basavareddy of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)2025-01-13T11:28:03Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Novak Djokovics first match with former rival Andy Murray as his coach did not start all that well, even against a 19-year-old making his Grand Slam debut. Still, after dropping his opening set at the 2025 Australian Open on Monday night to Nishesh Basavareddy, an American who left Stanford University and turned pro last month, Djokovic eventually asserted himself for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory to begin his bid for an 11th championship at Melbourne Park and a record 25th major title overall.Not entirely clear: Did Murrays presence at courtside make much of a difference, one way or another?Before heading out into Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic and Murray chatted in the gym. They wrapped up the conversation with a fist bump, before Djokovic hopped on the treadmill to warm up.Once they were on court, there was only the occasional interaction between player and coach a pairing which still seems odd, given that the 37-year-olds were born a week apart, became opponents from the age of 12 and played in a series of Slam finals as pros. Murray retired as a player at the Paris Olympics in August; Djokovic proposed teaming up in November. During the game where Djokovic broke for the first time all evening, to lead 5-3 in the second set, Murray stood a couple of times to applaud. That, though, was just about it. As a player, he was known for mid-match dramatics, for plenty of gesticulating and muttering, often directed toward his entourage. Djokovic does plenty of the same. If their back-and-forths were limited Monday, Djokovic did show some of his usual fire when that break came at the 1 1/2-hour mark. He watched the 107th-ranked Basavareddys forehand land wide and let out an extended yell, clenched his right fist and then pointed his right index finger at his ear. That was the beginning of the end for Basavareddy, who started stepping gingerly between points and grabbing at his legs in the next game, then hobbled to the sideline and took a medical timeout before the third set. On a busy and warm Day 2, which included nine Grand Slam champions with a combined 43 major trophies in action plus another half-dozen players with runner-up showings, the winners included No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 7 Jessica Pegula among the women, and No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz among the men.Naomi Osaka, who won two of her four major titles in Australia, was scheduled to face Caroline Garcia in Mondays last match at Rod Laver Arena.Earlier, noteworthy exits came from two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, and two-time major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. Ostapenkos 6-3, 7-6 (6) loss came against Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic, who is ranked outside the top 400 after returning in October from maternity leave.Also one-and-done, but not that surprisingly: Nick Kyrgios, who lost to Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final, and had played one total match over the past two seasons because of wrist and knee problems. Kyrgios was dealing with a strained abdominal muscle in the lead-up to this week and was defeated by Jacob Fearnley 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2). Sorry for Nick, said Fearnley, a 23-year-old from Scotland who played college tennis at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. I could tell he was dealing with some stuff.The intensity and physicality of the points against Djokovic wore on Basavareddy. Another key: Djokovics backhand grew faster in the second set, while Basavareddys shots off that wing slowed.Djokovic broke to start the third, and that was pretty much that.After Djokovic began with a quick service hold, he held a break point in the matchs second game, but couldnt convert it, and ended up jarring his right hand, which he shook repeatedly. That would begin a pattern on break points: Djokovic, the top returner of his and maybe any time, would earn them, and Basavareddy would discard them. It wasnt until his sixth chance that Djokovic cashed one in. At 3-all, a half-hour in, Basavareddy moved out front by breaking Djokovic with a backhand return winner. Soon enough, that set belonged to the youngster, who is not shy about saying the Serb is his favorite player. Basavareddy showed off some great touch with drop shots and lob winners, while hanging in there at the baseline with the consummate baseliner.They are currently separated by exactly 100 spots in the ATP rankings. The gulf is far wider, of course, when it comes to experience and accomplishments. This outcome left Basavareddys career record at Grand Slam tournaments at 0-1; his tour-level debut only came in December. Djokovic, meanwhile, picked up his record-extending 378th victory at a major on Monday; he hasnt lost in the first round of one since bowing out at that stage of his first two Australian Opens in 2005 and 2006.___Howard Fendrich has been the APs tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis HOWARD FENDRICH Fendrich is an Associated Press national writer based in Washington, D.C. He reports on tennis and other sports. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The White House is seen in Washington, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, as the presidential campaign comes to an end. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-01-13T11:27:55Z WASHINGTON (AP) Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trumps team, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.Trumps pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, in recent days publicly signaled his intention to get rid of all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials serving on the NSC by Inauguration Day to ensure the council is staffed with those who support Trumps agenda. A wholesale removal of foreign policy and national security experts from the NSC on Day 1 of the new administration could deprive Trumps team of considerable expertise and institutional knowledge at a time when the U.S. is grappling with difficult policy challenges in Ukraine, the Mideast and beyond. Such questioning could also make new policy experts brought in to the NSC less likely to speak up about policy differences and concerns. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is making a robust case for the incoming Trump administration to hold over career government employees assigned to the NSC at least through the early going of the new administration. Given everything going on in the world, making sure you have in place a team that is up to speed, and, you know, ready to continue serving at 12:01, 12:02, 12:03 p.m. on the 20th is really important, Sullivan said on Friday. The NSC staff members being questioned about their loyalty are largely subject matter experts who have been loaned to the White House by federal agencies the State Department, FBI and CIA, for example for temporary duty that typically lasts one to two years. If removed from the NSC, they would be returned to their home agencies.Vetting of the civil servants began in the last week, the official said. Some of them have been questioned about their politics by Trump appointees who will serve as directors on the NSC and who had weeks earlier asked them to stick around. There are dozens of civil servants at the directorate level at the NSC who had anticipated remaining at the White House in the new administration.A second U.S. official told the AP that he was informed weeks ago by incoming Trump administration officials that they planned on raising questions with career appointees that work at the White House, including those at the NSC, about their political leanings. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, however, had not yet been formally vetted. Waltz told Breitbart News last week that everybody is going to resign at 12:01 on January 20. He added that he wanted the NSC to be staffed by personnel who are 100 percent aligned with the presidents agenda. Were working through our process to get everybody their clearances and through the transition process now, Waltz said. Our folks know who we want out in the agencies, were putting those requests in, and in terms of the detailees theyre all going to go back.A Trump transition official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said the incoming administration felt it was entirely appropriate to seek officials who share the incoming presidents vision and would be focused on common goals.The NSC was launched as an arm of the White House during the Truman administration, tasked with advising and assisting the president on national security and foreign policy and coordinating among various government agencies. It is common for experts detailed to the NSC to carry over from one administration to the next, even when the White House changes parties. Sullivan said he had not spoken to Waltz about the staffing matter, and said it was up to the next national security adviser to decide how they want to play things. All I can say is how we did it and what I thought worked.When they are selected to come over, theyre not selected based on their political affiliation or their policy opinions, theyre selected based on their experience and capacity and so we have a real diversity of people in terms of their views, their politics, their backgrounds, Sullivan said of those assigned to the NSC. The common element of all of it is we get the best of the best here from agencies including the State Department, the intelligence community, the Pentagon and the Homeland Security and Treasury departments. Sullivan noted when Biden took office in 2021, he inherited most of his NSC staff from the outgoing Trump administration.Those folks were awesome, Sullivan said. They were really good.Trump, during his first term, was scarred when two career military officers detailed to the NSC became whistleblowers, raising their concerns about Trumps 2019 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which the president sought an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter. That episode led to Trumps first impeachment.Alexander Vindman was listening to the call in his role as an NSC official when he became alarmed at what he heard. He approached his twin brother, Eugene, who at the time was serving as an ethics lawyer at the NSC. Both Vindmans reported their concerns to superiors. Alexander Vindman said in a statement Friday that the Trump teams approach to staffing the NSC will have a chilling effect on senior policy staff across the government. He added, Talented professionals, wary of being dismissed for principled stances or offering objective advice, will either self-censor or forgo service altogether.The two men were heralded by Democrats as patriots for speaking out and derided by Trump as insubordinate. Eugene Vindman in November was elected as a Democrat to represent Virginias 7th Congressional District. AAMER MADHANI Aamer Madhani is a White House reporter. twitter mailto ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-01-13T12:02:30Z WASHINGTON (AP) If Pete Hegseth were still in uniform, his extramarital affairs and a decision to flatly ignore a combat commanders directive would not just be drawing the attention of senators they could have run afoul of military law. That is raising questions among current and former defense leaders and veterans about whether Hegseth would be able to enforce discipline in the ranks if confirmed as President-elect Donald Trumps defense secretary. Hegseth would oversee more than 2 million troops who could be disciplined or kicked out of the service for the same behavior he has acknowledged or been accused of in the past.Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News Channel weekend host, has acknowledged having multiple extramarital affairs which occurred while he was in the military, according to divorce records and has said he told his troops to ignore commands about when to fire on potential enemies. Both violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice and can get troops court-martialed and dishonorably discharged. Hes also facing questions over his past drinking which, had it occurred in uniform, also could have led to disciplinary action. Hegseth, however, has the support of some veterans groups that say his past indiscretions are not as important as getting in the job someone who will focus on improving military readiness to fight. Four defense officials pointed to Hegseths acknowledged problems and said senior officers have expressed unease about having him at the helm because the defense secretary often sits in judgment of generals and admirals accused of bad behavior including infidelity and refusal to obey orders. Service members expect those holding them accountable to set an example and meet equally high standards, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay private discussions. Character is everything in an institution, said former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who served in the Obama administration and was a longtime Republican senator. You cant minimize how important character is in leadership.While its very rare for service members to be disciplined solely for consensual affairs, its more likely to be done as part of a broader incident that affects the good order and discipline of a unit or their ability to lead. Those instances would include fraternization within a unit, anything involving an assault or a relationship between a service member and a subordinates civilian spouse.A test before the SenateThe issues are expected to come up Tuesday at Hegseths Senate confirmation hearing, which will be an early test of Trumps ability to ensure loyalty among a slim Republican majority.In a letter to Hegseth last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee holding the hearing, asked that he answer a number of questions about his previous conduct. The Massachusetts Democrat said she was deeply concerned by the many ways in which your past behavior and rhetoric indicates that you are unfit to lead the Department of Defense. Asked about his ability to discipline others under the Uniform Code of Military Justice considering his own behavior, Hegseth said on the Megyn Kelly Show last month that my job is to follow the law, the UCMJ, and I will do that.Hegseth also has promised not to drink on the job and has denied a 2017 sex assault allegation but acknowledged paying the woman a settlement. He was going through a divorce at the time after having a child with a Fox News producer who became his current wife, according to court records and his social media posts.Trump and his supporters have rallied around Hegseth, saying he will strengthen what they see as a woke military.He is an incredibly tough and smart candidate that will fight to put America First, Steven Cheung, Trumps communications director, said in a statement. With Pete as our Secretary of Defense, Americas enemies are on notice and our military will be great again.Only one other Cabinet nominee in the last 60 years has gone through the confirmation process only to be rejected by the Senate. Texas Republican Sen. John Tower, President-elect George H.W. Bushs choice for defense secretary, was voted down in 1989 after contentious confirmation hearings looking into allegations of Towers drinking and womanizing. In meetings with senators on Capitol Hill, Hegseth has worked to assuage concerns. Trumps base also has piled pressure on those seen as not fully on board.Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Maine Republican, said after meeting Hegseth last month that she pressed him about the drinking allegations and settlement payment and would wait to decide on his nomination until the confirmation hearing and a background check. The militarys strict code of conductHegseths indiscretions could impede his ability to lead by example, said the chief executive officer of the nations largest group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The average American might scratch their head that you can literally be kicked out of the military for cheating on your spouse. But it is fact. And thats just because the military holds itself to a higher standard when it comes to character, said Allison Jaslow, who served as an Army officer in Iraq and now heads the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a group of about 425,000.In a November podcast, Hegseth said he told his platoon in Iraq in 2005 to ignore a commanders directive not to fire on someone unless they raised their weapon to shoot at U.S. troops.Clear as day, I remember walking out of that briefing and pulling my platoon together and being like, Guys, were not doing that, Hegseth said. If you see an enemy, engage before hes able to point his weapon at you and shoot.Asked whether that had given Trumps team pause, transition spokesman Brian Hughes said all nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies.Hegseth was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq from 2005 to 2006 and earned a second for his tour in Afghanistan in 2012.Hegseth gains support from some veteransHe has gotten a boost from 32 House Republicans who served in the military, who asked the Senate to evaluate him on his service and vision. They dont vote on his nomination, however.A group of Navy SEALs is hosting a rally for him this week in Washington, and one of those involved said Hegseths indiscretions are not as important as refocusing the military on readiness.I think the core of my support ... kind of goes back to the fact that I was a SEAL on 9/11 and that changed my life forever, Bill Brown said.He said Hegseth understands their anger and sense of betrayal over failures in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regarding potential military code violations, the No. 1 rule of engagement is you come home, Brown said. The military is not a social justice project. TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Defense Secretary, walks to meet with senators, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-01-13T12:04:57Z WASHINGTON (AP) Pete Hegseth will try to convince members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he should be the next secretary of defense, following weeks of meetings with lawmakers who peppered him with questions about his character and views on a range of military issues.As author of several books and a former Fox News Channel host, Hegseth has been forced to defend himself against a long record of his own public comments, including in his most recent book, The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.His wide-ranging opinions could provide some insight into how he could approach the top Pentagon job if confirmed. At times, he says hes been misconstrued, but other times hes tried to soften his previously stated views on contentious topics.Heres a look at Hegseth in his own words: On the state of the US militaryAn Army veteran who rose to the rank of major and served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth, 44, says he believes that standards have declined and that efforts to expand diversity, equity and inclusion have driven white men away.He complains in his latest book that woke generals and the leaders of the elite service academies have left the military dangerously weak and effeminate by promoting DEI. He says, the next commander in chief will need to clean house.Turns out, all the diversity recruiting messages made certain kids white kids feel like theyre not wanted, he said in his book. If confirmed, he has said there will be no more social justice, politically correct approaches to how we fight and conduct wars. Instead, he said, this is about lethality, meritocracy, readiness.And he has vowed to fire generals involved in woke programs. On women in combatHegseths opposition stated in his book and interviews was simple and direct before his nomination on Nov. 12. But, in the face of questions from Congress, he appears to have altered his stance.Im straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasnt made us more effective. Hasnt made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated, he said in a podcast hosted by Shawn Ryan on Nov. 7. Women have a place in the military, he said, just not in special operations, artillery, infantry and armor units. In his book, he said women have performed well in dangerous support roles during war, but women in the infantry women in combat on purpose is another story. He adds, women cannot physically meet the same standards as men. He said, Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units.His views riled some members of Congress. Asked about the issue on the Megyn Kelly Show in early December, Hegseth said he cares only that military standards are maintained. Women serve in combat, he said, and, if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Lets go. On infidelity and sexual assault allegationsHegseth faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman he met at a conference in California in 2017. He has denied it, saying it was consensual. No charges were filed. He has acknowledged paying a settlement to his accuser, contending he did so to head off a baseless lawsuit. The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared, he said.He also has acknowledged multiple instances of infidelity, including the California incident, which happened while he was going through a divorce with his second wife after having a child with the woman who is now his current wife, Jennifer Rauchet.He told Kelly that going to a hotel room with someone who was not his wife is not OK and that he paid the settlement to protect my wife. I did it to protect my family. I did it to protect my job.He said it was fair to call him a serial cheater but he truly was changed by Jen and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and is now a different man. On drinkingSenators have also expressed concerns about reports of excessive drinking.Hegseth has denied having a drinking problem and said publicly that he told lawmakers he wouldnt drink while defense secretary.Im not going to have a drink at all, he said, likening it to following the Pentagons general order No. 1, which prohibits troops from drinking while deployed.He said that often when service members come home from war they have some beers. But insisted in the Kelly interview that, Ive never had a drinking problem. On extremism in the militaryHegseth has said the Pentagon overreacted by taking steps to address extremism and has taken leadership to task for the militarys efforts to remove people it deemed white supremacists and violent extremists. He wrote that the problem is fake and characterized it as peddling the lie of racism in the military. He said efforts to root out extremism had pushed rank-and-file patriots out of their formations.Hegseth was pulled from Washington National Guard duty during President Joe Bidens inauguration after he was flagged as a possible Insider Threat by a fellow service member due to a tattoo.Hegseth has said it was due to a Christian cross tattoo on his chest. But the fellow Guard member, who was on an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the units leadership flagging a different tattoo on Hegseths bicep thats associated with white supremacist groups.On a Pentagon chief leading in combatShortly after President-elect Trump announced his nomination, Hegseth posted on X, Maybe its time for a @SecDef who has Led in combat. Been on patrol for days. Pulled a trigger. Heard bullets whiz by. Called in close air support. Led medevacs. Dodged IEDs. He said Trump told him that, I chose you because youre the guy thats gonna put the warfighters first. We havent had that. We need a guy thats kicked down doors and understands the consequences of war.Trumps first defense secretary, retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and was awarded a Bronze Star with a V for valor for serving in one of the lead assault units going into Kuwait in the first Gulf War. Current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army four-star general, also commanded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded a Silver Star, the nations third-highest award for valor, for leading troops into Iraq during the 2003 invasion. Ive led troops in combat in pretty significant and tough situations, Austin told The Associated Press. Even if you are a self-described door kicker or whatever you want to call it, I had run large, complex organizations before I came into this job, and I did that successfully.So I think you have to have a perspective on whats happening on the ground, but you also have to have an understanding of how things fit in terms of the bigger picture, he said.___Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed to this report.

