Lauren Graham in a new comedy? We're sat.The legendary actress needs no introduction as her impressive rsum includes so many notable projects including The Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa, Parenthood, Evan Almighty, and Max... just to name a few.Now, Graham is returning to her roots by starring in the new Tubi show The Z-Suite, where her character gets kicked out of her executive corporate job to usher in Gen Z influencers to run an old school company."Returning to half hour, it's where I started in the late '90s! I really missed doing a comedy. It just felt really fresh to me. I'm so happy to have been part of some entertainment that has given people joy. I'm proud of the characters along the way," Graham tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Although many fans are enjoying her latest role, Graham still considers her portrayal of Lorelai Gilmore on The Gilmore Girls as her most influential part to this day."For all the reasons that I'm still sitting here, I did have a connection with Lorelai. If I just got that, I would be happy. The fact that new audiences keep finding it is just really special. Their support enables me to try different things! I did not think I would be here. I'm thankful for it all."The Z-Suite certainly taps into a bit of nostalgia by casting Graham in the series, but the show also includes plenty of queer characters and actors, including Superstore's Nico Santos."It's very gay, which I love! I really feel very grateful that I'm able to have this career with very queer, Filipino characters. To have a show like this, where it is gay... it's amazing," Santos says.Spencer Stevenson stars as one of the Gen Z influencers and his character is unapologetically gay, which is the representation needed during these times."I was ecstatic! I always wanted to play a character like this. He's an extension of myself. I got to show up and not really feel like I'm working. Representation matters massively to me. I did not grow up with someone on TV that represented me, [so I'm] validating my younger self," Stevenson adds.The Z-Suite is streaming now on Tubi. To see the full interview with Lauren Graham and Nico Santos, check out the video at the top of the page.

Season four of Bridgerton is for the Sapphics or so we hope. Season three finally saw some real queer representation with Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) exploring his bisexuality at last. Plus, it ended on a lesbian cliffhanger that left Sapphic Bridgerton fans' chests a' heaving. You see, Francesca Bridgerton (Ruby Stokes) ended the third season married to the very nice, and very boring, John Stirling (Victor Alli). All season long Francesca fought to marry him despite their lack of a passionate connection, believing that was what she wanted. Until, of course, his sister Michaela (Masali Baduza) made her entrance and suddenly all of Francesca s mothers talks of fireworks and butterflies seemingly made a whole lot more sense. The question is, what does that mean for season four? While this season will be focused on Benedict's new romance with, sigh, a lady thankfully the storyline with Francesca and Michaela doesn't seem to be shuffling off the Ton anytime soon.Today Netflix dropped a teaser sneak peek video from the set of season four to celebrate Valentines Day and while our eagle eyes spotted not only Francesa looking flirty in a mascarade mask but what we hoped was Michaela rocking a unicorn mask you know, the magical creature that every young lesbian was obsessed with as a kid sadly Netflix confirmed it was not her. So, we'll have to wait a little longer for that reveal, but still it's just so lesbian coded, we're calling it subtext! While fans will have to wait until September for the show to return, this little tease should help get them through.

Members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo and the Church of Christ arrive for a meeting with the leader of the political military coalition in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)2025-02-14T13:21:34Z GOMA, Congo (AP) Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday to have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter.Local sources said M23 rebels have surrounded the area around Kavumu national airport. They also recounted seeing scores of soldiers fleeing the town as the fighting raged on.The Associated Press could not confirm who was in control of the airport, which is located about 30 kilometres (18.5 miles) from the city of Bukavu, which is the capital of South Kivu province. Government officials and civil society leaders did not immediately comment. Kavumu airport became a target after the M23 rebels seized the regions largest city of Goma, including the international airport there, in late January. Goma is a critical trade and humanitarian hub that hosted many of the close to 6.5 million people displaced in the conflict, the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X that the rebels took over Kavumu airport and its surroundings to eliminate the threat at the source. The airport posed a danger to the civilian population, he said.Congos Communication Ministry issued a statement criticizing the rebels for violating a ceasefire that regional leaders have called for. The rebels were imposing an urban war by attacking the positions of the FARDC (Congolese military) who are keen to avoid bloodshed in Bukavu, the ministry said. A local civil society leader in Kavumu reported seeing soldiers abandon their positions and head towards Bukavu. This caused fear within the community (and) I took the necessary measures to bring my family to safety, the leader said, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Chaos and panic among residents The M23, which is supported by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congos mineral-rich east. The rebellion has killed at least 2,000 people in and around Goma and left hundreds of thousands of displaced people stranded, the U.N. and Congolese authorities have said.The rebels latest advance caused chaos and panic among residents in different parts of South Kivu. Some were fleeing from Kavumu into the provincial capital of Bukavu, while others were emptying from Bukavu into neighboring towns. Some were also stocking up on household supplies as economic activities appeared to be collapsing.I noticed that the soldiers were dropping out and fleeing, so I told myself that I could no longer stay in this place, said Chirimwami Alexis, among residents fleeing from Kavumu. The fear we have is people moving without any preparation or food. We are running away just because of this situation, he added.The rebels last week declared a unilateral ceasefire that the government dismissed as false. They have continued to advance towards Bukavu, seizing several nearby towns, the latest which is Katana captured on Friday. The town is 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Kavumu airport. African leaders to hold summitThe U.N. refugee agency said Friday that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now in overcrowded makeshift shelters, churches, schools and hospitals. Heavy artillery shelling and looting have destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving some 350,000 internally displaced people once again without roofs over their heads, the agency said.African leaders will gather in Ethiopia at the weekend for a summit of the African Union, a continent-wide body that has previously been criticized for inaction amid conflicts in different parts of the region.A recent meeting of leaders from eastern and southern Africa called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo but did not urge the M23 rebels to stop their advance.-Asadu reported from Abuja. AP journalist Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda contributed to this report.

Activists holding photos depicting the faces of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, during a protest demanding their release from Hamas captivity, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)2025-02-14T14:24:19Z JERUSALEM (AP) Hamas named three Israeli hostages Friday set to be released in a weekend trade for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the latest sign that the shaky Gaza ceasefire deal appears to be holding in spite of a tense dispute that has threatened to renew fighting.The militant group and a forum representing the families of hostages identified the three men set to be freed Saturday as Israeli-Argentinian Iair Horn, 46; Israeli-American Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Israeli-Russian Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29. The trio were abducted from a kibbutz in southern Israel that was ravaged during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that ignited the devastating war.Under the terms of the ceasefire, which began on Jan. 21, Israel is to release more than 300 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in return for the three hostages. The exchange will be the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect. So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce. But the ceasefire had appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days. Hamas had said it would delay the next hostage release after accusing Israel of not adhering to the terms of the deal by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing vast amounts of rubble. Israel, with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, has said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed leaving it unclear whether it meant the three hostages as scheduled in the ceasefire deal, or all remaining hostages. An Israeli government official on Friday confirmed Israel had received the list of hostages to be released. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.The Hamas-linked prisoners information office said Friday that 369 Palestinians were set to be released from Israeli prisons in the exchange. It said 36 of those were serving life sentences. Who are the hostages slated for release SaturdayHorn, Dekel Chen and Troufanov were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where some 80 of roughly 400 residents were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack. Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity. Dekel Chen had been working on a bus renovation when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife, Avital, who was seven months pregnant at the time, hid in a safe room with their two daughters. Avital has given birth to a third daughter while her husband has been in captivity.Troufanov was taken hostage along with his grandmother Irena Tati, mother Yelena (Lena) and girlfriend Sapir Cohen. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanovs father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack. Concern about remaining hostages conditionOf the 251 people abducted, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.Concern has been growing about the remaining hostages condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who emerged looking emaciated and frail. One of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, said in a video message addressed to Trump Friday that his captors had starved him and physically and emotionally tortured him. He said the militants who held him for 484 days treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him with no water or light. The statement marked one of the first accounts of Hamas captivity from a hostage released during the ceasefire.When I was in Gaza, I lived in constant fear...for my life and my personal safety, he said.Siegel, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, implored Trump to use his leadership and strength to ensure the ceasefire holds and all hostages return home.The truce faces a much bigger challenge in the coming weeks. The first phase is set to conclude at the beginning of March, and there have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war. Trumps plan raises uncertaintyTrumps proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them in other countries has thrown the truces future into further doubt. His plan has been welcomed by Israel, but vehemently rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries which have refused to accept any influx of refugees. Human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.Trump has said Gazas population should be resettled elsewhere in the region, with wealthy Arab countries paying for it. He has suggested that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the Riviera of the Middle East.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of annihilating Hamas and implementing Trumps proposal. The militant group remains in control of the territory after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left. New war would likely be far worseThe war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israels offensive has obliterated large parts of Gaza. At its height, the fighting had displaced 90% of the territorys population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have returned to their homes since the ceasefire took hold, though many have found only rubble, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, echoing Trump, said Wednesday that all hell will break loose if Hamas stops releasing hostages. He said a new Gaza war wouldnt end until Hamas was defeated, which would allow for Trumps vision of mass displacement to be carried out.With far fewer hostages remaining in Gaza, Israel would have more freedom of action militarily.It would also face far fewer constraints from the United States, its main military patron. The Biden administration, while providing crucial military and diplomatic support, had occasionally pressed Israel to allow in more aid and at one point suspended some weapons shipments. It had also said there should be no permanent displacement of its Palestinian population.Trump has lifted restrictions on arms transfers, and his administration is pressing ahead with the sale of $7 billion worth of weapons approved under President Joe Biden.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war JULIA FRANKEL Frankel is an Associated Press reporter in Jerusalem. twitter mailto

While diehard MAGA supporters seem to praise every decision President Donald Trump makes, there are more and more Republicans who are regretting their votes.First, people found out they might not be invited home for the holidays after voting for Trump, then MAGA supporters discovered that Trumps mass deportation plans could separate them from their families or hurt their business bottom line, next they learned that a vote for Trump in November might mean losing your food stamps today.Now its MAGA farmers and teachers who are regretting casting their ballot for Trump as he strips federal funding and shuts down aid programs. (@) Farmers are already dealing with the effects of climate change and avian flu outbreaks, but the Trump administrations recent efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spearheaded by Elon Musk means that people who owned farms are already losing money.While Trump and Musk claim they ordered a 90-day freeze on USAIDs foreign aid spending to rein in wasteful spending, in actuality theyre hurting American farmers and other business owners who sell goods and services to USAID. (@) American Farmers supply around 41% of the food aid that USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture send around the world, which amounted to $2.1 billion in food aid from American farms in 2020, the Washington Post reports. But with Trump shutting down the program $340 million in purchases and shipments of U.S. food aid has been paused, leaving farmers unsure of what the future holds.Other farmers who voted for Trump are angry about the presidents tariff plans that could lead to retaliation from China that could impact soybean and corn farmers ability to sell their crops something that happened during the first Trump administration.See on Instagram (@) Skylar Holden, a self-proclaimed Trump supporter and a cattle rancher in Missouri, was depending on a $240,000 cost-sharing contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that he signed so he could add fencing and improve his ranchs water system. But Skylar recently took to TikTok to report that he was set to lose tens of thousands of dollars when the Trump administration froze federal funding."I've already done a bunch of the work, already paid for the material and the labor, so I'm out all that cost. We are possibly going to lose our farm if NRCS doesn't hold up their contract with us, Holden said in one video. (@) (@) One of the myriad executive orders Trump has signed since taking office targeted the Inflation Reduction Act, a Biden-era law that included money for farmers to aid in conservation efforts and relief for distressed borrowers.Trump has also been targeting schools, announcing that he has plans to dismantle the Department of Education. Teachers across the country are terrified about his plans and what federal budget cuts and spending freezes could mean for the future of their schools. from LeopardsAteMyFaceEven Trump-supporting educators are starting to feel regret about supporting the politician making their jobs harder. Jennifer Blankenship, Trump voter and principal of Bell Central School Center in Kentucky, admitted that Trumps plan will hurt her school.aI voted for President Trump to make America first again and to improve our lives, she told a reporter for CNN, but when asked about Trumps policies, she laid bare the ways it would impact kids.I dont thats what the voters want, she said. If we have federal cuts, then thats going to mean bigger classroom sizes. I would lose teachers, first and foremost. Its devastating.Sometimes when you vote for leopards, they end up eating your face!

