Prime Minister Mark Carney got a standing ovation in Davos for starkly describing the end of Pax Americana. He is looking for new allies to help his country survive it.

As President Trump continued his quest for Greenland, Prime Minister Mark Carney said great powers were unrestrained and urged medium-size countries to band together.

Donald Trump is the most un-American president in our history. And in his second term, there is no one to constrain his un-American impulses.

For now, Europes anti-coercion instrument is less a bazooka than a waterlogged firecracker.

The gathering of the global elite is set to serve as an all-hands effort to de-escalate tensions between President Trump and Americas allies over his insistence on acquiring Greenland.

Jimmy Kimmel quipped that the president can do so much damage in one three-day weekend I dont know if anybody has ever done more.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-21T06:42:13Z JERUSALEM (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Wednesday he had agreed to join U.S. President Donald Trumps Board of Peace, after his office earlier criticized makeup of the boards executive committee. The board, chaired by Trump, was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. The Trump administrations ambitions have appeared to balloon into a more sprawling concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it will soon broker global conflicts.Netanyahus office had previously said the executive committee which includes Turkey, a key regional rival wasnt coordinated with the Israeli government and is contrary to its policy, without clarifying its objections. Israels far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has criticized the board and called for Israel to take unilateral responsibility for Gazas future. Others who have joined the board are the UAE, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina. Others, including the UK, Russia and the executive arm of the European Union, say they have received invitations but have not yet responded. It came as Trump traveled to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to provide more details about the board. There are many unanswered questions. It was not immediately clear how many or which other leaders would receive invitations. When asked by a reporter Tuesday if the board should replace the U.N., Trump said, It might. He asserted that the world body hasnt been very helpful and has never lived up to its potential but also said the U.N. should continue because the potential is so great.That has created controversy, with some saying Trump is trying to replace the U.N. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday, Yes to implementing the peace plan presented by the president of the United States, which we wholeheartedly support, but no to creating an organization as it has been presented, which would replace the United Nations. Told late Monday that French President Emmanuel Macron was unlikely to join, Trump said, Well, nobody wants him because hes going to be out of office very soon. A day later, Trump called Macron a friend of mine but reiterated that the French leader is not going to be there very much longer.The executive boards members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trumps deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.The White House also announced the members of another board, the Gaza Executive Board, which, according to the ceasefire, will be in charge of implementing the tough second phase of the agreement. That includes deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and rebuilding the war-devastated territory. Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and U.N. Mideast envoy, is to serve as the Gaza executive boards representative overseeing day-to-day matters. Additional members include: Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi; Hassan Rashad, director of Egypts General Intelligence Agency; Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy; Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay; and Sigrid Kaag, the Netherlands former deputy prime minister and a Mideast expert.The board also will supervise a newly appointed committee of Palestinian technocrats who will be running Gazas day-to-day affairs.___Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.

UCLA's upset of No. 4 Purdue seemed to do little to ease Mick Cronin's wrath over the Big Ten's scheduling, with the Bruins coach saying, "I don't think they care about basketball."

California Governor Gavin Newsom is seen during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2026-01-20T15:52:22Z DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) There were grave warnings from European leaders and expletives from California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday as leaders at the World Economic Forum grappled with the Greenland crisis and heightened concerns over global trade.The gathering in Davos, Switzerland, comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push for the seizure of Greenland and the imposition of related trade tariffs.French President Emmanuel Macron, wearing aviator sunglasses because of an eye infection, warned of a new colonial approach that would undermine decades of collaboration.Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister and former central banker, urged countries below the top tier of global power to continue multilateral cooperation with a new, dense web of connections. And in the forums entrance hall, Newsom was the most blunt, telling European leaders: Its time to get serious and stop being complicit. Its time to stand tall and firm have a backbone.Heres a look at what attendees said: Gavin Newsom I cant take this complicity. People rolling over. I shouldve brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders, the California governor and prominent Democrat said. I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. I mean, at least from an American perspective, its embarrassing. California Governor Gavin Newsom attends the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) California Governor Gavin Newsom attends the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More He added: Diplomacy with Donald Trump? Hes a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you. One or the other ... Wake up! Where the hell has everybody been? Stop with this (expletive) diplomacy of sort of niceties and somehow were all going to figure it out, saying one thing privately and another publicly. Have some spine, some goddamn (expletive). Emmanuel Macron Before expressing his concern, the French president began his address with a joke: Its a time of peace, stability and predictability. French President Emmanuel Macron touches his brow during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) French President Emmanuel Macron touches his brow during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Warning major powers against the temptation of modern colonial adventures, he added: Its a shift towards a world without rules. Where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest, and imperial ambitions are resurfacing. Then he took aim at the Trump administration, denouncing competition from the United States of America, through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe, combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.Mark CarneyGreat powers can afford for now to go it alone. They have the market size, the military capacity, and the leverage to dictate terms. Middle powers do not, the Canadian prime minister said. In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favor or to combine to create a third path with impact, he said. (We) argue the middle powers must act together because if were not at the table, were on the menu. Carney strongly opposed U.S. aspirations to expand its Arctic territory. We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenlands future. Canadas Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Canadas Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Scott BessentWith President Trump not due to address the elite global gathering until Wednesday, it fell to his treasury secretary to take up his defense in Switzerland.I think our relations have never been closer, Scott Bessent said, playing down the rift among Western countries over Greenland. Calm down the hysteria. Take a deep breath. He added: We are in the middle of President Trumps policies. And of course, Europe is an ally, the U.S.-NATO membership is unquestioned. We are partners in trying to stop this tragic war between Russia and Ukraine, but that does not mean that we cannot have disagreements on the future of Greenland. Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, holds a speech at the USA House during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, holds a speech at the USA House during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Bart De WeverBelgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said that with Trumps Greenland provocations, so many red lines have been crossed in Europe.Being a happy vassal is one thing. Being a miserable slave is something else. If you back down now youre going to lose your dignity, he said during a Davos panel discussion on redefining Europes place in the world.De Wever said that he and Belgiums King Philippe will meet with Trump on Wednesday when they will plan to press for a return to the old military alliance between Brussels and Washington.We either stand together or we will stand divided, and if we are divided, there is the end of an era, of 80 years of Atlanticism, really drawing to a close, he said. The former mayor of Antwerp, quoting the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, said that in a time of great transformation that it is up to U.S. president if the alliance holds. Its up to him (Trump) to decide if he wants to be a monster - yes or no. FILE - Belgiums Prime Minister Bart De Wever, center, speaks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a round table meeting at the EU Summit in Brussels, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) FILE - Belgiums Prime Minister Bart De Wever, center, speaks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a round table meeting at the EU Summit in Brussels, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Ursula von der LeyenEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a diplomatic downward spiral in the West would only embolden its adversaries.The proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies. The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July. And in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal, the EUs top official said. The Commission president said Europe was obliged to respond to international pressure. My point is: if this change is permanent, then Europe must change permanently too. It is time to seize this opportunity and build a new independent Europe, von der Leyen said. We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Donald TuskPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, writing on X, called on Europeans to beware of appeasement.Appeasement is always a sign of weakness. Europe cannot afford to be weak neither against its enemies, nor ally. Appeasement means no results, only humiliation. European assertiveness and self-confidence have become the need of the moment.

