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Ice, sleet and possibly significant snowfall are threatening to snarl air travel in much of the eastern U.S. starting on Friday. Heres what to know.

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Vehicles are driven through whiteout conditions along Lake Michigan Drive during a winter storm warning in Ottawa County, Mich. on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Joel Bissell/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)2026-01-22T20:34:36Z When big winter storms move in, they can bring nasty weather that ranges from snow to sleet and freezing rain or maybe extreme and dangerous cold.Heres a look at some weather conditions and how they vary from place to place.How snow might become ice or sleet on the groundTo stick, snow needs consistent cold air all the way from where flakes form in the clouds to the ground. If its below freezing the whole way, the snowflakes never melt, so nothing turns to ice.The further north, the deeper that Arctic layer is, the more likely to support snow, said MIT research scientist Judah Cohen.Farther south, the atmosphere may include a sandwich of warm air between cold layers. Thats how sleet and freezing rain happen.The snowflakes form, they fall and then they meet a warm layer, a layer above freezing, and they will melt. But then theres another layer near the surface thats below freezing again, so they will refreeze before they hit the ground, Cohen said. Sleet requires the lowest layer to be cold enough that raindrops refreeze when they hit the ground, creating bouncy ice pellets. If that lower cold layer is shallow, the rain doesnt have enough time to freeze in the air. So it hits the ground as raindrops that freeze when they make contact. Then theres graupel, which is a rarer mix between snow and sleet. Not quite fluffy, and not quite hard.Its snow that has tried to melt on its way down, but not quite melted, said David Robinson, New Jersey state climatologist at Rutgers University. Its out of that six-point crystalline shape and has begun to look more like a cotton ball. So it hasnt gotten to the point of full melt that it could then refreeze as sleet. Theres also hail, which Robinson said some people mistakenly use to describe sleet. But real hail probably isnt happening in a winter storm. That usually happens in the summer because it requires warmer air thats closer to the surface. That creates an updraft that allows rain to move up, freeze, fall, and move up again, forming layers of ice similar to the layers of an onion. Different precipitation, different hazardsSnow can be dangerous sufficient to send cars skidding into ditches and be life-threatening in whiteout conditions. But at least it can be plowed.The ice in sleet makes it much more difficult to move. But the most devastating moisture is freezing rain, Cohen said, because it turns roads into skating rinks and can be so heavy it has the power to bring down power lines.And then theres extreme cold.When the National Weather Service deems expected temperatures and wind chills are low enough to be dangerous, they issue alerts. A cold weather advisory means dangerous weather is likely. An extreme cold watch means life-threatening weather is possible. An extreme cold warning means life-threatening weather is likely.___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. CALEIGH WELLS Wells reports on how peoples choices impact the environment for The Associated Press. She is based in Cleveland. mailto

US President Donald Trump leaves after a signing ceremony of his Board of Peace initiative at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2026-01-22T19:54:17Z President Donald Trumps budget office this week ordered most government agencies to compile data on the federal money that is sent to 14 mostly Democratic-controlled states and the District of Columbia in what it describes as a tool to reduce the improper and fraudulent use of those funds.The order comes a week after Trump said he intended to cut off federal funding that goes to states that are home to so-called sanctuary cities that resist his immigration policies. He said that would start Feb. 1 but hasnt unveiled further details.A memo to federal departments and agencies did not explain why those states were targeted. All but one Virginia were either included last year on the administrations list of sanctuary places or were home to at least one jurisdiction that was.There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The memo, while unusual, stops far short of suspending money.This is a data-gathering exercise only, it said. It does not involve withholding funds. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Latest way Trump has targeted Democratic-controlled statesThe memo, obtained by The Associated Press, directs federal agencies to submit information by Jan. 28 to the presidents budget office.It asks for a swath of information about money flowing to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia. All but Minnesota are controlled by Democratic legislatures and all but Vermont have Democratic governors. The list of targets includes all fully Democratic-controlled states except Hawaii, Maryland and New Mexico. And it includes all the states with nearly all the sanctuary jurisdictions. But it does not include some other states that are home to cities or counties on the list: Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Trumps administration has been focused deeply in recent weeks on the idea that federal money is being used fraudulently in blue states.Earlier this month, the administration tried to put on hold funds for child care subsidies and other aid for low-income families in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, citing the possibility of fraud. A judge paused that effort.Request is for information on most government funding streamsThe memo applies to all federal departments and agencies except the Department of Defense, which the administration now refers to as the Department of War, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.It asks for details about grants, loans and other federal funds provided to the states and local governments in those states, along with institutions of higher education and nonprofits in the states.The agencies are being told not to report on the use of at least some money that goes directly to individuals, such as federal student aid.___Associated Press reporter Ali Swenson contributed to this article. GEOFF MULVIHILL Mulvihill covers topics on the agendas of state governments across the country. He has focused on abortion, gender issues and opioid litigation. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 22 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00183-xThirteen of the agencys advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.