The Stonewall National Monuments official website has removed references to transgender and queer individuals, sparking criticism and backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates. This change comes amid ongoing debates and policies related to gender identity under the Trump administration, which has sought to reinforce the idea that only male and female are valid biological sexes.Previously, the National Park Service page describing the Stonewall Monument referred to LGBTQ+, a term that includes transgender and nonbinary individuals. However, the updated version of the site now only mentions LGB, excluding transgender and queer people. An archived version of the page, available for reference, confirmed the initial broader inclusivity.Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the historic Stonewall Inn and CEO of the nonprofit Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, condemned the change, accusing the administration of attempting to erase trans people from history and from existing. Lentz, an outspoken advocate for transgender rights, is organizing a protest scheduled for noon on Friday in response to the controversial edits.There is no Pride without Trans folks leading that fight! Trying to erase them from the Birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement will not happen! Lentz wrote on Instagram, announcing the protest. We need to show up and speak out for our trans and nonbinary siblings who are under attack.The Stonewall Inn, which played a pivotal role in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, was the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riotsan event that is widely regarded as the spark for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender women of color, were instrumental in leading the protests that night, challenging systemic oppression and discrimination. Their roles in the movement have long been celebrated as central to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.The removal of transgender-inclusive language from the Stonewall Monuments web page has been met with outrage from activists and organizations who argue that it distorts the historical reality of the LGBTQ+ struggle. In a joint statement, the Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative expressed their anger at the decision, calling it an act of erasure.This blatant act of erasure not only distorts the truth of our history, but it also dishonors the immense contributions of transgender individualsespecially transgender women of colorwho were at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots and the broader fight for LGBTQ+ rights, the statement said.The statement emphasized the critical role of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, such as Johnson and Rivera, in the resistance that eventually led to the establishment of the rights that LGBTQ+ individuals enjoy today. The removal of the word transgender from the National Park Services website is viewed by many as a direct attack on the transgender community and their place in the movements history.Let us be clear: Stonewall is transgender history, the statement continued. Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans and gender-nonconforming individuals fought bravely, and often at great personal risk, to push against oppressive systems. Their courage, sacrifice, and leadership were central to the resistance we now celebrate as the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.The Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative are calling for the immediate reinstatement of the word transgender on the Stonewall National Monuments website, urging officials to honor the full history of the LGBTQ+ movement. Advocates are demanding recognition of the significant contributions of transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color, who were instrumental in sparking and sustaining the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.This move by the National Park Service is only the latest in a series of controversial actions under the Trump administration, which has faced criticism for its stance on transgender issues, including efforts to roll back protections for transgender individuals in healthcare and education. The removal of transgender-inclusive language from a key LGBTQ+ landmark only adds fuel to the ongoing debate about the rights and recognition of transgender people in the United States.As the protest at the Stonewall Inn approaches, LGBTQ+ advocates remain steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the history of transgender people is not erased from the national narrative. We will not let this erasure happen, said Lentz. We will continue to fight for our trans siblings and their rightful place in history.The controversy surrounding the change on the Stonewall National Monuments web page is a reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by transgender individuals in the fight for equality and recognition. As the protest unfolds, it is clear that the LGBTQ+ community remains committed to preserving the legacy of those who paved the way for future generations.The post Stonewall Monuments Web Page Erases Transgender References Amid Controversy appeared first on Gayety.

Netflix introduces a fresh face to the world of romantic comedies with La Dolce Villa, directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls, Freaky Friday). At the heart of this swoon-worthy film is Giuseppe Futia, a queer Italian actor who brings effortless charm and charisma to the screen.From Shy Performer to Rising StarFutia, an Italian-born, New York-based actor, has been captivated by storytelling since childhood. His journey began at just eight years old when he starred as Pinocchio in a school play. I was a very, very shy kid, but I enjoyed watching performing arts, Futia said. I thought, Maybe I could do it too.His career has since flourished, landing roles that showcase his range. One standout project was an Italian soccer film, despite his lack of experience in the sport. I got bullied a lot because I didnt know how to play soccer in my younger years. And now I was playing a goalie who was an expert at it. This is why I love this craft, he said.Bringing Romance to La Dolce VillaLa Dolce Villa follows businessman Eric (Scott Foley) as he travels to Italy to stop his daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) from restoring a crumbling villa. But Italy has other plans, especially when Olivia crosses paths with Giovanni, a charismatic chef played by Futia.La Dolce Villa. (L to R) Maia Reficco as Olivia and Giuseppe Futia as Giovanni in La Dolce Villa. Cr. Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix 2024Giovanni is a character filled with passion, particularly for cooking. Futia connected deeply with this role, comparing Giovannis dedication to food to his own devotion to acting. I love when a person is obsessed with something they love. Giovanni has that with cooking, and I have that with acting, he shared.The romance in the film is just as rich as its setting. When asked about his own advice for charming a crush, Futia joked, Eye contact is key. Just enough to make them wonder what youre thinking. Maybe dont look at them too long, but long enough to make them slightly embarrassed.Filming an Italian FairytaleFor Futia, working with director Mark Waters was a dream come true. I couldnt believe he cast me. Hes so iconic, he said. What I loved about his directing style is that hes very fatherly, making sure everyone feels comfortable. He always made sure to crack a joke on set.Filming in Italy added another layer of magic to the experience. Between takes, Futia and the cast took cooking classes from top chefs, immersing themselves in Italian culture. I looked in the mirror and thought, Dude, youre lucky. Youre back in your country, filming this amazing project, and getting free cooking classes, he said. His favorite dish? Pici, this sort of Tuscan pasta, which is like a thicker spaghetti. So tasty, so simple, but great.The Importance of Queer RepresentationFutia, who is openly queer, understands the impact of representation. For so long, institutions told people that being queer was wrong. Artists can change that narrative, he said. We need to unlearn what weve been taught for centuries, which is that being gay is wrong.Its just a cultural shift. And if people look at the history its just a couple of institutions that decided that they wanted to tell people that its not okay to be that. So we need another institution. And artists can be that. They can be a sort of institution letting people know that its okay to be queer. So thats the only main reason why I think its important to be vocal about it.While he values his privacy, he embraces his role as a visible queer actor, helping audiences see themselves reflected in mainstream media.Whats Next for Giuseppe Futia?Futia has ambitious goals beyond rom-coms. He dreams of working with Martin Scorsese and starring in a Tarantino-style action film. I love psychological thrillers and complex characters. I want roles that challenge me, he said. I love action movies with a lot of gore. I know its different from La Dolce Villa, but thats also me.For now, Futia is captivating audiences in La Dolce Villa, bringing romance, charm, and authenticity to Netflixs newest feel-good film. Keep an eye on this rising starhis journey is just beginning.Watch the full interview with Futia here: The post Meet Giuseppe Futia: The Queer Italian Star Bringing Charm to Netflixs La Dolce Villa appeared first on Gayety.

People celebrate outside a Seattle federal courthouse after a second federal judge paused President Donald Trump's order against gender-affirming care for youth on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Seattle.. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)2025-02-14T19:16:58Z SEATTLE (AP) A second federal judge on Friday paused President Donald Trumps executive order halting federal support for gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19.U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King granted a temporary restraining order after the Democratic attorneys general of Washington state, Oregon and Minnesota sued the Trump administration last week. Three doctors joined as plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed in the Western District of Washington.The decision came one day after a federal judge in Baltimore temporarily blocked the executive order in response to a separate lawsuit filed on behalf of families with transgender or nonbinary children. Judge Brendan Hursons temporary restraining order will last 14 days but could be extended, and essentially puts Trumps directive on hold while the case proceeds. Hurston and King were both appointed by former President Joe Biden. Trump signed an executive order last month halting federal funding for institutions that provide the care and directing federally run insurance programs, including Medicaid and TRICARE for military families, to exclude coverage for it. The order also calls on the Department of Justice to pursue litigation and legislation to oppose it. Medicaid programs in some states cover gender-affirming care. Trumps order suggests that the practice could end, and targets hospitals and universities that receive federal money and provide the care. In the complaint filed in Seattle, the three Democratic attorneys general argue that the executive order violates equal rights protections, the separation of powers and states powers to regulate what is not specifically delegated to the federal government.The Trump administration disputed those claims in court filings. The Presidents authority to direct subordinate agencies to implement his agenda, subject to those agencies own statutory authorities, is well established, Justice Department attorneys wrote. A large crowd of people went to the federal courthouse to watch Fridays hearing. Outside, some carried signs with phrases including Protect Trans Kids or Pride flags with the words, You are loved. We had over 100 declarants submit their personal stories about the impact of this illegal and unconstitutional and hateful order, and their bravery allowed for justice to be done today, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said after the ruling.The temporary restraining order is just the first step in a long fight, Brown said, adding that he hopes the order reassures health care providers in the state that they can continue to provide gender-affirming care to their patients.The word I would use is relief, right? third-year medical student Natalie Koconis said when asked for a response to the judges ruling. One of a group of medical students and doctors in white coats who held signs outside the courthouse, Koconis said Trumps executive order is something that has already had material impacts on our ability to treat transgender youth. All we want is just everybody to get the care that they need and deserve. In addition to the orders on health care access and defining the sexes as unchangeable, Trump has also signed orders that open the door to banning transgender people from military service; set up new rules about how schools can teach about gender; and intend to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls and womens sports.Legal challenges have already been filed on the military order, the plan to move transgender women in federal prisons to mens facilities and the recognition only of peoples sex as assigned at birth, which led to the halting of allowing gender markers to be changed on passports.Other lawsuits are likely to be filed, just as there have been challenges to a variety of Trumps policies.As transgender people have gained visibility and acceptance in some ways, theres been vehement pushback. At least 26 states have passed laws to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for minors. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last year but has not yet ruled on whether Tennessees ban on the care is constitutional.___Associated Press reporter Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is shown Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)2025-02-14T15:19:59Z Department of Health and Human Services officials expect most of the agencys roughly 5,200 probationary employees to be fired Friday under the Trump administrations move to get rid of nearly all probationary employees, according to an audio recording of a National Institutes of Health department meeting.In that meeting, an NIH office director told employees that some probationary staff with specialized skills might be spared. Terminated staff were to receive emails Friday afternoon, according to audio shared with The Associated Press.The cuts included nearly 1,300 probationary employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention roughly one-tenth of the agencys workforce. The Atlanta-based agencys leadership was notified of the decision Friday morning. The verbal notice came from HHS officials in a meeting with CDC leaders, according to a federal official who was at the meeting. The official was not authorized to discuss it and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Some portion of the affected employees are supposed to receive four weeks paid administrative leave, according to the federal official and the recording.HHS officials did not answer questions about the specifics of the layoffs. In an emailed statement, Andrew Nixon, the departments director of communications, wrote: HHS is following the Administrations guidance and taking action to support the Presidents broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government. This is to ensure that HHS better serves the American people at the highest and most efficient standard. Do you have a confidential tip for an AP reporter? Heres how to reach us securely. HHS employs more than 80,000 people and runs 13 supporting agencies. Besides the CDC, they include the NIH and the Food and Drug Administration. The department also provides health coverage for nearly half the country through Medicare and Medicaid. Its staff includes scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials. It oversees research of vaccines, diseases and cures. It regulates the medications found in medicine cabinets and inspects the foods that end up in cupboards. With a $9.2 billion core budget, the CDC is charged with protecting Americans from outbreaks and other public health threats. Before the cuts, the agency had about 13,000 employees, including more than 2,000 staff working in other countries.Historically CDC has been seen as a global leader on disease control and a reliable source of health information, boasting some of the top experts in the world. The staff is heavy with scientists 60% have masters degrees or doctorates. Those being fired included all first-year officers about 50 in total in the CDCs Epidemic Intelligence Service, according to two agency employees who communicated with some of the affected staffers. The two spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.The EIS, as it is known, was established in 1951 to recruit young doctors and researchers to join the agency for two-year stints as disease investigators. The laid-off first-year officers represent a little less than half the services current staff. EIS officers often are sent to different states and countries to become primary investigators of outbreaks and emerging health dangers. Many EIS graduates have gone on to leadership jobs at CDC and at other public health organizations.Its not only new employees who are subject to probation. Probationary periods also are applied to veteran staffers who, for example, were recently promoted to a new job in management.Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said many of the probationary CDC employees are filling vital roles.Its essentially assuming that they are not in a job that is crucial for the success of keeping everyone safe just because theyve been there for less than a year or less than six months, said Barocas, speaking Friday morning during an Infectious Diseases Society of America call with reporters.That sort of slash-and-burn approach is what will cause continued disruptions in our understanding of diseases and disease outbreaks, he said. The layoffs are part of a broad effort by President Donald Trump and billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk to reduce the number of workers across the entire federal government. The job cuts also came one day after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in to oversee HHS. In a Thursday interview on Fox News, Kennedy was asked if half the HHS staff would be losing their jobs.I dont know anything about 50% of people being cut, Kennedy said. I would be surprised if there were 50% cuts.He added: If youve been involved in good science, you have nothing to worry about. If you care about public health, you have nothing to worry about. If youre in there working for the pharmaceutical industry, Id say you should move out and work for the pharmaceutical industry.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. CARLA K. JOHNSON Johnson covers research in cancer, addiction and more for The Associated Press. She is a member of APs Health and Science team. twitter mailto