President Donald Trump speaks before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-21T05:17:30Z ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) President Donald Trump heads to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday where his ambitions to wrest control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark could tear relations with European allies and overshadow his original plan to use his appearance at the gathering of global elites to address affordability issues back home.Trump arrives for the international forum at Davos on the heels of threatening tariffs on Denmark and seven other allies unless they negotiate a transfer of the semi-autonomous territory a concession the European leaders indicated they are not willing to make. Trump said the tariffs would start at 10% next month and climb to 25% in June, rates that would be high enough to increase costs and slow growth, potentially hurting Trumps efforts to tamp down the high cost of living. The president in a text message that circulated among European officials this week also linked his aggressive stance on Greenland to last years decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. In the message, he told Norways prime minister, Jonas Gahr Stre, that he no longer felt an obligation to think purely of Peace. In the midst of an unusual stretch of testing the United States relations with longtime allies, it seems uncertain what might transpire during Trumps two days in Switzerland.This will be an interesting trip, Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Tuesday evening for his flight to Davos. I have no idea whats going to happen, but you are well represented. In fact, his trip to Davos got off to a difficult start. There was a minor electrical problem on Air Force One, leading the crew to turn around the plane about 30 minutes into the flight out of an abundance of caution and delaying the presidents arrival in Switzerland.Wall Street wobbled on Tuesday as investors weighed Trumps new tariff threats and escalating tensions with European allies. The S&P 500 fell 2.1%, its biggest drop since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.8%. The Nasdaq composite slumped 2.4%. Its clear that we are reaching a time of instability, of imbalances, both from the security and defense point of view, and economic point of view, French President Emmanuel Macron said in his address to the forum. Macron made no direct mention of Trump but urged fellow leaders to reject acceptance of the law of the strongest. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned the blocs response, should Trump move forward with the tariffs, will be unflinching, united and proportional. She pointedly suggested that Trumps new tariff threat could also undercut a US-EU trade framework reached this summer that the Trump administration worked hard to to seal.The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July, von der Leyen said in Davos. And in politics as in business a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something. Why Trump is talking about housing in DavosTrump, ahead of the address, said he planned on using his Davos appearance to talk about making housing more attainable and other affordability issues that are top priorities for Americans. But Trumps Greenland tariff threat could disrupt the U.S. economy if it blows up the trade truce reached last year between the U.S. and the EU, said Scott Lincicome, a tariff critic and vice president on economic issues at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.Significantly undermining investors confidence in the U.S. economy in the longer term would likely increase interest rates and thus make homes less affordable, Lincicome said.Trump also on Tuesday warned Europe against retaliatory action for the coming new tariffs.Anything they do with us, Ill just meet it, Trump said on NewsNations Katie Pavlich Tonight. All I have to do is meet it, and its going to go ricocheting backward.Davos a forum known for its appeal to the global elite is an odd backdrop for a speech on affordability. But White House officials have promoted it as a moment for Trump to try to rekindle populist support back in the U.S., where many voters who backed him in 2024 view affordability as a major problem. About six in 10 U.S. adults now say that Trump has hurt the cost of living, according to the latest survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. U.S. home sales are at a 30-year low with rising prices and elevated mortgage rates keeping many prospective buyers out of the market. So far, Trump has announced plans to buy $200 billion in mortgage securities to help lower interest rates on home loans, and has called for a ban on large financial companies buying houses. Trump will promote his Board of PeaceThe White House has said Trump plans to meet with leaders on the sidelines of the forum, after he gives his keynote address. There are more than 60 other heads of state attending.On Thursday, Trump plans to have an event to talk about the Board of Peace, a new body meant to oversee the end of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and possibly take on a broader mandate, potentially rivaling the United Nations.Fewer than 10 leaders have accepted invitations to join the group so far, including a handful of leaders considered to be anti-democratic authoritarians. Several of Americas main European partners have declined or been noncommittal, including Britain, France and Germany. Trump on Tuesday told reporters that his peace board might eventually make the U.N. obsolete but insisted he wants to see the international body stick around.I believe you got to let the U.N. continue, because the potential is so great, Trump said.___Madhani reported from Washington. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Guardia Civil officers collect evidence next to the wreckage of train cars involved in a collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)2026-01-20T13:36:23Z BARCELONA, Spain (AP) The roar was deafening inside the train car as it hurtled off the tracks, then slid down a steep slope, ripping open its frame. And then, amid the twisted metal of the wreckage, the cries of the injured and the silence of the dead. Surrounded by bodies after the train accident in southern Spain, one little girl somehow emerged virtually unscathed.Newspaper La Vanguardia reported that a Civil Guard officer found her barefoot on the tracks after she escaped through a broken window. Relative Juan Barroso told reporters the 6-year-old is in good health after receiving three stitches in her head at a hospital. The mayor of her familys village said he was finding a measure of solace in the fact this girl was out of harms way. Broken windows of a crashed train are photographed at the site of a train collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Broken windows of a crashed train are photographed at the site of a train collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More There are many people who are very sad for the victims of this terrible accident, but there were also many who survived, like the miracle of the girl who is safe, Punta Umbrias Mayor Jos Carlos Hernndez told reporters Tuesday after leading a minute of silence for the victims.Among them were the girls parents, brother and a cousin. At least 42 people were killed in the brutal accident that has shaken the nation and left the 6-year-old child an orphan. Her familys last names are Zamorano lvarez, the town hall said. but The Associated Press is not disclosing her first name.Punta Umbria has declared three days of mourning for victims including the Zamorano lvarez family. They were seated in the front carriages that bore the brunt of the impact when a train coming the opposite direction suddenly jumped its track for reasons still unknown.Mayor Hernndez said that the girl is now with her grandparents in a hotel in Cordoba, the nearest city to the crash.She has a tremendous family who will do what it takes for her to have a happy life, the mayor said. JOSEPH WILSON Wilson covers Spanish news and sports for The Associated Press. He is based in Barcelona. twitter mailto

Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court for his first sentencing trial in the insurrection case, in Seoul Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool Photo via AP)2026-01-21T08:20:48Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A South Korean court ruled Wednesday that the 2024 imposition of martial law by then President Yoon Suk Yeol constituted an act of rebellion as it sentenced his prime minister to 23 years in prison for his involvement. Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the first Yoon administration official convicted of rebellion charges in related to Yoons martial law imposition in December 2024. The verdict is expected to set the stage for upcoming rulings involving Yoon and his other associates, who also face rebellion charges. Han, who was appointed by Yoon prime minister, the No. 2 post in South Korea, served as one of the three caretaker leaders during moments of the martial law crisis that led to Yoons impeachment and eventually his removal from office.Rebellion is one of the gravest charges in South Korea, with the independent counsel recently demanding the death penalty for Yoon, who was charged with masterminding a rebellion. The Seoul Central District Court is to rule on Yoons rebellion charges on Feb. 19. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A federal immigration officer looks through a window of a home Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Maplewood, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2026-01-21T06:05:09Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As confrontations with federal officers over their massive immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota showed no signs of stopping Wednesday, legal battles over the surge and the local response were also intensifying.Federal prosecutors served grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzs office and five other officials in the state as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded law enforcement during a sweeping immigration operation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a person familiar with the matter said. The subpoenas, which seek records, were also sent to the offices of Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, the person said. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The subpoenas came a day after the government urged a judge to reject efforts to stop the immigration enforcement surge that has roiled Minneapolis and St. Paul for weeks.The Justice Department called the states lawsuit, filed soon after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an immigration officer, legally frivolous. Ellison has said the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, is expected to travel to Minneapolis on Thursday for a roundtable with local leaders and community members, according to sources familiar with his plans who spoke on condition on anonymity because the trip had not yet been officially announced. Mayor: Subpoenas are to stoke fearThe subpoenas are related to an investigation into whether Minnesota officials obstructed federal immigration enforcement through public statements they made, two people familiar with the matter said Friday. They said then that it was focused on the potential violation of a conspiracy statute. In a subpoena released by Freys office, the long list of documents required include any records tending to show a refusal to come to the aid of immigration officials. Frey said: We shouldnt have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with.The governors office referred reporters to a statement earlier Tuesday in which Walz said the Trump administration was not seeking justice, only creating distractions.Hard to track arrestsGreg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol, who has commanded the Trump administrations big-city immigration crackdown, said more than 10,000 people in the U.S. illegally have been arrested in Minnesota in the past year, including 3,000 of some of the most dangerous offenders in the last six weeks during Operation Metro Surge.Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, expressed frustration that advocates have no way of knowing whether the governments arrest numbers and descriptions of the people in custody are accurate. Good, 37, was killed on Jan. 7 as she was moving her vehicle, which had been blocking a Minneapolis street where ICE officers were operating. Trump administration officials say the officer, Jonathan Ross, shot her in self-defense, although videos of the encounter show the Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him. Since then, the public has repeatedly confronted officers, blowing whistles and yelling insults at ICE and Border Patrol. They, in turn, have used tear gas and chemical irritants against protesters. Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars.Bovino defended his troops and said their actions are legal, ethical and moral. Pastor says protesters invaded churchA Minnesota church targeted by an anti-ICE protest Sunday decried it as unlawful, while one of the protest leaders called for the resignation of a church leader who works at a local ICE office. About three dozen people entered Cities Church in St. Paul, some walking right up to the pulpit. Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus or any other act of worship is protected by neither the Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation, Cities Church in St. Paul said Tuesday in a statement shared by its pastor, Jonathan Parnell.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the protesters as agitators in a post on X and said, arrests coming.Nekima Levy Armstrong, a lawyer and local activist, called for another pastor who works at ICE to resign from the church, saying his dual role poses a fundamental moral conflict. ___Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Ed White in Detroit; Sarah Raza, Jack Brook and Giovanna DellOrto in Minneapolis; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Ali Swenson in Washington contributed. STEVE KARNOWSKI Karnowski covers politics and government from Minnesota for The Associated Press. He also covers the ongoing fallout from the murder of George Floyd, courts and the environment, among other topics. twitter mailto ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer covers the Justice Department and federal courts. She joined The AP in 2013 and is based in Washington. twitter

Manchester United are exploring their options over a move for AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Transfer Talk has the latest.

EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - People march and gather near the post office during a protest, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2026-01-21T05:03:57Z WASHINGTON (AP) Democrats had planned to campaign in the midterm elections on affordability and health care, two issues where Americans are particularly unhappy with President Donald Trump. But the aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota, including the killing of an American mother during a confrontation with federal agents, has scrambled the partys playbook.Now Democrats are trying to translate visceral outrage into political strategy, even though theres little consensus on how to press forward on issues where the party has recently struggled to earn voters trust.Some Democrats want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a proposal that echoes defund the police rhetoric from Trumps first term, and impeach administration officials like Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Others have taken a different approach, introducing legislation intended to curb alleged abuses by federal agents. However, those ideas have been criticized by activists as insufficient, and theres mounting pressure to obstruct funding for deportations in an ongoing funding debate. Were Democrats. Im sure were going to have 50 different ideas and 50 different ways to say it, said Chuck Rocha, a party strategist who is advising several House and Senate candidates on immigration this year. If Democrats fail to strike the right balance, they could imperil their efforts to retake control of Congress and statehouses around the country. They could also hamper a chance to rebuild credibility with voters whose dissatisfaction with border enforcement under President Joe Biden helped return Trump to the White House. Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress and Bidens former domestic policy adviser, believes the party can thread the needle.Its not too much to ask that we have a government that can produce a secure border, that can deport people who are not legally here, and that can also respect peoples civil and human rights, she told The Associated Press. This country has done that before, and it can do it again. Violent scenes force a strong Democratic responseImmigration crackdowns have spread from city to city since Trump took office, but the latest operation in Minnesota has generated some of the most intense controversy.Rene Good, 37, was fatally shot by a federal agent earlier this month, prompting protests and angry responses from local Democratic leaders. Administration officials accused Good of trying to hit an agent with her car, an explanation that has been widely disputed based on videos circulating online.I think the party is very unified in our disdain and concern of the actions certainly of DHS and ICE, said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. We should campaign on fairness and due process for all people, Garcia added, which is being violated every single day by ICE and DHS. We should be aggressive in that posture.But pushing back on the administration requires Democrats to step onto difficult political terrain. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults trusted Republicans more to handle immigration, according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll from September, higher than about 3 in 10 who said the same about Democrats.On the issue of crime, Republicans also held the advantage. About 44% thought Republicans were better, compared to 22% for the Democrats. Republicans feel confident that their intertwined messages on crime and immigration will resonate with voters in the midterms. They frequently highlight violent criminals detained or deported, downplaying examples of nonviolent migrants who have been swept up.If Democrats want to make 2026 a referendum on which party stands for strong immigration policies and protecting public safety, we will take that fight any day of the week, said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Delanie Bomar.Some Democrats are more interested in using the issue as a way to pivot back to core messages about health care and the cost of living. I want everybody to understand, the cuts to your health care are whats paying for ICE to be doing this, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said last week. The cuts to your health care are whats paying for this.Democratic strategists have circulated the clip as an example of a potentially effective pitch, particularly after Trump slashed funding for some safety net programs during his first year in office. Trump faces his own public opinion challengesThe presidents approval may be slipping on the issue of immigration. His approval rating on the issue has fallen since the start of his term, according to AP-NORC polling, from 49% last March to 38% in January.Juan Proao, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Hispanic civil rights group in the U.S., said crackdowns have hurt Trump politically.Republican members of Congress are really uncomfortable with these agencies and their existing tactics, because they know its going to hurt them back at home come election cycle, he said. Proao said he had been disappointed with how Democrats had accommodated the Trump administration on immigration in the last year, but he praised changes in the partys strategy since Goods death was captured on video.I think everyone just gasped at that, and I think there has been a marked shift since then, he said. Some people who have vocally supported Trump in the past, like podcast host Joe Rogan, have expressed reservations. Are we really going to be the Gestapo? he asked recently.But Trump has not shown any sign of backing down. The administration has ramped up the number of federal agents deployed to Minnesota and the Justice Department issued subpoenas to the states Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded enforcement operations.Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, who used to lead the party in his home state of Minnesota, said theres a lot of pain and anguish.Its heartbreaking, he said in a recent interview. Its chilling to think that this is the United States of America, what is supposed to be a beacon for democracy and freedom. MATT BROWN Brown covers national politics, federal policy and democracy issues for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Caravans are placed in a newly-legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2026-01-20T19:19:52Z YATZIV SETTLEMENT, West Bank (AP) Celebratory music blasting from loudspeakers mixed with the sounds of construction, almost drowning out calls to prayer from a mosque in the Palestinian town across this West Bank valley.Orthodox Jewish women wearing colorful head coverings and with babies on their hips, shared platters of fresh vegetables as soldiers encircled the hilltop, keeping guard. The scene Monday reflected the culmination of Israeli settlers long campaign to turn this site overlooking the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour into a settlement. Over the years they fended off plans to build a hospital for Palestinian children on the land, always holding to the hope it would one day become theirs. That moment is now, they say. Settlers attend an inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Settlers attend an inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Smotrich goes on settlement spreeAfter two decades of efforts, it took just a month for their new settlement, called Yatziv, to go from an unauthorized outpost of a few mobile homes to a fully recognized settlement. Fittingly, the new settlements name means stable in Hebrew.We are standing stable here in Israel, Finance Minister and settler leader Bezalel Smotrich told The Associated Press at Mondays inauguration ceremony. Were going to be here forever. We will never establish a Palestinian state here.With leaders like Smotrich holding key positions in Israels government and establishing close ties with the Trump administration, settlers are feeling the wind at their backs. Smotrich, who has been in charge of Israeli settlement policy for the past three years, has overseen an aggressive construction and expansion binge aimed at dismantling any remaining hopes of establishing a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank. While most of the world considers the settlements illegal, their impact on the ground is clear, with Palestinians saying the ever-expanding construction hems them in and makes it nearly impossible to establish a viable independent state. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, captured by Israel in 1967, as part of a future state. An Israeli soldier stands guard during the inauguration ceremony for the newly legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, near the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) An Israeli soldier stands guard during the inauguration ceremony for the newly legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, near the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More With Netanyahu and Trump, settlers feel emboldenedSettlers had long set their sights on the hilltop, thanks to its position in a line of settlements surrounding Jerusalem and because they said it was significant to Jewish history. But they put up the boxy prefab homes in November because days earlier, Palestinian attackers had stabbed an Israeli to death at a nearby junction. The attack created an impetus to justify the settlement, settlement council chair, Yaron Rosenthal, told the AP. With the election of Israels far-right government in late 2022, Trumps return to office last year and the November attack, conditions were ripe for settlers to make their move, Rosenthal said.We understood that there was an opportunity, he said. But we didnt know it would happen so quickly.Now there is the right political constellation for this to happen.Smotrich announced approval of the outpost, along with 18 others, on Dec. 21. That capped 20 years of effort, said Nadia Matar, a settler activist. Shdema was nearly lost to us, said Matar, using the name of an Israeli military base at the site. What prevented that outcome was perseverance. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich watches Rabbi Amiel Sternberg affix a mezuzah in the newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich watches Rabbi Amiel Sternberg affix a mezuzah in the newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Back in 2006, settlers were infuriated upon hearing that Israels government was in talks with the U.S. to build a Palestinian childrens hospital on the land, said Hagit Ofran, a director at Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, especially as the U.S. Agency for International Development was funding a peace park at the base of the hill.The mayor of Beit Sahour urged the U.S. Consulate to pressure Israel to begin hospital construction, while settlers began demonstrations at the site calling on Israel to quash the project, according to consulate files obtained through WikiLeaks.It was interesting that settlers had no religious, legal, or ... security claim to that land, wrote consulate staffer Matt Fuller at the time, in an email he shared with the AP. They just dont want the Palestinians to have it and for a hospital no less a hospital that would mean fewer permits for entry to Jerusalem for treatment. The hospital was never built. The site was converted into a military base after the Netanyahu government came to power in 2009. From there, settlers quickly established a foothold by creating a makeshift cultural center at the site, putting on lectures, readings and exhibitsSpeaking to the AP, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister at the time the hospital was under discussion, said that was the tipping point. Once it is military installation, it is easier than to change its status into a new outpost, a new settlement and so on, he said. Olmert said Netanyahu who has served as prime minister nearly uninterrupted since then was committed to entirely different political directions from the ones that I had, he said. They didnt think about cooperation with the Palestinians. Settlers attend the inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Settlers attend the inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Palestinians say the land is theirsThe continued legalization of settlements and spiking settler violence which rose by 27% in 2025, according to Israels military have cemented a fearful status quo for West Bank Palestinians.The land now home to Yatziv was originally owned by Palestinians from Beit Sahour, said the towns mayor, Elias Isseid.These lands have been owned by families from Beit Sahour since ancient times, he said. Isseid worries more land loss is to come. Yatziv is the latest in a line of Israeli settlements to pop up around Beit Sahour, all of which are connected by a main highway that runs to Jerusalem without entering Palestinian villages. The new settlement poses a great danger to our children, our families, he said. A bypass road, complete with a new yellow gate, climbs up to Yatziv. The peace park stands empty. JULIA FRANKEL Frankel, based in Jerusalem, has reported from across Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Her reporting focuses on war, human rights, displacement and criminal justice. twitter mailto

