Jim Porter said the Hall of Fame plans to return to in-person voting and that the vote will likely happen closer to the annual reveal at NFL Honors -- the Thursday before the Super Bowl.

Representative Mark Amodei of Nevada added his name to the growing list of Republicans planning to give up their seats as their party faces losses that could cost them the House.

Women hoping to visit their loved ones at New York prisons are being turned away after scanners pick up what they say are menstrual products. Some have had their visitation rights suspended.

Problems with homelessness and open-air drug use have been widely broadcast, but many visitors this week said they found the city surprisingly pleasant.

Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee, the Jets' first-round pick in 2016, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, the Hamilton County (Tennessee) Sheriff's Office announced Friday.

Mr. Hegseths order appeared to target his alma mater, Harvards Kennedy School for public policy.

The ruling by Chinas highest court followed a recent meeting between China and Canadas top leaders led to a thaw in the two countries relations.

The Democratic primary to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey in Congress is still too close to call. Much of the advertising focused on opposition to the president and his immigration policies.

Our sports correspondent Tariq Panja talks with Katrin Bennhold about the security at the Olympics in Italy, including the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who the U.S. says are there only in an advisory role.

Dozens of men appear to be caught up in a political standoff between the Trump administration and Cuba.

The WNBA submitted its latest CBA proposal to the union Friday, a source told ESPN, ending a more than six-week wait from the players association for a counter to their last offer.

Tom Brady, who was widely criticized this week after he said he didn't have a "dog in the fight" in Sunday's Super Bowl between the Patriots and Seahawks, indicated in a social media post Friday night that he is backing his former team.

Administration officials told the top Senate Democrat the president would release frozen funding for the Gateway project if the transportation hubs were renamed for him.

Believed to be 113, she spent decades building an environmental legacy in India, inspired by her grief at being unable to conceive children.

In Milan this week, Olympics officials signaled a willingness to ease years of restrictions imposed on the country over its state-backed doping program and invasion of Ukraine.

Alberto Castaeda Mondragn poses for a portrait at an apartment Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)2026-02-07T05:01:10Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Alberto Castaeda Mondragn says his memory was so jumbled after a beating by immigration officers that he initially could not remember he had a daughter and still struggles to recall treasured moments like the night he taught her to dance.But the violence he endured last month in Minnesota while being detained is seared into his battered brain.He remembers Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulling him from a friends car on Jan. 8 outside a St. Paul shopping center and throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, then punching him and striking his head with a steel baton. He remembers being dragged into an SUV and taken to a detention facility, where he said he was beaten again.He also remembers the emergency room and the intense pain from eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. They started beating me right away when they arrested me, the Mexican immigrant recounted this week to The Associated Press, which recently reported on how his case contributed to mounting friction between federal immigration agents and a Minneapolis hospital. Castaeda Mondragn, 31, is one of an unknown number of immigration detainees who, despite avoiding deportation during the Trump administrations enforcement crackdown, have been left with lasting injuries following violent encounters with ICE officers. His case is one of the excessive-force claims the federal government has thus far declined to investigate.He was hurt so badly he was disoriented for days at Hennepin County Medical Center, where ICE officers constantly watched over him. Officers claimed he ran headfirst into a wallThe officers told nurses Castaeda Mondragn purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall, an account his caregivers immediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull injuries a doctor told AP were inconsistent with a fall.There was never a wall, Castaeda Mondragn said in Spanish, recalling ICE officers striking him with the same metal rod used to break the windows of the vehicle he was in. He later identified it as an ASP, a telescoping baton routinely carried by law enforcement.Training materials and police use-of-force policies across the U.S. say such a baton can be used to hit the arms, legs and body. But striking the head, neck or spine is considered potentially deadly force. The only time a person can be struck in the head with any baton is when the person presents the same threat that would permit the use of a firearm a lethal threat to the officer or others, said Joe Key, a former Baltimore police lieutenant and use-of-force expert who testifies in defense of police.Once he was taken to an ICE holding facility at Ft. Snelling in suburban Minneapolis, Castaeda Mondragn said officers resumed beating him. Recognizing that he was seriously hurt, he said, he pleaded with them to stop but they just laughed at me and hit me again.They were very racist people, he said. No one insulted them, neither me nor the other person they detained me with. It was their character, their racism toward us, for being immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, did not respond to repeated requests for comment over the last two weeks on Castaeda Mondragns injuries. Have a news tip?Contact APs global investigative team at [emailprotected]. For secure and confidential communications, use the free Signal app +1 (202) 281-8604. It is unclear whether his arrest was captured on body-camera footage or if there might be additional recordings from security cameras at the detention center.In a recent bid to boost transparency, DHS announced a broad rollout of body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis as the government also draws down ICEs presence there.ICE deportation officer William J. Robinson did not say how Castaeda Mondragns skull was smashed in a Jan. 20 declaration filed in federal court. During the intake process, it was determined he had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment, he wrote in the filing. The declaration also stated that Castaeda Mondragn entered the U.S. legally in March 2022, and that the agency determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa. A federal judge later ruled his arrest had been unlawful and ordered him released from ICE custody. Video shows him stumbling during arrestA video posted to social media captured the moments immediately after Castaeda Mondragns arrest as four masked men walk him handcuffed through a parking lot. The video shows him unsteady and stumbling, held up by ICE officers.Dont resist, shouts the woman who is recording. Cause they aint gonna do nothing but bang you up some more.Hope they dont kill you, she adds.And yall gave the man a concussion, a male bystander shouts.The witness who posted the video declined to speak with AP or provide consent for the videos publication, but Castaeda Mondragn confirmed he is the handcuffed man seen in the recording.At least one ICE officer later told staff at the medical center that Castaeda Mondragn got his (expletive) rocked, according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release and nurses who spoke with AP. AP interviewed a doctor and five nurses about Castaeda Mondragns treatment at HCMC and the presence of ICE officers inside the hospital. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss patient care and feared retaliation. AP also consulted an outside physician, whoaffirmed the injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall or running into a wall.Minnesota state law requires health professionals to report to law enforcement any wounds that could have been perpetrated as part of a crime.An HCMC spokeswoman declined to say this week whether anyone at the facility had done so. However, following the Jan. 31 publication of APs initial story about Castaeda Mondragns arrest, hospital administrators opened an internal inquiry seeking to determine which staff members have spoken to the media, according to internal communications viewed by AP.Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted a link to APs prior story about Castaeda Mondragn, but his office has not said whether state authorities would pursue answers.Law enforcement cannot be lawless, Walz wrote in the post on X. Thousands of aggressive, untrained agents of the federal government continue to injure and terrorize Minnesotans. This must end.Castaeda Mondragns arrest came a day after the first of two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by immigration officers, triggering widespread public protests.Elected officials call for accountabilityMinnesota congressional leaders and other elected officials, including St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, called this week for an investigation of Castaeda Mondragns injuries.The Ramsey County Attorneys Office, which oversees St. Paul, urged Castaeda Mondragn to file a police report to prompt an investigation. He said he plans to file a complaint. A St. Paul police spokesperson said the department would investigate all alleged crimes that are reported to us.While the Trump administration insists ICE limits its operations to immigrants with violent rap sheets, Castaeda Mondragn has no criminal record.We are seeing a repeated pattern of Trump Administration officials attempting to lie and gaslight the American people when it comes to the cruelty of this ICE operation in Minnesota, Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement.Rep. Kelly Morrison, another Democrat and a doctor, recently toured the Whipple Building, the ICE facility at Ft. Snelling. She said she saw severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and an almost complete lack of medical care. If any one of our police officers did this, you know what just happened in Minnesota with George Floyd, we hold them accountable, said Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, whose district includes St. Paul. A native of Veracruz, Mexico, Castaeda Mondragn came to Minnesota nearly four years ago on a temporary work visa and found jobs as a driver and roofer. He uses his earnings to support his elderly father, who is disabled and diabetic, and his 10-year-old daughter.On the day of his arrest, he was running errands with a friend when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by ICE agents. They began breaking the windows and opening the doors of the vehicle. He said the first person who hit him got ugly with me for being Mexican and not having documents showing his immigration status.About four hours after his arrest, court records show, Castaeda Mondragn was taken to an emergency room in the suburb of Edina with swelling and bruising around his right eye and bleeding. He was then transferred to the Minneapolis medical center, where he told staff he had been dragged and mistreated by federal agents, before his condition deteriorated, court records show.A week into his hospitalization, caregivers described him as minimally responsive. As his condition slowly improved, hospital staff handed him his cellphone, and he spoke with his child in Mexico, whom he could not remember.I am your daughter, she told him. You left when I was 6 years old.His head injuries erased past experiences that for his daughter are unforgettable, including birthday parties and the day he left for the U.S. Shes been trying to revive his memory in daily calls.When I turned 5, you taught me how to dance for the first time, she reminded him recently.All these moments, really, for me, have been forgotten, he said.He showed gradual improvement and, to the surprise of some who treated him, was released from the hospital on Jan. 27.Long recovery lies aheadHe faces a long recovery and an uncertain future. Questions loom about whether he will be able to continue to support his family back in Mexico. My family depends on me, he said.Though his bruises have faded, the effects of his traumatic brain injuries linger. In addition to the problems with his memory, he also has issues with balance and coordination that could prove debilitating for a man whose work requires going up and down ladders. He said he is unable to bathe himself without help.I cant get on a roof now, he said.Castaeda Mondragn, who does not have health insurance, said doctors have told him he needs ongoing care. Unable to earn a living, he is relying on support from co-workers and members of the Minneapolis-St. Paul community who are raising money to help provide food, housing and medical care. He has launched a GoFundMe.Still, he hopes to stay in the U.S. and to provide again someday for his loved ones. He differentiates between people in Minnesota, where he said he has felt welcome, and the federal officers who beat him.Its immense luck to have survived, to be able to be in this country again, to be able to heal, and to try to move forward, he said. For me, its the best luck in the world.But when he closes his eyes at night, the fear that ICE officers will come for him dominates his dreams. He is now terrified to leave his apartment, he said.Youre left with the nightmare of going to work and being stopped, Castaeda Mondragn said, or that youre buying your food somewhere, your lunch, and they show up and stop you again. They hit you.___Biesecker reported from Washington. Mustian reported from New York, and Attanasio reported from Seattle.___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JACK BROOK Based in New Orleans, Brook covers Louisiana with a focus on state government, environmental issues and infrastructure. He is a Report for America corps member and can be reached on the secure messaging app Signal at jackbrook.88 twitter instagram mailto MICHAEL BIESECKER Biesecker is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington. He reports on a wide range of topics, including human conflict, climate change and political corruption. twitter instagram mailto JIM MUSTIAN Mustian is an Associated Press investigative reporter for breaking news. twitter mailto CEDAR ATTANASIO Attanasio covers the state of Washington for The Associated Press with a focus on immigration and the environment. He uses remote sensing to support the APs global coverage. twitter instagram facebook mailto