2025-01-13T12:52:38Z TOKYO (AP) A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit southwestern Japan, the countrys Meteorological Agency said Monday, while warning the public to stay away from coastal areas because of a tsunami threat. Tsunami advisories were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the quake was centered, in the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as nearby Kochi Prefecture, in Shikoku island, shortly after the quake struck at 9:19 p.m. local time, according to the agency. There were no immediate reports of damage. Residents in some coastal areas were told to evacuate as a precautionary measure. One man was slightly injured in Kyushu after falling down some stairs, NHK reported. Trains stopped running in Miyazaki Station, stranding passengers. Public broadcaster NHK TV said a tsunami, estimated to be as high as 1 meter (3.2 feet) high, reached land within 30 minutes of the quake. The waters detected at Miyazaki Port measured 20 centimeters (0.7 feet) high, the reports said. The quake, centered at a depth of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles), shook a wide area in Kyushu, the southwestern main island, Japans Meteorological Agency said. Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.NHK TV footage showed moving traffic and well-lit streets, meaning that electric power was still working. No problems were detected at the various monitoring posts for nuclear plants in the area. Experts at the meteorological agency were meeting late Monday to gauge how the latest temblor may be related to the so-called Nankai Trough quakes. The term refers to a wide region believed to be prone to periodic major quakes. A Nankai Trough quake off Shikoku in 1946 killed more than 1,300 people. The area was hit by a 7.1 magnitude quake in August last year. YURI KAGEYAMA Kageyama covers Japan news for The Associated Press. Her topics include social issues, the environment, businesses, entertainment and technology. twitter instagram facebook mailto

A person walks past a Nippon Steel Corporation sign at the company headquarters Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2025-01-13T16:19:04Z HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The bid by Japans Nippon Steel to buy U.S. Steel may have a new lease on life after the Biden Administration extended a deadline for the Japanese steelmaker to abandon plans to acquire the storied Pittsburgh company after President Joe Biden blocked the deal.The new deadline, now in mid-June, was viewed by U.S. Steel and investors as an opportunity for the companies to complete the acquisition, even though President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in a week, also opposes the deal.Biden nixed the acquisition this month citing a potential threat to national security, though the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, failed to reach a consensus on the security issue.We are pleased that CFIUS has granted an extension to June 18, 2025 of the requirement in President Bidens Executive Order that the parties permanently abandon the transaction, U.S. Steel said in a statement Sunday. We look forward to completing the transaction, which secures the best future for the American steel industry and all our stakeholders. Shares of U.S. Steel rose almost 7% when markets opened Monday. The proposed deal kicked up an election year political maelstrom across Americas industrial heartland and quickly drew vows by Biden and Trump from the campaign trail in a critical battleground state to block the deal. Even after the election, Trump wrote on social media in December that he is totally against U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company and said he would block the deal as president. He reiterated that stance this month after it was blocked by Biden. However, a CFIUS composed of Trump appointees and Trump himself may be free to allow the deal to go through, or negotiate new terms.Dennis Unkovic, a Pittsburgh lawyer who works on international business transactions, including deals in which CFIUS approval was required, said a new CFIUS and a new president are not legally bound by Bidens decision. CFIUS giving the parties an extra six months to unwind the deal is unusual, Unkovic said. It wasnt immediately clear why CFIUS extended the deadline, but Unkovic pointed to reports that Bidens CFIUS was divided over whether it was a security threat. Extending this from the 30 days to the 180 days was a sign that there were people in the Biden administration that would like somebody to take a second look at this, Unkovic said.CFIUS job is to see if there are workarounds or modifications to a deal to allow it to go through, and rarely is a deal turned down, Unkovic said. After CFIUS takes another look at it, it could still be up to Trump to decide.Now how he comes down on it, who knows? Unkovic said.Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have insisted that the deal presents no national security problem for the U.S., said Bidens decision to block it was a violation of legal due process and a political calculation. The two steel companies sued in federal court three days after Biden announcement and accused the head of the Steelworkers union and a rival steelmaker of working together to scuttle the buyout in a separate lawsuit. The United Steelworkers have opposed the deal, concerned over whether the company would honor existing labor agreements or slash jobs, and questioned Nippon Steels status as an honest broker for U.S. national trade interests.However, some union members have come out in favor of the deal. Nippon Steel the worlds fourth-largest steelmaker says its ability to invest in U.S. Steels aging blast furnace plants in Pennsylvania and Indiana will boost the ability of the U.S. to compete in an industry dominated by China.U.S. Steel has warned that, without Nippon Steels cash, it will shift production away from the blast furnaces to cheaper non-union electric arc furnaces and move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh.___Follow Marc Levy on X at: https://x.com/timelywriter. MARC LEVY Levy covers politics and state government in Pennsylvania for The Associated Press. He is based in Harrisburg. twitter

President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-01-13T16:31:21Z WASHINGTON (AP) Despite failing to deliver his promise for broad student loan forgiveness, President Joe Biden has now overseen the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million Americans more than any other president in U.S. history.In a last-minute action on Monday, the Education Department canceled loans for 150,000 borrowers through programs that existed before Biden took office. His administration expanded those programs and used them to their fullest extent, pressing on with cancellation even after the Supreme Court rejected Bidens plan for a new forgiveness policy.My Administration has taken historic action to reduce the burden of student debt, hold bad actors accountable, and fight on behalf of students across the country, Biden said in a written statement. In total, the administration says it has waived $183.6 billion in student loans. The wave of cancellation could dry up when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump hasnt detailed his student loan policies but previously called cancellation vile and illegal. Republicans have fought relentlessly against Bidens plans, saying cancellation is ultimately shouldered by taxpayers who never attended college or already repaid their loans. Biden loosened rules for debt forgivenessThe latest round of relief mostly comes through a program known as borrower defense, which allows students to get their loans canceled if theyre cheated or misled by their colleges. It was created in 1994 but rarely used until a wave of high-profile for-profit college scandals during the Obama administration.A smaller share of the relief came through a program for borrowers with disabilities and through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which was created in 2007 and offers to erase all remaining debt for borrowers in a government or nonprofit job who make 10 years of monthly payments.Most of Mondays borrower defense cancellations were for students who attended several defunct colleges owned by Center for Excellence in Higher Education, including CollegeAmerica, Stevens-Henager College, and Independence University. They are based on past findings that the schools lied to prospective students about their employment prospects and the terms of private loans. Before Biden took office, those programs were criticized by advocates who said complex rules made it difficult for borrowers to get relief. The Biden administration loosened some of the rules using its regulatory power, a maneuver that expanded eligibility without going through Congress.As an example, just 7,000 borrowers had gotten their loans canceled through Public Service Loan Forgiveness before the Biden administration took office. Widespread confusion about eligibility, along with errors by loan servicers, resulted in a 99% rejection rate for applicants.Huge numbers of borrowers made years of payments only to find out they were in an ineligible repayment plan. Some were improperly put into forbearance a pause on payments by their loan servicers. Those periods didnt end up counting toward the 10 years of payments needed for cancellation. The Biden administration temporarily relaxed the eligibility rules during the pandemic and then made it more permanent in 2023. As a result, more than 1 million public servants have now had their balances zeroed out through the program.All those rule changes were meant to be a companion to Bidens marquee policy for student debt, which proposed up to $20,000 in relief for more than 40 million Americans. But after the Supreme Court blocked the move, the Biden administration shifted its focus to maximizing relief through existing mechanisms. Republicans have called for a different approachAnnouncements of new cancellation became routine, even as conservatives in Congress accused Biden of overstepping his power. Republican states fought off Bidens later attempts at mass forgiveness, but the smaller batches of relief continued without any major legal challenge.As Republicans take hold of both chambers of Congress and the White House, Bidens changes could be targeted for a rollback. But its unclear how far the next administration will go to tighten the cancellation spigot.Trump proposed eliminating PSLF during his first term in office, but Congress rejected the idea. Project 2025, a blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation for a second Trump term, proposes ending PSLF, and narrowing borrower defense and making repayment plans less generous than existing ones.Republicans have suggested that reversing Bidens changes will be a priority. Earlier this month, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., issued a report blasting Bidens expansion of borrower defense, saying he tried to stretch every possible law to fulfill his campaign promises.When Trump takes office, Foxx wrote, the jig will finally be up. ___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. COLLIN BINKLEY Binkley covers the U.S. Education Department and federal education policy for The Associated Press, along with a wide range of issues from K-12 through higher education. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Israeli soldiers overlook the Gaza Strip from a tank, as seen from southern Israel, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)2025-01-13T16:58:47Z JERUSALEM (AP) Yotam Vilk says the image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in his mind.An officer in the armored corps, Vilk said the instructions were to shoot any unauthorized person who entered an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza. He saw at least 12 people killed, he said, but it is the shooting of the teen that he cant shake.He died as part of a bigger story. As part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people, Vilk, 28, told The Associated Press. Yotam Vilk, who served in an armored unit in the Gaza Strip and is now one of a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict, poses for a portrait in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Yotam Vilk, who served in an armored unit in the Gaza Strip and is now one of a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict, poses for a portrait in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Vilk is among a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict and refusing to serve anymore, saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines. While the movement is small some 200 soldiers signed a letter saying theyd stop fighting if the government didnt secure a ceasefire soldiers say its the tip of the iceberg and they want others to come forward.Their refusal comes at a time of mounting pressure on Israel and Hamas to wind down the fighting. Ceasefire talks are underway, and both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have called for a deal by the Jan. 20 inauguration. Seven soldiers whove refused to continue fighting in Gaza spoke with AP, describing how Palestinians were indiscriminately killed and houses destroyed. Several said they were ordered to burn or demolish homes that posed no threat, and they saw soldiers loot and vandalize residences. Israeli graffiti is seen on the walls of Palestinians houses in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, in Dec. 2023. (Yuval Green via AP) Israeli graffiti is seen on the walls of Palestinians houses in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, in Dec. 2023. (Yuval Green via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Soldiers are required to steer clear of politics, and they rarely speak out against the army. After Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel quickly united behind the war launched against the militant group. Divisions here have grown as the war progresses, but most criticism has focused on the mounting number of soldiers killed and the failure to bring home hostages, not actions in Gaza. International rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. The International Court of Justice is investigating genocide allegations filed by South Africa. The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. Israel adamantly rejects genocide allegations and says it takes extraordinary measures to minimize civilian harm in Gaza. The army says it never intentionally targets civilians, and investigates and punishes cases of suspected wrongdoing. But rights groups have long said the army does a poor job of investigating itself.The army told AP it condemns the refusal to serve and takes any call for refusal seriously, with each case examined individually. Soldiers can go to jail for refusing to serve, but none who signed the letter has been detained, according to those who organized the signatures. Yotam Vilk shows a photo of himself on the Israel-Gaza border during army reserve duty before he joined a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict and refusing to continue fighting, at home in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Yotam Vilk shows a photo of himself on the Israel-Gaza border during army reserve duty before he joined a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict and refusing to continue fighting, at home in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Soldiers reactions in GazaWhen Vilk entered Gaza in November 2023, he said, he thought the initial use of force might bring both sides to the table. But as the war dragged on, he said he saw the value of human life disintegrate. On the day the Palestinian teenager was killed last August, he said, Israeli troops shouted at him to stop and fired warning shots at his feet, but he kept moving. He said others were also killed walking into the buffer zone the Netzarim Corridor, a road dividing northern and southern Gaza.Vilk acknowledged it was hard to determine whether people were armed, but said he believes soldiers acted too quickly. In the end, he said, Hamas is to blame for some deaths in the buffer zone he described one Palestinian detained by his unit who said Hamas paid people $25 to walk into the corridor to gauge the armys reaction.Some soldiers told AP it took time to digest what they saw in Gaza. Others said they became so enraged they decided theyd stop serving almost immediately. Yuval Green, a medic who abandoned his post on reserve duty with the army last January after spending nearly two months in the Gaza Strip, poses for a portrait in Jerusalem, on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Yuval Green, a medic who abandoned his post on reserve duty with the army last January after spending nearly two months in the Gaza Strip, poses for a portrait in Jerusalem, on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Yuval Green, a 27-year-old medic, described abandoning his post last January after spending nearly two months in Gaza, unable to live with what hed seen.He said soldiers desecrated homes, using black markers meant for medical emergencies to scribble graffiti, and looted homes, looking for prayer beads to collect as souvenirs.The final straw, he said, was his commander ordering troops to burn down a house, saying he didnt want Hamas to be able to use it. Green said he sat in a military vehicle, choking on fumes amid the smell of burning plastic. He found the fire vindictive he said he saw no reason to take more from Palestinians than theyd already lost. He left his unit before their mission was complete.Green said he understands Israeli anger over Oct. 7 but hopes his act of refusal encourages all sides to break the cycle of violence. Yuval Green, center, and Yotam Vilk, left, take part in a panel discussion for soldiers refusing to serve in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Yuval Green, center, and Yotam Vilk, left, take part in a panel discussion for soldiers refusing to serve in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The soldiers refusal as an act of protestSoldiers for the Hostages the group behind the letter troops signed is trying to garner momentum, holding an event this month in Tel Aviv and gathering more signatures. A panel of soldiers spoke about what theyd seen in Gaza. Organizers distributed poster-size stickers with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote: One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.Max Kresch, an organizer, said soldiers can use their positions to create change. We need to use our voice to speak up in the face of injustice, even if that is unpopular, he said. But some who fought and lost colleagues call the movement a slap in the face. More than 830 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the war, according to the army. Max Kresch, an army reserve medic who has joined a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict in the Gaza Strip and are refusing to continue fighting, poses for a portrait in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Max Kresch, an army reserve medic who has joined a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict in the Gaza Strip and are refusing to continue fighting, poses for a portrait in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More They are harming our ability to defend ourselves, said Gilad Segal, a 42-year-old paratrooper who spent two months in Gaza at the end of 2023. He said everything the army did was necessary, including the flattening of houses used as Hamas hideouts. Its not a soldiers place to agree or disagree with the government, he argued.Ishai Menuchin, spokesperson for Yesh Gvul, a movement for soldiers refusing to serve, said he works with more than 80 soldiers who have refused to fight and that there are hundreds more who feel similarly but remain silent. Israeli soldiers stand by a truck packed with bound and blindfolded Palestinian detainees in Gaza, on Dec. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Moti Milrod, Haaretz, File) Israeli soldiers stand by a truck packed with bound and blindfolded Palestinian detainees in Gaza, on Dec. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Moti Milrod, Haaretz, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Effects on soldiersSome of the soldiers who spoke to AP said they feel conflicted and regretful, and theyre talking to friends and relatives about what they saw to process it. Many soldiers suffer from moral injury, said Tuly Flint, a trauma therapy specialist whos counseled hundreds of them during the war. Its a response when people see or do something that goes against their beliefs, he said, and it can result in a lack of sleep, flashbacks and feelings of unworthiness. Talking about it and trying to spark change can help, Flint said. One former infantry soldier told AP about his feelings of guilt he said he saw about 15 buildings burned down unnecessarily during a two-week stint in late 2023. He said that if he could do it all over again, he wouldnt have fought.I didnt light the match, but I stood guard outside the house. I participated in war crimes, said the soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity over fears of retaliation. Im so sorry for what weve done. Israeli graffiti is seen on the walls of Palestinians houses in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, in Dec. 2023. (Yuval Green via AP) Israeli graffiti is seen on the walls of Palestinians houses in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, in Dec. 2023. (Yuval Green via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the West and Central Africa reporter for the Associated Press. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. twitter JULIA FRANKEL Frankel is an Associated Press reporter in Jerusalem. twitter mailto