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, attends a seminar in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)2026-01-21T05:16:09Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Irans foreign minister issued the most direct threat yet Wednesday against the United States after Tehrans bloody crackdown on protesters, warning the Islamic Republic will be firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.The comments by Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, comes as an American aircraft carrier group moves westward toward the Middle East from Asia. American fighter jets and other equipment appears to be moving in the Mideast after a major U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuelas Nicols Maduro.Meanwhile, an Iranian Kurdish separatist group in Iraq claimed Iran targeted one of its bases in a drone and missile attack that killed at least one fighter. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which would be the first foreign operation Tehran has launched since the protests started. Araghchi makes threat in columnAraghchi made the threat in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal. In it, the foreign minister contended the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours and sought again to blame armed demonstrators for the violence. Videos that have slipped out of Iran despite an internet shutdown appear to show security forces repeatedly using live fire to target apparently unarmed protesters, something unaddressed by Araghchi. Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack, Araghchi wrote, referring to the 12-day war launched by Israel on Iran in June. This isnt a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war. He added: An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe. Araghchis comments likely refer to Irans short- and medium-range missiles. The Islamic Republic relied on ballistic missiles to target Israel in the war and left its stockpile of the shorter-range missiles unused, something that could be fired to target American bases and interests in the Persian Gulf. Already, there have been some restrictions on U.S. diplomats traveling to American bases in both Kuwait and Qatar. Mideast nations, particularly diplomats from Gulf Arab countries, had lobbied Trump not to attack. Last week, Iran shut its airspace, likely in anticipation of a strike. The USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been in the South China Sea in recent days, had passed through the Strait of Malacca, a key waterway connecting the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, by Tuesday, ship-tracking data showed.A U.S. Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers were heading west. While naval and other defense officials stopped short of saying the carrier strike group was headed to the Middle East, its current heading and location in the Indian Ocean means it is only days away from moving into the region. Meanwhile, U.S. military images released in recent days showed F-15E Strike Eagles arriving in the Mideast and forces in the region moving a HIMARS missile system, the type used with great success by Ukraine after Russias full-scale invasion in the country in 2022. Kurdish exiles claim Iranian attack in IraqThe National Army of Kurdistan, the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, or PAK, claimed Iran launched an attack against one of its bases near Irbil, some 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of Baghdad. It said one fighter had been killed, releasing mobile phone footage of a fire in the predawn darkness. Iranian state television, which has confirmed attacks on the group in the past, did not acknowledge the assault. A handful of Iranian Kurdish dissident or separatist groups some with armed wings have long found a safe haven in northern Iraqs semiautonomous Kurdish region, where their presence has been a point of friction between the central government in Baghdad and Tehran. The PAK has claimed it launched attacks in Iran as a crackdown on the demonstrations took place, something reported by semiofficial Iranian news agencies as well. Protest death toll risesThe death toll from the protests has reached at least 4,519 people, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into being. Although there have been no protests for days, there are fears the death toll could increase significantly as information gradually emerges from a country still under a government-imposed shutdown of the internet since Jan. 8. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had left several thousand people dead and blamed the United States. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties.More than 26,300 people have been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the worlds top executioners. That and the killing of peaceful protesters have been two red lines laid down by Trump in the tensions. ___Associated Press writers Stella Martany in Irbil, Iraq, Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Elena Becatoros contributed to this report. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

A sign for the Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Federal Building and Courthouse is displayed outside the courthouse on Jan. 22, 2024, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Jennifer Kelleher, File)2026-01-21T05:01:06Z HONOLULU (AP) A former flight attendant for a Canadian airline posed as a commercial pilot and as a current flight attendant to obtain hundreds of free flights from U.S. airlines, authorities said. Dallas Pokornik, 33, of Toronto, was arrested in Panama after being indicted on wire fraud charges in federal court in Hawaii last October. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday following his extradition.According to court documents, Pokornik was a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, then used fake employee identification from that carrier to obtain tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants on three other airlines.U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday that Pokornik even requested to sit in an extra seat in the cockpit the jump seat typically reserved for off-duty pilots. It was not clear from court documents whether he ever actually rode in a planes cockpit, and the U.S. Attorneys Office declined to say. The indictment did not identify the airlines except to say they are based in Honolulu, Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas. Representatives for Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines which are respectively based in those cities didnt immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment. Air Canada, which is based in Toronto, also did not respond to an email seeking comment. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The scheme lasted four years, the U.S. prosecutors in Hawaii said. A U.S. magistrate judge on Tuesday ordered Pokornik to remain in custody. His federal defender declined to comment.In 2023, an off-duty airline pilot riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air flight said Im not OK just before trying to cut the engines midflight. That pilot, Joseph Emerson, later told police he had been struggling with depression.A federal judge sentenced him to time served last November.The allegations against Pokornik are reminiscent of Catch Me If You Can, the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio that tells the story of Frank Abagnale posing as a pilot to defraud an airline and obtain free flights.