St. John's landed its first marquee win of the season Friday night, knocking off No. 3 UConn 81-72 to snap the Huskies' 18-game winning streak in front of an electric crowd at Madison Square Garden.

In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)2026-02-07T05:06:53Z TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Its been a week since Today show host Savannah Guthrie s mother disappeared from her home in Arizona in what authorities say was a kidnapping. Investigators have been examining ransom notes and looking for evidence but have not named a suspect. On Friday, officers returned to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie s home near Tucson and to the surrounding neighborhood to continue their search.Heres what to know about the case:The disappearanceFamily members told officials they last saw Guthrie at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31 when they dropped her off at home after they ate dinner and played games together. The next day, family learned she didnt attend church. They reported her missing after they went to check on her. Guthrie has a pacemaker and needs daily medication. Her family and authorities are worried her health could be deteriorating by the day. Collecting evidenceAuthorities think Guthrie was taken against her will from her home in an upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain. DNA tests showed blood on Guthries front porch matched hers, the county sheriff has said. Investigators found her doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But investigators havent been able to recover the footage because Guthrie didnt have an active subscription to the service.Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The Associated Press in an interview that investigators have not given up on trying to access those images. I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that heres a picture, heres your bad guy. But its not, Nanos told the AP on Friday. There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say This is what we have and we cant get anymore.The president of the Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, thanked residents in a letter for being willing to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow their properties to be searched. Ransom notesAt least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.Its unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasnt met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthries home and an Apple watch, Janke said. Investigators said they are taking the notes seriously. On Friday, KOLD-TV in Tucson said it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldnt disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity. Family appealsConcern about Guthries condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine thats vital to her health. She has a pacemaker, high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriffs dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.Guthries children recorded two separate video messages to their mothers abductor and posted them publicly on social media. Savannah Guthrie filmed a sometimes emotional message on Wednesday asking the kidnapper for proof their mother was alive. She noted that technology today allows for the easy manipulation of voices and images and the family needed to know without a doubt that she is alive and in the abductors hands. Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Nancy Guthrie.Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light and said she was funny, spunky and clever. Talk to her and youll see, she said. She spoke some words directly to her mom, saying she and her siblings wouldnt rest until theyre all together again. Trumps involvementThe FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information about Guthries whereabouts.The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday. He posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.On Friday night, he told reporters flying with him to his Florida estate on Air Force One that the investigation was going very well and investigators had some strong clues. Famous kidnappingsThe kidnapping is the latest abduction to attract the American publics attention.Other notorious kidnappings in U.S. history have included the son of singer Frank Sinatra, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and the 9-year-old girl for whom the AMBER Alert was named.

A Pima County Sheriff's deputy talks with a private security guard at Nancy Guthrie's home Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Caitlin O'Hara)2026-02-07T06:01:23Z NEW DELHI (AP) India and the United States released a framework for an interim trade agreement to lower tariffs on Indian goods, which Indian opposition accused of favoring Washington. The joint statement, released Friday, came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan last week to reduce import tariffs on the South Asian country, six months after imposing steep taxes to press New Delhi to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. Under the deal, tariffs on goods from India would be lowered to 18%, from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil, Trump had said. The two countries called the agreement reciprocal and mutually beneficial and expressed commitment to work toward a broader trade deal that will include additional market access commitments and support more resilient supply chains. India would also eliminate or reduce tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and a wide range of food and agricultural products, Fridays statement said.The U.S. president had said that India would start to reduce its import taxes on U.S. goods to zero and buy $500 billion worth of American products, part of the Trump administrations bid to seek greater market access and zero tariffs on almost all American exports. Trump also signed an executive order on Friday to revoke a separate 25% tariff he had imposed last year on Indian goods. Indias opposition political parties have largely criticized the deal, saying it heavily favors the U.S. and negatively impacts sensitive sectors such as agriculture. In the past, New Delhi had opposed tariffs on sectors such as agriculture and dairy, which employ the bulk of the countrys population.Meanwhile, Piyush Goyal, Indian Trade Minister, said the deal protects sensitive agricultural and dairy products including maize, wheat, rice, ethanol, tobacco, and some vegetables. This (agreement) will open a $30 trillion market for Indian exporters, Goyal said in a social media post, referring to the U.S. annual GDP. He said the increase in exports was likely to create hundreds of thousands of new job opportunities.Goyal also said tariffs will go down to zero on a wide range of Indian goods exported to the U.S., including generic pharmaceuticals, gems and diamonds, and aircraft parts, further enhancing the countrys export competitiveness.India and the European Union recently reached a free trade agreement that could affect as many as 2 billion people after nearly two decades of negotiations. That deal would enable free trade on almost all goods between the EUs 27 members and India, covering everything from textiles to medicines, and bringing down high import taxes for European wine and cars. India also signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Oman in December and concluded talks for a free trade deal with New Zealand.