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WASHINGTONWarning that any attempt to spend time inside a personal residence constituted hostile interference with federal operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials announced Thursday that being in the privacy of ones own home would now be deemed an obstruction of justice. When an individual enters their residence, conceals themselves behind a closed door, and attempts to go about their everyday life, they are willfully impeding the important work of law enforcement officers and engaging in domestic terrorism, said Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, adding that the agency had updated internal guidelines to classify such aggressive forms of noncompliance as standing around in ones kitchen, asking why agents are there, or harboring loved ones around a dinner table as Class D felonies. We will not tolerate any walls, floors, or ceilings that keep public servants from performing their official duties. Moving forward, anyone who commits acts of domestic seclusion will be regarded as a criminal and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. McLaughlin went on to encourage families to gather in their driveways for easier arresting and processing.The post ICE Deems Being In Privacy Of Own Home Obstruction Of Justice appeared first on The Onion.

WASHINGTONIn a statement calling for more guardrails around ongoing immigration operations, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives publicly condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thursday for routinely employing fatal use of force without obtaining the proper warrants. For weeks, Democrats have pushed to require ICE agents to obtain the necessary judicial warrants ahead of any murders they plan to commit, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a joint statement on the current Homeland Security funding bill, which would allocate $500 million to developing common sense accountability measures for any extrajudicial killings carried out at the behest of the federal government. It is vital that the Department of Homeland Security uphold the rule of law when indiscriminately gunning down innocent civilians in the street; otherwise, the whole system could fall apart. Rather than doing things by the book, these officers are out there slaughtering everyday Americans without first filing the proper paperwork with the appropriate agencies. Our framework is designed to ensure that ICE conducts itself like every other law enforcement agency in the nation, enacting violence upon our populace with impunity and without consequence. Jeffries added that he empathized with immigrant communities who live in fear knowing that at any moment they could be killed without administrative due diligence.The post Democrats Condemn ICE For Murdering Without Proper Warrants appeared first on The Onion.

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Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, greets students at Greenwood Elementary School in Des Moines, Aug. 25, 2025. (Jon Lemons/Des Moines Public Schools via AP)2026-01-22T05:02:49Z DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The former superintendent of Iowas largest school district pleaded guilty Thursday, and admitted to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and illegally possessing firearms.Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, had initially pleaded not guilty to both counts, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a trial was scheduled to begin in early March. Roberts is aware he could face deportation after he serves his sentence, according to the plea agreement he signed Wednesday. Roberts ascended as an exuberant and inspiring leader over a two-decade career in urban education. For two years, he was superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students. Roberts had shackles around his waist during the hearing, with his feet chained and wrists cuffed. He addressed the court cordially and simply. Just weeks into a new school year, Roberts was detained by federal immigration officers. The Sept. 26 arrest stunned community members and drew national attention to his history of criminal charges and falsified credentials. As part of Roberts plea agreement, prosecutors in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa agreed to not pursue additional charges against Roberts or others related to these counts, according to the filing. Prosecutors also agreed to recommend some leniency, but Roberts sentence is ultimately up to the judge. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on In a targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, Roberts was pulled over in his school-issued Jeep Cherokee and allegedly fled from federal agents. They later found the car abandoned near a wooded area and located Roberts with the help of state troopers. Authorities said a loaded handgun was wrapped in a towel under the seat and there was $3,000 in cash in the car. A federal grand jury in October returned a two-count indictment. According to the plea agreement, Roberts admits he knowingly and intentionally made a false attestation that he was a U.S. citizen on the Employment Eligibility Verification form, known as an I-9, that he submitted in Des Moines. That carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine. Roberts also faces a federal weapons charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine. In addition to the one in his vehicle when he was arrested, a second pistol, a rifle and a shotgun were found during a search of Roberts home, authorities said.Roberts will forfeit the weapons, according to the agreement.Phil Roeder, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools, declined to comment on Roberts legal proceedings. The districts focus remains on serving the educational needs of students, he said in a statement.Roberts completed the I-9 form when he was hired in 2023 and submitted a Social Security card and drivers license as verifying documents, according to the district. He also stated he was a U.S. citizen in his application to the state board of educational examiners, which issued Roberts a professional administrator license in 2023.Roberts was subject to a notice to appear before an immigration judge in October 2020, just months before his work authorization was set to expire, and a final removal order in 2024, authorities said. District officials said they were not aware of the immigration issues. HANNAH FINGERHUT Fingerhut is a government and politics reporter based in Des Moines, Iowa. mailto

Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after arriving home from preschool, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in a Minneapolis suburb. (Ali Daniels via AP)2026-01-22T14:57:34Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A 5-year-old boy arriving home from preschool in Minnesota was taken by federal agents along with his father to a detention facility in Texas, school officials and the familys lawyer said, making him the fourth student from his Minneapolis suburb to be detained by immigration officers in recent weeks.Federal agents took Liam Conejo Ramos from a running car while it was in the familys driveway on Tuesday afternoon, Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said during a news conference Wednesday. The officers then told him to knock on the door to his home to see if other people were inside, essentially using a 5-year-old as bait, she said.Stenvik said the family has an active asylum case and has not been ordered to leave the country.Why detain a 5-year-old? she asked. You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that ICE did NOT target a child. She said Immigration and Customs Enforcement was conducting an operation to arrest the childs father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who McLaughlin said is from Ecuador and in the U.S. illegally. He fled on foot, abandoning his child, she said. For the childs safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias, McLaughlin said, adding that parents are given the choice to be removed with their children or have them placed with a person of their choosing. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Stenvik said another adult who lives at the home was outside when the father and son were taken, but agents wouldnt leave Liam with that person. DHS didnt immediately respond to an email Thursday asking if Conejo Arias had asked to keep his son with him. Liam and his father were being held in a family holding cell in Texas, Marc Prokosch, the familys lawyer, said during the news conference. Every step of their immigration process has been doing what theyve been asked to do, Prokosch said of the familys asylum claim. So this is just cruelty.During a Thursday visit to Minneapolis where he met with local leaders, Vice President JD Vance said he heard the terrible story about Liam but later learned the boy was only detained, not arrested.Well, what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death? Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America? said Vance, noting that hes the parent of a 5-year-old.Vance wasnt asked about why immigration officers allegedly wouldnt leave the boy with the other adult who lives at the home and offered to take him.Minnesota has become a major focus of immigration sweeps by DHS-led agencies. Greg Bovino, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official who has been the face of the crackdowns in Minneapolis and other cities, said immigration officers have made about 3,000 arrests in Minnesota in the last six weeks.Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, said advocates have no way of knowing whether the governments arrest numbers and descriptions of the people in custody are accurate. Liam is the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools who has been detained by ICE in recent weeks, said Stenvik. A 17-year-old student was taken Tuesday while heading to school, and a 10-year-old and a 17-year-old have also been taken, she said.The district is made up of five schools and about 3,400 students from pre-K to 12th grade, according to its website. The majority of the students come from immigrant families, according to Stenvik.She said theyve noticed their attendance drop over the past two weeks, including one day where they had about one-third of their students out from school.Ella Sullivan, Liams teacher, described him as kind and loving.His classmates miss him, she said. And all I want is for him to be safe and back here.___Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporter Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story. SARAH RAZA Raza covers South Dakota for The Associated Press. She is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. twitter mailto

Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)2026-01-22T18:36:21Z Leonardo DiCaprio picked up his sixth lead actor Oscar nomination Thursday morning for carrying the American masterpiece One Battle After Another as the overwhelmed single dad and flustered revolutionary Bob Ferguson.Ten years after he won best actor for The Revenant, its a statistic that puts him in a rarefied group that includes Daniel Day-Lewis. Including his supporting nomination for Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, hes now among a group of only eight actors, male or female, to have achieved that milestone. Overall, he has eight nominations to his name, including a best picture credit for The Wolf of Wall Street.But for DiCaprio, a consummate directors actor who spoke to The Associated Press by phone Thursday morning, the most important thing isnt even necessarily the accolades but being part of a film thats as timeless as One Battle