A top Alaska lawmaker said the state needs to hire twice as many prosecutors and public defenders if it wants to end the kind of extreme courtroom delays that the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica exposed over the past year.Rep. Andrew Gray, chair of a legislative committee that holds jurisdiction over the Alaska court system, prosecutors and public defenders, said the news organizations stories of criminal cases delayed for years stab my heart. The time it takes to resolve Alaskas most serious felony cases is three years, or more than twice as long as in 2015.I hate how slow this system is. It kills me, Gray said.The blame, he said, should not fall on the front-line attorneys but on the state of Alaska for failing to hire enough prosecutors and public defenders.Gray is the latest official to respond to stories in the Daily News and ProPublica revealing how delays can harm criminal defendants and crime victims alike.Susan M. Carney, chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, said in February that the system was not meeting expectations our own or Alaskans when it comes to the swift execution of justice. The next month, the court ordered new restrictions on pretrial continuances.But Gray said that beyond the court order, it will take new resources to meet the goal of resolving more cases quickly. The court systems own standard for speedy trials sets a 120-day deadline, which is rarely met.(Gray, in an interview, and Carney, in her speech to the Legislature, both noted that the median time to resolve less serious charges is far faster than for the most serious felonies: Class B misdemeanors crimes such as criminal mischief or shoplifting are closed within a median of about four months, Carney said.)Victim advocates, attorneys and judges told the newsrooms that Alaska has grappled with increasing delays for decades.Gray said lawmakers, who write the state spending plan and started a new legislative session on Tuesday, should include additional funding to reduce the caseloads carried by prosecutors and public defenders.I dont know exactly what the number is, but it will be a big one, Gray said. And yes, I would absolutely advocate for that.120 DaysAlaskas speedy-trial deadline.1,124 DaysThe median time it took for the most serious category of felony cases to be resolved in Alaska in 2025. Thats more than twice as long as in 2015.Retired Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Niesje Steinkruger, who worked as a public defender and assistant attorney general, agreed that inadequate staffing places a strain on attorneys on both sides who are being pushed to resolve cases faster.It puts those lawyers in just an awful position. They are type A personalities: They want to do the best that they can.Jacqueline Shepherd, an ACLU of Alaska attorney who tracks pretrial delays, agreed about the need for more front-line attorneys. According to a 1998 audit for the Legislature, public defenders can ethically handle no more than 59 cases at a time. Shepherd said some public defenders in Anchorage are asked to juggle 140 to 170. Obviously, they are overloaded, she said.But she said that adding staff alone wont be enough to solve the problem. Judges, she said, need to start bucking Alaskas culture of courtroom delay and make sure cases are moving toward trial or dismissal.Gray, a Democrat in traditionally red Alaska, became chair of the Judiciary Committee because Alaskas Senate and House are currently run by bipartisan majorities.His proposal for more money is likely to prove difficult in a state that has no state income or sales tax and faces revenue shortfalls made deeper by low oil prices.Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, in December proposed a plan that would shore up services by spending from reserves while also setting the annual oil wealth dividend each resident receives at $3,650, a big increase over previous years. The dividend payout would cost twice what Dunleavy has requested for public safety, courts and prisons combined.A spokesperson for the governor did not directly answer a question about whether Dunleavy would support doubling prosecutors and state defense attorneys. However, the spokesperson noted that funding for prosecutors and defense attorneys has already increased under Dunleavy in an attempt to reduce caseloads and backlogs.74 DelaysNumber of times one Anchorage sexual assault case was postponed in the 10 years it took to reach a jury.State budget documents show spending on the Department of Law, which employs state prosecutors, was $123 million last year or 42% higher than it was in 2018, when Dunleavy was elected. Spending on two agencies that oversee state-appointed defense attorneys was a combined $87 million, a 69% increase. The Department of Public Safetys spending also rose by the same percentage.Improving public safety has been Gov. Dunleavys top priority throughout his time in office, spokesperson Grant Robinson said.The boost to defense attorney and prosecutor budgets was due in part to a bill passed in 2022, part of an effort to raise pay and improve retention and recruitment.Gray said that effort was a good first step that helped fill vacant jobs. But he said the next step is to expand the workforce.They need to acknowledge that even being fully staffed, they are overworking their folks and that is the reason we are seeing these cases that drag on for an eternity, he said.But House Finance Co-Chair Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, said any effort to double the number of those attorneys is unlikely to succeed this year. The state is too strapped for cash, he said.Its the same reason why the Anchorage School District has a $78 million budget deficit, said Josephson, a former prosecutor who oversees the Department of Law budget and sponsored the bill increasing state attorney salaries. For decades, we have been trying to give people dividends and not tax them, and the system is exhausted by those two things.Over that same span, victim rights advocates noticed longer and longer delays for the most serious criminal cases.Some dragged on for so long that victims died before seeing justice, such as two women sexually assaulted in broad daylight in one of Anchorages most popular parks. The attacks occurred in 2017, yet it took seven years and 50 delays for the case to go to trial in December 2024. The jury found the defendant, Fred Tom Hurley III, guilty of two counts of second-degree sexual assault but not guilty of one count of sexual assault.Another case took even longer: 10 years. In all that time, as judges allowed 74 delays, no one in the courtroom ever asked the victim what she wanted. A key witness died along the way. A jury in April found the defendant, Lafi Faualo, guilty of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree assault involving a weapon but not guilty of one count of sexual assault.Faualos defense attorney was juggling some 375 active cases before the trial.59 CasesThe maximum ethical workload for a single prosecutor or defense attorney, according to the Alaska Division of Legislative Audit.In another example of extreme delays, Kipnuk resident Justine Paul spent seven years in jail for murder after being indicted on key blood evidence that proved within one year to be flawed. Meanwhile, the killing of his girlfriend Eunice Whitman remains unsolved, with the investigation only recently reopened.State officials say the situation has improved since the state Supreme Courts order limiting pretrial delays took effect in May.Rebecca Koford, spokesperson for the Alaska Court System, said that as of Jan. 1, 2026, there are 743 pending felony cases that are more than two years old 16% of all felonies. Thats an improvement from Jan. 1, 2024, when there were 1,428 such cases, representing 22% of the total.The courts order on delays, combined with earlier efforts in 2023, have led to significant progress, Koford said. Judges have been limiting continuances, stacking trials and using every resource available to move cases forward expeditiously and fairly.Still, the latest annual report from the Alaska Criminal Justice Data Analysis Commission noted that cases continue to take longer than they did in 2019 and before.Gray acknowledged it will be very hard to get lawmakers to agree on more money for attorneys.But we must have that debate, he said, because that is how we solve this problem.The post Alaska Lawmaker Calls for Hiring More Prosecutors, Public Defenders to Reduce Extreme Delay in Criminal Cases appeared first on ProPublica.

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Emergency crews respond after a commuter train derailed when a retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks in Gelida, near Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)2026-01-21T08:35:56Z GELIDA, Spain (AP) Commuter rail service in Spains northeastern Catalonia region was suspended Wednesday after a Barcelona commuter train crashed the night before, Spanish authorities said. At least one person died in the Barcelona-area crash, and 37 others were injured as crews worked at night to complete the rescue effort. The train hit a retaining wall that fell onto the tracks, authorities said.The news late Tuesday of another train crash mere days after Spains worst railway disaster since 2013 left many Spaniards in disbelief. Emergency workers were still searching for victims in the wreckage from Sundays high-speed crash in southern Spain that killed at least 42 people and injured dozens some 800 kilometers (497 miles) away. Three days of national mourning were underway, and the cause of that crash was being investigated. The victim of the Tuesday-night crash was a trainee train driver, regional authorities said. Of the 37 people affected, five were seriously injured. Six others were in less serious condition, emergency services said. Most of the injured had ridden in the first train car. The suspension of commuter trains Wednesday morning caused significant traffic jams on roads leading into Barcelona. Regional authorities in Catalonia asked people to reduce unnecessary travel and companies to allow remote work while the disruptions continued. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez acknowledged the Barcelona area crash, writing on X on Tuesday night: All my affection and solidarity with the victims and their families.While Spains high-speed rail network generally runs smoothly, and at least until Sunday had been a source of confidence, commuter rail services are plagued by reliability issues. However, accidents causing injury or death are not common in either.The commuter train crashed near the town of Gelida, located about 37 kilometers (23 miles) outside Barcelona.Spains railway operator ADIF said the containment wall likely collapsed due to heavy rainfall that swept across the northeastern Spanish region this week. ___Naishadham reported from Madrid. SUMAN NAISHADHAM Naishadham is an Associated Press reporter covering Spain and Portugal. She is based in Madrid. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 21 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00089-8More girls are hitting puberty at eight or earlier. Researchers are exploring the causes, the consequences and what should be done.