A Pima County Sheriff's deputy talks with a private security guard at Nancy Guthrie's home Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Caitlin O'Hara)2026-02-07T05:00:09Z Experts say abductions for ransom are rare, despite the prevalence of dramatic hostage crises on television. But the apparent kidnapping of Today show host Savannah Guthries mother has raised questions about how law enforcement handles hostage negotiations in real life, and the risks of media attention for victims.In the days since Nancy Guthrie, 84, was taken from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, a local television station received two messages that appear to be in connection with the case. One demanded money in exchange for Guthries return and contained information about her Apple watch and floodlights on her property. While law enforcement hasnt named a suspect or even confirmed definitively that the ransom note is authentic Guthries children have released two videos appealing to her apparent kidnappers, begging for proof that their mother is still alive.Professional hostage negotiators from around the world say that kidnappings depicted on television where police shout through a bullhorn at heavily armed hostage-takers inside a bank often misrepresent the delicate touch required for real-world negotiations. Abductions for money are uncommonThere are three types of hostage situations, according to Scott Tillema, a retired SWAT hostage negotiator in Illinois. The least common kind in the U.S., he said, are ones that involve kidnapping for ransom.For this category, the abduction is intentionally used as leverage to achieve an outcome, like financial compensation, publicity or political changes, said Tillema, who declined to speak about the apparent Guthrie kidnapping specifically.Scott Walker, author of Order Out of Chaos: A Kidnap Negotiators Guide to Influence and Persuasion, has dealt with hundreds of abduction cases in his decades-long career. Most of them involved international actors, but he said that regardless of location, most scenarios follow a similar sequence of events. Typically the kidnappers will plan well ahead of the abduction sourcing a clandestine location to hold the hostage and designating a specific person to communicate with authorities and the victims relatives. The first step for law enforcement is confirming proof of life, Walker said. From there, authorities and the victims family will try to establish trust with the abductors to facilitate an exchange. Walker didnt speculate on Guthries specific case. Broadly speaking, he said the victims of abductions that come with demands are not chosen at random.Its very, very rare that someone is kidnapped for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Walker said.One of the most notable historical examples that falls into this category is the 1963 kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr., where the FBI helped Sinatras parents pay his kidnappers $240,000 for the 19-year-olds freedom. All three kidnappers were eventually convicted.Arizona law enforcement has said its not clear that Guthrie was targeted, and if she was, investigators dont know why. Involvement of the family Movies that depict hostage crises often gloss over how much time is involved, Walker said. Communication is often interrupted by long stretches of silence.Theres a lot more waiting going on in real life: Waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the kidnappers to get in touch, Walker said.The Guthrie family appealed to potential kidnappers in two videos after the Tucson-based KOLD-TV says it received an email Monday night that appears to be a ransom note. The note included a demand for money by 5 p.m. Thursday and a second deadline for next Monday, investigators said.The station received a second email Friday afternoon, but said, We cannot share contents of the new message right now, in a statement online. Often silence is a strategy to put pressure on the family, Walker said. As a result, one of the most important assets for professional negotiators and family members alike is patience.Were likely to make better decisions when were in a more positive, balanced, regulated frame of mind, he said. Thats easier said than done, according to Calvin Chrustie, a senior partner at the private security firm Critical Risk Team, which primarily handles kidnappings, blackmail and extortions in the U.S. I just think the public underestimates the huge psychological stressors on both the family and the police in these particular situations, Chrustie said. He added that the national medias insatiable demand for more information throughout an investigation only gives kidnappers more leverage and interferes with law enforcement operations further endangering the victim.Chrustie said in general he would suspect ransom notes sent to the press were possibly an attempt to increase leverage for kidnappers or to mislead law enforcement. Other types of negotiationsThere are two other types of hostage situations that are far more common in the U.S., according to Tillema.The first is called expressive hostage taking and describes a situation when an individual takes a hostage in a moment of acute, intense emotional distress, Tillema said. Typically, these crises happen at home among family members when someone in a psychological crisis wants to compel law enforcement to leave.The vast majority of mediations he brokered in his roughly two decades as a negotiator fell into that category, he said.The second-most common is called incidental hostage taking, which is defined as a situation when a hostage is taken during another crime, like a bank robbery. In these cases, frequently sensationalized in movies like Spike Lees Inside Man, a person is usually confronted by law enforcement and then uses a hostage as leverage to negotiate freedom. Tillema said those situations are typically disorganized because the abduction is not premeditated. SAFIYAH RIDDLE Riddle is a national reporter reporter for the Associated Press working on the Rapid Response Team. She also covers law enforcement. mailto

A podium is prepared before Democrats hold news conference on the health care funding fight on the steps of the House before votes to end the government shutdown on Capitol Hill, Nov. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)2026-02-07T05:00:18Z ATLANTA (AP) President Donald Trump s second term has presented an array of opportunities for political opponents, from immigration crackdowns and lingering inflation to attacks on independent institutions and friction with overseas allies. But many Democrats are staying focused on health care, an issue that was once a political liability but has become foundational for the party in recent elections. They insist their strategy will help the party regain control of Congress in midterm elections, and fare better than chasing headlines about the latest outrages out of the White House.Republicans last year cut around $1 trillion over a decade from Medicaid and declined to extend COVID-era subsidies that had lowered the cost of Affordable Care Act health plans.In response, Democrats are filming campaign spots outside struggling hospitals, spotlighting Americans facing spiking insurance premiums and sharing their own personal health care stories. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, one of the partys most endangered incumbents this year, is expected to highlight health care challenges at a campaign rally Saturday in suburban Atlanta. Its a banger of an issue for Democrats, said Brad Woodhouse, a longtime Democratic strategist and executive director of the advocacy group Protect Our Care. I think it will be part of every single campaign, up and down the ballot. Republicans defend their votes as reining in ballooning health spending and cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse, and Trump recently launched a new website to help patients buy discounted prescription drugs. However, the party has been unable so far to pass comprehensive legislation to offset Americans health costs, despite controlling both chambers of Congress.Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist, said the issue would remain his partys Achilles heel until its leaders draft realistic proposals that can be turned into law. Public opinion on health care wasnt always in the Democrats favorHealth care was once seen as a political liability for the left. In 2010, Democrats lost their House majority after President Barack Obamas signature health policy, the ACA, passed without a single Republican vote. In 2014, they gave up the Senate a year after the Obama administration fumbled the rollout of Healthcare.gov.But those tides turned when President Donald Trump touched the stove during his first term, Woodhouse said. The Republican president supported efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare that would have left millions uninsured and made it harder for those with preexisting conditions to get coverage. Although the legislation failed to pass, health care has since been a thorny issue for Republicans, a weakness aggravated last year when lawmakers passed a bill expected to cut more than $1 trillion over a decade from federal health care and food assistance, largely by imposing work requirements on those receiving aid and by shifting certain costs onto the states.Republicans said the move would stave off abuse of the Medicaid program, and they added a $50 billion investment in rural health to offset losses. But that didnt stop Democratic groups from attacking. Unrig Our Economy, one left-wing group, said that since 2025 began, it has funneled more than $12 million into ads criticizing Republicans on health care. Democrats saw another opportunity to win voters support last year, when enhanced ACA tax credits were headed toward expiration, and they forced a government shutdown over the issue. The funding wasnt restored but the party believes they gained political leverage going into this years campaigns.Republicans own it now, said Eric Stern, a Democratic media strategist. You better believe Democrats are going to be talking about that. Candidates meet with hospital leaders and showcase emotional storytellersStef Feldman, a Democratic consultant who was an aide to former President Joe Biden, said shes hearing from candidates that voters care about health affordability more than just about anything else.A recent poll from the health care research nonprofit KFF backs that observation. It found that about a third of American adults are very worried about the cost of health care, compared to about a quarter who feel the same way about the cost of groceries, housing or utilities. For Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls, who is running for the U.S. Senate this year, tapping into those concerns has meant visits to vulnerable hospitals and tours of pharmacies. For Wisconsin U.S. House candidate Rebecca Cooke, its meant sit-downs with hospital leaders and telling personal stories, including about her dads expensive prostate cancer drugs and the $200 jump in her own ACA premiums.Ossoff, the only Democratic senator seeking reelection this year in a state that Trump won in 2024, called health care a life-or-death question in a recent campaign video.At his rally Saturday, one expected speaker is Teresa Acosta, who frequently stumps for Democratic candidates. She said her ACA policy, which covers herself and two teenagers, including a son with Type 1 diabetes, now costs $520 a month, seven times more than before expanded subsidies went away. I think most people would agree that health care is a human right, Acosta said. And the Republicans seem hellbent on weakening access to it.ACA plans are heavily relied upon in Georgia because its one of the 10 states that didnt expand Medicaid. As a result, advocates have warned that the expiration of expanded ACA subsidies could leave Georgia residents uninsured. Recent federal data shows about 14% fewer Georgians have signed up for plans in 2026 compared to last year, although those numbers are not yet final.Republicans want a real fix, not throwing money at a broken systemU.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, two of Ossoffs top Republican opponents, voted in January against a temporary ACA tax-credit extension that passed the House but languished in the Senate. Both deride the ACA as the Unaffordable Care Act, a phrase used by Trump, and favor a narrower Republican alternative.Carter, who worked as a pharmacist, said an extension amounted to throwing more money at a broken system, riddled with waste, fraud and abuse, without addressing the root cause of skyrocketing costs.U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, the Wisconsin Republican fending off a challenge from Cooke, was one of 17 Republicans who voted for the temporary extension. He said he didnt support the subsidies but had to vote that way to protect his constituents, noting Democrats set the expiration date in the first place.However, Van Orden was also critical of his own party for allowing the tax credits to expire without another solution in place.For the last 15 years, when you said health care, theyd dive out the window and barrel roll into a bush and hide, Van Orden said. Were the party of good policy, and so we should be writing policy, and we need to embrace this.____Swenson reported from New York. ALI SWENSON Swenson covers politics and the information landscape for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter JEFF AMY Amy covers Georgia politics and state government for The Associated Press. He began work with the AP in 2011 and covered Mississippi for eight years before transferring to the Atlanta bureau in 2019. twitter