After Another. I love what I do, DiCaprio said in a phone interview. At the end of the day its about trying to be in films that are memorable. This is a great addition to have your peers sort of recognize it.In Bob Ferguson, DiCaprio got one of his greatest roles in an already illustrious career. Its a performance thats not easy to define but that spotlighted his grasp on his craft to maximum effect, allowing him to be funny, emotional, intimate and utterly authentic, whether hes yelling about not remembering a passcode, reading his daughters friend the riot act or even just wordlessly looking at Sean Penns antagonist Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw with all the fear in the world for his daughter in his eyes. Its not often that Oscar nominated performances also become cultural touchstones, but this Halloween there were more than a few men and women donning Bobs plaid bathrobe, black beanie and blockers on the streets around the country. Its fantastic, DiCaprio said. A film like this, a film that had so much thought put into it for 20 plus years in Paul Thomas Andersons mind, a film thats so topical and pertinent, a film that I got to work with so many of my heroes, a director whos my hero? It flows freely off the tongue to be able to promote and talk about it. Its a piece of art that youre proud of and I couldnt be more proud to be in this film. Its one he hopes audiences revisit time and time again, finding new interpretations, new ways of looking and their characters and their intentions. The film received 13 nominations overall, second only to Sinners, including best picture, best director and supporting actor nominations for Benicio Del Toro and Penn.One of the bigger snubs of the day, though, was DiCaprios co-star Chase Infiniti, an integral part of the film as his daughter Willa who was not nominated for lead actress. DiCaprio said hed just spoken to her and that she had an amazing attitude about it.She was the fabric of this movie. She was the heart and soul. There would be no One Battle After Another without the performance that she gave, DiCaprio said. A young actress coming in to fill a role that was her first film and carrying the entire emotional weight of this movie was a near-impossible task. She should be so proud of herself and were all so proud of her. Between the One Battle After Another and Sinners nominations, it was a big morning for Warner Bros., a studio whose future is uncertain, with many wondering if films like One Battle would be made under Netflix, or if talent like Anderson or DiCaprio would be part of it. DiCaprio demurred on commenting specifically on the pending acquisition, instead championing original filmmaking and theatrical moviegoing.To me what matters is great ideas and original filmmaking. I think theres this tide of change that is going to happen no matter how we feel about it, DiCaprio said. Theres nothing like the theatrical experience to immerse you and have the rest of the world disappear and feel part of something else, something bigger, something different. Thats the magic of movies. Thats why I think its our greatest art form and I hope the theatrical experience remains alive, but thats up to audiences and their appreciation of that art form. DiCaprio might have a tendency to be turned into memes sometimes, whether its that image of him walking in Inception or even animatedly talking to someone at the Golden Globes about KPop Demon Hunters. (Laughing, he told the AP that he was talking to a friend who will remain anonymous).Perhaps its because he saves it all for the screen and for great filmmakers, whether its Anderson, Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan. In a dark theater, 30 feet tall and impossible to look away from, all the noise evaporates.___For more coverage of the Oscars and nominations, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards. LINDSEY BAHR Bahr has been a film writer and critic for The Associated Press since 2014. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The National Institutes of Health's James Shannon building is seen on the agency's campus in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)2026-01-22T20:06:07Z The Trump administration announced Thursday that human fetal tissue derived from abortions can no longer be used in research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The policy, long urged by anti-abortion groups, expands restrictions issued during President Donald Trumps first term.The government has funded research involving fetal tissue for decades, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The tissue, which otherwise would be thrown away, has been critical for certain research, including ways to fight HIV and cancer. Opponents of fetal tissue use say there are now alternatives, although many scientists say there arent always adequate substitutes.In a statement Thursday, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya acknowledged the agency has long maintained policies governing the responsible and limited use of human fetal tissue in biomedical research. Its use has declined since 2019. The $47 billion agency counted just 77 projects funded in 2024 that included fetal tissue.The first Trump administration ended the use of fetal tissue on NIHs campus and set up additional hurdles for non-government scientists seeking NIH funding, restrictions that were subsequently lifted by the Biden administration. Thursdays new policy covers all NIH-funded research. NIH documents say the policy doesnt end the use of cell lines created years ago from fetal cells. Those are cloned copies of cells, such as embryonic stem cells, adapted to grow continuously in labs. Bhattacharyas statement said NIH will soon seek comment about potential ways to reduce or potentially replace reliance on human embryonic stem cells.___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.