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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2026-01-21T11:38:31Z BRUSSELS (AP) Rattled by President Donald Trumps aggression towards Greenland, the European Union is readying counter-measures against the United States. But as primarily a trading bloc of 27 nations, the EUs toolkit is mostly financial instruments, from steep tariffs on U.S. goods to the so-called trade bazooka touted by French President Emmanuel Macron.The term is shorthand for the blocs Anti-Coercion Instrument, or ACI, that could sanction individuals or institutions found to be putting undue pressure on the EU.Those sanctions could inflict untold billions of dollars in costs to U.S. companies by restricting EU market access, barring them from EU public tenders, and potentially limiting foreign direct investment and curtailing the export and import of goods and services.So far, theres little backing in the 27-nation EU to use it, with the exception of France. Macron warned in Davos on Tuesday that additional tariffs by the U.S. could force the EU to use its anti-coercion mechanism for the first time.The crazy thing is that we could find ourselves in a situation where we use the anti-coercion mechanism for the very first time against the United States, said Macron, arguing that allied countries should be focusing instead on bringing peace to Ukraine. Can you imagine it? Its crazy. I regret it, but it is the consequence of unnecessary aggressiveness. Still, we must all remain calm. Macron described the mechanism as a powerful instrument and we should not hesitate to deploy it in todays tough environment.EU leaders will hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday over tensions with Trump.The ACI was established by the European Commission in 2021 after Beijing restricted trade to Lithuania over its ties with Taiwan, which is claimed by China as its territory.The primary objective of the ACI is deterrence. The instrument will, therefore, be most successful if there is no need to use it, according to a commission statement issued before the dispute over Greenland. It would take at least six months to activate the ACI.The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.Europes biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments, and wine and spirits.-Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listen during the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2026-01-21T12:10:02Z WASHINGTON (AP) House Republicans are starting a push Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, opening the prospect of the House using one of its most powerful punishments against a former president for the first time.The contempt proceedings are an initial step toward a criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice that, if successful, could send the Clintons to prison. Still, ahead of a meeting Wednesday by the House Oversight Committee to prepare the charges, there were signs of a thaw. The Clintons, both Democrats, appeared to be searching for an off-ramp to testify, and passage of contempt charges through the full House was far from guaranteed, requiring a majority vote something Republicans increasingly struggle to achieve. The repercussions of contempt charges loomed large, given the possibility of a substantial fine and even incarceration. While the charges have historically been used only as a last resort, lawmakers in recent years have been more willing to reach for the option. The Oversight Committee chair, Rep, James Comer of Kentucky, initiated the contempt proceedings after the Clintons refused for months to fulfill a House Oversight Committee subpoena for their testimony in the panels Epstein probe. The clash was the latest turn in the unpredictable Epstein saga, as Congress investigates how he was able to sexually abuse dozens of teenage girls for years. Epstein killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial. The public release of case files has shown details of the connections between Epstein and both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, among many other high-powered men. Clinton, Trump and many others connected to Epstein have not been accused of wrongdoing. Yet lawmakers are wrestling over who receives the most scrutiny. Theyre not above the law. Weve issued subpoenas in good faith, Comer told The Associated Press on the eve of the contempt proceedings. For five months weve worked with them. And times up.Comer rejected an offer Tuesday from an attorney for the Clintons to have Comer and the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia, interview Bill Clinton in New York, along with staff.How the Clintons have respondedThe Clintons released a scathing letter last week criticizing Comer for seeking their testimony at a time when the Department of Justice is running a month behind a congressionally mandated deadline to release its complete case files on Epstein.Behind the scenes, however, a longtime attorney for the Clintons, David Kendall, has tried to negotiate an agreement. Kendall raised the prospect of having the Clintons testify last Christmas and Christmas Eve, according to the committees account of the negotiations. The Clintons have also argued that the subpoenas are invalid because they dont serve any legislative purpose and say that they did not know about Epsteins abuse. They have offered the committee written declarations about their interactions with Epstein.We have tried to give you the little information we have. Weve done so because Mr. Epsteins crimes were horrific, the Clintons wrote in a letter to Comer last week. How contempt proceedings have been usedContempt of Congress proceedings are rare, used when lawmakers are trying to force testimony for high-profile investigations, such as the infamous inquiry during the 1940s into alleged Communist sympathizers in Hollywood or the impeachment proceedings of President Richard Nixon.Most recently, Trumps advisers Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were convicted of contempt charges for defying subpoenas from a House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a mob of the Republican presidents supporters at the Capitol. Both men spent months in prison. The Jan. 6 committee also subpoenaed Trump in its inquiry, but Trumps lawyers resisted the subpoena, citing decades of legal precedent they said shielded ex-presidents from being ordered to appear before Congress. The committee ultimately withdrew its subpoena.No former president has ever been successfully forced to appear before Congress, although some have voluntarily appeared. The Democrats response Democrats have largely been focused on advancing the investigation into Epstein rather than mounting an all-out defense of the Clintons, who led their party for decades. Theyve said Bill Clinton should inform the committee if he has any pertinent information about Epsteins abuses.A wealthy financier, Epstein donated to Bill Clintons 1992 presidential campaign and Hillary Clintons joint fundraising committee ahead of her 2000 Senate campaign in New York.Democrats embraced the call for full transparency on Epstein after Trumps return to the White House, particularly after Attorney General Pam Bondi stumbled on her promise to release the entirety of the unredacted Epstein files to the public. The backlash scrambled traditional ideological lines, leading Republicans to side with Democrats demanding further investigation. The pressure eventually resulted in a bipartisan subpoena from the committee that ordered the Justice Department and Epstein estate to release files related to Epstein. Republicans quickly moved to include the Clintons in the subpoena.Comer indicated Tuesday that he would insist that the subpoena be fulfilled by a transcribed deposition of Bill Clinton.You have to have a transcript in an investigation, he said. So no transcript, no deal. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto MATT BROWN Brown covers national politics, federal policy and democracy issues for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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Options trader Phil Fracassini works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2026-01-21T04:51:46Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration Global markets mostly declined Wednesday while trading on Wall Street stabilized somewhat ahead of U.S. President Donald Trumps speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each ticked down 0.1% before the bell, while Nasdaq futures retreated 0.3%. All three indices are coming off steep losses from a day earlier after Trump threatened to slap higher tariffs on eight European countries over their opposition to his push for U.S. control of Greenland. Gold prices crossed the $4,800 mark for the first time, gaining 2.2% to $4,873 per ounce as money flowed into assets considered to be safe havens at times of uncertainty. Trumps plane landed in Switzerland following hours of delay after a minor electrical issue aboard Air Force One forced a return to Washington to switch aircraft. Trump told reporters he planned to highlight his administrations accomplishments during his speech later Wednesday to world leaders, elites and billionaires gathered in Davos. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who spoke on a panel on Tuesday, said the U.S. message was that globalization has failed. Trump has said he will impose 10% tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland beginning in February. That would be on top of a 15% tariff specified by a trade agreement with the European Union that has yet to be ratified. European leaders have hit back as Washingtons relations with its Western allies sour, considering countermeasures, including perhaps slow-walking ratification of the trade agreement or ordering retaliatory tariffs, analysts say.In equities markets, Netflix tumbled 7.2% after the streaming service reported slowing subscriber growth last year, underscoring the importance of its contested $72 billion bid to take over Warner Bros. movie studio and HBO Max. Netflix topped Wall Streets fourth-quarter sales and profit forecasts, but the companys subscriber growth fell to 23 million in 2025, down from a gain of 41 million in 2024.Kraft-Heinz tumbled 5.5% after Berkshire Hathaway warned investors Tuesday that it may be interested in selling its 325 million shares in the name brand food giant that former CEO Warren Buffett helped create back in 2015. Berkshire took a $3.76 billion write-down on its Kraft-Heinz stake last summer. Buffett said last fall that he was disappointed in Kraft Heinz plan to split the company in two, and Berkshires two representatives resigned from the Kraft board last spring.In energy markets, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 71 cents to $59.65 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, shed 88 cents to $64.04 per barrel. Natural gas futures are up more than 8% Wednesday and have soared 30% in less than a week as a cold snap and brutal storms hit large swaths of the U.S.At midday in Europe, Germanys DAX shed 1% while the CAC 40 in Paris and Britains FTSE 100 each dipped 0.3%.In Asian trading, Tokyos Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4% to 52,774.64. Markets in Japan have been riled both by geopolitical uncertainty and by domestic issues. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap election for Feb. 8, sending yields of long-term government bonds to record levels. The assumption is that Takaichi, who is capitalizing on strong public support ratings to try to consolidate a majority for her Liberal Democratic Party, will cut taxes and boost spending, adding to the challenges Japan faces in handling its massive government debt. The yield on the 40-year Japanese government bond was trading at 4.061% early Wednesday, down from the all-time high of 4.22% that it hit on Tuesday. South Koreas Kospi gained 0.5% to 4,909.93.Hong Kongs Hang Seng rebounded to add 0.4% to 26,585.06. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% higher, to 4,116.94.In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gave back 0.4% to 8,782.90.Taiwans Taiex fell 1.6% and Indias Sensex lost 0.4%. CHAN HO-HIM Chan covers China business, economy and finance for The Associated Press, reporting on key sectors from technology to trade. He is based in Hong Kong. mailto