A girl watches as Mohammad Eid mourns his cousin Dima, along with her uncle and grandfather, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, during their funeral in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-01-13T10:26:56Z Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks for more than a year aimed at ending the war in Gaza and returning scores of militant-held hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.But despite intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, the talks have repeatedly stalled over several key issues, including the details of the exchange, whether the ceasefire would be permanent and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.As each side has accused the other of backtracking, the war has ground on.Dozens of Palestinians have been killed each day in Israeli strikes, and most of Gazas 2.3 million people are huddled in squalid tent camps, their neighborhoods in ruins. Humanitarian groups struggle to deliver desperately needed aid, and experts have warned of famine.In Israel, families of the hostages have held weekly rallies demanding a deal for their release, fearing their loved ones will die in the harsh conditions of their captivity the longer the fighting drags on.Heres a look at the main points of contention. Lists of names but no clarity on hostagesHamas and other groups are still holding around 100 hostages captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that ignited the war, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. The Israeli military has declared a third of the hostages dead, but suspects that the true number could be around half.Hamas is demanding the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including senior militants convicted of orchestrating attacks that killed civilians. Israel is reluctant to free such prisoners, especially since one of the masterminds of the 2023 attack, the slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was a former prisoner released in such a deal. The two sides have exchanged lists of names, with Israel demanding more information about which hostages are alive to ensure they come out first. Hamas says it needs at least a brief truce to determine the status of the hostages, because they are being held by various groups in scattered, secret locations. Hamas seeks a lasting truce; Israel wants total victoryThe emerging deal calls for a multiphase plan. In the first stage, Hamas would release the most vulnerable hostages and Israeli forces would pull back from some areas, allowing some Palestinians to return to their homes and a surge of humanitarian aid.In the second step which would be negotiated during the first the rest of the living hostages would be released in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.Hamas has said it wont release the remaining hostages without assurances that the war will end. Israels offensive has killed more than 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, which dont say how many of the dead were militants. Hamas likely fears that Israel will resume its offensive and step up its intensity once the hostages are out and the militants no longer have their most valuable bargaining chip.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to do just that. He says that Israel wont end the war until it has destroyed Hamas military and governing abilities and ensured that the Palestinian militant group no longer poses a threat.The lack of trust goes both ways: Israelis fear that Hamas will drag out negotiations over the second phase, extending the ceasefire indefinitely while the hostages languish. Israel says it must retain strategic corridorsThe talks nearly collapsed last summer when Netanyahu said that Israel would maintain a lasting presence in the Philadelphi corridor, a strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border.Israel says Hamas has long smuggled weapons into Gaza through tunnels beneath the corridor and that it must control the area to prevent Hamas from rebuilding. Egypt, a key mediator, says it blocked the tunnels years ago, and is opposed to any Israeli presence on the Gaza side of its border.Israel has also demanded a mechanism for inspecting people returning to their homes in northern Gaza, from which around a million people fled following Israeli evacuation orders at the start of the war. Their return is a key Hamas demand, the details of which are still being worked out. Israel says people returning to the north should be searched for weapons. That would probably require an Israeli presence in whats known as the Netzarim corridor, a strip of closed roads and military installations stretching from the border to the sea just south of Gaza City.The Palestinians are opposed to any permanent Israeli occupation, though Hamas has reportedly shown flexibility on the timetable of the Israeli withdrawal. Clashing visions for postwar GazaIsrael says Hamas can never again rule Gaza, but it has yet to endorse a realistic plan for an alternative government. With no internal rivals, Hamas has been able to quickly regroup after Israeli operations, even in the hardest-hit areas, and still controls much of the territory.The Biden administration has long pushed for a grand bargain in which a reformed Palestinian Authority would govern postwar Gaza with the support of Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, which would also take the historic step of forging ties with Israel.But Arab and Muslim leaders say they will only sign onto such plans if they include a pathway to a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.Israels government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. Netanyahu says that Israel will maintain open-ended security control while delegating governance to politically independent Palestinians. But none appear to have volunteered, and Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates with Israel in running the territory.Hamas has said, however, that its willing to relinquish control of Gaza to other Palestinians. Late last year, it agreed to an Egyptian-brokered plan for a group of independents to govern the territory under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority, which has yet to accept the proposal.Hamas has also demanded the lifting of a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after it seized power in 2007, which experts say is needed for Gaza to be rebuilt. The lifting of the blockade, however, would allow Hamas to claim a major victory and to eventually rebuild its military capabilities. Thats another nonstarter for Israel.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Homes along the Pacific coast are burned to the ground in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)2025-01-13T18:00:04Z The Oscar nominations are being pushed back almost a week from their original date amid the ongoing California wildfires. Nominations will now be announced on Jan. 23, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday.We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a joint statement. The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship.With fires still active in the Los Angeles area, the film academy also extended the nominations voting period for its members through Friday. Originally, nominations were to be announced that morning.The organization that puts on the Oscars has also made the decision to cancel its annual nominees luncheon, an untelevised event best known for the class photos it produces annually. The Scientific and Technical Awards, previously set for Feb. 18, will be rescheduled later. The 97th Oscars will still happen on March 2, at the Dolby Theatre, with a live television broadcast on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. ET and a live stream on Hulu. Oscar nominations were postponed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony itself was also delayed, which had happened several times before: The ceremony was pushed back a week because of disastrous flooding in Los Angeles in 1938. In 1968, it was delayed two days following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And in 1981, it was put off for 24 hours after President Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington D.C.The 1981 decision was made four hours before the broadcast was scheduled to begin. LINDSEY BAHR Bahr has been a film writer and critic for The Associated Press since 2014. twitter instagram mailto

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a press interview on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)2025-01-13T18:04:57Z WASHINGTON (AP) In the waning days of the Biden administration, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended his agencys work to tamp down border-crossing numbers and argued against breaking apart the sprawling department in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press.President-elect Donald Trump, who promised an aggressive Day 1 effort to stop illegal immigration and remove people in the country illegally, has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to take over the agency responsible for border and airport security, disaster response, protections for high-level dignitaries and more. She faces a confirmation hearing Wednesday.As he prepares to leave office, Mayorkas said he has spoken repeatedly to Noem, including about the Jan. 1 truck attack in New Orleans and the wildfires in California, calling the conversations meaningful, very productive, very positive.Here are some takeaways from APs interview with Mayorkas: How border numbers have changedThe number of people crossing the border illegally initially skyrocketed under President Joe Biden before falling sharply this year. Republican critics pointed to the rising numbers to argue that the Biden administration wasnt doing enough to control the border, and many voters agreed this November. Mayorkas argued the increase actually started toward the end of the first Trump presidency but then the COVID-19 pandemic suppressed migration. The U.S. climbed out of the pandemic faster than other countries in the hemisphere, and the numbers increased, he said. Mayorkas said people are on the move worldwide, not just heading toward the U.S.The level of displacement is now greater than it ever has been since World War II, he said. And that is a phenomenon that is experienced internationally.Mayorkas praised what the Biden administration has done to address the rising numbers, including creating safe mobility offices in other parts of the world and negotiating agreements with other countries to return their citizens. Its a multipronged, multifaceted approach, he said. Facing criticism over border security and policiesMayorkas became a lightning rod for criticism about border security and was impeached in early 2024 by Republicans who argued that he wasnt upholding immigration laws. At the time, Mayorkas called those charges politically motivated and baseless.He said its important to remember the context when the Biden administration came into office. Title 42 the pandemic-era rule allowing officials to quickly eject migrants without letting them request asylum was still in place. Biden eventually ended the policy, although, Mayorkas said, huge pressure existed to keep it over concern that immigration numbers would climb.The secretary said the department had to build the capacity to do things like beef up the number of expedited removals and pointed to a lack of funding from Congress. We turned to Congress and requested supplemental funding. We didnt succeed, Mayorkas said. We actually struck a bipartisan Senate deal that would have been an enduring solution to the border. ... It was politically torpedoed. On the other end of the political spectrum, some immigration advocates have been disappointed by the Biden administration, pointing to asylum restrictions put in place when the southern border is overwhelmed and other policies.Mayorkas pushed back, pointing to examples like the rebuilt refugee program, which Trump put on life support his first term.I couldnt disagree more vigorously. I just fundamentally disagree, Mayorkas said. Do they understand the reality of the number of encounters that we experienced at the border and how unacceptable that is from a border security perspective? On Trumps threats of mass deportations One of Trumps key campaign promises is to carry out mass deportations of migrants in the country illegally. Mayorkas said he wouldnt judge intended actions by headlines, although he noted that headlines can instill fear.But he said promises by the Trump administration to prioritize enforcing removals of migrants who are national security or public safety threats was what DHS was already doing. That is exactly what we have done and what we have focused upon, Mayorkas said.The secretary noted Trumps support for the H-1B visa program, the high skilled labor pathway with which I agree. And he said Trumps comments about finding a solution for immigrants brought to the country as children by their parents gives one hope that perhaps legislative reform providing status to them is potentially foreseeable. Breaking up the Department of Homeland SecurityDHS was born in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, with the aim of creating an agency responsible for defending the homeland and preventing acts of terrorism.Twenty-two agencies were thrown together, and its now the third-largest federal department with 260,000 staffers. Critics question whether DHS has truly gelled. Project 2025, the policy blueprint by the Heritage Foundation that lays out a conservative vision for American government and society, calls for breaking up the department. Mayorkas said that wouldnt be good for homeland security. The challenges that the homeland faces have also become more complex, more dynamic and involve multiple elements of our department, he said. And I think this department is more fit for purpose now than it ever has been before. And I think that it is working more cohesively than it ever has been before.Boosting moraleMayorkas noted the work to help employees during his tenure, such as pay raises for frontline officers at the Transportation Security Administration and steps to improve mental health.DHS has perennially been at the bottom of a job satisfaction survey carried out yearly of all federal agencies. But this year, Mayorkas noted, it received an award for climbing up the rankings. This year we climbed even higher, and that is the product of hard work, he said.The threats facing AmericaMayorkas listed a litany of threats facing America: domestic extremists; adverse nation states, including China, Iran, North Korea and Russia; extreme weather events; cybercriminals; and more.Asked which the next administration should be most concerned with, he said: I think they need to focus on all of the above. 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

A "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warning appears on the National Weather Service's website for Los Angeles due to the extreme risk of wildfires in the region, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Rachel Leathe)2025-01-13T19:09:25Z The National Weather Services Los Angeles page screams Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) in hot pink letters against a gray background. Its a rare warning aimed at seizing attention ahead of extreme wildfire risk thats predicted to start in southern California at 4 a.m. (1200GMT) Tuesday.PDS warnings were first used to warn of tornado outbreaks in the Midwest. More than a decade ago, three meteorologists proposed expanding their use to disasters such as ice storms, floods, hurricanes and now wildfires.Grabbing attentionIt catches the attention, it really heightens that awareness and the need to really act at that point, said one of those scientists, Jonathan Howell.The hope was that the phrase would become synonymous with extreme weather events and also could be used for emergencies such as hurricanes and snowstorms, Howell and two colleagues wrote for a presentation at a 2011 conference of the American Meteorological Society.I definitely think this has made an impact and has saved lives over the years, Howell, who is the science and operations officer at the weather services Mobile, Alabama office, told The Associated Press. Past warningsOne of the earliest uses of the term particularly dangerous situation appeared in an April 1, 1983 Associated Press article about a widespread storm system that caused a blinding dust storm in west Texas. A tornado watch was posted for 24 counties in east Texas, with the National Weather Service warning: This is a particularly dangerous situation with the possibility of very damaging tornadoes.In June 2005, the National Weather Service warned of a particularly dangerous situation as the environment was primed for a tornado outbreak over Oklahoma and Kansas.The warning would be used to convey urgency in more tornado outbreaks in ensuing years. One was issued in November 2022 when supercells were expected across parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. PDS warnings for wildfiresDuring the first week of November last year, as Santa Ana winds fueled the Mountain Fire northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service issued a PDS warning. Forecasters called the threat extreme and life-threatening.Then, on Dec. 9, residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were again warned of a particularly dangerous situation as Santa Ana winds roared through the mountains. JEFF MARTIN Martin covers breaking news in the southeastern U.S. for The Associated Press. He is based in Atlanta. mailto

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, center, and players reacts to a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)2025-01-13T18:03:21Z The AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season!Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. Auburn has climbed to No. 1 in The Associated Press mens basketball poll for its second stint at the top in program history, while fellow Southeastern Conference program Georgia is in the rankings for the first time in 13 years.Bruce Pearls Tigers (15-1) claimed 60 of 62 first-place votes to rise one spot Monday after previous No. 1 Tennessee suffered its first loss of the season, falling at Florida, to end a five-week reign at the top. Auburn has been No. 1 only once before in the AP Top 25, during a three-week stint in January and February of 2022, and is the third team to sit atop the poll this season.Auburns only loss came at Duke in early December and the Tigers have won eight straight games, though there is no word on when star forward Johni Broome might be ready to play after suffering an ankle injury in Saturdays win over South Carolina. The Tigers rise made them the headliner in another SEC-heavy poll, with the league having nine teams in the AP Top 25 including three of the top five and five of the top 10.Iowa State rose one spot to No. 2, reaching its highest ranking in program history, followed by Duke, Alabama and Florida. The Blue Devils and Gators each claimed a first-place vote. The top tierThe Volunteers (15-1) had been No. 1 since Dec. 9 and stood as Division Is last unbeaten team before a 30-point loss to Florida. They recovered by beating Texas but still tumbled five spots to No. 6.Marquette was next at No. 7 as the only team to stay at the same spot from last week, followed by Kentucky, preseason No. 1 Kansas and Houston to round out the top 10. RisingNo. 12 Michigan State and No. 20 Michigan had the weeks biggest jumps, each rising four spots. Florida and No. 17 Purdue were next by climbing three positions.In all, 15 teams that were ranked last week moved up in the latest poll. FallingWhile Tennessees tumble was notable, No. 19 Illinois had the weeks biggest slide by falling six spots after a weekend home loss to Southern California.Two-time reigning national champion UConn matched the Volunteers five-spot decline, checking in at No. 14 after last weeks loss at Villanova.Six teams that were ranked last week moved down in Mondays poll.WelcomeNo. 23 Georgia, No. 24 Wisconsin and No. 25 Baylor were the weeks new additions. And for Georgia, its been a while.Mike Whites Bulldogs (14-2) have their first AP Top 25 ranking since spending a week at No. 24 in January 2011. That lone appearance had stood as the programs only time being ranked since the 2002-03 season, but the Bulldogs are coming off a week that featured wins against then-No. 6 Kentucky and then-No. 17 Oklahoma for the programs first back-to-back victories against ranked opponents since the 2006-07 season.Both the Badgers and Bears have spent multiple weeks in the poll this season.Farewell (for now)West Virginia (No. 21) and UCLA (No. 22) joined the Sooners in falling out of this weeks poll.Conference watchThe SEC which had 10 ranked teams on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 had nine ranked teams for the fifth time this season, including No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 15 Mississippi State and No. 21 Mississippi.The Big Ten was next with six, followed by the Big 12 with four. The Big East had two, followed by the Atlantic Coast, West Coast, American Athletic and Mountain West conferences with one each. ___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 AARON BEARD Beard covers sports in North Carolina for The Associated Press with an emphasis on college basketball. His coverage includes ACC sports and the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. twitter mailto