Fans of the Masters of the Universe franchise have finally gotten their first look at Nicholas Galitzine in the iconic role of Prince Adam, aka He-Man, in the upcoming live-action film. The early reactions to the images have been decidedly mixed, with some excited to see the actor in the role, while others express skepticism.Announced in May 2024, Galitzine, known for his role in Red, White & Royal Blue, will be stepping into the shoes of He-Man, a superhero with a storied history in both animation and toys. Masters of the Universe, which originated as a toy line in the 1980s, expanded into a successful animated series and a movie in 1987. The original Masters of the Universe film, starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, became a cult classic for its campy style and over-the-top action. While beloved, the franchise has not seen many live-action projects since, making this new film highly anticipated by long-time fans.While many details about the upcoming film remain under wraps, it has been revealed that the movie will center on a young man on Earth who discovers his hidden legacy as the prince of an alien planet. The story involves his quest to recover a magical sword and return home to protect his kingdom. Aside from Galitzine as He-Man, the star-studded cast will include Camila Mendes, James Purefoy, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, Morena Baccarin, Charlotte Riley, and Jared Leto, who will portray the villain Skeletor. The film is being directed by Travis Knight, known for Bumblebee, with a screenplay by Chris Butler, who previously wrote ParaNorman.Last year, fans were given an early glimpse of Galitzines transformation into the powerful and heroic He-Man, with set photos circulating online. Now, more images have emerged, sparking further discussion and mixed reactions from fans.Some fans have taken to social media to express excitement over Galitzines casting, with many pointing out his striking appearance. One fan posted, Hes gonna be the prettiest He-Man and Im sat. These comments highlight Galitzines notable looks, which may differ from the traditionally muscular and rugged depiction of the character, but still resonate with fans who are drawn to his charm and appeal.On the other hand, some are expressing concern that the casting choice may not align with their vision of He-Man. Not a gay character!!!!! Noooo we are losing him, lamented one fan, referencing Galitzines prior roles in LGBTQ+ themed projects. This sentiment underscores the ongoing challenge faced by fans who are passionate about the legacy of the Masters of the Universe franchise and the character of He-Man. Some worry that Galitzines casting may overshadow the traditional portrayal of the character or shift the dynamic of the film in a direction they dont fully support.Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man on the set of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE https://t.co/jMqxKmLhKh Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February 14, 2025As the Masters of the Universe franchise is reimagined for a new generation, many fans are eager to see how it will blend the franchises rich history with modern storytelling. The films premise, combining fantasy, action, and a young heros journey, has the potential to introduce a new audience to the classic series while keeping longtime fans engaged.The casting of Galitzine in particular has sparked debate about the direction of the film and how it will be received by different audiences. Galitzines past performances, especially in LGBTQ+ roles, have garnered praise and solidified him as an actor with a broad appeal. However, some fans fear that his involvement in Masters of the Universe may change the tone or character of He-Man, who has traditionally been portrayed as a muscular, larger-than-life action figure.Whether or not this new iteration of He-Man will capture the spirit of the original character remains to be seen. Galitzines portrayal will undoubtedly be a central point of discussion, as fans of the franchise weigh in on whether or not the characters evolution aligns with their expectations.The post Heres Your First Look at Nicholas Galitzine Bulked-Up as He-Man for Masters of The Universe appeared first on Gayety.

Even with the rise of sapphic musicians creating unapologetically queer songs for fans to scream (or cry) along to, we don't get a ton of collaborations between them. But that doesn't mean we haven't gotten some absolute bangers so far during this revolution. Hopefully more artists will follow suit, but in the meantime, here are some of our favorite sapphic collabs you should add to your playlists immediately if you haven't already.1. "Strangers" by Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui"Said that we're not loversWe're just strangersWith the same damn hungerTo be touched, to be loved, to feel anything at all"2. "Cherry" by Fletcher & Hayley Kiyoko"Your lips when you bite 'em like thisAnd I'm blushing real hard, got me moving my hipsYou're across from meAnd it's hard to breathe"3. "Persuasive (Remix)" by Doechii & SZA"Shes so persuasiveThat marijuanaShes so flirtatious(How does it feel to be you)"4. "Los Vas A Olvidar" by Billie Eilish &Rosala"Lo va' a olvidar?Can you let it go?Can you let it go?"5. "Silk Chiffon" by MUNA ft. Phoebe Bridgers"Life's so fun, life's so funDon't need to worry about no oneShe said I got her if I wantShe's so soft like silk chiffon"6. "Taste So Good (The Cann Song)" byHayley Kiyoko, VINCINT, MNEK, & KeshaYes, this is a promotional music video for a weed beverage company, and yes, that's Patricia Arquette standing in for Kesha in the music video. But a bop is a bop!7. "Dear Insecurity" by Brandy Clark ft. Brandi CarlileWho doesn't love a good collab between wives?8. "Taste of You" by Rezz ft. Dove Cameron"What am I supposed to be When you sink your teeth in me?'Cause I live for the way you moveI'd die without the taste of you"9. "GAY 4 ME" by G Flip ft. Lauren SandersonYes, G Flip is non-binary but there's no denying this song is totally sapphic.10. "Not My Fault" by Rene Rapp & Megan Thee Stallion"It's not my fault you came with her, but she might leave with meIt's not my fault you gotta pay for what I get for freeIt's not my fault you're like, you're like, you're like in love with meIt's not my fault you're like in love with me"11. "worst behaviour" by kwn ft. KehlaniAlthough we couldn't find confirmation on how kwn identifies, this music video is hella gay.12. "What I Need" by Hayley Kiyoko ft. Kehlani"I only want a girl who ain't afraid to love meNot a metaphor of what we really could beOh, I ain't putting on a show"13. "Girls" by Rita Ora ft. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, & Charli XCXThis song was weirdly controversial when it came out, thanks in part to the harmful assumption that everyone is straight until they explicitly state otherwise!14. "Common" by Maren Morris ft. Brandi Carlile"I breathe it in my lungsI've seen it in the fleshIf all we need is loveHow the hell did we forget?"15. "Favela Chegou" by Ludmilla & AnittaAnd it's not their only collab!16. "Touch Me (Remix)" by Victoria Mont ft. Kehlani"And when you rock them short nails, that's low-key sentimentalNow keep 'em cut though so there ain't no incidentals"

Love is in the air, and the WNBA season is on the horizon!Sports usually inspire fierce rivalries and even feuds between players and teams, but for the Sapphic ladies in the WNBA, love seems to strike while on the basketball court. From teammates getting shot by Cupid's arrow to WNBA players falling for other pro athletes, these queer women are all coupled up, and we love to see it!Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun)See on InstagramAlyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are teammates on and off the court. Both women are Connecticut Sun players, and they got engaged during the WNBA All-Star Weekend in 2023. Talk about a basketball power couple!Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun)See on InstagramNot only are Thomas and Bonner masters on the court, they also know to strut their stuff and look fierce while doing it!DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith (Dallas Wings)See on InstagramDiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith used to play on different teams, but they were both just acquired by the Dallas Wings and will be playing together in the upcoming season. These two basketball superstars have been dating since they played together at Baylor University so it's fitting that they'll be sharing the court again when the new season starts up in May.DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith (Dallas Wings)See on InstagramThese love birds are so cute together, it almost makes us want to learn how to play basketball just so we can fall in love too!Kahleah Copper (Pheonix Mercury) and Binta Daisy Drammeh (Swedish National Team)See on InstagramKahleah Copper, a three-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist is engaged to Binta Daisy Drammeh, a player on Sweden's national basketball team.Kahleah Copper (Pheonix Mercury) and Binta Daisy Drammeh (Swedish National Team)See on InstagramIn 2024, Copper helped the Women's National Team win a record eighth-straight gold medals, the longest Olympic gold medal streak in a traditional team sport.Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) and Marta Xargay Casademont (former Pheonix Mercury)See on InstagramNew York Liberty player Breanna Stewart is married to retired Spanish basketball player Marta Xargay Casademont, who used to play for the WNBA's Pheonix Mercury. In 2021, the couple got married, and their first child was born; then, in 2023, they welcomed their second child into the world.Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) and Marta Xargay Casademont (former Pheonix Mercury)See on InstagramWe can't wait to see more WNBA players find their other half while on the court!