San Diego Comic-Con changed an AI art friendly policy following an artist-led backlash last week. It was a small victory for working artists in an industry where jobs are slipping away as movie and video game studios adopt generative AI tools to save time and money.Every year, tens of thousands of people descend on San Diego for Comic-Con, the worlds premier comic book convention that over the years has also become a major pan-media event where every major media company announces new movies, TV shows, and video games. For the past few years, Comic-Con has allowed some forms of AI-generated art at this art show at the convention. According to archived rules for the show, artists could display AI-generated material so long as it wasnt for sale, was marked as AI-produced, and credited the original artist whose style was used.Material produced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be placed in the show, but only as Not-for-Sale (NFS). It must be clearly marked as AI-produced, not simply listed as a print. If one of the parameters in its creation was something similar to Done in the style of, that information must be added to the description. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability, Comic-Cons art show rules said until recently.These rules have been in place since at least 2024, but anti-AI sentiment is growing in the artistic community and an artist-led backlash against Comic-Cons AI-friendly language led to the convention quietly changing the rules. Twenty-four hours after artists called foul the AI-friendly policy, Comic-Con updated the language on its site. Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show, it now says. AI is now banned at the art show.Comic and concept artist Tiana Oreglia told 404 Media Comic-Cons friendly attitude towards AI was a slippery slope towards normalization. I think we should be standing firm especially with institutions like Comic-Con which are quite literally built off the backs of artists and the creative community, she said. Oreglia was one of the first artists to notice the AI-friendly policy. In addition to alerting her circle of friends, she also wrote a letter to Comic-Con itself.Artist Karla Ortiz told 404 Media she learned about the AI-friendly policy after some fellow artists shared it with her. Ortiz is a major artist who has worked with some of the major studios who exhibit work at Comic-Con. Shes also got a large following on social media, a following she used to call out Comic-Cons organizers.Comic-con deciding to allow GenAi imagery in the art showgiving valuable space to GenAi users to show slop right NEXT to actual artists who worked their asses off to be thereis a disgrace! Ortiz said in a post on Bluesky. A tone deaf decision that rewards and normalizes exploitative GenAi against artists in their own spaces!According to Ortiz, the convention is a sacred place she didnt want to see desecrated by AI. Comic-Con is the big mecca for comic artists, illustrators, and writers, she said. I organize and speak with a lot of different artists on the generative AI issue. Its something that impacts us and impacts our lives. A lot of us have decided: No, were not going to sit by the sidelines.Oritz explained that generative AI was already impacting the livelihood of working artists. She said that, in the past, artists could sustain themselves on long projects for companies that included storyboarding and design. Suddenly the duration of projects are cut, she said. They got generative AI to generate a bunch of references, a bunch of boards. We already did the initial ideation, so just paint this. Paint what generative AI has generated for us.Ortiz pointed to two high profile examples: Marvel using AI to make the title sequence for Secret Invasion and Coca-Cola using AI to make Christmas commercials. You have this encroaching exploitative technology impacting almost every single level of the entertainment industry, whether youre a writer, or a voice actor, or a musician, a painter, a concept artist, an illustrator. It doesnt matterand then to have Comic-Con, that place thats supposed to be a gathering and a celebration of said creatives and their work, suddenly put on a pedestal the exploitative technology that only functions because of its training on our works? Its upsetting beyond belief.What is Comic-Con trying to tell the industry? She said, Its telling artists: Hey you, youre exploitable and youre replaceable.Ortiz was heartened that Comic-Con changed its policy. It was such a relief, she said. Generative AI is still going to creep its nasty way in some way or another, but at least its not something we have to take lying down. Its something we can actively speak out against.Comic-Con did not respond to 404 Medias request for comment, but Oreglia said she did hear back from art show organizer Glen Wooten. He basically told me that they put those AI stipulations in when AI was just starting to come around and that the inability to sell AI-generated works was meant to curtail people from submitting genAI works, she said. He seems to be very against genAI but wasn't really able to change the current policy until artists voiced their opinions loudly which pressured the office into banning AI completely.Despite changing policies and broad anti-AI sentiment among the artistic community, Oreglia has still seen an uptick of AI art at conventions. Although there are many cons that ban it outright and if you get caught selling it you basically will get banned. This happened to a vendor at Dragon Con last September. Organizers called police to escort the vendor off the premises.And I was tabling at Fanexpo SF and definitely saw genAI in the dealers hall, none in the artists alley as far as I could see though but I mostly stuck to my table, she said. I was also at Emerald City Comic Con last year and they also have a no-ai policy but fanexpo doesn't seem to have those same policies as far as I know.AI image generators are trained on original artwork so whatever output a tool like Midjourney creates is based on an artists work, often without compensation or credit. Oreglia also said she feels that AI is an artistic dead end. Everything interesting, uplifting, and empowering I find about art gets stripped away and turned into vapid facsimiles based on vibes and trendy aesthetics, she said.