Former President Donald Trump arrives at the courtroom for his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2023-10-27T04:12:03Z NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 at his New York civil fraud trial, following his three eldest children to the witness stand in a case that threatens to disrupt their familys real estate empire, state lawyers said Friday.It was already expected that the former president and sons Donald Jr. and Eric would testify. The timing became clear Friday, after Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that daughter Ivanka Trump also must appear, rejecting her bid to avoid testifying.The schedule sets up a blockbuster stretch in the trial of New York Attorney General Letitia James lawsuit. She alleges that the former president, now the Republican front-runner for 2024, overstated his wealth for years on financial statements that were given to banks, insurers and others to help secure loans and deals. Trump denies any wrongdoing and has called the trial a politically motivated sham. The case could strip Trump of some of his corporate holdings and marquee properties such as Trump Tower. James and Engoron are Democrats. Donald Trump and the two sons are defendants in the lawsuit, but the state is initially calling them to the stand before the defense begins its case. The defense can then call them again.In a surprise preview, Donald Trump ended up briefly testifying Wednesday to answer Engorons questions about whether an out-of-court comment was aimed at his law clerk. The judge had earlier barred participants in the trial from talking publicly about court staffers. Trump said his remark wasnt about the clerk; Engoron called that testimony not credible and fined Trump $10,000, on top of a $5,000 fine imposed days earlier over an online post about the clerk. Trumps lawyers paid both fines on his behalf but still might appeal them, according to a court filing Friday.Donald Trump Jr. is now set to testify next Wednesday, brother Eric on Thursday and sister Ivanka on Nov. 3, though her lawyers may appeal to try to block her testimony. An appeals court dismissed her as a defendant in the lawsuit in June, saying the claims against her were too old. Ivanka Trump announced in January 2017, ahead of her fathers inauguration, that she was stepping away from her job as an executive vice president at the family company, the Trump Organization. She soon became an unpaid senior adviser in the Trump White House. After her fathers term ended, she moved to Florida. Her lawyer, Bennet Moskowitz, told the judge Friday that state lawyers just dont have jurisdiction over her. One of Donald Trumps attorneys, Christopher Kise, maintained that state lawyers just want another free-for-all on another of President Trumps children.The idea that somehow Ms. Trump is under the control of the Trump Organization or any of the defendants, her father -- anyone who has raised a daughter past the age of 13 knows that theyre not under their control, Kise said. However, the states lawyers argued that Ivanka Trump was a key participant in some events discussed in the case and remains financially and professionally intertwined with the family business and its leaders. Engoron sided with the state, citing documents showing that Ivanka Trump continued to have ties to some businesses in New York and still owns Manhattan apartments. Ms. Trump has clearly availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York, Engoron said. During her years at the Trump Organization, Ivanka Trump was involved in negotiating and securing financing for various properties, including a lease and loan for a Washington hotel and loans for Trumps Doral golf resort near Miami and a Trump-owned hotel and condo skyscraper in Chicago, according to court filings. According to the New York attorney generals office, Ivanka Trump retained a financial interest in the Trump Organizations operations even after leaving for the White House, including through an interest in the now-sold Washington hotel.In court papers that included emails and other documents, the state lawyers said the Trump Organization and its staff also have bought insurance for Ivanka Trump and her businesses, managed her household staff and credit card bills, rented her apartment and paid her legal fees. In 2021 federal disclosures, she reported $2.6 million in income from Trump entities, including revenue from a vehicle known as TTT Consulting LLC. A company bookkeeper testified that TTT was set up for her and her brothers to reap a share of fees from some licensing agreements. ___Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.

Alex Jones speaks to the media after arriving at the federal courthouse for a hearing in front of a bankruptcy judge, June 14, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)2025-01-13T20:21:40Z A company linked to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is now offering over $7 million to buy his Infowars platforms, more than double what it proposed when it lost to The Onion satirical news outlet in a bankruptcy auction that was later voided by a judge, a lawyer in the case said Monday.First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones name that sells nutritional supplements, submitted the new offer despite there being no official request to do so, Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for the trustee overseeing Jones bankruptcy, told a bankruptcy court judge at a brief hearing in Houston.Wolfshohl said the trustee also is expecting a new offer soon from The Onions parent company, Chicago-based Global Tetrahedron.The sale of Infowars is part of Jones personal bankruptcy case, which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control. Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as from many of Jones personal assets that are being sold, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy the defamation judgments. Some proceeds will go to Jones other creditors. The future of Infowars, based in Jones hometown of Austin, Texas, remains up in the air after the failed auction, and its still not clear how the sale of its assets will proceed. Wolfshohl said the trustee, Christopher Murray, will evaluate the new offers and decide what to do next. I dont know exactly what its going to look like, Wolfshohl said. But I think we would come back to the court and say, Judge, heres what weve got. Lets talk about a sale process, one that your honors comfortable with, possibly with an auction. Representatives of The Onion and First American United did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment.U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez voided the auction and rejected the sale of Infowars to The Onion in December, saying the bidding process was flawed, not transparent and didnt raise enough money for creditors. He also said there was too much confusion about The Onions bid and its actual value. The Onion and First United American were the only two bidders.Global Tetrahedron had submitted a $1.75 million cash offer with plans to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars in January as a parody. The bid also included a deal with many of the Sandy Hook families for them to forgo $750,000 of their auction proceeds and give it to other creditors.First United American bid $3.5 million in cash and was expected to let Jones stay at Infowars. Despite the lower cash offer by The Onion, the trustee chose it as the auction winner, saying its offer would result in more money for creditors.Jones and First United American had claimed fraud and collusion in the bidding process, but Lopez said there was no wrongdoing. Also since the auction, the Sandy Hook families who won more than $1.4 billion in the Connecticut lawsuit and those awarded about $50 million in the Texas lawsuit have reached a deal on how to split the proceeds from the sales of Jones and Infowars assets. The two sides had been at odds over the issue for months.Under the agreement, the families in the Texas suit would get at least $4 million and the Connecticut suit families would get at least $12 million. If the Connecticut suit families get more than $12 million, the families in the Texas lawsuit would get 25% of that extra amount. The deal needs to be approved by Lopez, the bankruptcy judge.

Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit watches play during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Penn State, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)2025-01-13T17:03:05Z The AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season!Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. Minnesota is off to its best start in 17 games and earned its first ranking since 2019 on Monday, entering The Associated Press womens basketball poll at No. 24.The Golden Gophers have won 16 of their first 17 contests, with the loss coming against Nebraska last month. They are ranked for the first time since Dec. 30, 2019. Next up is a matchup at No. 8 Maryland on Tuesday.UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Southern California kept rolling, holding the top four spots again in the AP Top 25. The Bruins received 29 of the 31 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Fighting Irish, who were missing All-America guard Hannah Hidalgo in their last game because of a foot injury, got the other two top votes.Undefeated LSU moved up one spot to fifth. The Tigers, along with the Bruins and No. 9 Ohio State, are the only three unbeaten teams left in Division I womens basketball. UConn was sixth, with Texas falling two places to seventh after a 67-50 loss at South Carolina on Sunday.TCU moved up one spot to 10th.Dropping outIowa and Michigan fell out of the poll this week. The two Big Ten schools suffered losses last week. The Wolverines had a difficult stretch over the past few weeks, with games against No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 USC and No. 9 Ohio State that were all losses. Michigan did beat Purdue on Saturday. Iowa lost to Illinois and Indiana last week. Ranked CowgirlsNo. 24 Oklahoma State entered the poll for the first time since 2018 after knocking off then-No. 17 West Virginia on Saturday. The Cowgirls have gone 14-2 this season and are on the road at Houston and UCF this week before hosting No. 10 TCU on Jan. 22. Rising BearsCalifornia moved up six spots to No. 18 after beating No. 21 North Carolina State and Florida State last week. The Bears have their highest ranking since they were 18th on Dec. 31, 2018.Conference breakdownThe Southeastern Conference has seven teams ranked this week, with the Big Ten and ACC right behind with six each. The Big 12 has five and the Big East one. Games of the weekNo. 23 Utah at No. 10 TCU, Friday. The Utes stumbled in their first game this season as a ranked team, getting routed by then-No. 12 Kansas State. Now Utah will face another tall task, this one against Sedona Prince and the Horned Frogs.No. 13 Oklahoma at No. 2 South Carolina, Sunday. The Gamecocks continue their stretch of facing five ranked opponents in a row with a game at No. 19 Alabama on Thursday before hosting the Sooners this weekend.___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

Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, at a Department of Justice office in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-01-13T17:38:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge said Monday that the Justice Department can release special counsel Jack Smiths investigative report on President-elect Donald Trumps 2020 election interference case.The ruling from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, is latest back and forth in a court dispute over the report from the special counsel who prosecuted Trump in two cases the Justice Department abandoned in November. Cannon had earlier temporarily blocked the department from releasing the report. Cannons latest order on Monday cleared the way for the release of the volume on Trumps 2020 election interference case. She set a hearing for Friday on whether the department can release to lawmakers the volume on Trumps classified documents case. The department has said it will not publicly disclose that volume as long as criminal proceedings against two of Trumps co-defendants remain pending. ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department and the special counsel cases against former President Donald Trump. twitter mailto

Firefighters extinguish burning embers at a house on Santa Rosa Avenue, also known as Christmas Tree Lane, after the house was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)2025-01-13T21:21:18Z NEW YORK (AP) During natural disasters like wildfires and floods, scammers often emerge to prey on victims. People in heightened emotional states in the wake of a catastrophic event should be extra careful of impersonators asking for identifying details, according to Karina Layugan, an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission based in Los Angeles, where firefighters in the region are battling blazes that have already destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.Scammers sometimes pretend to be from the utility company or the Federal Emergency Management Agency and ask to verify information. If someone uses that phrase, ask why the individual needs that information and always contact the company or agency directly, she said. Thats information those organizations should already have.Its something thats unfortunately very common, Layugan said. After disasters, people are also particularly vulnerable to people saying you need to act fast and using urgency to pressure people into taking actions that might not be in their best interest. Layugan stresses that FEMA will never charge fees for applications for aid, and that people should be skeptical of anyone who says theyll help others get FEMA relief soon and who charges up-front fees. The same goes for contractors.After a disaster, people looking to rebuild will get a flood of contractors coming to them and saying they can help and they know the system. Sometimes theyre looking for a quick payout, Layugan said. Be skeptical of anyone who promises immediate clean-up or immediate repairs. Oftentimes those types of individuals seek cash payments up front or do things without written contracts. Be very wary if anyone who wants cash up front or who urges you to act immediately. Online review sites and searches for the contractors name with the word scam or complaints can help, as can confirming the license and insurance information of anyone you work with. Always do your own research and get a second estimate, Layugan said. In 2023 alone, roughly 1 million people reported identity theft, 2.6 million people reported fraud, and 1.9 million reported other types of scams to the FTC. Here are some ways to protect yourself from identity theft and scams, especially after disasters:How can you tell if your information has been compromised?It can take time to realize your data has been stolen. According to the FTC, signs include: A phone, electricity, or gas account opened in your name Debt collection calls for accounts you didnt open Bills for things you didnt buy Medical bills or insurance charges for procedures you didnt have Inaccurate information on your credit report Denial of loan applications Mail that stops coming to, or is missing from, your mailbox A missing tax refund or government benefitsIf you notice any of the above, heres what to do:First, report the theftContact: The FTC online at IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877-438-4338. The FTC will provide you with an individualized recovery plan. Prompts and questions will ask you how the thief has used your data whether to open credit card accounts, get a car loan or lease in your name, or to file for government benefits. The three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Ask them to place fraud alerts and a credit freeze on your accounts to prevent further misuse of your data. The fraud department at your credit card issuers, bank, and other places where you have accounts, such as a medical insurance account.By acting quickly, you can prevent consequences to your credit score and financial health. False information on your credit report can cause lasting damage if not addressed promptly. After youve done the above, continue to review credit card and bank account statements. Watch for and report any unauthorized or suspicious transactions.Next, secure your data and informationThe FTC recommends doing the following to keep your personal identity safe: Collect your mail every day and place a hold on your mail when youll be on vacation or away. Store personal information, including your Social Security card, in a safe place. Do not carry it in your wallet. Never share your bank account number or Social Security number, especially over the phone to unknown callers or via email or text. Finally, keep in mind other types of identity theftWhile disasters can lead scammers to take advantage of vulnerable groups by impersonating representatives from relief and government agencies, or with contracting scams, other types of fraud and impersonation can also surround these events. If youre already feeling vulnerable, you may be more likely to fall for other types of fraud, such as: Tax and medical information theftMedical ID theft and tax ID theft are common forms of identity theft, especially during tax season and Medicare re-enrollment periods. ___The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism. CORA LEWIS Lewis is an Associated Press business reporter based in New York. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Hunter Biden listens while his father, President Joe Biden, speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)2025-01-13T23:04:52Z WASHINGTON (AP) The criminal charges against Hunter Biden were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics, the prosecutor who led the probes said in a report released Monday that criticized President Joe Biden for having maligned the Justice Department when he pardoned his son.Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations, said the report from David Weiss, whose team filed gun and tax charges against the younger Biden that resulted in felony convictions that were subsequently wiped away by a presidential pardon.The report is the culmination of years-long investigations into Hunter Biden that predated the arrival of Attorney General Merrick Garland but became among the most politically explosive inquiries of his entire tenure, capturing Republican fascination on Capitol Hill and ultimately producing a fissure between the Justice Department and the White House. Weiss defended his teams work in the report and scolded Biden for questioning the integrity of the criminal cases in a November statement in which the president announced the pardon, when he said he believed his son had been treated differently on account of his last name. These baseless accusations have no merit and repeating them threatens the integrity of the justice system as a whole, Weiss said.He also noted, The presidents characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong.____Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department and the special counsel cases against former President Donald Trump. twitter mailto ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto

Professor Anthony Blunt, former surveyor of the Queen's pictures, photographed at the Courtauld Institute with Queen Elizabeth II on Nov. 15, 1979. (PA via AP, File)2025-01-14T00:27:37Z LONDON (AP) Queen Elizabeth II wasnt told details of her long-time art advisers double life as a Soviet spy because palace officials didnt want to add to her worries, newly declassified documents reveal.The files about royal art historian Anthony Blunt are among a trove from the intelligence agency MI5 released Tuesday by Britains National Archives. They shed new light on a spy ring linked to Cambridge University in the 1930s, whose members spilled secrets to the Soviet Union from the heart of the U.K. intelligence establishment.Blunt, who worked at Buckingham Palace as Surveyor of the Queens Pictures, was under suspicion for years before he finally confessed in 1964 that, as a senior MI5 officer during World War II, he had passed secret information to Russias KGB spy agency.In one of the newly released files, an MI5 officer notes that Blunt said he felt profound relief at unburdening himself. In return for information he provided, Blunt was allowed to keep his job, his knighthood and his social standing and the queen was apparently kept in the dark. In 1972, her private secretary, Martin Charteris, told MI5 chief Michael Hanley that the queen did not know and he saw no advantage in telling her about it now; it would only add to her worries and there was nothing that could done about him.The government decided to tell the monarch in 1973, when Blunt was ill, fearing a media uproar once Blunt died and journalists were able to publish stories without fear of libel suits. Charteris reported that she took it all very calmly and without surprise, and remembered that he had been under suspicion way back in the early 1950s. Historian Christopher Andrew says in the official history of MI5 that the queen had previously been told about Blunt in general terms.Blunt was publicly unmasked as a spy by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons in November 1979. He was finally stripped of his knighthood, but never prosecuted, and died in 1983 at the age of 75. Files held by Britains secretive intelligence services usually remain classified for several decades, but the agencies are inching toward more openness. Some of the newly released documents will feature in an exhibition, entitled MI5: Official Secrets, opening at the National Archives in London later this year.Two of the Cambridge spies, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess, fled to Russia in 1951. A third, Kim Philby, continued to work for foreign intelligence agency MI6 despite falling under suspicion. As evidence of his duplicity mounted, he was confronted in Beirut in January 1963 by his friend and fellow MI6 officer Nicholas Elliott.The declassified files include Philbys typed confession and a transcript of his discussion with Elliott.In it, Philby admitted he had betrayed Konstantin Volkov, a KGB officer who tried to defect to the West in 1945, bringing with him details of moles inside British intelligence including Philby himself. As a result of Philbys intervention, Volkov was abducted in Istanbul, taken back to Moscow and executed. Elliott reported that Philby said that if he had his life to lead again, he would probably have behaved in the same way.I really did feel a tremendous loyalty to MI6. I was treated very, very well in it and I made some really marvelous friends there, Philby said, according to the transcript. But the overruling inspiration was the other side.Philby told Elliott that the choice faced now that he was exposed was between suicide and prosecution. Instead, he fled to Moscow, where he died in 1988.The Cambridge spies have inspired myriad books, plays movies and TV shows, including the 2023 series A Spy Among Friends, starring Guy Pearce as Philby and Damian Lewis as Elliott. Blunt featured in a 2019 episode of The Crown, played by Samuel West. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy talks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. The Commanders won 23-19. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)2025-01-13T17:49:49Z DALLAS (AP) Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who are going on three decades since their last Super Bowl title, owner Jerry Jones said in a statement Monday.Jones said the organization and McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways. The teams search for its next coach begins immediately, he says.I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure, Jones said.McCarthys contract expired following a 7-10 season. Dallas was 12-5 each of the three years before that under him, but still hasnt been past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs since its last Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.McCarthys contract expired Jan. 8 and the Cowboys have an exclusive negotiation window through Tuesday, but the parties decided to split ahead of the deadline. AP AUDIO: Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, AP source says Americas Team is officially in the market for a new head coach. Correspondent Gethin Coolbaugh reports. At least one other NFL team asked during that time about talking to the 61-year-old coach who won a Super Bowl with Green Bay.Next season will be the 30th for the Cowboys since winning the last of their five Super Bowl titles.Before taking the Dallas job after a full season out of coaching, McCarthy was with the Packers for 13 seasons and had a 125-77-2 record from 2006-18. He was 10-8 in the playoffs and led Green Bay to a Super Bowl title at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Cowboys, 14 years ago. There were also three other NFC championship games for McCarthy in Green Bay, and that is what Jones envisioned and more when he hired the coach in 2020 after Jason Garrett never got that far in his 10 years. McCarthy finished with a 50-38 record in Dallas, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs. That included last season, when the Cowboys were NFC East champions and had won 16 consecutive home games before trailing by 32 points in the fourth quarter of a 48-32 wild-card loss to the seventh-seeded Packers. Dallas played the final nine games this season without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott because of a torn hamstring. Top receiver CeeDee Lamb, seven-time Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin, cornerback Trevon Diggs and rushing defending DeMarcus Lawrence also finished the season on injured reserve.Garrett had the franchises second-longest coaching tenure. Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry was the coach for the Cowboys first 29 seasons, the same number of seasons they have now gone since winning a Super Bowl. Jones fired two-time Super Bowl winner Landry when he bought the Cowboys before the 1989 season.Only 12 NFL coaches have more career regular-season wins than McCarthys 174, which is still far behind Don Shulas record 328. The only active coaches with more wins than McCarthy are Andy Reid (302 wins over 29 seasons) and Mike Tomlin (183 wins in 18 seasons).Jones next coach will be his ninth. He hired Jimmy Johnson from the University of Miami, and the Cowboys won back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1992-93 seasons before the college teammates at Arkansas had an acrimonious split.Barry Switzer replaced Johnson, a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, and won a Super Bowl in his second season but was fired two years later following a 6-10 season. Bill Parcells, another Hall of Famer, led the Cowboys to the playoffs twice in four seasons from 2003-06 but lost in the wild-card round both times.___Maaddi reported from Tampa, Florida.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl ROB MAADDI Maaddi is senior NFL writer for The Associated Press. Hes covered the league for 24 years, including the first two decades as the Eagles beat writer. mailto

Fire retardant covers a backyard in Mandeville Canyon during the Palisades Fire, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)2025-01-13T21:53:29Z Aircraft battling fires raging through the Los Angeles area are dropping more than water: Hundreds of thousands of gallons of hot-pink fire suppressant ahead of the flames in a desperate effort to stop them before they destroy more neighborhoods.The fires have killed at least 24 people, displaced thousands and destroyed more than 12,000 structures since they began last Tuesday. Four fires driven by strong Santa Ana winds have charred about 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), according to Cal Fire. A vehicle is covered in fire retardant while crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) A vehicle is covered in fire retardant while crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Fire agencies say the suppressants most often used to fight forest fires are an invaluable tool. But what is in them and are they safe?Heres what to know:Why are they being used in Los Angeles?The fires are burning quickly through canyons and other rugged areas that are difficult for firefighters on the ground to reach, Cal Fire said.While fire suppressants can be very effective, they do have limitations, the agency said: Strong winds can make it too dangerous to fly at the low altitudes needed for drops and can dissipate the retardant before it hits the ground. Besides Cal Fire, multiple agencies have dropped fire retardant and water, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Los Angeles and Ventura county fire departments, the city and the National Guard. How do they work? Fire retardant is dropped by an air tanker on the Palisades Fire in the outskirts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) Fire retardant is dropped by an air tanker on the Palisades Fire in the outskirts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate essentially fertilizer and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Southern California. The Forest Service, which has used 13 aircraft to dump suppressants on the Los Angeles fires, says they help starve a fire of oxygen and slow the rate of burn by cooling and coating vegetation and other surfaces. Perimeter, the company that supplies fire retardant to the Forest Service and other agencies, says the phosphate changes the way cellulose in plants decomposes and makes them non-flammable. Potential effects on environment and wildlife Retardant covers a hillside after crews battled the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) Retardant covers a hillside after crews battled the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The fire suppressants are generally considered safe for people, but many worry about their potential effects on wildlife.The Forest Service bans use of aerial suppressants over waterways and endangered species habitats, except when human life or public safety are threatened, due to potential health effects on fish and other wildlife.McCurry, from USC, said he and other researchers tested several suppressants and found heavy metals, including chromium and cadmium, in one commonly used by the U.S. Forest Service.McCurry said the studys findings suggest that its plausible that fire suppressants could contribute to spikes of chromium and other heavy metals in waterways downstream of wildfires. We dont quite have a smoking gun yet because its difficult, although not impossible, to prove where a heavy metal came from, McCurry said. Were working on that.Perimeter, the manufacturer of the Forest Services fire retardant, said McCurrys research was on a formulation that wasnt used in California and is no longer used by the Forest Service. The company also says it doesnt add metals, which it says are naturally present in all ammonium phosphate fertilizers, and that its aerial suppressants are exhaustively tested by the USDA Forest Service and meet or exceed all health and safety standards. Use of retardants seen as imperative to avoid greater risks Fire retardant covers leaves as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) Fire retardant covers leaves as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The use of fire retardants is imperative to putting out wildfires that expose millions of people to health risks, including from a toxic mix of microscopic particles that can cause breathing and heart problems by penetrating deep into the lungs and bloodstream.Studies have shown that wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent years as warming temperatures fueled more destructive blazes.And research released last year by the Alzheimers Association found that wildfire smoke may be worse for brain health than other types of air pollution, raising the risk of dementia.The use of wildland fire retardant is the best way to save lives, protect communities and keep fires small, said Edward Goldberg, vice chairman of solutions at Perimeter. McCurry, the USC researcher, said more study is needed on fire suppressants including in Los Angeles once the fires are out but he understands their value: If there was a brush fire coming for my house, Id still rather than paint a lot of (fire retardant) in front of it. Retardant covers the front of a property after crews battled the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) Retardant covers the front of a property after crews battled the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More ___Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A TV screen shows a report of North Korea's missiles launch with file footage during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)2025-01-14T00:54:50Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea on Tuesday test-fired multiple missiles toward its eastern waters, South Koreas military said, as it continued its weapons demonstrations ahead of Donald Trumps return to the White House. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the short-range ballistic missiles were fired from a northern inland area and flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles) before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The joint chiefs said the South Korean military has strengthened surveillance while sharing the launch information with the U.S. and Japanese militaries. It said it strongly condemns the test, describing it as a clear provocation that poses a serious threat to the regions peace and stability. It was North Koreas second launch event of 2025, following a ballistic launch last week. North Korea said the Jan. 6 test was a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike remote targets in the Pacific as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further expand his collection of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rival nations. North Korea is coming off a torrid year in weapons testing. The systems it demonstrated in 2024 included solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to strike the U.S. mainland and various shorter-range missiles designed to overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea. There concerns that its military capabilities could advance further through technology transfers from Russia, as the two countries align over the war in Ukraine. At a year-end political conference, Kim vowed to implement the toughest anti-U.S. policy and criticized the Biden administrations efforts to strengthen security cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, which he described as a nuclear military bloc for aggression. North Korean state media did not specify Kims policy plans or mention any specific comments about Trump. During his first term as president, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the Norths nuclear program. Even if Trump returns to the White House, a quick resumption of diplomacy with North Korea could be unlikely. Kims strengthened position built on his expanded nuclear arsenal, deepening alliance with Russia and the weakening enforcement of U.S. international sanctions presents new challenges to resolving the nuclear standoff, experts say. KIM TONG-HYUNG Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Koreas nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Koreas economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children. twitter mailto

From left: Luke Pollard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Britain's Ministry of Defence, Poland's Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Germany's Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, France's Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, and Italy's Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto greet each other after a meeting of defense ministers of five NATO countries to discuss coordinating their defense plans and support for Ukraine, in the village of Helenow, near Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)2025-01-13T19:20:22Z WARSAW, Poland (AP) The defense ministers of Europes five top military spenders said Monday they want to continue increasing their investments in defense but described meeting President-elect Donald Trumps challenge for them to raise spending to 5% of their overall economic output as complicated.The defense ministers of Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland came together near Warsaw for a meeting in a new format that they established after Trump was re-elected last year. Their first meeting in this format of five NATO members was held in Berlin in late November.The five are seeking ways to maintain their support for Ukraine as U.S. policy is expected to shift when Trump takes power. They also discussed how to strengthen Ukraines own weapons production capacity. The German minister, Boris Pistorius, stressed at the start of the meeting that they all support a just peace for Ukraine, one in which Kyiv has a say over its fate. There are concerns in Europe that Trump could push Ukraine to make unacceptable concessions to Russia. The defense leaders also addressed questions of military spending after Trump recently called for NATO allies to increase their spending to 5% of gross domestic product, a level that no NATO member has reached not even Poland, which is the closest, spending over 4% and expected to approach 5% this year. Several of the ministers said that focusing on the number as a percentages isnt enough. I just think that a static debate about percentages doesnt really help us if it doesnt ultimately lead to the implementation of what NATO has agreed upon together, what the goals must be, Pistorius said at a joint press conference. In my opinion, thats what matters.He also said that for Germany to invest 5% in defense would mean spending a little more than 40% of its entire national budget on defense. I think that would put an end to the debate very quickly, he said. His Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto, said his government knows it needs to spend more on defense but also needs to weigh that against reviving the economy.Increasing defense spending at a time of economic crisis is more complicated than at other times, Crosetto said. If we combine the two, that is, if we make the European defense industry one of the ways in which we can revive the economy, we can combine the two.French Defense Minister Sbastien Lecornu said that while there will be increases in security spending, they should not all go to purely military purposes but also should be used to protect society against cyberattacks, terrorism, and other non-military threats.And youre all repeating 2%, 3%, 4%, without really knowing what the point is, Lecornu said, responding to a reporters question. Well, let me be straightforward. The situation is worse than during the Cold War. Its worse than during the Cold War simply because we have new areas that have become militarized, and these are largely digital, Lecornu said. And you can see that we are in a world in which we can be defeated without having been invaded. And that means that the responsibility for the defense of our countries will go well beyond military issues alone, Lecornu said.

Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio giving a mass outside the San Cayetano church in Buenos Aires, Aug. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)2025-01-14T05:02:02Z ROME (AP) An introspective Pope Francis has divulged some of the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the secret 2013 conclave that elected him pope and the resistance he has encountered ever since, in his autobiography being released Tuesday that also doubles down on some of his more controversial decisions as pontiff.Hope: The Autobiography was only supposed to be published after Francis death. But at his own request, the book is hitting bookshelves now in more than 80 countries to coincide with the start of the churchs Holy Year. Its publishers say its the first autobiography ever written by a sitting pope, though Francis has collaborated with plenty of other memoir-type books before, and much of his papacy and personal backstory are already well known.But Hope does provide personal insights into how historys first Latin American pope interprets his childhood in Buenos Aires and how it has informed his priorities as pope. Drawn from conversations over six years with Italian journalist Carlo Musso, Hope offers Francis own sometimes unflattering assessments of decisions he made or things he regrets at least before he became pope. Its almost confessional at times, an 88-year-old Jesuit performing the Ignatian examination of his conscience at the end of his life to identify things he said or did that he now realizes could have been done better. Whether its the time when he insisted that a schoolmate pay to repair a bike he had broken, or knocked another schoolmate nearly unconscious, he seems deeply ashamed of his younger self and says he still doesnt believe himself worthy of the papacy. If I consider what is the greatest gift that I desire from the Lord, and have experienced, it is the gift of shame, he writes at one point. Curiously, two periods of Bergoglios past which have remained somewhat mysterious to outsiders are once again avoided in Hope. One concerns his stint in Crdoba, Argentina from 1990-1992. Francis has never really explained the internal Jesuit dynamics that resulted in him being exiled to work as a confessor at the Jesuit church more than a decade after he was provincial of the order in Argentina. The period is mentioned only in passing when Francis refers simply to the dark night at Crdoba. The other period of unknown in Bergoglios backstory concerns the time he spent in Germany doing research on the theologian Romano Guardini for a dissertation he never finished.Also given short shrift was the impact of the clergy sexual abuse scandal, which convulsed his papacy for several years. The scandal exploded during Francis 2018 trip to Chile and the pope mentions the scandal briefly in the book. But he spends far more time recalling a more heart-warming memory from the Chile trip, when he married a pair of flight attendants on board the papal plane during the flight to Iquique.The second half of the book, focusing on the papacy, is far less self-critical and in fact is strident in defending his sometimes controversial decisions. It is here that Francis provides further details of his emotions as the votes started going his way on the second day of balloting during the March 2013 conclave that elected him pope. Francis reveals that he was among those cardinals receiving stopgap votes in the first rounds, when cardinals toss out votes to see which way the balloting winds are heading. He says he wasnt keeping count in the early rounds but realized that his fate was sealed once he got 69 votes on the fourth ballot, out of the 77 needed for a two-thirds majority of the 115 cardinals.The fifth ballot the one that made him pope -- actually had to be done twice. An extra ballot paper got stuck to one that a cardinal had filled out, so that when the papers were counted there were 116 rather than 115. The papers were burned without having even been opened and a new fifth ballot called.When my name was pronounced for the seventy-seventh time, there was a burst of applause, while the reading of the votes went on, he writes. I dont know exactly how many votes there were in the end, I was no longer listening, the noise covered the voice of the scrutineer. One of the first things he did after the vote was to embrace Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan who had been such a favorite going into the conclave that the Italian bishops conference had dummied up a press release announcing his election. He deserved that embrace, Francis writes.Once in the sacristy, known as the Room of Tears, to be outfitted with the papal garb, Francis reveals that he had in his pocket his old episcopal ring which he used, suggesting that he had an intuition getting dressed in the morning that he would indeed be elected.The red shoes? No, I have orthopedic shoes. Im rather flat-footed, he writes of his sartorioal choices that night. Nor did he want the red velvet cape, known as a mozzetta, favored by his predecessor. They were not for me. Two days later they told me I would have to change my trousers, wear white ones. They made me laugh. I dont want to be an ice cream seller, I said. And I kept my own. Those looking for current Vatican gossip in Hope will be somewhat disappointed, as Francis only fleetingly touches on the more controversial parts of his papacy. He is far more certain of his decisions made as pope, even doubling down on blasting traditionalist Catholic priests as rigid and mentally unstable.This rigidity is often accompanied by elegant and costly tailoring, lace, fancy trimmings, rochets. Not a taste for tradition but clerical ostentation, he writes. These ways of dressing up sometimes conceal mental imbalance, emotional deviation, behavioral difficulties, a personal problem that may be exploited.He writes that the reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, particularly the effort to impose international accounting and budgeting standards on its finances, have been the most difficult task of his papacy and one that generated the greatest resistance to change.I have been summoned to a battle, he writes.He strongly defends his decision to authorize a sweeping trial of 10 people, including a cardinal, accused of alleged financial misconduct related to an investment in a London property. The trial resulted in several convictions, but also cost the Holy See reputational harm, given questions about whether the defendants received a fair trial and Francis own role in the saga.The decisions that I made in that respect were not easy, I was sure there would be problems, but I also know that the truth must never be hidden and being opaque is always the worst choice, he writes.After African bishops unanimously rejected his approval of gay blessings, Francis stands by his decision and insists that the blessing is for the people, not the relationship. Homosexuality is not a crime, he writes, repeating a statement he first made in a 2023 interview with The Associated Press.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Canada 2020 Advisory Board Chair and former Governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England Mark Carney speaks during the Canada 2020 Net-Zero Leadership Summit in Ottawa, April 19, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP, File)2025-01-14T07:06:31Z PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) Former central banker Mark Carney all but said he is running to be Canadas next prime minister during an appearance on Jon Stewarts The Daily Show on Monday night.This follows Justin Trudeaus resignation announcement on Jan. 6 after facing an increasing loss of support both within his Liberal Party and across the country. He will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen on March 9. You are running as an outsider, Stewart told Carney. I am outsider, the experienced financier said.Carney, 59, is a highly educated economist with Wall Street experience, widely credited with helping Canada dodge the worst of the 2008 crisis while heading the countrys central bank. He also helped the U.K. manage Brexit as the first non-Brit to run the 319-year-old Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. His selection won bipartisan praise in Britain. Lets say the candidate wasnt part of the government. Lets say the candidate did have a lot of economic experience Carney said. Lets say the candidate did deal with crisis. Lets say the candidate had a plan to deal with the challenges. Carney s main contender for the leadership of the Liberal Party is ex-Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose abrupt resignation last month forced Trudeaus exit. Both are expected to declare their candidacy in the coming days. The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump keeps calling Canada the 51st state and has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods. On the show, Carney said statehood wont happen but the U.S. and Canada can be friends with benefits, generating laughter from the crowd.Carney said Canada needed change as it faced an economic crisis with Canadians being very hard-pressed in the last few years because wages have not kept up with inflation and housing has become very expensive. Truth be told the government was not as focused on those issues as it could be, he said. We need to focus on them immediately. That can happen now and that is what this election will be about.The next Liberal leader could be the shortest-tenured prime minister in the countrys history. All three opposition parties have vowed to bring down the Liberals minority government in a no-confidence vote after parliament resumes on March 24.Recent polls suggest the Liberals chances of winning the next election look slim. In the latest poll by Nanos, the Liberals trail the opposition Conservatives 45% to 23%. Carney said a change in Liberal leadership would give the party a chance. He also said opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre leader is a lifelong politician who worships the market but has never actually worked in the private sector.Like other central bankers, Carney is a former Goldman Sachs executive. He worked for 13 years in London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto before being appointed deputy governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003. He has both financial industry and government credentials.

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)2025-01-14T01:49:06Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The top aide of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol pleaded with law enforcement on Tuesday to abandon their efforts to detain him over last months martial law imposition, as authorities prepared a second attempt to take him into custody. In his statement, presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk said Yoon could instead be questioned at a third site or at his residence and claimed that the anti-corruption agency and police were trying to drag him out like he was a member of a South American drug cartel.However, Yoon Kab-keun, one of the presidents lawyers, said Chung issued the message without consulting them and that the legal team has no immediate plans to make the president available for questioning by investigators.Yoon Suk Yeol has not left his official residence in Seoul for weeks, and the presidential security service prevented dozens of investigators from detaining Yoon after a nearly six-hour standoff on Jan. 3. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police pledged more forceful measures to detain Yoon while they jointly investigate whether Yoons brief martial law declaration on Dec. 3 amounted to an attempted rebellion. The National Police Agency has convened multiple meetings of field commanders in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province in recent days to plan the detainment efforts and the size of those forces fueled speculation that more than a thousand officers could be deployed in a possible multiday operation. The agency and police have openly warned that presidential bodyguards obstructing the execution of the warrant could be arrested on site. The anti-corruption agency and police havent confirmed when they would return to the presidential residence, which has been fortified with barbed wire and rows of vehicles blocking paths. But Chung said he understood D-day to be Wednesday, without specifying the information he had. Anti-corruption agency and police officials met with representatives of the presidential security service Tuesday morning for unspecified discussions regarding efforts to execute the detention warrant for Yoon, the agency said. It wasnt immediately clear whether they any kind of compromise was reached. The countrys acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, had raised concerns on Monday about potential clashes between authorities and the presidential security service, which, despite a court warrant for Yoons detention, has insisted its obligated to protect the president.The anti-corruption agency and police have completed preparations for a siege, Chung said. They are ready to tear down the walls at any moment and handcuff President Yoon Suk Yeol, who remains isolated in his residence in Hannam-dong and forcibly remove him, he added, accusing investigators of trying to humiliate the president. Thousands of citizens are staying up through the night in front of the presidential residence, vowing to protect the president. If a conflict were to break out between the police and citizens, an unimaginable tragedy could occur. Over the past two weeks, thousands of anti-Yoon and pro-Yoon supporters have gathered daily at competing rallies near Yoons office in Seoul, anticipating another detention attempt. Yoons lawyers have claimed that images of him being dragged out in handcuffs could trigger a huge backlash from his supporters and spark a civil war in a country deeply divided over ideological and generational lines.Yoon made a short-lived declaration of martial law and deployed troops to surround the National Assembly on Dec. 3, which lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and voted to lift the measure. His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 and accused him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberating on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or reject the charges and reinstate him. KIM TONG-HYUNG Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Koreas nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Koreas economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children. twitter mailto

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Defense Secretary, gives a thumbs-up as he walks with his wife Jennifer Rauchet, left, to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-01-14T05:01:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) President-elect Donald Trumps choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is heading into a potentially explosive confirmation hearing Tuesday as senators question whether the former combat veteran and TV news show host is fit to lead the U.S. military.Hegseths former experience in the Army National Guard is widely viewed as an asset for the job, but he also brings a jarring record of past statements and actions, including allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and derisive views about women in military combat roles, minorities and woke generals. He has vowed to not drink alcohol if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.He is among the most endangered of Trumps Cabinet choices, but GOP allies are determined to turn Hegseth into a cause clbre for Trumps governing approach amid the nations culture wars. Outside groups, including those aligned with the Heritage Foundation, are running costly campaigns to prop up Hegseths bid. He will be ripped, he will be demeaned. He will be talked about, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., at an event with former Navy SEALs, Army special forces and Marines supporting the nominee. But were going to get him across the finish line. The hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee is the start of a weeklong marathon as senators begin scrutinizing Trumps choices for more than a dozen top administrative positions. The Republican-led Senate is rushing to have some of Trumps picks ready to be confirmed as soon as Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, despite potential opposition to some from both sides of the aisle. Were going to grind them down, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on Fox News.Hegseth faces perhaps the most difficult path to confirmation. He will be forced to confront allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied, and his own comments that are far from the military mainstream, though he has the support of some veterans groups that say his past indiscretions are not as important as his focus on improving military readiness to fight. And Hegseth will have to answer for his comments that women should straight up not be in combat roles in the military, a view he has softened following recent meetings with senators. Two former female combat veterans, Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, are among those grilling him from the dais.He can try to walk back his comments on women in combat all he wants, but we know what he thinks, right? said Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs and partial use of her right arm when the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting in the Army National Guard was shot down. Hes the most unqualified person to ever be nominated for secretary of defense. Many senators have not yet met with Hegseth and most do not have access to his FBI background check, as only committee leaders are briefed on its findings. The background check on Hegseth did not appear to probe or produce new information beyond whats already in the public realm about him, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. In many ways, the Hegseth hearing is expected to follow the template set during Trumps first term, when one of his choices for Supreme Court justice, Brett Kavanaugh, came under intense scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault from his teens but recouped to win confirmation to the high court.Kavanaugh vigorously fought back during a volcanic 2018 hearing, portraying the sexual assault allegations against him as a smear job by liberal lawmakers and outside groups opposed to his judicial record, turning the tables in a way that many senators credit setting a new benchmark for partisanship.Asked about advice for Hegseth, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, referred to that earlier example.Go back and watch videos of the Kavanaugh hearings give you a flavor, he said. Hegseth was largely unknown on Capitol Hill when Trump tapped him for the top Pentagon job. A co-host of Fox News Channels Fox & Friends Weekend, he had been a contributor with the network since 2014, and apparently caught the eye of the president-elect, who is an avid consumer of television and the news channel, in particular. Hegseth, 44, attended Princeton and served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. But he lacks senior military and national security experience. In 2017, a woman told police that Hegseth sexually assaulted her, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and told police at the time that the encounter at a Republican womens event in California was consensual. He later paid the woman a confidential settlement to head off a potential lawsuit. Hegseth also came under scrutiny amid reports of excessive drinking when he worked at a veterans organization. But as he began meeting privately with GOP senators ahead of the hearing, he promised he would not drink if confirmed to the post. If confirmed, Hegseth would take over a military juggling an array of crises on the global stage and domestic challenges in military recruitment, retention and ongoing funding.In addition to being a key national security adviser to the president, the defense secretary oversees a massive organization, with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of roughly $850 billion.He is responsible for tens of thousands of U.S. troops deployed overseas and at sea, including in combat zones where they face attacks, such as in Syria and Iraq and in the waters around Yemen. The secretary makes all final recommendations to the president on what units are deployed, where they go and how long they stay.His main job is to make sure the U.S. military is ready, trained and equipped to meet any call to duty. But the secretary also must ensure that American troops are safe and secure at home, with proper housing, healthcare, pay and support for programs dealing with suicide, sexual assault and financial scams.Pentagon chiefs also routinely travel across the world, meeting with international leaders on a vast range of security issues including U.S. military aid, counterterrorism support, troop presence and global coalition building. And they play a key role at NATO as a critical partner to allies across the region.___Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Destroyed buildings are seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)2025-01-14T01:46:10Z JERUSALEM (AP) A missile fired by Yemens Houthi rebels targeted central Israel early Tuesday, causing sirens to blare and people to flee into bomb shelters. Several Israeli strikes also hit the Gaza Strip overnight and early on Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas appear to be inching closer to a phased ceasefire agreementThe Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept a missile launched from Yemen and the missile was likely intercepted. The Magen David Adom emergency service in Israel said there were no injuries from the missile or falling debris, but some people suffered injuries when running to shelters.Israels military also said an earlier missile was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory.Yemens Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have held Yemens capital, Sanaa, since 2014, have launched direct attacks on Israel and some 100 commercial ships as part of their campaign over Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels did not immediately acknowledge the attack, though it can take hours or even days for them to claim an assault. In central Gaza, at least six people two women and their four children aged between 1 month and 9 years old were killed by Israeli strikes that hit an area in Deir al Balah where displaced people live in tents. One woman the mother of two of the boys killed was pregnant. The other woman was killed together with her daughter and son.The information was confirmed by Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al Balah, which received the bodies.