The wilderness is calling once again, and the Yellowjackets are answeringwhether they want to or not. Season 3 of the hit Showtime-turned-Paramount+ series premieres today, and fans are in for another thrilling, gruesome, and emotional ride.Whats Yellowjackets About?Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets follows a high school girls soccer team whose plane crashes deep in the remote northern wilderness. The show moves between the pastwhere the survivors battle the elements, each other, and their darkest instinctsand the present, where they struggle to keep their secrets buried while facing the consequences of their time in the wild.Whats Happening in Season 3?After enduring a brutal winter, the Yellowjackets find themselves in a fragile moment of survival. Tension within the group is at an all-time high, and with leadership disputes threatening their unity, being rescued may be the least of their problems. Meanwhile, in the present day, secrets continue to unravel, exposing deeper, darker truths about who theyve become.Season 3 welcomes returning favorites like Melanie Lynskey (Shauna), Christina Ricci (Misty), Tawny Cypress (Taissa), and Lauren Ambrose (Van), while newcomers like two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank join the all-star cast.Its Very Gay This SeasonOne of the standout aspects of Yellowjackets has always been its strong female-led cast and queer representation, both on and off-screen. Sammi Hanratty, who plays teen Misty, reflected on how the show helped her embrace her identity:I came out myself during season one as bisexual, and this show created a space where I felt comfortable to do that, Hanratty shared. I think that this show is a great representation of just accepting yourself where youre at.And for fans wondering if this season will continue pushing LGBTQ+ representation forward? Yes, yes. Its very gay this season, Hanratty confirmed.Owning the Queer, Female-Led NarrativeJasmin Savoy Brown, who plays teen Taissa, takes immense pride in the shows representation.I am so honored to be a part of such a queer and female show, Brown said. Not just that its a show about so many women and girls, but that these women and girls are allowed to be messy and strong and f***ed up and manipulative and evilcannibalistic. Usually, even when we get to focus on girls, theyre kind of undone. Theyre pretty but messy. But here, theyre gross and horrible, and we deserve to see that.Love, Trauma, and a Few Laughs Along the WayThe deep emotional weight of the series is balanced with the casts incredible chemistry off-screen. Liv Hewson, who plays teen Van, emphasized how tight-knit the team has become.Weve grown together a lot over the years that weve been making this show, and thats very special, Hewson said.Tawny Cypress, who plays adult Taissa, also highlighted the importance of showcasing queer relationships, particularly older queer couples. I wish I had representation like this growing up, she said. I wish I saw characters that looked like me.Bringing the Darkness to LifeWith such heavy material, the Yellowjackets cast has had to develop ways to stay grounded. Kevin Alves, who plays Travis, explained his process:For me, Ive got to walk away until action. Pretty much, Im by myself for a lot of that. Im walking, Im pacing because its so heavy in the material that we do, and we have to do our best to do it justice.His co-star Alexa Barajas agreed, adding that music plays a big role in setting the tone. Wearing the big headphones that zone everybody out and just listening to songs that kind of put you in the mood really allows you to drop into it.Expect the UnexpectedAs with every Yellowjackets season, there are bound to be shocking moments that leave audiences gasping. Courtney Eaton, who plays teen Lottie, teased an upcoming wild scene: Theres one this season that I just go like, What were we doing?Alves echoed the sentiment: We were filming it in the middle of the night, and everyone just goes a little kooky. Yeah, its coming.Welcome Back to the HiveWith its signature mix of psychological horror, drama, and dark humor, Yellowjackets is returning in full force. As always, expect shocking twists, more incredible performances, and a healthy dose of queer chaos.The first two episodes of Season 3 of Yellowjackets is streaming now on Paramount+. New episodes will drop every Friday on Paramount+ and SHOWTIME. Buckle upits going to be a wild ride.Watch interviews with the cast below! The post Survival, Secrets & Sapphics: Yellowjackets Season 3 Delivers Its Gayest, Wildest Ride Yet appeared first on Gayety.

President Donald Trump listens to a question from a reporter as Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick watches after Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-02-14T23:00:59Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is taking a blowtorch to the rules that have governed world trade for decades. The reciprocal tariffs that he announced Thursday are likely to create chaos for global businesses and conflict with Americas allies and adversaries alike.Since the 1960s, tariffs or import taxes have emerged from negotiations between dozens of countries. Trump wants to seize the process.Obviously, it disrupts the way that things have been done for a very long time, said Richard Mojica, a trade attorney at Miller & Chevalier. Trump is throwing that out the window ... Clearly this is ripping up trade. There are going to have to be adjustments all over the place.Pointing to Americas massive and persistent trade deficits not since 1975 has the U.S. sold the rest of the world more than its bought -- Trump charges that the playing field is tilted against U.S. companies. A big reason for that, he and his advisers say, is because other countries usually tax American exports at a higher rate than America taxes theirs. Trump has a fix: Hes raising U.S. tariffs to match what other countries charge. The president is an unabashed tariff supporter. He used them in his first term, and three weeks into his second he has already slapped 10% tariffs on China; effectively raised U.S. taxes on foreign steel and aluminum; and threatened, then delayed for 30 days, 25% taxes on goods from Canada and Mexico. Economists dont share Trumps enthusiasm for tariffs. Theyre a tax on importers that usually get passed on to consumers. But its possible that Trumps reciprocal tariff threat could bring other countries to the table and get them to lower their own import taxes. It could be win-win, said Christine McDaniel, a former U.S. trade official now at George Mason Universitys Mercatus Center. Its in other countries interests to reduce those tariffs. She noted that India has already cut tariffs on items from motorcycles to luxury cars and agreed to ramp up purchases of U.S. energy. What are reciprocal tariffs and how do they work?They sound simple: The United States would raise its tariff on foreign goods to match what other countries impose on U.S. products. If they charge us, we charge them, the president told reporters on Sunday. If theyre at 25, were at 25. If theyre at 10, were at 10. And if theyre much higher than 25, thats what we are too.But the White House didnt reveal many details. It has directed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to deliver a report April 1 about how the new tariffs would actually work.Among the outstanding questions, noted Antonio Rivera, a partner at ArentFox Schiff and a former attorney with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is whether the U.S. is going to look at the thousands of items in the tariff code from motorcycles to mangos -- and try to level the tariff rates out one by one, country by country. Or whether it will look more broadly at each countrys average tariff and how it compares to America. Or something else entirely. Its just a very, very chaotic environment, said Stephen Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Its hard to plan in any sort of long-term, sustainable way. How did tariffs get so lopsided?Americas tariffs are generally lower than those of its trading partners. After World War II, the United States pushed for other countries to lower trade barriers and tariffs, seeing free trade as a way to promote peace, prosperity and American exports around the world. And it mostly practiced what it preached, generally keeping its own tariffs low and giving American consumers access to inexpensive foreign goods.Trump has broken with the old free trade consensus, saying unfair foreign competition has hurt American manufacturers and devastated factory towns in the American heartland. During his first term, he slapped tariffs on foreign steel, aluminum, washing machines, solar panels and almost everything from China. Democratic President Joe Biden largely continued Trumps protectionist policies.The White House has cited several examples of especially lopsided tariffs: Brazil taxes ethanol imports, including Americas, at 18%, but the U.S. tariff on ethanol is just 2.5%. Likewise, India taxes foreign motorcycles at 100%, America just 2.4%. Does this mean the U.S. been taken advantage of? The higher foreign tariffs that Trump complains about werent sneakily adopted by foreign countries. The United States agreed to them after years of complex negotiations known as the Uruguay Round, which ended in a trade pact involving 123 countries.As part of the deal, the countries could set their own tariffs on different products but under the most favored nation approach, they couldnt charge one country more than they charged another. So the high tariffs Trump complains about arent aimed at the United States alone. They hit everybody. Trumps grievances against U.S. trading partners also come at an odd time. The United States, running on strong consumer spending and healthy improvements in productivity, is outperforming the worlds other advanced economies. The U.S. economy grew nearly 9% from just before COVID-19 hit through the middle of last year compared with just 5.5% for Canada and just 1.9% for the European Union. Germanys economy shrank 2% during that time. Trumps plan goes beyond foreign countries tariffsNot satisfied with scrambling the tariff code, Trump is also going after other foreign practices he sees as unfair barriers to American exports. These include subsidies that give homegrown producers an advantage over U.S. exports; ostensible health rules that are used to keep out foreign products; and loose regulations that encourage the theft of trade secrets and other intellectual property.Figuring out an import tax that offsets the damage from those practices will add another level of complexity to Trumps reciprocal tariff scheme.The Trump team is also picking a fight with the European Union and other trading partners over so-called value-added taxes. Known as VATs, these levies are essentially a sales tax on products that are consumed within a countrys borders. Trump and his advisers consider VATs a tariff because they apply to U.S. exports.Yet most economists disagree, for a simple reason: VATs are applied to domestic and imported products alike, so they dont specifically target foreign goods and havent traditionally been seen as a trade barrier. And theres a bigger problem: VATs are huge revenue raisers for European governments. There is no way most countries can negotiate over their VAT ... as it is a critical part of their revenue base, Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, posted on X.Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist for Capital Economics, says that the top 15 countries that export to the U.S. have average VATs topping 14%, as well as duties of 6%. That would mean U.S. retaliatory tariffs could reach 20% much higher than Trumps campaign proposal of universal 10% duties. Tariffs and the trade deficitTrump and some of his advisers argue that steeper tariffs would help reverse the United States long-standing trade deficits. But tariffs havent proven successful at narrowing the trade gap: Despite the Trump-Biden import taxes, the deficit rose last year to $918 billion, second-highest on record.The deficit, economists say, is a result of the unique features of the U.S. economy. Because the federal government runs a huge deficit, and American consumers like to spend so much, U.S. consumption and investment far outpaces savings. As a result, a chunk of that demand goes to overseas goods and services. The U.S. covers the cost of the trade gap by essentially borrowing from overseas, in part by selling treasury securities and other assets.The trade deficit is really a macroeconomic imbalance, said Kimberly Clausing, a UCLA economist and former Treasury official. It comes from this lack of desire to save and this lack of desire to tax. Until you fix those things, well run a trade imbalance._____AP Retail Writer Anne DInnocenzio in New York contributed to this story. CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