A podium is prepared before Democrats hold news conference on the health care funding fight on the steps of the House before votes to end the government shutdown on Capitol Hill, Nov. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)2026-02-06T23:38:09Z A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trumps administration must keep funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states at least for now.U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick in New York, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, granted the states request for a preliminary injunction and a stay against the administration to bar it from withholding the money while a lawsuit works its way through the courts.The states affected include California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. The five states said they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year from the programs.Attorneys representing the federal government in the case did not immediately return emails seeking comment Friday night. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment. Two temporary rulings had been issued in January, when the states sued, that blocked the federal government from holding back the funding, with the latest set to expire on Friday.The programs in question are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families nationally; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs. Every day, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers rely on these funds to pay for necessities and provide their children a safe place to learn, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. This illegal funding freeze would have caused severe chaos in the lives of some of the most vulnerable families in our state. I am proud to have secured another victory in this case to put a stop to it. California Attorney General Rob Bonta added in a statement, The Trump Administrations actions are not only unlawful they are cruel, targeting the most vulnerable among us. The governments explanation of its actions has shifted.When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it was withholding the money, it said there was reason to believe the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally. It did not initially explain where the information came from. But in a court hearing, a federal government lawyer said it was largely in reaction to news reports about possible fraud.HHS did not immediately return an email request for comment.And while the governments initial news release said it froze access to money, federal lawyers told the judge that wasnt what was happening. Rather, they said, the Trump administration was requiring more information from those states.The government says it wants more records from the group of states, including names and Social Security numbers for beneficiaries of some of the programs.Advocates warn that cutting off the child care subsidies could have deep impacts. Day cares that accept the subsidies could face the risk of layoffs or closures. And that would affect both the lower-income families who receive the subsidies and families who dont. And for many families, losing child care can make it hard or impossible to work. The Trump administration has targeted multiple programs in Minnesota due to previous fraud cases and new allegations, mostly involving members of the states Somali community.Besides the heightened requirements for the four other Democratic-led states, the administration also has required all states to submit more information about how theyre using money in the child care program before they can draw down the funds.____Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. 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

2026-02-07T08:30:51Z CAIRO (AP) A drone attack by a notorious paramilitary group hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors group said.The attack by the Rapid Support Forces occurred close to the city of Rahad in North Kordofan province, said the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the countrys ongoing war.The vehicle transported displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area of North Kordofan, the doctors group said in a statement. Among the dead children were two infants, the group said.The doctors group urged the international community and rights organizations to take immediate action to protect civilians and hold the RSF leadership directly accountable for these violations.There was no immediate comment from the RSF, which has been at war against the Sudanese military for control of the country for about three years. Sudan plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country.The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.It created the worlds largest humanitarian crisis with over 14 million people forced to flee their homes. It fueled disease outbreaks and pushed parts of the country into famine.

Relatives and volunteers transport a victim of bomb explosion in a Shiite mosque, from at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/M.A Sheikh)2026-02-07T08:28:07Z ISLAMABAD (AP) An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility overnight for a deadly suicide bombing inside a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Pakistans capital that killed 31 people and wounded 169 others, as mourners gathered Saturday under tight security at the same mosque for funerals for the victims.The regional Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State in Pakistan, claimed responsibility in a statement posted on its Amaq News Agency. It said the attacker arrived opened fire on security guards who tried to stop him at the main gate and detonated his explosive vest after reaching the mosques inner gate.The Islamic State group suggested it viewed the Pakistani Shiites as legitimate targets, calling them a human reservoir that provided recruits to Shiite militias fighting the Islamic State in Syria. Fridays mosque bombing was the deadliest in Islamabad since a 2008 suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel that killed 63 people and wounded more than 250. In November, a suicide bomber struck outside a court in the capital, killing 12 people.The latest attack comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs government has had to deal with a surge in militant attacks across Pakistan. According to Pakistani authorities, the attacker was a Pakistani national who had recently traveled to Afghanistan. Authorities said several suspects, including the brother, mother and other relatives of the bomber, were arrested during overnight raids in Islamabad and in northwestern Pakistan, and that a police officer was killed in the operation. More than 2,000 grief-stricken mourners gathered as coffins of those killed were brought to the mosque for funerals. Senior government officials and leaders of the Shiite community were among those who attended the funerals for about a dozen victims. Funerals of other victims were to be held in their home towns. IS is a Sunni group that has targeted Pakistans Shiite minority in the past, apparently seeking to stoke sectarian divisions in the majority Sunni country. In 2022 it claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that struck a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistans northwestern city of Peshawar, killing at least 56 and wounding 194.Pakistans Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif told reporters Friday that the attack signaled that Pakistan-based militants operating from Afghanistan could strike even in the capital. His remarks drew a sharp response from Afghanistans Taliban government. In a statement, Afghanistans Defense Ministry condemned the mosque attack in Islamabad but said the Pakistani defense minister had irresponsibly linked it to Afghanistan. Pakistan has frequently accused Afghanistan, where the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, of harboring militants, including members of the Pakistani Taliban. Kabul denies the accusations.The attack also drew condemnation from the international community, including the United States, Russia and the European Union.Prime Minister Sharif said he was grateful for the messages of sympathy and support received from across the globe following what he called a heart-wrenching suicide attack in Islamabad. He said international support remained critical to Pakistans counterterrorism efforts and vowed the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Although Pakistans capital has seen relatively few attacks compared with other regions, the country has experienced a recent rise in militant violence. Much of it has been blamed on Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate group but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. ___Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan and Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