Southern California Edison workers service a utility pole in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Jan. 12, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, file)2025-01-13T19:23:09Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Lawsuits filed Monday claim utility equipment sparked one of the two deadly wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area while some Pacific Palisades residents believe the other blaze may have started when hurricane-force winds reignited the remnants of an extinguished New Years Day fire. Authorities havent determined an official cause for the fires, which roared to life last Tuesday and have killed at least 24 people. A team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took the lead on the investigations.Multiple lawsuits against Southern California Edison claim the utilitys equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Fire burning near Pasadena. Edison has acknowledged fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a far smaller LA-area fire that broke out the same day.The Eaton Fire destroyed at least 7,000 homes and other structures and laid waste to entire neighborhoods. Attorneys representing homeowners who lost their homes said Monday that it is their belief that Edisons equipment caused it. Video taken during the fires early minutes shows a large blaze directly beneath electrical towers. There is clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by Defendants Edison International and Southern California Edison, according to one complaint, filed on behalf of Altadena resident Evangeline Iglesias. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokesperson, said the utility is aware that a lawsuit has been filed, but has not yet reviewed it. Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires in Southern California, and we remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time, she said. Last week, Edison filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission related to the Eaton Fire that said it has not received any suggestions that its equipment was involved in the ignition of that fire. Preliminary analysis by SCE of electrical circuit information for the energized transmission lines going through the area for 12 hours prior to the reported start time of the fire shows no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire, the utility reported. Edison also submitted a filing with the utilities commission about the Hurst fire in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles that started last Tuesday. The utility said a downed conductor was discovered at a tower near where the fire started. But the utility added it does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire. That fire burned more than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) and is now contained. Meanwhile, a New Years Day fire that broke out at the same place as the Jan. 7 fire that ripped through Pacific Palisades to become the most destructive in Los Angeles city history, is a particular source of interest for residents who saw both blazes. Asked about speculation that remnants of the Jan. 1 fire reignited in Pacific Palisades, LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said Monday that no causes have been ruled out.The Los Angeles Fire Department reported a brush fire shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 in the area of Pacific Palisades. The initial report was 3 to 4 acres (1.2 to 1.6 hectares) of heavy brush burning under 15 mph (24 kph) winds. Water dropping helicopters and firefighters on the ground battled the blaze, which grew to 8 acres (3 hectares), and it was reported as contained less than five hours later, according to reports posted on the departments website.Residents say the wind-whipped blaze that ripped through that community started in the same location as a fire sparked by fireworks shot off just after midnight on New Years Day. The hurricane-force winds that day could have helped ignite any embers that remained. Officials have not directly attributed the Jan. 1 fire to fireworks.I still think its too coincidental that it would be in almost exactly the same spot. The fireworks went off that night. The firefighters were there, said Sue Pascoe, a resident who lost her home and who runs the neighborhood news website Circling the News, which has been writing about the connection to the New Years Day fire since the Jan. 7 start. The official investigations could take months, and with strong winds again in the forecast, the area is at risk for more fires that could further complicate efforts to determine cause.Ginger Colbrun, a spokesperson for the ATF, said it is too early to determine the cause of the Palisades fire. Colbrun said investigators did an initial assessment of the area Friday and began processing the scene Monday.Pacific Palisades resident Robert Trinkkeller said he saw the fire early on New Years Day, and watched aircraft drop water on it.When he saw the fire break out on Jan. 7, Trinkkeller said he immediately thought it was linked.In my opinion, it was a rekindling of the six-day old fire, he said. Its the exact same place.___Associated Press writer Amy Taxin contributed from Santa Ana, Calif. JASON DEAREN Dearen is a national investigative reporter for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto

Embers are blown off a burning tree as the Eaton Fire burns in Altadena, Calif., Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nic Coury, File)2025-01-13T23:46:47Z While authorities still dont know what sparked the deadly fires in the Los Angeles area, they do know one clear way the flames have spread: embers.At least 24 people have died in the fires that have destroyed more than 12,000 structures since starting last Tuesday. The flames have been fueled by strong winds, which not only aid combustion by increasing the oxygen supply but carry embers to unburned areas.Contrary to popular belief, experts say most homes destroyed by wildfires arent overcome by a racing wall of flames, but rather burn after being ignited by airborne embers. Heres a look at what embers are and the role they play in wildfires. What is an ember?An ember is a piece of burning debris. Once it becomes airborne, the more technical term is firebrand, said James Urban, an assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. If its a wildland fire, its typically pieces of wood or other types of vegetation that are burning, he said. But when you have a fire thats burning through an urban area, it can be vegetation, it can be pieces of the house, it can be almost anything that burns.They can range in size from tiny specks to larger chunks. What are they capable of?While many people might have seen stray embers rise from a campfire and even had one land on them, the embers involved in wildfires are drastically different, said Anne Cope, chief engineer at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Those embers can travel for miles, and its often the neighborhoods that are closer to the wildlands that get inundated with just loads and loads just showered with embers, she said. Wind allows embers to burn harder and release more energy, becoming a more potent ignition source, Urban said. The firebrands then accumulate and sort of work together, gathering between the slats of wood fences or in shrubbery and igniting new fires. In 2017, embers blew across a six-lane highway in Northern California, igniting businesses and then jumping from house to house in the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa. A common thought before that was, We dont think embers are going to get all the way across that interstate, thats a far distance, theyll never get there, Cope said. Well, never is a dangerous word.A single ember that lands on the ground might burn out within minutes but can also smolder, Urban said. And then a sudden change of conditions like wind gusts ignite flames and cause a lot of destruction, he said. How are researchers studying embers?Together with San Jos State University, Worcester Polytech is part of a Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center. With funding from the U.S. Forest Service and National Science Foundation, researchers are examining how firebrands are produced and how that knowledge can be incorporated into models about how wildfires spread and defensive measures that can be applied to homes, Urban said. For example, his students have conducted experiments to see how vegetation management around buildings might affect how quickly a fire spreads between structures. Im optimistic in a way that theres a lot of research coming out of this and well be better prepared in other fires, he said. Were going to see more fires like this, and theres going to be need to be changes if we want to change the outcome.Cope agreed.I would love to see us strategically incorporate preparedness for wildfire embers in far more areas than we currently do, she said.

Cynthia Rosenzweig, 2022 World Food Prize recipient, meets with the media at the Columbia University Climate School in New York City, May 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)2025-01-14T06:10:52Z DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) More than 150 recipients of the Nobel and World Food prizes released an open letter Tuesday calling for a dramatic increase in research and a commitment to new food distribution efforts with a goal of producing more crops and avoiding a global hunger crisis in coming decades.The letter notes that an estimated 700 million people now are food insecure and desperately poor but that without a moonshot effort to grow more and different kinds of food, far more people will be in dire need of food because of climate change and population growth.As difficult and as uncomfortable as it might be to imagine, humanity is headed towards an even more food insecure, unstable world by mid-century than exists today, worsened by a vicious cycle of conflict and food insecurity, states the letter, signed by 153 recipients of the two prizes. Climate change is projected to decrease the productivity of most major staples when substantial increases are needed to feed a world which will add another 1.5 billion people to its population by 2050. Corn production in Africa is expected to decline and much of the world could see more soil degradation and water shortages, the letter says.We are not on track to meet future food needs. Not even close, it adds.The letter grew from a meeting of food accessibility experts last fall. Despite the potential gloom, it holds out hope for an optimistic vision of the future if people take needed actions. The letter says that a dramatic increase in research funding coupled with more effective ways to share information and distribute food could prevent a hunger crisis. Brian Schmidt, who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 2011, said the need to dramatically increase food production in the coming decades is a huge challenge. He calls it a destination with destiny, but one that can be achieved with proper funding to enhance existing knowledge as well as global leadership. It is an imminently solvable problem. It is a problem that will affect billions of people in 25 years. It is a problem that to solve it, there are no losers, only winners, Schmidt said in an interview. All we have to do is do it.Schmidt said he hopes governments in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere can commit to solving the problem, but he thinks private groups like the Gates Foundation may need to take the lead in funding initial steps that will draw attention and prompt action by politicians.The letter calls for transformational efforts such as enhancing photosynthesis in essential crops such as wheat and rice, developing crops that are not as reliant on chemical fertilizers and lengthening the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.Cynthia Rosenzweig, a climate research scientist at NASA who won the World Food Prize in 2022, said in an interview that researchers are already making progress toward breakthroughs, but their work needs to be turbocharged with more funding and emphasis from world leaders.Its not that we have to dream up new solutions, Rosenzweig said. The solutions are very much being tested but in order to actually take them from the lab out into the agriculture regions of the world, we really do need the moonshot approach. The term moonshot refers to an unprecedented effort, stemming from President John F. Kennedys call in 1962 for Americans to rocket to the Moon. Rosenzweig, noting she works for NASA, said meeting the food needs of a growing population will take the kind of commitment the U.S. made in achieving Kennedys goal of reaching the Moon.Look at how the scientists had to come together. The engineers had to be part of it. The funding had to come together as well as the general public, she said. That base of support has to be there as well. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Soccer players of Shakhtar Stalevi and Pokrova FC-2 play during Ukraine's first soccer tournament for war-wounded amputees in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-01-14T05:07:07Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The players were chosen from among the thousands of Ukrainians wounded in the war. With limbs lost to Russian attacks, they gathered at a stadium in Kyiv over the weekend, ready to embark on a new contest: a soccer tournament.Organized by Ukraines Association of Football, the League of the Mighty is Ukraines first soccer championship for amputees. Over the past year, the association has invested in local communities to establish teams, recognizing the growing number of war-wounded citizens as a result of the nearly three-year war.With six outfield players and one goalkeeper on each side, they engaged in intense matches. Outfield players, all lower-limb amputees, and goalkeepers with upper-limb amputations, played without prostheses, relying on wrist clutches for control.Pokrova AMP won the tournament, with captain Valentyn Osovskyi describing the triumph as exhilarating. Were really glad that we had to work our way through, it was interesting, he said, adding that the goal is to have their own championship and to create a strong team to represent Ukraine on the international level. This will be a priority for the next few years for us, said Andriy Shevhenko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Football, noting there are more than 100,000 amputees in the country, most of them soldiers who defended our country. For Olena Balbek, adviser to the president of the association, the sport is one way to provide mental and physical rehabilitation for amputees while also normalizing their growing presence in society. This is a societal effort, she said. Were focusing on sports because its our area of expertise, to make sure this is normalized.Citing their own research, Balbek said the association boasts at least 60 professional amputee players in Ukraine a significant number considering there are around 1,000 worldwide. Though the reasons are unfortunate, Balbek said, We have a huge potential in terms of engaging people in the sport.Featuring five teams from across Ukraine, the weekends championship served as a testament to the associations success in developing grassroots amputee football across the country since the full-scale invasion began. A dedicated department within the association assists local groups in creating teams.The work is multifaceted, said Balbek, involving communication with veterans groups, local initiatives and football clubs underscoring the importance of establishing amputee teams.Football is the best rehabilitation for me, said Mykola Gatala, captain of the Pokrova AMP-One team. It has helped me both physically and mentally. Im doing it with my brothers in arms who went through the same things I did. We understand each other. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-01-14T05:04:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will publicly face senators for the first time Tuesday after weeks of privately pushing back on criticism over his qualifications and personal past.Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News Channel weekend host, has faced strong criticism from Democrats over his thin resume compared to previous defense secretaries, along with allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and mismanagement of veterans organization finances all of which he denies. Many Republicans have been vocally supportive of Hegseths nomination, but others have remained noncommittal as the reports surfaced about his past behavior.President-elect Donald Trump has remained strongly supportive of Hegseth, who has worked to win favor with Senate Republicans in one-on-one meetings over the last month. Trump posted on social media in December that Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!What to watch as Hegseths hearing gets underway on Tuesday morning: How he would run the departmentRepublicans have said they view Hegseths combat experience as an asset, but Democrats say they are deeply concerned that he is largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage.The Defense Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard and Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide. Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the expanding alliance between Russia and North Korea to the growing competition with China. Look for Democrats to question Hegseth on the specifics of how he would manage the huge department and how he would represent the United States in diplomatic situations around the world.We need a serious candidate, one that is capable of doing this job, said Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat on the committee. Republicans say his resume is an advantage over traditional Pentagon leaders and praise him for wanting to overhaul the department.While maybe not the credentials that have traditionally been on the resume of nominees for secretary of defense, I think that he brings plenty and he brings some things that some of those more traditional nominees didnt bring, said North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican member of the panel. Hell be disruptive in a good way. Women in combatHegseth said as recently as last year that women straight up should not serve in combat roles. So attention will be on the two female Iraq War veterans on the committee Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost both legs when a Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.Duckworth said ahead of the hearing that she will question Hegseth on whether he will try and reduce the role of women in combat and how he would do so. How would it affect recruiting? Would men be deployed more often as a result? We cant go to war without them, she said.Ernst has met with Hegseth twice after saying she wants to hear more about his views. She has not yet said if she will support him.Hegseth said on The Megyn Kelly Show in December that if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Lets go.Allegations of sexual assaultHegseth has been fighting back against allegations of excessive drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies.Democrats are expected to demand an explanation from Hegseth. In a letter to him last week, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is on the Armed Services panel, questioned if Hegseth would be able to lead, saying she was deeply concerned by the many ways in which your past behavior and rhetoric indicates that you are unfit.Republican Sen. Ernst, who is a survivor of sexual assault, said her second meeting with Hegseth had encouraging conversations. She said Hegseth committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and to hiring a senior official who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks.Many Republicans have rallied around Hegseth, with some appearing to question if the reports are true. Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty said last month that it is a shame that something that has been previously investigated is back to some he said, she said thing. Will he have the votes?Hegseth is likely to have near-unanimous Republican support on the committee and potentially in the full Senate. But it could depend on how effectively he is able to defend himself, and his point of view, in the hearing. He can only lose four Republican votes in the 53-47 Senate if all Democrats vote against his confirmation, as Vice President-elect JD Vance could cast a tie-breaking vote.South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican member of the Armed Services panel, said Hegseth has been straightforward with Republican senators that he knows he will have to address some of the allegations against him. I think he will, Rounds said, and at the same time, well give him ample opportunity to talk about what he believes his role would be as a secretary, and the vision that he has for the department.Rounds said he expects to support Hegseth, unless anything changes. I think the president gets the benefit of the doubt in his nominees, he said. MATT BROWN Brown is a reporter covering national politics, race and democracy issues. twitter instagram mailto

An archivist opens a sliding file cabinet where documents, some regarding WWII collaboration, are stored at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aleks Furtula)2025-01-14T05:17:42Z THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) On Dutch Openness Day, this years release of secret documents from state archives suddenly left Peter Baas with fundamental questions about his fathers stature as a World War II resistance fighter.While many were cleaning up the mess from New Years Eve fireworks on Jan. 1, hundreds of thousands of others in the Netherlands looked for their relatives in a new database containing the names of some 425,000 people investigated for collaboration with the Nazis from 1940-45.Some looked out of curiosity, others out of concern.A controversial topicOne of those names was Ludolf Baas, a resistance fighter who taped microfilm of Nazi atrocities to his body and smuggled it over enemy lines. When I saw my fathers name, I was shocked, Peter Baas told The Associated Press. He wondered if his fathers legacy was a lie and needed to find out if one of societys ugliest stigmas would also stick to him.The publication of the list of names has caused great social unrest, the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, said in a statement Friday. The research organization, founded days after the Netherlands was liberated, has called for the government to intervene.Nazi collaboration is a controversial topic in the Netherlands and much of Europe and is often shrouded in family mystery and stifled under a cloak of silence. Initially, the Netherlands was long seen as a welcoming safe haven for persecuted groups. Many Jewish families, like that of famed diarist Anne Frank, fled Germany in the 1930s for the relative safety of their Dutch neighbors. That changed when the Dutch surrendered to the Germans in 1940. Only 27% of the Dutch Jewish population survived the war, significantly less than the survival rate in France and Belgium and collaboration made persecution easier.Eight decades after the war ended, many still worry about what that legacy means. You see the bullying even now, Holocaust historian Aline Pennewaard says. She described social media posts denouncing Dutch politicians as Nazis because they shared a surname with someone on the list. Privacy concernsPlans to fully open the archives would have provided answers but Baas, who lives in France, found out he would not be able to easily obtain detailed information about his fathers case.Originally, the National Archive wanted to make much more than just the names of suspects public. The organization had been working to digitize and publish all 30 million pages of materials, from secret police records to witness statements, on a newly created website.Just before Christmas though, after a formal warning from the Dutch privacy watchdog that releasing the records would violate EU privacy rules, Dutch education minister Eppo Bruins intervened. Now, only the names and corresponding file numbers are immediately available.To see his fathers dossier and understand why and how he was investigated, Baas would have to request to make an appointment with the archive and travel to The Hague, a 650-kilometer (404-mile) drive, to read his fathers file. This is a very complicated way to get your family history, Baas said.Despite such complications, the Dutch are lining up.The interest has been incredible, Werner Zonderop, who works at the archive, told AP. Slots for the reading room are booked until the end of February. Every day, new appointment times open at midnight and fill up within minutes.They should throw it openDocumentary filmmaker Marieke van der Winden knows what it is like to confront the dark truth about family history. Her 2022 film The Great Silence showcases how taboo the subject of collaboration is for many.Van der Winden found out at her mothers funeral that her grandfather had worked with the Germans. After doing her own research, she discovered her grandparents, great-grandparents and several other family members had collaborated. It was a family affair, she told the AP. The 58-year-old says it is important for later generations to understand what happened and supports putting the entire archive online. They should throw it open, van der Winden said. Even many relatives of known collaborators have backed the publication of the archive.It is high time we discuss this with each other with openness and without reproaching relatives. We are part of this society, and the silence in our lives has had great and mainly bad consequences, Jeroen Saris, the chairperson of the Recognition Working Group, said last year. His organization represents the family members of those who supported the Nazis during the war. Deeply concerned about his fathers history, Baas managed to get a friend in the Netherlands to go and look up his fathers records, describing the cumbersome approach as completely bizarre. According to the records, when his father was 19, he joined an organization that later merged with the Dutch Nazi party and he was investigated over that membership.A bad choice of a 19-year-old that was completely reversed by becoming an active member of the resistance, Baas said.