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Days into President Donald Trumps second term in the White House, a cryptocurrency billionaire posted a video on X to his hundreds of thousands of followers. Please Donald Trump, I need your help, he said, wearing a flag pin askew and seated awkwardly in an armchair. I am an American. Help me come home.The speaker, 46-year-old Roger Ver, was in fact no longer a U.S. citizen. Nicknamed Bitcoin Jesus for his early evangelism for digital currency, Ver had renounced his citizenship more than a decade earlier. At the time of his video, Ver was under criminal indictment for millions in tax evasion and living on the Spanish island of Mallorca. His top-flight legal defense team had failed around half a dozen times to persuade the Justice Department to back down. The U.S., considering him a fugitive, was seeking his extradition from Spain, and he was likely looking at prison.Once, prosecutors hoped to make Ver a marquee example amid concerns about widespread cryptocurrency tax evasion. They had spent eight painstaking years working the case. Just nine months after his direct-to-camera appeal, however, Ver and Trumps new Justice Department leadership cut a remarkable deal to end his prosecution. Ver wouldnt have to plead guilty or spend a day in prison. Instead, the government accepted a payout of $49.9 million roughly the size of the tax bill prosecutors said he dodged in the first place and allowed him to walk away.Ver was able to pull off this coup by taking advantage of a new dynamic inside of Trumps Department of Justice. A cottage industry of lawyers, lobbyists and consultants with close ties to Trump has sprung up to help people and companies seek leniency, often by arguing they had been victims of political persecution by the Biden administration. In his first year, Trump issued pardons or clemency to dozens of people who were convicted of various forms of white-collar crime, including major donors and political allies. Investigations have been halted. Cases have been dropped.Within the Justice Department, a select club of Trumps former personal attorneys have easy access to the top appointees, some of whom also previously represented Trump. It has become a dark joke among career prosecutors to refer to these lawyers as the Friends of Trump.The Ver episode, reported in detail here for the first time, reveals the extent to which white-collar criminal enforcement has eroded under the Trump administration. The account is based on interviews with current and former Justice Department officials, case records and conversations with people familiar with his case.Do you have a tip about special access inside the Justice Department or Trumps White House? Avi Asher-Schapiro can be reached by email at avi.asher.schapiro@propublica.org and by Signal at aaschapiro.20. Molly Redden can be reached by email at molly.redden@propublica.org and by Signal at mollyredden.14.The Trump administration has particularly upended the way tax law violators are handled. Late last year, the administration essentially dissolved the team dedicated to criminal tax enforcement, dividing responsibility among a number of other offices and divisions. Tax prosecutions fell by more than a quarter, and more than a third of the 80 experienced prosecutors working on criminal tax cases have quit.But even amid this turmoil, Vers case stands out. After Ver added several of these new power brokers to his team most importantly, former Trump attorney Chris Kise Trump appointees commandeered the case from career prosecutors. One newly installed Justice Department leader who had previously represented Trumps family questioned his new subordinates on whether tax evasion should be a criminal offense. Vers team wielded unusual control over the final deal, down to dictating that the agreement would not include the word fraud.It remains the only tax prosecution the administration has killed outright.Roger Ver in 2018 Paul Yeung/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesVer did not reply to an extensive list of questions from ProPublica. In court filings and dealings with the Justice Department, Ver had always denied dodging his tax bill intentionally a key distinction between a criminal and civil tax violation and claimed to have relied on the advice of accountants and tax attorneys.Roger Ver took full responsibility for his gross financial misconduct to the tune of $50 million because this Department of Justice did not shy away from exposing those who cheat the system. The notion that any defendant can buy their way out of accountability under this administration is not founded in reality, said Natalie Baldassarre, a Justice Department spokesperson.In response to a list of detailed questions, the White House referred ProPublica to the Justice Department.I know of no cases like this, said Scott Schumacher, a former tax prosecutor and the director of the graduate program in taxation at the University of Washington. It is nearly unheard of for the department to abandon an indicted criminal case years in the making. Theyre basically saying you can buy your way out of a tax evasion prosecution.Roger Ver is not a longtime ally of Trumps or a MAGA loyalist. He renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014, a day he once called the happiest day of my entire life. In the early days of bitcoin, he controlled about 1% of the worlds supply.Ver is clean-cut and fit he has a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu. In his early 20s, while he was a libertarian