This image provided by Office of the New York Mayor shows New York Mayor Eric Adams as he speaks during an address from City Hall, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Ed Reed/Office of the New York Mayor via AP)2025-02-14T19:17:31Z NEW YORK (AP) The Justice Department asked a court Friday to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, with a top official from Washington intervening after federal prosecutors in Manhattan rebuffed his demands to drop the case and some quit in protest.Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove, the departments second-in-command, and lawyers from the departments public integrity section and criminal division filed paperwork asking to end the case. They contend the case was marred by appearances of impropriety and said that letting it go on would interfere with the mayors reelection bid. A judge must still approve the request.The filing came hours after prosecutors in the public integrity section which handles corruption cases were told their jobs could be at risk for not stepping forward to handle the matter, according to a person briefed on the discussions who insisted on anonymity to speak about a private meeting. The three-page dismissal motion bore Boves signature and the names of Edward Sullivan, the public integrity sections senior litigation counsel, and Antoinette Bacon, a supervisory official in the departments criminal division. No one from the federal prosecutors office in Manhattan, which brought the Adams case, signed the document. The move came five days into a showdown between Justice Department leadership and its office in Manhattan, which has long prided itself on its independence. At least seven prosecutors in Manhattan and Washington quit rather than carry out Boves directive to halt the case, including the interim U.S. attorney in Manhattan and the acting chief of the public integrity section.The Justice Department is seeking to dismiss Adams charges with the option of refiling them at a later date. Bove said earlier this week that the new Manhattan U.S. attorney can decide whether to refile the charges after the November election. Adams faces a Democratic primary in June, with several challengers lined up. His trial had been on track to be held in the spring. Bove concluded that continuing the prosecution would interfere with Adams ability to govern, posing unacceptable threats to public safety, national security, and related federal immigration initiatives and policies, the dismissal motion said. Among other things, it said, the case caused Adams to be denied access to sensitive information necessary to help protect the city.Bove on Monday directed Danielle Sassoon, a Republican serving as interim U.S. attorney in New York, to drop the charges against Adams. He argued President Donald Trump needed the mayors help to advance his immigration enforcement agenda. Bove also echoed claims that Adams has made without evidence that the case was retaliation for his criticism of Biden administration immigration policies. Instead of complying, Sassoon resigned Thursday, along with five high-ranking Justice Department officials in Washington. A day earlier, she sent a letter to Trumps new attorney general, Pam Bondi, asking her to meet and reconsider the directive to drop the case. As Justice Department officials worked Friday to seize the case and end it, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan who worked for Sassoon and was involved in the Adams case resigned and blasted Bove in the process.Hagan Scotten wrote in a resignation letter to Bove that it would take a fool or a coward to meet his demand to drop the charges.Scotten, along with other prosecutors in the case against Adams, was suspended with pay on Thursday by Bove, who launched a probe of the prosecutors that he said would determine whether they kept their jobs.Scotten is an Army veteran who earned two Bronze medals serving in Iraq as a Special Forces troop commander. He graduated from Harvard Law School at the top of his class in 2010 and clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts.In a resignation letter to Bove, Scotten said he was entirely in agreement with Sassoons refusal to seek dismissal of charges that the mayor had accepted over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks from foreign nationals looking to buy his influence while he was Brooklyn borough president campaigning to be mayor. In her letter, Sassoon accused Adams lawyers of offering what amounted to a quid pro quo on immigration when they met with Justice Department officials in Washington last month.Adams lawyer Alex Spiro said Thursday that the allegation of a quid pro quo was a total lie.We offered nothing and the department asked nothing of us, Spiro said in an email to reporters. We were asked if the case had any bearing on national security and immigration enforcement and we truthfully answered it did.On Friday, Adams denied there was any deal to make the case go away.I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered nor did anyone offer on my behalf any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never, the mayor said in a statement. In his resignation letter, Scotten wrote: No system of ordered liberty can allow the Government to use the carrot of dismissing charges, or the stick of threatening to bring them again, to induce an elected official to support its policy objectives.The prosecutor said he was following a tradition in public service of resigning in a last-ditch effort to head off a serious mistake.He said he could see how a president such as Trump, with a background in business and politics, might see the contemplated dismissal-with-leverage as a good, if distasteful, deal.But Scotten said any prosecutor would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials, in this way.He added: If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to be me.Adams pleaded not guilty to the charges in September but has recently bonded at times with Trump, who has criticized the case against Adams and said he was open to giving Adams, who was a registered Republican in the 1990s, a pardon. __Richer and Tucker reported from Washington. MICHAEL R. SISAK Sisak is an Associated Press reporter covering law enforcement and courts in New York City, including former President Donald Trumps criminal and civil cases and problems plaguing the federal prison system. twitter mailto ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department and the special counsel cases against former President Donald Trump. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People protest during a rally outside the Treasury Department in Washington, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)2025-02-14T22:34:14Z NEW YORK (AP) Workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration s aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections.While much of the administrations attention was focused on disrupting bureaucracy in Washington, the broad-based effort to slash the government workforce was impacting a far wider swath of workers. As layoff notices were sent out agency by agency, federal employees from Michigan to Florida were left reeling from being told that their services were no longer needed.In a sign of how chaotic the firings have been, some who received layoff notices had already accepted the administrations deferred resignation offer, under which they were supposed to be paid until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit, raising questions about whether others who signed the deal would nonetheless be fired. On Friday evening, the Office of Personnel Management, which serves as a human resources department for the federal government, acknowledged that some employees may have received termination notices in error and said the buyouts agreements would be honored. This has been slash and burn, said Nicholas Detter, who had been working in Kansas as a natural resource specialist, helping farmers reduce soil and water erosion, until he was fired by email late Thursday night. He said there seemed to be little thought about how employees and the farmers and ranchers he helped would be impacted. None of this has been done thoughtfully or carefully, he said. The White House and OPM declined to say Friday how many probationary workers, who generally have less than a year on the job, have so far been dismissed. According to government data maintained by OPM, 220,000 workers had less than a year on the job as of March 2024. OMP has given agencies until 8 p.m. Tuesday to issue layoff notices, according to a person familiar with the plan who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.The probationary layoffs are the latest salvo in the new administrations sweeping efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce, which are being led by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. Trump, in an executive order Tuesday, told agency leaders to plan for large-scale reductions after their initial attempt to downsize the workforce the voluntary buyout - was accepted by only 75,000 workers. The layoffs beginOn Thursday night, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees who had served for less than two years. That included researchers working on cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics and burn pit exposure, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said Thursday.Dozens were fired from the Education Department, including special education specialists and student aid officials, according to a union that represents agency workers.At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1,300 probationary employees roughly one-tenth of the agencys total workforce are being forced out. The Atlanta-based agencys leadership was notified of the decision Friday morning, according to a federal official who was at the meeting and was not authorized to discuss the orders and requested anonymity.The new Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday that her agency had invited Musks DOGE team with open arms and that layoffs will be forthcoming.Clearly, its a new day, Rollins said at the White House. I think the American people spoke on November 5th, that they believe that government was too big. Workers impactedAndrew Lennox, a 10-year Marine veteran, was part of a new supervisor training program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He said he received an email out of the blue Thursday evening informing him that he was being terminated.In order to help veterans, you just fired a veteran, said Lennox, 35, a former USMC infantryman who was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.Lennox had been working as an administrative officer at the VA since mid-December and said he would love nothing more than to keep working.This is my family, and I would like to do this forever, he said.In a post on its website, the VA announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees, saying the personnel moves will save the department more than $98 million per year and be better equipped to help vets.I was like: What about this one? Lennox said David Rice, a disabled Army paratrooper who has been on probation since joining the U.S. Department of Energy in September, also learned Thursday night that he had lost his job.Rice, who has been working as a foreign affairs specialist on health matters relating to radiation exposure, said hed been led to believe that his job would likely be safe. But on Thursday night, when he logged into his computer for a meeting with Japanese representatives, he saw an email saying hed been fired. Its just been chaos, said Rice, 50, who had just bought a house in Melbourne, Florida, after he got the job.Rice said he agrees with the Trump administrations goal of making the government more efficient, but objects to the random, scattershot approach being taken.Fired despite agreeing to the buyoutSome of those impacted had already signed the buyout agreements offered by the administration that were supposed to protect them from dismissal. Detter, 25, who had worked for the Agriculture Departments Natural Resources Conservation Service, said he had accepted the buyout because he knew that, as a probationary employee, hed likely be first on the chopping block if he didnt accept. But late Thursday night, Detter received an email saying he had been laid off effective immediately, even though he had received completely positive evaluations during his time on the job.He said the decision left him feeling disrespected and a a little bit helpless.Youre just kind of a pawn in a much bigger struggle that Elon Musk in particular, I feel like is his kind of battle hes decided to take on to shrink the government, Detter said.Detter said two of the four employees in the Kansas county where he worked were laid off even though they were already struggling with their workload helping farmers manage their land to prevent soil erosion and water pollution, a program that was created in the wake of the 1930s Dust Bowl to help keep Americas farmland healthy and productive.Challenging the administrationThe National Treasury Employees Union and a group of other unions filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging what they call unlawful terminations. Terminating probationary employees who have gone through extensive training will have a devastating impact on agency missions and government operations, NTEU President Doreen Greenwald wrote in a Thursday letter to union members. She said many federal agencies are already severely understaffed due to years of frozen or slashed budgets that prevented them from replacing retiring employees.On Friday evening, the advocacy group Democracy Forward filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers, asking for an investigation into whether the mass firings violated federal personnel practices and asking that they be halted while the inquiry is being conducted. Labor activists and government workers rallied outside the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington Friday morning, to protest the cuts.Theyre picking us off, one by one, said one federal contractor who has not yet lost her job, but who, like others, declined to identify herself for fear of reprisal. First, its the probationary workers, then were next, she said.Will the cuts reduce the deficit?The layoffs are unlikely to yield significant deficit savings. The government spends about $270 billion annually compensating civilian federal workers, according to the Congressional Budget Office, with about 60% going to workers at the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.Even if the government cut all of those workers, it would still run a deficit of over $1 trillion.But Trumps mass layoffs of federal workers could come back to bite him in economic data. The monthly jobs reports could start to show a slowdown in hiring, if not turn negative at some point after the February numbers are released.The last time the economy lost jobs was in December 2020, when the United States was still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.Given everything that is happening in the federal government, it is very plausible that job growth could turn negative at some point, said Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale University. She noted that employers that rely on government grants and contracts would also show declines.Those who have been fired say the people they serve will soon feel the impact, too. Rice, the disabled paratrooper working on radiation exposure at the Department of Energy, said the work he was doing made a difference.Were just out here trying to do something that we actually believe in, that matters, he said. I really believe that were actually out there helping people. ___ Colvin and Price reported from New York, Witte from Annapolis, Maryland, and Householder from Detroit. Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein, Josh Boak, Will Weissert and Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report. JILL COLVIN Colvin is an Associated Press national political reporter covering the 2024 presidential campaign. She is based in New York. mailto MIKE HOUSEHOLDER Householder is an Associated Press video journalist based in Detroit. He shoots and edits his own visual pieces for online and broadcast use, while writing the occasional text news story and book review. twitter mailto MICHELLE L. PRICE Price is a national political reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump, center, arrives on Marine One to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, en route to West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-02-14T23:44:36Z The White House barred a credentialed Associated Press reporter and photographer from boarding the presidential airplane Friday for a weekend trip with Donald Trump, saying the news agencys stance on how to refer to the Gulf of Mexico was to blame for the exclusion. It represented a significant escalation by the White House in a four-day dispute with the AP over access to the presidency.The administration has blocked the AP from covering a handful of events at the White House this week, including a news conference with Indias leader and several times in the Oval Office. Its all because the news outlet has not followed Trumps lead in renaming the body of water, which lies partially outside U.S. territory, to the Gulf of America.AP reporters and photographers travel with the president virtually everywhere as part of a press pool and have for decades. AP journalism serves millions of readers and thousands of news outlets around the world. Journalists consider the administrations move a violation of the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment a governmental attempt to dictate what a news company publishes under threat of retribution. The Trump administration says the AP has no special right of access to events where space is limited, particularly given the news services commitment to misinformation. AP calls that assertion entirely untrue. Freedom of speech is a pillar of American democracy and a core value of the American people. The White House has said it supports these principles, AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said Friday night. The actions taken to restrict APs coverage of presidential events because of how we refer to a geographic location chip away at this important right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for all Americans. The body of water in question has been called the Gulf of Mexico for hundreds of years. AP, whose influential stylebook is used by news outlets as an arbiter of language and usage, advised that because of its broad set of global customers, it would both refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico and also reference Trumps order changing the name to the Gulf of America within the United States. At the same time, the AP switched style last month from Denali to Mount McKinley for the mountain in Alaska that Trump ordered renamed. That location lies entirely within U.S. jurisdiction. Taylor Budowich, White House deputy chief of staff, said in a post to X Friday one that was later released as a White House statement that the AP continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America. This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes The Associated Press commitment to misinformation.While the First Amendment protects the APs right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting, it doesnt ensure unfettered access to limited spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One, Budowich said. He said AP would retain its credentials to the White House complex overall.On Friday, an AP reporter and photographer had traveled to Joint Base Andrews for their participation in the traveling press pool to Trumps Florida residence. But, after clearing security, neither was allowed to board Air Force One, a decision they were told was outlet-specific. Meanwhile, reporters in the press pool who were permitted on the plane sent the AP journalists pictures of cards with their names saying welcome aboard on their empty seats. Other news organizations, like The New York Times and Washington Post, have also said they would primarily use Gulf of Mexico. Fox News said that it was switching to Gulf of America.The White House Correspondents Association has issued statements condemning the action against AP. Although there are talks going on behind the scenes, individual news outlets have been relatively quiet. The Times, through spokesman Charles Stadtlander, said on Friday that we stand by The Associated Press in condemning repeated acts of retribution by this administration for editorial decisions it disagrees with. Any move to limit access or impede reporters doing their jobs is at odds with the press freedoms enshrined in the Constitution. In a statement, the Washington Post said that the APs access to the administration is central for all journalistic organizations, including The Washington Post, in serving millions of Americans with fact-based, independent journalism each day.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who on Wednesday used the word lies in describing AP content, posted on X Friday afternoon about executive orders Trump had signed before his departure. She ended her post: The @AP was not invited.___David Bauder writes about media 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