Rachel Lerman wears two bracelets supporting Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for President, at her home in Washington, June 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-01-14T05:06:35Z When the 2020 census results were released, they showed a boom in the number of people classified as multiracial in the United States since 2010. Two Princeton sociologists now say that jump was mostly an illusion.The 276% increase largely happened because of a change in how people were classified by the U.S. Census Bureau rather than strong shifts in racial or ethnic identity or major growth, according to a paper published last month by Paul Starr and Christina Pao. The Census Bureau for the first time provided space on the census form for people to write-in their families origins, which guided how the statistical agency categorized them.People who were classified as being two or more races rose from 2.9% to 10.2% of the U.S. population from 2010 to 2020, and the increase was most noticeable among Hispanic people. The share of the white alone population dropped from 72.4% to 61.6%, provoking handwringing among some conservative commentators about what they called a loss of white power. The Princeton researchers argued that anyone who marked themselves as Black or as white on the 2020 census form but then wrote that they were of Latin American origin was reclassified by a computerized algorithm as multiracial even though they had marked themselves as a single race. The same multiracial reclassification appeared to have been made for people who self-identified as white only but then wrote that their origins were from an African country, according to the researchers. So the 2020 census produced a sudden jump in the multiracial count and a precipitous decline in the count of the white population, contributing to an unwarranted panic among white conservatives about demographic change, Starr said in an email. The procedure was misleading, and the public was misled about the extent of racial change. When the figures were released in mid-2021, Census Bureau officials said the new method was an improvement that did a better job of capturing the complexities of how people identify their race and ethnicity in the 21st century. At the same time, they acknowledged that some of the dramatic growth likely came from their changes. For the first time, empty spaces were left on the 2020 census form so that respondents could write in their origins, such as German or Jamaican, when answering the race question. The detailed answers guided the Census Bureau in classifying the respondents and members of their households into race and ethnicity categories.These improvements reveal that the U.S. population is much more multiracial and diverse than what we measured in the past, Census Bureau officials said at the time. The official numbers on multiracial people are important because they are used for redrawing political districts, civil rights enforcement, labor data, health statistics and distributing federal funding. As the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, Vice President Kamala Harris run for the White House as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee put multiracial identity in the spotlight. The Princeton researchers said the Census Bureau mistakenly mixed up ancestry with identity and national origin with race, and they believe the agency should abandon using origins to categorize people.The issue flew under the radar because of other distractions surrounding the 2020 census, such as the Trump administrations unsuccessful attempt to add a citizenship question, a controversial new data-privacy method and the COVID-19 pandemic, which threw the nations head count off schedule. Black, Hispanic and American Indian residents on reservations were undercounted in the 2020 census.Researchers have been asking the Census Bureau since 2021 to rerun the 2020 data using 2010 methods so that an apples to apples comparison of demographic changes can be made, but the agency hasnt done it yet, said historian Margo Anderson, who served on a National Academies panel that reviewed the quality of the census.Its 2025 and people have been asking since 2021, What the hell did you do? Anderson said. There is a lot of frustration there because we cant know. The Census Bureau has historically struggled to classify multiracial people, said Susan Graham, an advocate for multiracial representation in official statistics. Respondents werent allowed to check more than one race until the 2000 censusWas the 2020 Census subjected to a fictitious multiracial boom? Possibly, Graham said. As always, answers only get more confusing when the federal government goes back and tries, one more time, to get it right.Race and ethnic categories used by the federal government are changing further to combine questions about race and ethnicity instead of asking about them separately. A Middle Eastern and North African category also is being added which will reduce the number of respondents identifying as white. Not all demographers think the Census Bureaus methodological change was that profound.I dont think its that big of a deal for most people using the data, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. I think that the Census Bureau is trying hard to get this right.___Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP. MIKE SCHNEIDER Schneider covers census, demographics and Florida for The Associated Press. Author of 2023 book, Mickey and the Teamsters. twitter mailto

A Starbucks logo sign in the window of one of the chain's cafes in Pittsburgh, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)2025-01-13T21:44:12Z If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, youre going to have to buy something.Starbucks on Monday said it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores. A new code of conduct which will be posted in all company-owned North American stores also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and panhandling. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the new rules are designed to help prioritize paying customers. Anderson said most other retailers already have similar rules.We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores, Anderson said. By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.The code of conduct warns that violators will be asked to leave, and says the store may call law enforcement, if necessary. Starbucks said employees would receive training on enforcing the new policy. The new rules reverse an open-door policy put in place in 2018, after two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks where they had gone for a business meeting. The individual store had a policy of asking non-paying customers to leave, and the men hadnt bought anything. But the arrest, which was caught on video, was a major embarrassment for the company. At the time, Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz said he didnt want people to feel less than if they were refused access. We dont want to become a public bathroom, but were going to make the right decision a hundred percent of the time and give people the key, Schultz said.Since then, though, employees and customers have struggled with unruly and even dangerous behavior in stores. In 2022, Starbucks closed 16 stores around the country including six in Los Angeles and six in its hometown of Seattle for repeated safety issues, including drug use and other disruptive behaviors that threatened staff. The new rule comes as part of a push by Starbucks new chairman and CEO, Brian Niccol, to reinvigorate the chains sagging sales. Niccol has said that he wants Starbucks to recapture the community coffeehouse feeling it used to have, before long drive-thru lines, mobile order backups and other issues made visits more of a chore. DEE-ANN DURBIN Durbin is an Associated Press business writer focusing on the food and beverage industry. She has also covered the auto industry and state and national politics in her nearly 30-year career with the AP. twitter mailto

Amazon Web Services data center is seen on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)2025-01-14T12:05:46Z LOS ANGELES (AP) President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an ambitious executive order on artificial intelligence that seeks to ensure the infrastructure needed for advanced AI operations, such as large-scale data centers and new clean power facilities, can be built quickly and at scale in the United States.The executive order directs federal agencies to accelerate large-scale AI infrastructure development at government sites, while imposing requirements and safeguards on the developers building on those locations. It also directs certain agencies to make federal sites available for AI data centers and new clean power facilities. Those agencies will help facilitate the infrastructures interconnection to the electric grid and help speed up the permitting process. In a statement, Biden said AI will have profound implications for national security and enormous potential to improve Americans lives if harnessed responsibly, from helping cure disease to keeping communities safe by mitigating the effects of climate change. However, we cannot take our lead for granted, the Democratic president said. We will not let America be out-built when it comes to the technology that will define the future, nor should we sacrifice critical environmental standards and our shared efforts to protect clean air and clean water. Under the new rules, the departments of Defense and Energy will each identify at least three sites where the private sector can build AI data centers. The agencies will run competitive solicitations from private companies to build AI data centers on those federal sites, senior administration officials said. Developers building on those sites will be required, among other things, to pay for the construction of those facilities and to bring sufficient clean power generation to match the full capacity needs of their data centers. Although the U.S. government will be leasing land to a company, that company would own the materials it creates there, officials said. Biden said the efforts are designed to accelerate the clean energy transition in a way that is responsible and respectful to local communities and does not add costs to the average American. Developers selected to build on government sites will be required to pay all costs of building and operating AI infrastructure so that development does not raise electricity prices for consumers, the administration said.The orders also direct construction of AI data centers on federal sites to be done with public labor agreements. Some of the sites are reserved for small and medium-sized AI companies, according to government officials. Government agencies will also complete a study on the effects of all AI data centers on electricity prices, and the Energy Department will provide technical assistance to state public utility commissions regarding electricity tariff designs that can support connecting new large customers with clean energy.As part of the order, the Interior Department will identify lands it manages that are suitable for clean energy development and can support data centers on government sites, administration officials said. The volumes of computing power, electricity needed to train and operate frontier models are increasing rapidly and set to surge even more, said Tarun Chhabra, deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for technology and national security. By around 2028, we expect that leading AI developers will be seeking to operate data centers with as much as five gigawatts of capacity for training AI models.Deploying AI systems at scale also requires a broader network of data centers across different parts of the country, he said.From a national security standpoint, its really critical to find a pathway for building the data centers and power infrastructure to support frontier AI operations here in the United States, he said, adding that building data centers in the U.S. will prevent adversaries from accessing these powerful systems to the detriment of our military and our national security. That type of investment will also prevent the U.S. from growing dependent on other countries to access AI tools, Chhabra said.The executive order comes on the heels of the Biden administrations proposed new restrictions on exports of artificial intelligence chips, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. That proposal raised concerns of chip industry executives as well as officials from the European Union over export restrictions that would affect 120 countries. SARAH PARVINI Parvini covers artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. She is based in Los Angeles. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Palestinians bury the body of a relative who was killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-01-14T07:45:20Z Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 18 people overnight, including women and children, health officials said Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages.Two officials involved in the talks told The Associated Press that Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. An Israeli official said progress has been made, but the details are being finalized.Two strikes in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah killed two women and their four children, who ranged in age from 1 month to 9 years old. One of the women was pregnant and the baby did not survive, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies.Another 12 people were killed in two strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis, according to the European Hospital. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses them of hiding among civilians in shelters and tent camps for the displaced.Israels war against Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities. ___Heres the latest: Qatar says Israel and Hamas are their closest point yet to a ceasefire deal in GazaCAIRO Qatar says Israel and Hamas are at the closest point yet to agreeing on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages.Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a weekly briefing Tuesday that the ongoing negotiations are positive and productive, while declining to get into the details of the sensitive talks.Qatar has been a key mediator with Hamas in over a year of indirect talks and is currently hosting the negotiations.Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks told The Associated Press. An Israeli official said progress has been made, but the details are being finalized.Trump says a possible ceasefire deal for Gaza is very closePresident-elect Donald Trump has described a possible ceasefire for Gaza as being very close.I understand ... theres been a handshake and they are getting it finished -- and maybe by the end of the week, Trump told the American cable channel Newsmax Monday night. He added that part of the deal would see bodies brought out of the Gaza Strip, without elaborating.Israel and Hamas are under renewed pressure to halt the conflict in the lead-up to Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration. The phased deal would be based on a framework laid out by President Joe Biden in May and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. A missile fired by Houthi rebels targets central IsraelJERUSALEM A missile fired by Yemens Houthi rebels targeted central Israel early Tuesday, causing sirens to blare and people to flee into bomb shelters. Several Israeli strikes also hit the Gaza Strip overnight and early on Tuesday.The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept a missile launched from Yemen and the missile was likely intercepted. The Magen David Adom emergency service in Israel said there were no injuries from the missile or falling debris, but some people suffered injuries when running to shelters.Israeli police said several homes outside Jerusalem were damaged by fallen debris and released a photo of what appeared to be a missile casing on the roof of a house.Israels military also said an earlier missile was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory.Yemens Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have held Yemens capital, Sanaa, since 2014, have launched direct attacks on Israel and some 100 commercial ships as part of their campaign over Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis acknowledged the attack early Tuesday.

A burned-out car sits among rubble in the downtown Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)2025-01-14T14:30:15Z As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise. A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling wont help, experts say.Last week, Pasadena Water and Power issued a Do Not Drink notice to about a third of its customers for the first time since it began distributing water more than a century ago. With at least one burned pump, several damaged storage tanks, and burned homes, they knew there was a chance toxic chemicals had entered their pipes.Out of the abundance of caution, you kind of have to assume the worst, said Stacie Takeguchi, chief assistant general manager for the utility.This week, they lifted the notice for most of the area after testing. Why urban fires are a risk to drinking waterWhen large fires burn in towns and cities, rather than forests and grasslands, infrastructure can be heavily damaged. When drinking water systems are damaged in a fire, we can have ash, smoke, soot, other debris and gases get sucked into the water piping network, said Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor who researches water contamination in communities hit by fire.Those elements can be particularly toxic because chemically engineered synthetics in building materials and households are heating, burning and releasing particles and gases, he said. Some of those chemicals are harmful even at low concentrations, experts say. How chemicals get into the pipesDrinking water systems are designed to be airtight to keep harmful elements out. But that critical pressure can be lost in many ways during a fire, which means toxins can get in. Theres normal demand on the water system from people who didnt need to evacuate. Firefighters use a lot of water. Pipes in burned buildings can be damaged, spewing water.Power loss can also cause pressure loss when pumps stop working, said Greg Pierce, professor of urban environmental policy at the University of California. This happened during the 2023 Maui fires.Its really hard, if not impossible, to keep up the power supply to the whole water system in the event of a fire, because youre either shutting off the power, because power can contribute to the fire, or it just goes out, Pierce said. And then youre relying on generators at best in spots. The loss of pressure can affect not only water quality but also water availability for firefighting. Hydrants ran dry in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood as surrounding homes burned. The utility says it was from high demand and the pumps were working, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will investigate. Whats the health risk?Toxic chemicals in drinking water after a fire pose risks ranging from temporary nausea to cancer, experts say.In Paradise (California), there were benzene levels high enough to acutely give a child a blood disorder said Dr. Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, referring to the 2018 Camp Fire that burned most of the city.Even very low levels of some chemicals can be a concern. In California, state regulators say only one part per billion of benzene a known carcinogen is considered a safe level in drinking water, calculating for 70 years of exposure. The national recommendation is no more than five parts per billion.In terms of cancer risk, what were really interested in is the cumulative amount that youre exposed to over your entire lifetime, Goldman said. And if a short-term exposure adds a lot to that, that is a real risk.Benzene and similar compounds are known as volatile because they tend to become airborne, like gasoline that turns to vapor when it drips from the pump onto your car. A group of heavier compounds, called semi-volatile, were found in water pipes in Louisville, Colorado after the 2021 Marshall Fire, even when benzene and other better-known chemicals werent. Whelton says its critical to test for both. Whats next?Vast Los Angeles County has more than 200 water service providers, but so far only a handful believe that damage or loss of pressure may have resulted in chemical contamination and have issued Do Not Drink notices. Utilities are focused on ensuring theres enough water for fighting fires, though some are beginning to test for contaminants. It can take weeks to months of testing before water can be declared safe for drinking in areas with minimal damage.That is sometimes a best-case scenario.In the Paradise Fire, most buildings burned. The city rebuilt a reservoir and is working to replace 10,000 service lines. It expects to spend the next decade and $50 million to replace roughly 17 of 172 miles of main lines that were contaminated.Whelton doesnt recommend people pay for expensive water testing in their homes until their utility has declared the public water system safe. Many publicly available water quality tests are not capable of finding fire-related drinking water contamination, Whelton wrote on X this week. Getting your water professionally tested once the utilitys water is declared safe would be the best way to learn whether your pipes are contaminated, he said. People should follow guidance issued by their utility or local health department on safety precautions until their water is declared safe.__The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment BRITTANY PETERSON Peterson is an Associated Press video journalist based in Denver. She covers water in the western U.S. for APs global climate team. twitter mailto