activist in California, Ver was sentenced to 10 months in prison for illegally selling explosives on eBay. Hes often characterized that first brush with the law as political persecution by the state. After his release, he left the U.S. for Japan.Ver in Tokyo in 2014 Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesVer became a fixture in the 2010s on the budding cryptocurrency conference circuit, where he got a kick out of needling government authority and arguing that crypto was the building block of a libertarian utopia. At a 2017 blockchain conference in Aspen, Colorado, Ver announced he had raised $100 million and was seeking a location to create a new non-country without any central government. For years, Ver has recommended other wealthy people consider citizenship in the small Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, which has no individual income tax.Bitcoin completely undermines the power of every single government on the entire planet to control the money supply, to tax peoples income to control them in any way, he told a gathering of anarcho-capitalists in Acapulco, Mexico, in 2016. It makes it so incredibly easy for people to hide their income or evade taxes. More than one friend, he said with a smirk, had asked him how to do so: They say, Roger, I need your help. How do I use bitcoins to avoid paying taxes on it?Renouncing U.S. citizenship isnt a magic get-out-of-tax-free technique. Since 2008, the U.S. has required expatriates with assets above $2 million pay a steep exit tax on the appreciation of all their property.In 2024, the Justice Department indicted Ver in one of the largest-ever cryptocurrency tax fraud cases. The government accused Ver of lying to the IRS twice. After Ver renounced his citizenship in 2014, he claimed to the IRS that he personally did not own any bitcoin. He would later admit in his deal with the government to owning at least 130,664 bitcoin worth approximately $73.7 million at the time. Then in 2017, the government alleged, Ver tried to conceal the transfer of roughly $240 million in bitcoin from U.S. companies to his personal accounts. In all, the government said he had evaded nearly $50 million in taxes.Vers defense was that his failure to pay taxes arose from a lack of clarity as to how tax law treated emerging cryptocurrency, good-faith accounting errors and reliance on his advisors advice. He claimed it was difficult to distinguish between his personal assets and his companies holdings and pinpoint what the bitcoin was actually worth.The Biden administrations Justice Department dismissed this legal argument. Prosecutors had troves of emails that they said showed Ver misleading his own attorneys and tax preparers about the extent of his bitcoin holdings. (Vers team accused the government of taking his statements out of context.) The asset tracing in the case was rock solid, according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. A jury, prosecutors maintained, was unlikely to buy Vers defense that he made a good-faith error.By the time of Trumps election, Ver had been arrested in Spain and was fighting extradition. He was also the new owner of a sleek $70 million yacht that some law enforcement officials worried he might use to escape on the high seas.In Trump, Ver saw a possible way out. After the 2024 election, he was barking up every tree, said his friend Brock Pierce, a fellow ultrawealthy crypto investor who tried to gin up sympathy for Ver in Trumps orbit.Ver had initially gone the orthodox route of hiring tax attorneys from a prestigious law firm, Steptoe. Like many wealthy people in legal jeopardy, Ver now also launched a media blitz seeking a pardon from the incoming president.If anybody knows what its like to be the victim of lawfare its Trump, so I think hell be able to see it in this case as well, Ver said in a December 2024 appearance on Tucker Carlsons show. On Charlie Kirks show, Ver appeared with tape over his mouth with the word censored written in red ink. Laura Loomer, the Trump-friendly influencer, began posting that Vers prosecution was unfair. Ver paid Trump insider Roger Stone $600,000 to lobby Congress for an end to the tax provision he was accused of violating.A dress at the New York Young Republican Clubs annual gala in 2024 shows an image of Ver. Adam Gray/AFP/Getty ImagesVers pardon campaign fizzled. His public pressure campaign in which he kept comparing himself to Trump was not landing, according to Pierce. You arent doing yourself any favors shut up, his friend recalled saying.One objection in the White House, according to a person who works on pardons, may have been Vers flamboyant rejection of his American citizenship. Less than a week after Trump was inaugurated, Elon Musk weighed in, posting on X, Roger Ver gave up his US citizenship. No pardon for Ver. Membership has its privileges.But inside the Justice Department, Ver found an opening. The skeleton key proved to be one of the Friends of Trump, a seasoned defense lawyer named Christopher Kise. Kise is a longtime Florida Republican power player who served as the states solicitor general and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. He earned a place in Trumps inner circle as one of the first experienced criminal defenders willing to represent the president after his 2020 election loss. Kise defended Trump in the Justice Department investigation stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and against charges that Trump mishandled classified documents when leaving the White House.Kise had worked shoulder-to-shoulder