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Alice Weidel, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's candidate for chancellor, not pictured, hold a press conference following their meeting in the government headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP)2025-02-14T10:35:45Z BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) U.S. President Donald Trumps administration will reconnect Russia with the economies and energy networks of Western countries if the war in Ukraine, now nearly three years old, comes to an end, Hungarys nationalist prime minister said on Friday. In comments on state radio, Viktor Orbn said Trump had initiated a comprehensive shift in approach among Western nations to numerous issues, including Russias war, and Trumps recent efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict would result in Moscow being drawn back into the Western fold. If the American president makes peace, if an agreement is made, I think Russia will be reintegrated into the world economy, reintegrated into the European security system, and even European energy, said Orbn, who is close to Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This will give the Hungarian economy a huge boost. Its a big opportunity. We gain a lot in peace. A phone call between Trump and Putin on Wednesday, during which they agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war, abruptly ended a three-year, U.S.-led effort to isolate the Russian leader over Ukraine and raised concerns in Kyiv and other European capitals that a negotiated settlement could take place without their direct participation. But Orbn, who has long been critical of Western efforts to support Ukraines defense and threatened to veto European Union sanctions against Moscow, praised Trump for his discussions with Putin, saying the U.S. president wants peace. The United States has initiated a change that puts the whole Western worlds system of arguments, value system, and way of thinking on a new track, he said. This process is progressing much faster than many people thought. We call this the Trump tornado.Hungary, unlike the majority of European countries, has continued to rely heavily on Russian oil and gas even after Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and has been a staunch critic of EU sanctions against Russias energy sector. On Friday, he predicted the EU would fall apart if energy prices across the bloc were not brought down.I personally became convinced in 2010, 2011 that the European Union was done for, he said. If the Germans and the French do not figure something out and put the European Union on a new trajectory, then its days are numbered. There is no need to leave it, it will fall apart by itself if it goes on like this. JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev during their meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-02-14T18:15:48Z MOSCOW, Russia (AP) Russia has detained another U.S. citizen, after customs officials found cannabis-laced marmalade in his luggage, Russian media said Friday, days after a Moscow-Washington prisoner swap that the White House called a diplomatic thaw and a step toward ending the fighting in Ukraine.Russian police said the 28-year-old American had attempted to smuggle a significant amount of drugs into the country, the Interfax agency reported, citing Russias Federal Customs Service. The agency said the American was detained at Moscows Vnukovo airport after flying in from Istanbul last Friday.Mash, a Russian Telegram channel with links to the security services, said the U.S. citizen, identified only as K. Byers, faced up to seven years in prison if convicted. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department.The Washington-Moscow prisoner exchange this month saw Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the United States, returned to Russia after being freed for American Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who was detained in 2021 when traveling to Russia to work at a school. Fogel had been serving a 14-year sentence for having with what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana. President Joe Bidens administration designated Fogel as wrongfully detained in December. President Donald Trump on Wednesday upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine, saying he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the conflict following a lengthy direct phone call.

In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, the Office of Military Commissions building used for Periodic Review Board hearings stands, on April 18, 2019, in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-02-15T01:56:14Z EL PASO, Texas (AP) Three immigrants who won a restraining order against the federal government to avoid transfer to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba were deported this week on direct flights to Venezuela, according to court documents published Friday.The three men were deported Monday, the day after a federal judge approved a temporary order blocking a possible transfer to Guantanamo Bay.Venezuelan immigrants are being flown on a daily basis from a military base at El Paso, Texas, to Guantanamo as part of President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown.Lawyers for the deported men said they were the target of false accusations of gang affiliation by the U.S. government that may expose them to harm.The governments baseless accusations in this case that two of the (immigrants) are affiliated with the infamous Tren de Aragua gang raises grave concerns about risks to their lives and freedom upon their return to Venezuela, attorney Jessica Myers Vosburgh of the Center for Constitutional Rights told a federal judge. Immigrant rights groups have filed a separate lawsuit demanding access to people who have been sent Guantanamo Bay without access to legal counsel or communication with relatives.Millions of desperate people have fled Venezuela amid a severe economic and political crisis under President Nicols Maduro, migrating to other parts of Latin America or the U.S. The Tren de Aragua gang originated in a lawless prison in the central Venezuelan state of Aragua more than a decade ago RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, and other dignitaries, attend an international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Normandy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-02-14T13:46:44Z BRUSSELS (AP) Increasingly alarmed that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere, a group of European countries has been quietly working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to help enforce any future peace settlement with Russia.Britain and France are at the forefront of the effort, though details remain scarce. The countries involved in the discussions are reluctant to tip their hand and give Russian President Vladimir Putin an edge should he agree to negotiate an end to the war he launched three years ago.What is clear is that Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy needs a guarantee that his countrys security will be assured until peace takes hold. The best protection would be the NATO membership that Ukraine has long been promised, but the U.S. has taken that option off the table.I wont get into the particular capabilities, but I do accept that if there is peace then there needs to be some sort of security guarantee for Ukraine and the U.K. will play its part in that, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in cautious remarks on Thursday. The Europeans began exploring what kind of force might be needed about a year ago, but the sense of urgency has grown amid concern that U.S. President Donald Trump might go over their heads, and possibly even Ukraines, to clinch a deal with Putin.Many questions remain unanswered but one stands out: what role, if any, might the United States play? European powers consider the road aheadIn December, after Trump was elected but before he took office, a group of leaders and ministers huddled with Zelenskyy at NATO Secretary-General Mark Ruttes residence in Brussels. They came from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Top European Union officials attended too.The talks built on an idea promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron in early 2024. At the time his refusal to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine prompted an outcry, notably from the leaders of Germany and Poland.Macron appeared isolated on the European stage, but his plan has gained traction since.Still, much about what the force might look like and who will take part will depend on the terms of any peace settlement, and more.Italy has constitutional limits on the use of its forces. The Netherlands would need a greenlight from its parliament, as would Germany, whose position could evolve after the Feb. 23 elections usher in a new government. Poland is cautious, given lingering animosities with Ukraine that date from World War II.We are in a very early stage, Hanno Pevklur, Estonias defense minister told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.While there are various ongoing discussions and rumors, it is critical for European allies to understand what the contact line in Ukraine will look like before coming up with a plan, Pevkur said.If Russia and Ukraine reduce their forces along the front line to a couple of thousand on both sides, then its not a problem for Europe to also be there, Pevkur said, pointing out that it would be much harder if there is still a boiling conflict. A robust security force rather than peacekeepersThe makeup and role of the force will be dictated by the kind of peace deal thats reached. If Russia and Ukraine can agree terms as the negotiations progress, its plausible that fewer security precautions and a smaller force would be needed.But experts and officials warn that, as things stand, the Europeans must deploy a robust and sizeable contingent, rather than a team of peacekeepers like United Nations blue helmets.It has to be a real force (so) that the Russians know that if they ever tested it that they would get crushed. And you can be sure that Russia will test it, Ben Hodges, the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, said last month at a European Policy Centre think tank event.They violate every single agreement. So if we send a force in there, theyve got to have airpower, large land forces, drones, counter-drones, air and missile defense. All of that, he said. If they go in there with a bunch of blue helmets and rifles, they will get crushed. Retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of Frances military mission at the United Nations, agreed that U.N. peacekeepers are better suited for deployment in zones that are far more stable.For starters, mounting this operation with soldiers taken from across the world would take about a year, he said.There also needs to be training of Ukrainian soldiers and investment in Ukraines defense industry, Latvia Defense Minister Andris Sprds told the AP. How big a force?The nature of the peace deal will determine the size and location of the European contingent. Zelenskyy has insisted on at least 100,000 to 150,000 troops. Media reports have speculated about a 30,000-40,000 strong force. Diplomats and officials have not confirmed either figure.Ukraine also wants air support, not just boots on the ground.What is clear is that the Europeans would struggle to muster a large-scale force, and certainly could not do it quickly.In an interview on Friday with the Financial Times, Macron said that the idea of deploying a huge force is far-fetched.We have to do things that are appropriate, realistic, well thought, measured and negotiated, he said.U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted this week on robust international oversight of the line of contact, a reference to the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) long front line. The Europeans are reluctant as that would require too many troops.Nearly all agree that some kind of American backstop is essential. European armed forces have long relied on superior U.S. logistics, air transport and other military capabilities.The U.S. lays down some rulesAt NATO headquarters on Wednesday, Hegseth began describing the terms under which the U.S. might agree to a force that would help provide Ukraine with the robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again.Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops, Hegseth told almost 50 of Ukraines Western backers. If they go to Ukraine, he said, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission.Putin has said that he launched the invasion in part due to NATO territory expanding too close to Russias borders and is unlikely to accept any operation run by the worlds biggest military organization.Any European allies taking part would not benefit from NATOs collective security guarantee if they were attacked, Hegseth said. He underlined that there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.He did not reveal what role the U.S. might play.From Ukraines perspective, a Europe-only operation simply would not work. Any security guarantees are impossible without the Americans, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned Thursday.___Associated Press writers Emma Burrows in Munich, Germany and Angela Charlton and John Leicester in Paris and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, on June 26, 2022. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP File)2025-02-15T00:35:50Z An Alabama woman who said she was raped by rappers Jay-Z and Sean Diddy Combs when she was 13 withdrew her civil lawsuit against both men on Friday, according to court filings.The unidentified woman in December added Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, to a lawsuit she had filed against Combs in Manhattan federal court, alleging that she was attacked by the singers in 2000 after Combs limo driver offered her a ride to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.The court document submitted by the womans attorneys announcing the voluntary dismissal did not include any reasons or explanation for the withdrawal. Jay-Z, who vehemently denied the claims and tried to get extracted from the lawsuit, called the womans decision to withdraw her claim a victory and said the fictional tale she and her lawyers created was laughable. The frivolous, fictious and appalling allegations have been dismissed, he said in a statement posted on social media. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere.Combs remains jailed in New York awaiting a criminal trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He also faces a wave of sexual assault lawsuits, many of which were filed by the plaintiffs lawyer, Tony Buzbee, a Texas attorney who says his firm represents over 150 people, both men and women, who allege sexual abuse and exploitation by Combs. Lawyers for Combs said dismissal of the lawsuit without a settlement confirmed that other lawsuits he is facing are built on falsehoods. For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them, they said in a statement, adding that Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone man or woman, adult or minor. When asked for a response, Buzbee responded no comment in an email Friday night.Buzbees firm, which has set up a 1-800 number for accusers, has filed a wave of lawsuits against the hip-hop mogul. Buzbees lawsuits allege that many of the people he represents were abused at parties in New York, California and Florida where individuals were given drinks that were laced with drugs.Statements from both rappers derisively referred to Buzbee and his firm as the 1-800-lawyer. Jay-Z accused him of hiding behind Jane Doe for financial gain.When they quickly realize that the money grab is going fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions, he wrote. The system has failed.Jay-Z and Combs are part of a generation of hip-hop titans who rose to prominence in the 2000s, emerging as wide-ranging entrepreneurs and two of the worlds wealthiest rappers.The artists have collaborated over the years, with Jay-Z being featured on Combs debut album, No Way Out, and Combs appearing on Jay-Zs sophomore album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.Diddy launched his Bad Boy Records around the same time Jay-Z launched his Roc-A-Fella record label. The pair has been frequently photographed together at events.Jay-Z has won 25 Grammys while Diddy has collected three trophies. His Roc Nation company served as co-executive producer of the recent Super Bowl halftime show. SUSAN HAIGH Haigh covers the Connecticut General Assembly, state government, politics, public policy matters and more for The Associated Press. She has worked for The AP since 2002. twitter mailto JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. Landrum is an entertainment reporter based in Los Angeles. He reports on television, film and music for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto

People holding posters with photos of Israelis hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, react at the so-called "hostages square" as they watch their release live on a television screen in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)2025-02-15T05:46:25Z Three Israeli men held hostage in the Gaza Strip are set to be released on Saturday in exchange for more than 300 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.Its the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire deal, which teetered in recent days, will hold. Nearly all the 73 remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers, and about half are believed to be dead.The two sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners so far during the first phase of the truce. The war could resume if no agreement is reached on the more complicated second phase, which calls for the return of all remaining hostages captured in Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and an indefinite extension of the truce. Heres the latest:___ Hamas fighters gather ahead of hostage releaseKHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip Dozens of masked and armed Hamas fighters have gathered in the southern Gaza Strip for the release of three Israeli hostages.As with previous exchanges, a stage was set up and the area was festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions. Nearby was the shell of a heavily damaged multistory building.The militants are expected to parade the hostages before crowds and cameras before handing them over to the Red Cross, which will transport them to Israeli forces. Who are the hostages and prisoners being released?All three hostages set to be released are men who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where some 80 of roughly 400 residents were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack. Iair Horn, 46, is a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina. He was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who was staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity. Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, is an American-Israeli had was working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later. Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29, who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanovs father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.Among the most prominent of the more than 300 Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of militant leader and iconic Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti. Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.The truce is holding, but its still very fragileThe ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.Hamas said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble, while Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.Trumps proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region threw the truces future into further doubt. Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the Riviera of the Middle East. The idea has been welcomed by Israels government, whose far-right members are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trumps plan. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, and human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.