People evacuate wounded dogs after a Russian aerial strike hit a stray dog shelter in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)2026-02-06T14:34:12Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday described the performance of the air force in parts of the country as unsatisfactory, and said that steps are being taken to improve the response to large-scale Russian drone barrages of civilian areas.The repeated Russian aerial assaults have in recent months focused on Ukraines power grid, causing blackouts and disrupting the heating and water supply for families during a bitterly cold winter.With the war about to enter its fifth year later this month following Russias all-out invasion of its neighbor, there is no sign of a breakthrough in U.S.-led peace efforts following the latest talks this week. Further U.S.-brokered meetings between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are planned in the near future, likely in the United States, Zelenskyy said.Zelenskyy said Friday he had discussed with his defense minister and the air force commander what new air defense measures Ukraine needs to counter the Russian barrages. He didnt elaborate on what would be done. Russia fired 328 drones and seven missiles at Ukraine overnight and in the early morning, the air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down 297 drones. One person was killed and two others were injured in an overnight Russian attack using drones and powerful glide bombs on the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha. A Russian aerial attack on the southern Zaporizhzhia region during early daylight hours injured eight people and damaged 18 apartment blocks, according to regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov.A dog shelter in the regional capital was also struck, killing 13 dogs, Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Rehina Kharchenko said.Some dogs were rushed to a veterinary clinic, but they could not be saved, she said. Seven other animals were injured and are receiving treatment. Amid icy conditions in Kyiv, more than 1,200 residential buildings in multiple districts of the capital have had no heating for days due to the Russian bombardment of the power grid, according to Zelenskyy.The U.K. defense ministry said Friday that Ukraines electricity network is experiencing its most acute crisis of the winter.Mykola Tromza, an 81-year-old pensioner in Kyiv, said he has had his power restored, but recently went without heating and water at home for a week.I touched my nose and by God, it was like an icicle, Tromza said. He said he ran up and down to keep warm.Russias Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 38 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 over the Bryansk region.Bryansk Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said the attack briefly cut power to several villages in the region.Another Ukrainian nighttime strike damaged power facilities in the Russian city of Belgorod, disrupting electricity distribution, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.Local reports said that Ukrainian missiles hit a power plant and an electrical substation, cutting power to parts of the city. Fierce fighting has also continued on the front line despite the frigid temperatures.Ukraines Commander in Chief, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the front line now measures about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) in length along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.The increasing technological improvements to drones on both sides mean that the so-called kill zone where troops are in greatest danger is now up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep, he told reporters on Thursday in comments embargoed until Friday.___Illia Novikov and Dan Bashakov in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this story.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Alberto Castaeda Mondragn poses for a portrait at an apartment Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)2026-02-07T05:02:25Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Alberto Castaeda Mondragns memory was jumbled after he says he was badly beaten last month while being taken into custody by immigration officers. He did not remember much of his past, but the violence of the Jan. 8 arrest in Minnesota was seared into his battered brain.The Mexican immigrant told The Associated Press this week that he remembers Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulling him from a friends car outside a St. Paul shopping center and throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, and then punching him and striking his head with a steel baton.He remembers being taken to a detention facility, where he said he was beaten again. Then came the emergency room and the intense pain from eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages.Castaeda Mondragn, 31, is one of an unknown number of immigration detainees who, despite avoiding deportation, have been left with lasting injuries following violent encounters with ICE. While the Trump administration insists ICE limits its enforcement operations to immigrants with violent rap sheets, he has no criminal record.Heres what to know about the case, one of the excessive-force claims the federal government has thus far declined to investigate. Immigrant says attack was unprovokedICE officers who arrested Castaeda Mondragn on Jan. 8 told nurses the man purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall, an account Hennepin County Medical Center staff immediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull injuries a doctor told AP were inconsistent with a fall.ICEs account evolved as Castaeda Mondragn lay stricken in the hospital. At least one officer told staff the man got his (expletive) rocked, according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release and nurses who treated him.There was never a wall, Castaeda Mondragn told AP, recalling ICE officers striking him with the same metal rod used to break the windows of the vehicle he was in. He later identified it as a telescoping baton routinely carried by law enforcement. Training materials and police use-of-force policies across the U.S. say such a baton can be used to hit the arms, legs and body. But striking the head, neck or spine is considered potentially deadly force.Once he was taken to an ICE holding facility in suburban Minneapolis, Castaeda Mondragn said, officers resumed beating him. He said he pleaded with them to get a doctor, but they just laughed at me and hit me again. DHS will not discuss the caseThe Trump administration this week announced a broad rollout of body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis even as the government draws down ICEs presence there. But its not clear whether Castaeda Mondragns arrest was captured on body-camera footage or if there might be additional recordings from security cameras at the detention center.The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the case.The governments only acknowledgment of the injuries came in a Jan. 20 court filing that said it was learned during his arrest that had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment.The same filing said Castaeda Mondragn entered the U.S. legally in March 2022 and that the agency determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa. A federal judge ruled his arrest had been unlawful and ordered him released from ICE custody. Elected officials call for accountabilityThe case has drawn the attention of several officeholders in Minnesota, including Gov. Tim Walz, who this week posted an AP story about the case on X. But its not clear whether any state authorities are investigating how Castaeda Mondragn was injured.The Ramsey County Attorneys Office, which oversees St. Paul, urged Castaeda Mondragn to file a police report to prompt an investigation. He said he plans to file a complaint. A St. Paul police spokesperson said the department would investigate all alleged crimes that are reported to us.We are seeing a repeated pattern of Trump Administration officials attempting to lie and gaslight the American people when it comes to the cruelty of this ICE operation in Minnesota, Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement. Rep. Kelly Morrison, another Democrat and a doctor, recently toured the Whipple Building, the ICE facility at Ft. Snelling. She said she saw severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and an almost complete lack of medical care. She and other Minnesota Democrats say injuries that occur in ICE custody should be investigated. Have a news tip?Contact APs global investigative team at [emailprotected]. For secure and confidential communications, use the free Signal app +1 (202) 281-8604. If any one of our police officers did this, you know what just happened in Minnesota with George Floyd, we hold them accountable, said Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, whose district includes St. Paul. Theres no reason why federal agents should not be held to the same high standard. ___ Biesecker reported from Washington. Mustian reported from New York, and Attanasio reported from Seattle.___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JACK BROOK Based in New Orleans, Brook covers Louisiana with a focus on state government, environmental issues and infrastructure. He is a Report for America corps member and can be reached on the secure messaging app Signal at jackbrook.88 twitter instagram mailto MICHAEL BIESECKER Biesecker is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington. He reports on a wide range of topics, including human conflict, climate change and political corruption. twitter instagram mailto JIM MUSTIAN Mustian is an Associated Press investigative reporter for breaking news. twitter mailto CEDAR ATTANASIO Attanasio covers the state of Washington for The Associated Press with a focus on immigration and the environment. He uses remote sensing to support the APs global coverage. twitter instagram facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A document with an email chain from Jeffrey Epstein illustrates the amount of redactions of personally identifiable information that the U.S. Department of Justice was required to do before release of Epstein documents, is photographed Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)2026-02-06T23:57:30Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Department of Justice will allow members of Congress to review unredacted files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein starting on Monday, according to a letter that was sent to lawmakers.The letter obtained by The Associated Press says that lawmakers will be able to review unredacted versions of the more than 3 million files that the Justice Department has released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year. To access the files, lawmakers will need to give the Justice Department 24 hours notice. They will be able to review the files on computers at the Department of Justice. Only lawmakers, not their staff, will have access to the files, and they will be permitted to take notes, but not make electronic copies.The arrangement, first reported by NBC News, showed the continued demand for information on Epstein and his crimes by lawmakers, even after the Justice Department devoted large numbers of its staff to comply with the law passed by Congress last year. The Justice Department has come under criticism for delays in the release of information, failing to redact the personal information and photos of victims and not releasing the entire 6 million documents collected in relation to Epstein. Still, lawmakers central to the push for transparency, described the concession by the Justice Department as a victory. When Congress pushes back, Congress can prevail, Rep. Ro Khanna, who sponsored whats known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, posted on social media. Khanna has pointed to several emails between Epstein and individuals whose information was redacted that appeared to refer to the sexual abuse of underage girls. The release of the case files has prompted inquiries around the world about men who cavorted with the well-connected financier. Still, lawmakers are pressing for a further reckoning over anyone who may have had knowledge of Epsteins abuse or could have helped facilitate it. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while he faced charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls. The case was brought more than a decade after he secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to dispose of nearly identical allegations. Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)2026-02-07T09:11:20Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The U.S. has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters.If the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration will likely put pressure on both sides to meet it, he added.The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule, Zelenskyy said, speaking to reporters on Friday. Zelenskyys comments were embargoed until Saturday morning.And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events, he said.He said the U.S. proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks next week in their country for the first time, likely in Miami, Zelenskyy said. We confirmed our participation, he added.The latest deadline follows U.S.-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that produced no breakthrough as the warring parties cling to mutually exclusive demands. Russia is pressing Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas, where fighting remains intense a condition Kyiv says it will never accept.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain's ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP, file)2026-02-07T10:41:15Z LONDON (AP) A prince, an ambassador, senior diplomats, top politicians. All brought down by the Jeffrey Epstein files. And all in Europe, rather than the United States.The huge trove of Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice has sent shock waves through Europes political, economic and social elites dominating headlines, ending careers and spurring political and criminal investigations.Former U.K. Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was fired and could go to prison. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a leadership crisis over the Mandelson appointment. Senior figures have fallen in Norway, Sweden and Slovakia. And, even before the latest batch of files, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, lost his honors, princely title and taxpayer-funded mansion.Apart from the former Prince Andrew, none of them faces claims of sexual wrongdoing. They have been toppled for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender. Epstein collected powerful people the way others collect frequent flyer points, said Mark Stephens, a specialist in international and human rights law at Howard Kennedy in London. But the receipts are now in public, and some might wish theyd traveled less. The documents were published after a public frenzy over Epstein became a crisis for President Donald Trumps administration and led to a rare bipartisan effort to force the government to open its investigative files. But in the U.S., the long-sought publication has not brought the same public reckoning with Epsteins associates at least so far. Rob Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said that in Britain, if youre in those files, its immediately a big story.It suggests to me we have a more functional media, we have a more functional accountability structure, that there is still a degree of shame in politics, in terms of people will say: This is just not acceptable, this is just not done, he said. British repercussionsU.K. figures felled by their ties to Epstein include the former Prince Andrew who paid millions to settle a lawsuit with one of Epsteins victims and is facing pressure to testify in the U.S. and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, whose charity shut down this week.Like others now ensnared, veteran politician Mandelson long downplayed his relationship with Epstein, despite calling him my pest pal in 2003. The new files reveal contact continued for years after the financiers 2008 prison term for sexual offenses involving a minor. In a July 2009 message, Mandelson appeared to refer to Epsteins release from prison as liberation day.Starmer fired Mandelson in September over earlier revelations about his Epstein ties. Now British police are investigating whether Mandelson committed misconduct in public office by passing on sensitive government information to Epstein.Starmer has apologized to Epsteins victims and pledged to release public documents that will show Mandelson lied when he was being vetted for the ambassadors job. That may not be enough to stop furious lawmakers trying to eject the prime minister from office over his failure of judgment. American associatesExperts caution that Britain shouldnt be too quick to pat itself on the back over its rapid reckoning with Mandelson. The U.S. has a better record than the U.K. when it comes to declassifying and publishing information.But Alex Thomas, executive director of the Institute for Government think tank, said there is something about parliamentary democracy, with its need for a prime minister to retain the confidence of Parliament to stay in office, that I think does help drive accountability.A few high-profile Americans have faced repercussions over their friendly ties with Epstein. Most prominent is former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who went on leave from academic positions at Harvard University late last year.Brad Karp quit last week as chair of top U.S. law firm Paul Weiss after revelations in the latest batch of documents, and the National Football League said it would investigate Epsteins relationship with New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, who exchanged sometimes crude emails with Epstein about potential dates with adult women. Other U.S. Epstein associates have not yet faced severe sanction, including former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who exchanged hundreds of texts with Epstein, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who accepted an invitation to visit Epsteins private island, and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who discussed visiting the island in emails, but says he never made the trip.Former President Bill Clinton has been compelled by Republicans to testify before Congress about his friendship with Epstein. Trump, too, has repeatedly faced questions about his ties to Epstein. Neither he nor Clinton has ever been accused of wrongdoing by Epsteins victims. European investigationsThe Epstein files reveal the global network of royals, political leaders, billionaires, bankers and academics that the wealthy financier built around him.Across Europe, officials have had or resign or face censure after the Epstein files revealed relationships that were more extensive than previously disclosed.Joanna Rubinstein, a Swedish U.N. official, quit after the revelation of a 2012 visit to Epsteins Caribbean island. Miroslav Lajcak, national security adviser to Slovakias prime minister, quit over his communications with Epstein, which included the pair discussing gorgeous girls.Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have set up wide-ranging official investigations into the documents. Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a team would scour the files for potential Polish victims, and any links between Epstein and Russian secret services.Epstein took an interest in European politics, in one email exchange with billionaire Peter Thiel calling Britains 2016 vote to leave the European Union just the beginning and part of a return to tribalism.Grgoire Roos, director of the Europe program at the think tank Chatham House, said the files uncover Epsteins far-reaching network of contacts in Europe, and the level of access among not just those who were already in power, but those who were getting there.It will be interesting to see whether in the correspondence he had an influence in policymaking, Roos said.Norwegian revelationsFew countries have been as roiled by the Epstein revelations as Norway, a Scandinavian nation with a population of less than 6 million.The countrys economic crimes unit has opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjrn Jagland who also once headed the committee that hands out the Nobel Peace Prize over his ties with Epstein. His lawyer said Jagland would cooperate with the probe.Also ensnared are high-profile Norwegian diplomat couple Terje Rd-Larsen and Mona Juul, key players in the 1990s Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. Juul has been suspended as Norways ambassador to Jordan after revelations including the fact that Epstein left the couples children $10 million in a will drawn up shortly before his death by suicide in a New York prison in 2019.Norwegians respect for their royal family has been dented by new details about Epsteins friendship with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is married to the heir to the throne, Prince Haakon. The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.The princess apologized Friday to all of you whom I have disappointed.The disclosures came as her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hiby, stands trial in Oslo on rape charges, which he denies.___Associated Press writers David B. Caruso in New York and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is based in London, covering British politics, diplomacy and culture and top stories from the UK and beyond. She has reported for the AP from two dozen countries on four continents. twitter mailto