on Trumps cases with two lawyers who were now leaders in the Trump 2.0 Justice Department: Todd Blanche, who runs day-to-day operations at the department as deputy attorney general, and his associate deputy attorney general, Ketan Bhirud, who oversaw the criminal tax division prosecuting Ver. Kise reportedly helped select Blanche to join Trumps legal team in the documents case, and he and Bhirud had both worked for Trumps family as they fought civil fraud charges brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2022.On Vers legal team, Kise worked the phones, pressing his old colleagues to rethink their prosecution against Ver.Kise scored the legal teams first big victory in years: a meeting with Bhirud that cut out the career attorneys most familiar with the merits of the case.In that meeting, however, it wasnt clear that the new Justice Department leadership would be willing to interfere with the trajectory of Vers case. While the Trump administration had backed off aggressive enforcement of white-collar crimes writ large, the administration said it was still pursuing most criminal cases that had already been charged.Bhirud initially expressed skepticism that Ver accidentally underpaid his taxes. It was hard to believe that a man going by Bitcoin Jesus would have no idea how much bitcoin he owned, Bhirud said, according to a person familiar with the case.Bhirud and Blanche did not respond to detailed questions from ProPublica.The Justice Department stuck to its position that either Ver would plead guilty to a crime, or the case would go to trial.But Kise would not stop lobbying his former colleagues to reconsider. Blanche and Bhirud had already demanded that career officials justify the case again and again. Over the course of the summer, Kise wore down the Trump appointees zeal for pursuing Ver on criminal charges.Kise and the law firm of Steptoe did not respond to questions.While there were meetings and conversations with DOJ, that is not uncommon. The line attorneys remained engaged throughout the process, and the case was ultimately resolved based on the strength of the evidence, said Bryan Skarlatos, one of Vers tax attorneys and a partner at Kostelanetz.It was a chaotic moment at the Justice Department, an institution that Trump had incessantly accused of being weaponized against him and his supporters. After Trump took office, the department was flooded with requests to reconsider prosecutions, with defendants claiming the Biden administration had singled them out for political persecution, too.While many cases failed to grab the administrations attention, Kise got results. Last week, Kises client Julio Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan-Italian billionaire accused of trying to bribe the former governor of Puerto Rico, received a pardon from Trump.Every defense attorney is running the weaponization play. This guy gets an audience because of who he is, because his name is Chris Kise, said a person who recently attended a high-level meeting Kise secured to talk the Justice Department down from prosecuting a client.As Kise stepped up the pressure, Vers case ate up a significant share of Bhiruds time, despite his job overseeing more than 1,000 Justice Department attorneys, according to people familiar with the matter. Ordinarily, it would be rare for a political appointee to be so involved, especially to the exclusion of career prosecutors who could weigh in on the merits.Bhirud began to muse to coworkers about whether failure to pay ones taxes should really be considered a crime. Wasnt it more of a civil matter? It seemed to a colleague that Bhirud was aware Vers advocates could try to elevate the case to the White House.The government ceded ground and offered to take prison time off the table. Eventually, Vers team and Bhirud hit on the deal that would baffle criminal tax experts. They agreed on a deferred prosecution agreement that would allow Ver to avoid criminal charges and prison in exchange for a payout and an agreement not to violate any more laws. The government usually reserves such an agreement for lawbreaking corporations to avoid putting large employers out of business not for fugitive billionaires.By the time fall approached, Kise and Bhirud, with Blanches blessing, were negotiating Vers extraordinary deal line by line. Once more, career prosecutors were cut out from the negotiations.Vers team enjoyed a remarkable ability to dictate terms. They rejected the text of the governments supposed final offer because it required him to admit to fraud, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. In the end, Ver agreed to admit only to a willful failure to report and pay taxes on all his bitcoin and turned over the $50 million.The government arrived at that figure in a roundabout manner. It dropped its claim that Ver had lied on his 2017 tax return. The $50 million figure was based on how much he had evaded in taxes in 2014 alone, plus what the government asserted were interest and penalties. In the end, the deal amounted to the sum he allegedly owed in the first place. He never even had to leave Mallorca to appear in a U.S. court.Under any previous administration, convincing the leadership of the tax division to drop an indicted criminal case and accept a monetary penalty instead would be a nonstarter. While the Justice Department settles most tax matters civilly through fines, when prosecutors do charge criminal fraud, their conviction rate is over 90%.People always ask you, Cant I just pay the taxes and itll go away? said Jack Townsend, a