In this photo released by Press Information Department, visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, walks with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, right, during a welcome ceremony, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Press Information Department via AP)2025-02-13T08:32:31Z ISLAMABAD (AP) Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Israel during a visit to Pakistan on Thursday, speaking up in defense of Palestinians in Gaza and condemning ideas to forcibly displace them from their land. Speaking at a business forum, Erdogan accused Israel of failing to keep to a ceasefire agreement, warning that the region was being dragged toward blood and tears again. Erdogan reiterated his opposition to President Donald Trumps proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.Gaza belongs to our Gazan brothers and sisters and will remain so forever, he said in a televised speech at a business forum in the capital, Islamabad. The homeland for which the Palestinians have sacrificed tens of thousands of their children is not up for bargaining.Earlier on Thursday, Erdogan held talks on Gaza and bilateral Turkey-Pakistani trade and cooperation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The two leaders chaired strategic cooperation talks and witnessed the signing of 24 agreements and a memorandum of understanding on boosting economic and defense ties. Sharif said the two nations would try to increase the volume of their annual bilateral trade to $5 billion, from the current $1.4 billion. Erdogan said both Turkey and Pakistan strive to provide every effort to support the Palestinians. We must strengthen this determined stance, especially at a time when there are unlawful and morally unacceptable proposals such as tearing our Gazan brothers from their homeland, he added. Erdogan also paid tribute to Pakistani security forces and civilians killed in militant attacks, which Pakistan has blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and whose leaders and fighters are hiding in Afghanistan since the Afghan Taliban seized power in 2021.Pakistan and Turkey in the statement stressed that Afghanistan should not become a safe haven for terrorist groups and Kabul should take all necessary measures against TTP and the Islamic State group. The two sides expressed their grave concern at the unprecedented loss of lives and property as well as displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians as a result of indiscriminate use of force by Israel. While welcoming the Gaza ceasefire, they hoped that the truce would lead to a permanent and durable ceasefire. As well as calling for greater humanitarian assistance, the two sides underscored that any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land as well as to continue illegal settlements constitute blatant violations of international law.The Turkish leader also met with his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari before returning home. ___Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This combination of images provided by Hostages Family Forum shows Iair Horn, Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov and Sagui Dekel Chen, who all were abducted and brought to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. (Hostages Family Forum via AP)2025-02-15T04:47:59Z KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages Saturday, parading them before a crowd in the southern Gaza Strip before handing them over to the Red Cross as part of a shaky ceasefire deal that requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.The Red Cross delivered the three Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Rusian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 to the Israeli military, which said they were being taken for medical treatment and to be reunited with their relatives. All were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed to be in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity. The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a tense dispute that threatened to renew the fighting.U.S. President Donald Trumps controversial proposal to remove more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has cast even more doubt on the future of the ceasefire. But Hamas said Thursday it would move ahead with the release of more hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group said the mediators had pledged to remove all hurdles to ensure Israel would allow more tents, medical supplies and other essentials into Gaza. It will be the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19. So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce.Red Cross vehicles carrying the hostages left the area in the southern town of Khan Younis where the handover took place, and were headed to deliver the hostages to Israeli forces. As with previous exchanges, the release was heavily choreographed, with the hostages made to walk onto a stage and make remarks into microphones before the crowd. Dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up near the stage festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions while music blared from loudspeakers. Who are the hostages and prisoners being released?The three hostages were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the devastating war.Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity. Dekel Chen had been working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later.Troufanov was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanovs father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.The Hamas-linked Prisoners Information Office said Friday that 369 Palestinians were set to be released from Israeli prisons on Saturday. It said 36 of those were serving life sentences. Among the most prominent Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of Marwan Barghouti, a militant leader and iconic Palestinian political figure. Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.Concerns are high about the remaining hostages conditionOf the 251 people abducted, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.Concern has been growing about the remaining hostages condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who emerged looking emaciated and frail. One of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, said Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light. The truce remains very fragileThe ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.Hamas had said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble. Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.While the immediate crisis may have been averted, the truce faces a much bigger challenge with the deals first phase set to conclude in early March. There have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.At its height, the fighting displaced 90% of Gazas population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have since returned to their homes as the ceasefire took hold, though many found only rubble, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. Trumps plan increases uncertaintyTrumps proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has thrown the truces future into further doubt. The idea has been welcomed by Israels government. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the Riviera of the Middle East.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trumps plan. The militant group remains in control of the territory after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.___Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)2025-02-15T08:06:51Z MUNICH (AP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday shot back strongly in defense of his stance against the far-right and said his country wont accept people who intervene in our democracy, a day after U.S. Vice President JD Vance scolded European leaders over their approach to democracy.The German leader spoke with just eight days before crucial elections in Germany, with polls showing the far-right Alternative for Germany party currently in second.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.MUNICH (AP) European leaders trying to make sense of a tough new line from Washington on issues including democracy and Ukraines future were set to express their reactions on Saturday, as the Trump administration continues to upend trans-Atlantic conventions that have been in place since after World War II.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were to speak on the second day of the Munich Security Conference, a day after U.S. Vice President JD Vance all but scolded European allies over democracy and raised questions about the U.S. commitment to help Ukraines defense against Russian forces. U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in which he said the two leaders would likely meet soon to negotiate a peace deal. Trump later assured Zelenskyy that he, too, would have a seat at the table. The war was sparked by Russias invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Already Friday, the Ukrainian leader said that his country wants security guarantees before any talks with Russia. Shortly before meeting with Vance in Munich, Zelenskyy said he will only agree to meet in-person with Putin after a common plan is negotiated with Trump. After a 40-minute meeting with Zelenskyy, Vance said the Trump administration wants the war to end. Beforehand, Vance lectured European officials on free speech and illegal migration on the continent, warning that they risk losing public support if they dont quickly change course.The threat that I worry the most about vis--vis Europe is not Russia. Its not China. Its not any other external actor, Vance said in a speech that drew a tepid response. What I worry about is the threat from within the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.On the sidelines of the event, Vance met with Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, nine days before a German election. Mainstream German parties say they wont work with the party in a longstanding stance to shun the extreme right in a country scarred by Nazism.Vance later headed back to Washington.Among other speakers set to take the dais in Munich were NATO chief Mark Rutte and foreign ministers from countries including Canada, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and from Syrias new government.___

Pope Francis autographs a bottle of bourbon held by Kentucky Catholic priest Rev. Jim Sichko at the Vatican on May 1, 2024. (Courtesy Vatican Media via AP)2025-02-15T05:04:33Z LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) It sounds like the opening line of a joke: What happens when the pope gets his hands on two bottles of Kentucky bourbon? But it actually occurred and the punch line is heartwarming: the autographed bottles raised tens of thousands of dollars to help poor and sick people, as well as homeless cats and dogs.The plan was concocted by the Rev. Jim Sichko, a Kentucky-based Roman Catholic priest. He saw an opportunity to turn a signature Kentucky product, and his access to Pope Francis as a papal missionary of mercy, into a way to help those in need by auctioning off bourbon bottles signed by the pope. Rev. Jim Sichko holds a bottle of Kentucky bourbon signed by Pope Francis on May 1, 2024. (Jim Sichko via AP) Rev. Jim Sichko holds a bottle of Kentucky bourbon signed by Pope Francis on May 1, 2024. (Jim Sichko via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More I understand that at times people say, What is this priest doing? I get it, Sichko said in a recent interview. I think outside the box all the time.His unconventional idea raised about $30,000 when Sothebys auctioned off two bottles signed by the pope, plus another bourbon bottle autographed by former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady. The proceeds are being divided among organizations selected by Sichko. He presented the first check on Jan. 31 to Paws 4 the Cause, an animal rescue organization in Lexington, Kentucky. Other checks will help hospice care in his native Texas and a legal clinic in Lexington that assists immigrants, he said. The Catholic Diocese of Lexington, where Sichko is based, will use some of the money to help people in need. It all began several years ago when Sichko gave Francis a bottle of hard-to-get Pappy Van Winkle bourbon as a gift when the priest visited Rome. After that, Sichko routinely presented a gift, often Kentucky bourbon, when encountering the pope as part of his role as a papal missionary of mercy. Pope Francis autographs a bottle of bourbon held by Kentucky Catholic priest Rev. Jim Sichko at the Vatican on May 1, 2024. (Courtesy Vatican Media via AP) Pope Francis autographs a bottle of bourbon held by Kentucky Catholic priest Rev. Jim Sichko at the Vatican on May 1, 2024. (Courtesy Vatican Media via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Sichko is one of hundreds of such missionaries appointed by Francis. They are assigned to travel the world spreading kindness, forgiveness, joy and mercy to people they encounter. Sichko, 58, said he travels the world about 300 days a year as a missionary and evangelist. During a visit to the Vatican last year, Sichko carried with him two bottles of bourbon, but with a different mission. He wanted to spread good to others by having the pope sign the two bottles donated by Willett Distillery in Kentucky. The bottles carried special seals and contained Willett bourbon that had aged for 10 years. When the time came, he mustered the nerve to seek the papal signatures.I just pulled out the bottle of bourbon with a pen, Sichko recalled. And he looked at me and he signed it. And I was shocked. And then what I did was I pulled out the other bottle. And he signed that.Sichko wasnt ready for what happened next. He looked at both bottles and he looked at me and he said, Father, which one of these is mine? Sichko recalled. That led to an uncomfortable confession.I said, Neither one of these are for you. I want to come up with a creative way to auction them off for the good of others, Sichko said. And thats how it came about.Sichkos teammate on the project was Drew Kulsveen, the master distiller at Willett Distillery. From the first conversation, our door was open knowing this contribution can impact countless people in need through his work, Kulsveen said in a statement. Pope Francis is pictured in a selfie photo with Rev. Jim Sichko at the Vatican on March 13, 2020. (Jim Sichko via AP) Pope Francis is pictured in a selfie photo with Rev. Jim Sichko at the Vatican on March 13, 2020. (Jim Sichko via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Kulsveen and his wife joined Sichko on the journey to Rome. He called it a tremendous honor watching the pope sign the bottles of bourbon from his distillery.Sichko received a warm welcome from workers at the animal shelter when he arrived carrying a $7,375 donation. Anita Spreitzer, vice president and general manager of Paws 4 the Cause, said it would help pay for an expansion of the shelter that was underway.Part of the donation, however, will be passed along to another animal rescue group, she said. That brought a hearty approval from Sichko, who said, Thats the way it goes give and receive.Sichko said he expects to return to the Vatican in about six months but doesnt know if he will ask the pope to sign more bourbon bottles.It loses its flair if youre constantly getting him to autograph things, the priest said. Sichko said he hopes his work has a ripple effect, inspiring acts of kindness by others. It can be as small as opening the door for someone or letting someone go ahead of them in the grocery checkout line.Everyone can do something, Sichko said. It costs nothing to be kind.Our world is turning into a very angry world, he added. And I think its time that we just chill out a bit and recognize truly what were called to be. And that is brothers and sisters. We may all have different skin colors. We may have all different ways of life. But I think we all come from the same place, and that is love and love of God.