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VAL DI FIEMME,ITALYCalling it a relentless barrage of unwelcome yelling that distracted from the competition, officials confirmed Saturday that the womens 10km + 10km Skiathlon event had been marred by Italian men catcalling along thesidelines. Ayyy, bella, how bout you-a come grip-a my ski pole, eh? said one of the hundreds of local men stationed along the course who had shown up to leer and make kissy faces at the athletes as they raced across the harsh terrain, visibly rattling competitors unaccustomed to conditions that included lewdly gesticulating men in bowling shirts smoothing their hair and wolf-whistling. Mamma mia, look at-a the cannolis on this one! Ciao, principessa, you-a skiing right into my heart! Call me if you want-a my spicy meatballs after-a the race! Officials noted they did not anticipate similar disruptions during the remaining cross-country events, as the majority of catcallers had been chased off by their rolling pin-wielding wives.The post Womens Cross-Country Skiing MarredByCatcalling Italian MenOnSidelines appeared first on The Onion.

Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, right, receives a flower from a girl at a function to meet his devotees in New Delhi, India, April 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi, File)2026-02-07T12:00:26Z Venezuelas former President Nicols Maduro and current acting President Delcy Rodrguez both raised Catholic in an overwhelmingly Christian country have a deep reverence for an Indian spiritual leader who died in 2011.Religious identity is complex in Venezuela, where it is common for people to blend multiple religious and spiritual practices. For Maduro and Rodrguez, that blend includes the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba, who has had a strong global following for over 50 years for his message of unity, love and spiritual oneness that transcends religious, social and cultural barriers.Maduro frequently invoked Christ, the Holy Spirit and God in his speeches as president, framing his governments struggles as a spiritual battle for Venezuelas soul and sovereignty. Just weeks before his Jan. 3 capture by U.S. forces, he celebrated the centenary of Sai Baba in a social media post, expressing his hope that the wisdom of this great teacher will continue to illuminate us in the mission of building a homeland of love, peace and high spirituality. Rodrguez visited Sai Babas ashram in southern India as recently as 2024. She said during her first presidential media briefing last month that the Venezuelan people faced a new moment where coexistence, mutual respect, and recognition of others allow for the construction and building of a new spirituality. Rodrguez also said in an interview with the organizations official channel during a 2023 visit that she still feels the gurus presence in trying times.Many times, when I was in danger, I felt Baba with me, my family and also with my country, she said. He is always with us, teaching us and showing a path for peace and love. Top leaders fondness for Sathya Sai BabaThe U.S. military seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their Caracas home Jan. 3 in a stunning operation that landed them in New York to face federal drug trafficking charges. Maduro called himself a man of God while pleading not guilty.After Maduros capture, several news outlets in India published a 2005 photo that shows him and his wife seated at the feet of the Sai Baba, who had distinctive black, curly locks and wore a long saffron robe. It has been widely reported that Maduro displayed a large, framed photograph of Sai Baba in his office at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, alongside portraits of Latin Americas liberator Simn Bolvar and former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chvez. Maduro, who declared a national day of mourning upon Sai Babas death in 2011, marked the 2025 centenary by hailing the spiritual leader as a being of light and a beacon of unconditional love, selfless service and truth.Videos posted by Sai Babas organization, which is still active and ubiquitous in India, have shown Rodrguez visiting its ashram and headquarters in Puttaparthi, a town in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. During visits in 2023 and 2024, she can be seen praying at the sanctum, the gurus final resting place, which devotees believe radiates spiritual energy. She can also be seen interacting with R.J. Rathnakar, Sai Babas nephew who currently heads the organization.The Associated Press efforts to reach the Sai Baba organization in India and Venezuela for comment went unanswered. The Sai Babas organizations presence in VenezuelaSai Babas organization came to Venezuela long before Maduro and other politicians sought out the guru. The organization opened its first center in Caracas on Aug. 22, 1974, started by Arlette Meyer, a devotee who wrote books in Spanish about the guru. In her apartment, she and a few other members sang devotional hymns and studied Sai Babas teachings the organizations first such center in Latin America.The organization in Venezuela now appears to be centered in Abejales, a town in the state of Tchira, about 465 miles (750 kilometers) west of Caracas, where it runs a Human Values School. The town is the birthplace of former lawmaker Walter Mrquez, who has maintained close ties with Sai Baba before and after serving as Venezuelas ambassador to India. Mrquez was honored by the Sai Baba organization in Venezuela late last year. Some estimates put the number of Sai Baba followers in Venezuela at about 200,000 and millions globally. The role of religion in Venezuelan politicsFaith in Venezuela is not monolithic, said Andrew Chesnut, professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He said while Catholicism is still dominant, it coexists comfortably with evangelical Protestantism, Afro-Indigenous traditions and transnational religious figures, without requiring formal conversion or exclusive allegiance.This syncretic religious ecology helps explain how Nicols Maduro can describe himself as a devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba while simultaneously cultivating close relationships with evangelical leaders who operate within a very different theological universe, he said.Religion is invoked rhetorically by Venezuelan politicians, rather than to dictate policy or shape laws, Chesnut said. Encounters with figures like Sai Baba carry symbolic and performative weight rather than serving as drivers of political ideology or decision-making, he said. An influential and controversial figureSathya Sai Baba, who was born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju, claimed to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, a guru revered by Hindus and Muslims, who died in 1918. Sathya Sai Baba became popular in India and worldwide in the 1970s and 1980s as word spread of his miraculous abilities to materialize objects such as rings, necklaces and sacred ash. He is believed to have performed spontaneous healings and resurrections.Sai Baba encouraged his followers to practice their own religions, often saying that God is one and that all paths led to the same truth. He was known for sayings that reflected his message of unity and service: Love All, Serve All and Help Ever, Hurt Never.The guru was known for interacting with devotees, meeting them individually or in groups. Though he traveled just once outside India in the 1960s to East Africa the movement became global, establishing nearly 2,000 nondenominational centers in 120 countries, including 200 in the U.S, according to the organizations website.Among his followers are Bollywood actors, cricketers, prominent business leaders and millions of average Indians who flock to Sai Baba centers for worship, prayer and singing bhajans or devotional songs, many in praise of the guru.Sai Baba faced intense criticism from some corners, particularly rationalists and scientists, who accused him of faking his miraculous materializations. He also faced criminal allegations including accusations of fraud, sexual abuse and murder, but was never charged with any of those crimes. His followers dismissed those allegations as slander and propaganda.Sai Baba still has ardent devotees like Dr. Samuel Sandweiss, a retired psychiatrist based in Southern California, who visited the guru nearly 80 times since 1972. He said he has seen the guru materialize everything from sacred ash called vibhuti to several golden rings.Sandweiss is not surprised that Maduro and other Venezuelan leaders followed Sai Baba.Ive seen him with all kinds of people from all walks of life from the lowest to the highest, he said. His main message was that love transcends all religion and unites us all.___Associated Press writers Jorge Rueda, in Caracas, Venezuela, and Sheikh Saaliq, in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report. ___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. DEEPA BHARATH Bharath is a reporter with APs Global Religion team. She is based in Los Angeles. twitter mailto MARA TERESA HERNNDEZ Hernndez is a reporter on the APs Global Religion team. She is based in Mexico City and covers Latin America. twitter mailto

In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)2026-02-07T11:43:44Z Savannah Guthrie gets top billing every weekday morning when the Today show introduces its cast. In an anguishing twist, the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother has made Guthrie herself the top story, too.NBCs morning show is reporting news that it is part of, a journalistic challenge made more acute by the conceit that this television format has long been built upon: The on-air team is a family, one that viewers are part of each day. Guthrie has been co-host of Today since 2012.The probable abduction of Nancy Guthrie from her Arizona home last weekend was the lead story on Today every morning this past week, as it often was on other newscasts.Our thoughts and our prayers remain firmly focused on our friend, said Craig Melvin, Guthries co-host. His partner has been replaced this week by Sheinelle Jones, who typically anchors the shows fourth hour.The Today show coverage stood in marked contrast to another journalism institution in the news this past week: The Washington Post did not assign any of its reporters to cover the announcement that the newspaper was laying off one-third of its staff. Viewers knew Guthries mom, tooFor the most part, Today was relatively straightforward in its coverage, while mindful of the fact that it affected a person that its viewers knew. Dedicated fans are also familiar with Guthries mother, who has made a handful of appearances on the show with her daughter over the years clips that were replayed this past week.Melvin and Jones updated the story with each days developments, with the help of reporter Liz Kreutz in Arizona and Tom Winter, a law enforcement correspondent. At times, the details came at a frustratingly slow pace. Were getting new information, Winter said at one point. Unfortunately, its not really new information than can help advance the case. Rather than overdoing it, the show seems to have covered the developments as they would if another well-known person and not the mother of Todays co-host was involved, said Shelley Ross, a longtime Today competitor as former top producer at ABCs Good Morning America and, later, CBS morning show. Theyre reporting it as stoically as possible without medicating themselves, Ross said. They were very professional in their coverage. I think it was pitch-perfect and helpful. When Guthrie recorded a video message with her brother and sister, addressed to their mother and potential kidnappers, Today aired it in full. That was one indication of the personal involvement other networks generally aired bits and pieces of the video but Ross argued that it made for effective television. Today seems to have sought and was taking the advice of experts in hostage situations, she said.Another family member returns in time of crisisThe need to cover the story when the show was part of the news isnt foreign to Today or Guthrie. NBC left it to her and Hoda Kotb to tell viewers in 2017 when Matt Lauer was fired for inappropriate sexual behavior with a colleague. Beyond this weeks headlines, Today colleague Jenna Bush Hager reported on Guthries religious faith, saying they were neighbors in New York City who often attended church together. Kotb, Guthries co-anchor after Lauers firing until she left the show last year, returned Friday for a story about how others in news and entertainment, along with Today viewers, had shown their support. Theres this helpless feeling, she said.Viewing Kotbs return as a family member returning home at a time of crisis may seem schmaltzy, but its an apt metaphor in this case, said Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse Universitys Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture.Network morning shows are the ultimate fluid format: a Today host could report on a complex breaking news story one morning, and dress up in a Halloween costume the next, Thompson said. The shows sets are often designed to make it appear like a viewer is looking into a living room.This is really the Today show doing exactly what the Today show was designed to do three-quarters of a century ago, Thompson said. Guthries absence was also noted Friday at the beginning of NBCs coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. She was supposed to have co-hosted the event with Terry Gannon, but stayed in Arizona to be with her family and was replaced by Mary Carillo. She is dearly missed by everybody, said Terry Gannon, the co-host.NBCs Guthrie coverage made The Washington Posts own decision more noticeable. With the troubled news outlet facing headwinds over the past few years, its management decreed that its own media reporters who cover the news industry not write about their own. They stuck with that decision even as the deep layoffs, which included eliminating the newspapers sports section, were widely covered elsewhere.The Posts website instead ran a story about its own announcement that was written by The Associated Press.___David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social. DAVID BAUDER Bauder is the APs national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York. twitter mailto