former federal tax prosecutor. The common answer that everybody gave until the Trump administration was that, no, you cant do that.When the Justice Department announced the resolution in October, it touted it as a victory.We are pleased that Mr. Ver has taken responsibility for his past misconduct and satisfied his obligations to the American public, Bhirud said in the Justice Departments press release announcing the deferred prosecution agreement. This resolution sends a clear message: whether you deal in dollars or digital assets, you must file accurate tax returns and pay what you owe.Inside the Justice Department, the resolution was demoralizing: Hes admitted he owes money, and we get money, but everything else about it stinks to high heaven, said a current DOJ official familiar with the case. We shouldnt negotiate with people who are fugitives, as if they have power over us.Among the wealthy targets of white-collar criminal investigations, the Ver affair sent a different message. Lawyers who specialize in that kind of work told ProPublica that more and more clients are asking which of the Friends of Trump they should hire. One prominent criminal tax defense lawyer said he would give his clients a copy of Vers agreement and tell them, These are the guys who got this done.The only one of Vers many lawyers to sign it was Christopher Kise. The post How Bitcoin Jesus Avoided Prison, Thanks to One of the Friends of Trump appeared first on ProPublica.

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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2026-01-22T16:29:43Z DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted his European allies Thursday for what he portrayed as the continents slow, fragmented and inadequate response to Russias invasion nearly four years ago and its continued international aggression.Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid an ongoing U.S. push for a peace settlement.Europe looks lost, Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europes response with Washingtons bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.The former comic actor referred to the movie Groundhog Day, in which the main character must relive the same day over and over again. Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again, Zelenskyy said.He said that Ukrainians, too, seem caught in that reality in the war, repeating the same thing for weeks, months and, of course, for years. And yet that is exactly how we live now. Its our life. A meeting with TrumpHis speech came after he met behind closed doors for about an hour in Davos with U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the talks as very good. Zelenskyy called them productive and meaningful.European countries, which see their own future defense at stake in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping. Ukraine also has been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe over how to deal with Russia, as well as the blocs at times slow-moving responses. Russias bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western weaponry. It is also short-handed on the front line. Its defense minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians.Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the worlds attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.Zelenskyy cites inaction on key decisionsHe chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russias shadow fleet of oil tankers that are breaking international sanctions, and balking at using its frozen assets in Europe to finance Ukraine, among other things.Europe, he said, still feels more like a geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power.Some Europeans are really strong, its true, but many say we must stand strong, and they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong, preferably until the next election, he said.The Trump administration is pushing for a peace settlement, with its envoys shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow in a flurry of negotiations that some worry could force Ukraine into an unfavorable deal. A meeting in MoscowTrumps special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow late Thursday and sat down for more talks with Putin, the Kremlin said.One major issue remains to be resolved in negotiations, Witkoff said at Davos, without saying what it was. Zelenskyy said the future status of land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia is unresolved but that peace proposals are nearly ready.Postwar security guarantees, should a deal be reached, are agreed between the U.S. and Ukraine, although they would require each countrys ratification, he said.Zelenskyy said two days of trilateral meetings involving the U.S., Ukraine and Russia are due to begin Friday in the United Arab Emirates. Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us, he said.Trump and Zelenskyy have had a fraught relationship, and the American president has at times also rebuked Putin.Zelenskyy said he thanked Trump for providing U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that can help stop Russian missiles that are repeatedly hitting Ukraines power grid, causing hardship for civilians denied light, heating and running water. He said he asked Trump for more of them.After Trump cut support for Ukraine, other NATO countries began buying weapons from the U.S. to donate to Kyiv under a special financial arrangement.___Hrabchuk reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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