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP, File)2026-02-07T09:50:22Z BEIRUT (AP) As tear gas canisters landed among protesters filling the wide boulevard, the 37-year-old beautician and her friends ran for cover. They sheltered among trees, concealed in darkness pierced only by the glow of streetlights and small fires behind them in the western Iranian city of Karaj.Then gunfire rang out, audible in the video she was taking on her phone.Dont be afraid, she screamed repeatedly, her voice breaking. The crowd joined at the top of their lungs: Dont be afraid. We are all together.Are they using live bullets? she cried out. Shameless! Shameless! Others joined in the chant, along with cries of Death to the dictator!It was a moment of collective boldness on Jan. 8, the night hundreds of thousands of Iranians across the country took to the streets against the cleric-led theocracy that has ruled for nearly 50 years. But after the bloodshed of that night, the beautician, like countless others, has retreated into terrified isolation. She moved in with her mother, afraid to be alone, and has huddled there, anxious and unable to sleep. A blanket of fear has settled over Iran, she said, and a sense of grief and quiet rage has taken over. When you look at people in the street, it feels like you are seeing walking corpses, people with no hope left to continue living, she said in a text message in late January. Her videos and messages provide a raw account of the exuberance that protesters felt taking to the streets last month and the shock that has paralyzed many after the bloodiest crackdown ever inflicted by the Islamic Republic. The beautician expressed despair that change can happen and a sense of abandonment by the world. She saw little hope in Iran-U.S. nuclear talks that were held Friday even as they trade warnings of war. She feared Irans leaders will outlast Trumps pressure and become entrenched and all those people who died will have died in vain, she wrote. Monitoring groups say at least 6,854 were killed, most on Jan. 8 and 9, but they say the full number could be triple that. The clampdown since has also been unprecedented. A monthlong internet blackout has hidden the full extent of what happened, even as more than 50,000 people have been reported detained. The Associated Press received more than a dozen videos as well as text messages the beautician sent to a relative of hers in Los Angeles during sporadic openings in the internet shutdown. The beautician gave permission for the material to be shared.The AP is withholding the names of the beautician and her relative for their security. The AP verified the location and authenticity of her videos, which corresponded with known features of the area around Samandehi Park in Karaj. The AP could not verify all details in her account, but it broadly conforms with accounts from other protesters documented by the AP and rights groups. Taking to the streets The beautician struggled in Irans economy, crippled by decades of corruption and mismanagement and international sanctions. With jobs hard to find, she chose to work for herself as a nail technician, believing she could make a better living, said the relative, who has long been close to her and was in frequent contact even before the protests. She gave up on having a family or children, the relative said. Everything was too expensive, and it was too repressive in Iran to bring up kids.She had little faith in Iranian politicians claiming to be moderates and reformers, the relative said. But she joined protests. The power of a popular movement fueled her sense that change in Iran was possible. She participated in the 2022 protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested for not wearing her headscarf to the liking of authorities. But she was disillusioned by the violence that followed. Over 500 were believed killed and over 22,000 detained.Her desire changed from saving her country to saving herself, the relative said. Her family looked for opportunities for her to leave Iran, but they never materialized. When protests triggered by the plunging value of Irans currency began in late December, she didnt take part at first.But when she found she could hardly even afford cooking oil, it was the last straw. She told her relative that she made the equivalent of only $40 in December, down from an already paltry $300-$400 average for the past year. On Jan. 8, she made plans with her friends to join the protests. Iranians poured into the streets on Jan. 8 That night, Iranians poured into the streets of at least 192 cities across Irans 31 provinces, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. These were quite possibly the biggest anti-government rallies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The diversity of the crowds across social and economic classes was greater than past marches.The beauticians videos show protesters filling a main boulevard in Karaj. Their confidence bolstered by their numbers, they walk unhurriedly among the trees. Women, men and children chant, Death to Khamenei, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Some chanted in support of the exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of Irans last shah, who had called for the public to turn out. Some set up bonfires and formed protest circles around them. It is not clear from her videos how the violence began.One video shows protesters lined up outside a police station, cheering, while a fire burned inside.From inside the station, police fired tear gas and shotgun pellets, the beautician said in a message. Live ammunition quickly followed.The beautician wrote to her relative that she saw nearly 20 people shot in her immediate circle. The parents of a family friend were shot and killed as they tried to help a wounded person. Another friends father was killed, and authorities later made his daughter pay the equivalent of $4,500 to release his body.In one video, a group huddled over a wounded protester, her leg covered in blood. They frantically looked for a way to stop the bleeding. Do you have a scarf? A headscarf, anything? one person shouted. Another said: We cant go to the hospital, apparently out of fear of being detained. Another interjected, in a panic: Tie it tight and fasten it.The government has put the death toll from the wave of nationwide protests at more than 3,000, and Khamenei has denounced them as a coup.We are all in mourningThe next night, rights groups say shooting continued in Karaj, with snipers on rooftops and more dead. The beautician stepped out of the house but quickly returned, filming nothing, her relative said. She has hardly left since.We have seen so many horrific scenes of people being killed before our eyes that we are now afraid to leave our homes, she wrote in a message.She fears security agents will come to her building, she wrote. She and her neighbors agreed not to let in anyone who rings the bells.She takes tranquilizers but I dont truly sleep, she wrote. Everyone I talk to says they cannot sleep at night, stressed that at any moment they might come and attack our homes.One night in late January, she went out briefly to withdraw money from the bank sent by her relative. But the bank had no cash. Over all the years of repression, we always kept going, strong, she wrote.Not this time. We are all in mourning, filled with anger that we no longer even dare to shout out, for fear of our lives. Because they have no mercy. SARAH EL DEEB El Deeb is part of the APs Global Investigative team. She is based in the Middle East, a region she covered for two decades twitter mailto

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)2026-02-07T11:15:54Z BORMIO, Italy (AP) Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen captured the Olympic downhill Saturday to win the first gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.On a picture-perfect day in Bormio, von Allmen powered through the challenging course in 1 minute, 51.61 seconds. His time was good enough to withstand the charge of Italys Giovanni Franzoni, who finished with the silver medal. Franzonis teammate, the 36-year-old Dominik Paris, had a fast run to take bronze and knock Marco Odermatt of Switzerland off the podium.___AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing and AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen captured the Olympic downhill Saturday to win the first gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.