Miley Cyrus attends the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)2025-02-14T20:25:30Z NEW YORK (AP) By the time Cher sang If I Could Turn Back Time, it seemed as if time had indeed been turned back, and every single Saturday Night Live musical guest of 50 years had magically found their way to Radio City Music Hall.Of course, it was only a smattering. But SNL50: The Homecoming Concert boasted an epic lineup. It was an evening of memorable solo performances and often fascinating, one-time-only collaborations: Bonnie Raitt and Chris Martin. Arcade Fire, David Byrne, St. Vincent and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Post Malone and Nirvana.The concert, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, was only one element of what has become an enormous celebration of the shows 50 years in existence, leading up to Sundays SNL50: The Anniversary Special, live from Studio 8H.But Friday night was all about music.Some highlights: Return of the 1990sIf a decade can win the night, lets hear it for the 1990s. A classic performance from that decade was most likely to get the Radio City audience on its feet, singing along and pulling out their phones to record. The Backstreet Boys proved irresistible when they broke into I Want it That Way. Snoop Dogg may have sung Gin and Juice, but he was trailed by enough smoke to give nearby audience members a contact high. Wearing a gigantic coat befitting a winter night, Lauryn Hill commanded the stage with Wyclef Jean and the crowd melted at the first notes of Killing Me Softly. Yes, (some) comics can do musicNaturally, some former SNL cast members reprised old characters, with varying levels of success. The Culps, the stuffy music teachers played by Will Ferrell and Ana Gastayer, hit harder and funnier than they ever did on the show. Their attempts at being current were hilarious and they even worked in a few verses of Not Like Us, with a plea for harmony between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Andy Samberg and Chris Parnells Lazy Sunday was welcome, but too short. Lady Gaga was a good sport, replacing Justin Timberlake to sing about a Christmas gift whose title cant be repeated here. But Bill Murrays lounge singer foursome routine with Gastayer, Maya Rudolph and Cecily Strong fell a bit flat. They love LorneSNL creator Lorne Michaels didnt perform, but he was referred to all night long.I love you, Lorne Michaels, declared Miley Cyrus, dedicating her hit song Flowers to the shows founder. Raitt, finishing I Cant Make You Love Me, thanked Michaels for having her on the show so many times. Lets give it up for Lorne, said former cast member Adam Sandler, introducing a collaboration between Post Malone and Nirvana. We love you buddy. And Marcus Mumford, lead singer of the British folk band Mumford & Sons, said he was there to represent Michaels admirers from across the pond. Creative collabsThe night featured fascinating collaborations that brought together musicians of all kinds. Cyrus teamed with Brittany Howard to sing Queens Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Arcade Fire joined with David Byrne, St. Vincent and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to perform David Bowies Heroes. Byrne later also collaborated with Robyn, in matching khaki suits, for Dancing On My Own and This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody). And for Raitts second song, she sat down with Chris Martin, the Coldplay frontman who became her pianist for I Cant Make You Love Me. In another collab of sorts, the B-52s were joined on Love Shack by former and current SNL cast members Fred Armisen, Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman, singing the bang bang lyrics.Lady Gaga collaborated with herself, singing both parts of Shallow and bringing down the house. Most valuable playerQuestlove is more associated with the Tonight show, but he is proving to be the MVP of these Saturday Night Live anniversary festivities. Not only did the drummer produce the splendid documentary on the SNL musical legacy, but he effortlessly kept the beat with The Roots, his legendary hip-hop group and Tonight show house band, as they covered every style imaginable, from Snoop to Eddie Vedder to Brandi Carlile. Byrne bowed in appreciation.No JokeCarlile has become known lately for her collaborations, most notably coaxing Joni Mitchell back to the stage. Friday night provided a reminder of her own artistry with the political climate adding a special urgency to her impassioned version of The Joke. A second Nirvana reunionFor the second time in as many weeks, the surviving members of Nirvana reunited. Rather than the quartet of women who fronted the band for the Fire Aid concert, Malone took Kurt Cobains place on Friday. Their version of Smells Like Teen Spirit was fierce, a reminder of why the song packed such a wallop when it was first heard. 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 JOCELYN NOVECK Noveck is an Associated Press national writer specializing in culture and gender, and a film critic. twitter mailto

M23 rebels escort government soldiers and police who surrendered to an undisclosed location in Goma, Democratic republic of the Congo, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.(AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, File)2025-02-15T09:55:10Z GOMA, Congo (AP) Residents and business owners in eastern Congos second largest city sat in wait on Saturday morning after a night of loud gunfire marking the ongoing advance of Rwanda-backed rebels.Families remained indoors and shops remained closed as M23 fighters entered the outskirts of Bukavu a city of about 1.3 million people that lies 63 miles (101 kilometers) south of Goma, the regions largest city taken by the rebels last month.The group, backed by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congos mineral-rich east. Its southward expansion encompasses more territory than rebels had previously seized and poses an unprecedented challenge to the central governments authority.The rebellion has killed at least 2,000 people in and around Goma and left hundreds of thousands of displaced stranded, the U.N. and Congolese authorities have said. The rebels on Friday also claimed to have seized a second airport in the region, in the town of Kavumu outside Bukavu. The U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm who was in control of the strategically important airport, which Congolese forces have used to resupply troops and humanitarian groups used to import aid. Government officials and local civil society leaders did not immediately comment, though Congos Communications Ministry said the rebels had violated ceasefire agreements and attacked Congolese troops working to avoid urban warfare and violence in Bukavu.M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X that the rebels took over Kavumu airport and its surroundings to eliminate the threat at the source. The airport posed a danger to the civilian population, he said. A local civil society leader in Kavumu reported seeing soldiers abandon their positions and head towards Bukavu a repeat of events that transpired last month in the lead-up to the M23s capture of Goma. Congos military, despite its size and funding, has long been hindered by shortcomings in training and coordination and recurring reports of corruption.International leaders are expected to discuss the conflict at the African Union summit in Ethiopia this weekend as Congos President Flix Tshisekedi continues to plead the international community to intervene to contain the rebels from advancing. However, little progress has been made since the government dismissed a ceasefire that M23 declared last wee unilaterally as false.Chaos and panic among residents Meanwhile, in South Kivu province, residents fled Bukavu into neighboring towns and stocked up on household supplies in anticipation of further bloodshed in the streets. The U.N. refugee agency has said that shelling and looting have already destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters, leaving those displaced with few places to go.I noticed that the soldiers were dropping out and fleeing, so I told myself that I could no longer stay in this place, said Chirimwami Alexis, among residents fleeing from Kavumu. The fear we have is people moving without any preparation or food. We are running away just because of this situation. -Associated Press Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.

Residents welcome students in the Serbian industrial town of Kragujevac, who have arrived to protest the deaths of 15 people killed in the November collapse of a train station canopy, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)2025-02-15T09:14:37Z KRAGUJEVAC, Serbia (AP) Serbias striking students and supporters of populist President Aleksandar Vucic have planned parallel rallies on Saturday as both mark the countrys Statehood Day with notably contrasting messages.The student-led protest is the latest in a nationwide anti-graft movement that reflects mounting calls for fundamental political changes in the Balkan state, triggered after a concrete canopy on a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed on Nov. 1, killing 15 people.The rally, in the central industrial city of Kragujevac, is set to draw tens of thousands of people who, bedsides demanding justice over a fatal accident, have been asking to root out rampant endemic corruption and respect for the rule of law.Students chose Kragujevac for Saturdays rally because of its history; In 1835, Serbia was still part of the Ottoman Empire. People in Kragujevac announced a new constitution that sought to limit the powers of the then-rulers. The date is now celebrated as the Statehood Day. The students arrived at the city on Friday and were met with cheers and support by the residents. Ahead of Saturdays protest, they organized marches in various parts of the country, encouraging people to converge in Kragujevac. Some walked, others ran or cycled. Along their journey, people greeted them with food and refreshments and offered accommodation, many crying and expressing hope for change. Meanwhile, in Sremska Mitrovica, a small town northwest of Belgrade, Vucic is expected to recycle a traditional nationalist theme, warning that the West wants to unseat him by force and that this could lead to the breakup of the country. Serbian authorities are expected to bus in thousands of their supporters from throughout Serbia as well as Bosnia to Sremska Mitrovica on Saturday. Some opposition activists have said they will try to prevent their arrival. The anti-graft movement is Vucics biggest challenge in recent years. The president who has ruled Serbia with a firm grip on power for more than a decade and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have been previously accused of stifling democratic freedoms, publicly discrediting opponents and rigging elections, according to international vote observers.The canopy disaster, widely believed to have happened due to government corruption, has become a flashpoint for wider discontent with the authoritarian rule, with university students at the forefront of the anti-graft uprising. Their determination, youth and creativity have struck a cord among people widely disillusioned with politicians.Prosecutors have charged 13 people over the canopy fall, and protests have forced the resignation of Serbias prime minister. But students have said their protests will continue until their demands for full accountability are met. In the past three months, the president has shifted between accusing the students of working for foreign powers to offering concessions and claiming he has fulfilled each of their demands. But during a trip to the Serb-controlled part of neighboring Bosnia this week, Vucic has reiterated claims about an alleged plot from abroad to overthrow him and his government. The authorities, Vucic said, couldnt believe how much money has been invested to bring down the government in Serbia. He offered no proof for the claims.Vucics trip to the Serb-controlled part of Bosnia was apparently designed to stress Serbian unity with the Serbs in Bosnia, where a bid to create a pan-Serb state in the 1990s was widely blamed for triggering a bloody war that left more than 100,000 people killed and millions displaced.___Associated Press writers Jovana Gec and Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade.

A protester is silhouetted against a trans pride flag during a pro-transgender rights protest outside of Seattle Children's Hospital, in Seattle, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)2025-02-15T11:00:08Z The federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws has moved to dismiss its own lawsuit on behalf of a worker allegedly fired for his sexual orientation and gender identity, arguing that the case now conflicts with President Donald Trumps recent executive order, according to court documents. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday filed a joint motion to dismiss its case against Harmony Hospitality LLC, which operates a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in Dothan, Alabama, just eight months after the agency sued the company over its firing of an employee who identifies as nonbinary male and gay.The employee worked for Harmony as a night auditor and styled himself in conformity with male gender stereotypes at work, according to the EEOCs original lawsuit. But when he was called in for a meeting outside of working hours, he wore capri-cut joggers, pink-painted nails, and box braids. Upon learning about the employees gender identity and sexual orientation, Harmony Hospitalitys co-owner said the employee needed to be hidden because of his appearance, and seven hours later, he was fired via text message, the lawsuit alleges. The complaint accuses Harmony of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by terminating the employee because of his sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and failure to adhere to male gender stereotypes. The EEOCs request to now dismiss the case marks a major departure from its prior interpretation of civil rights law after the Trump administration declared that the government would recognize only two sexes: male and female. Thats in stark contrast to a decade ago when the agency issued a landmark finding that a transgender civilian employee of the U.S. Army had been discriminated against because her employer refused to use her preferred pronouns or allow her to use bathrooms based on her gender identity. Just last year, the EEOC updated its guidance to specify that deliberately using the wrong pronouns for an employee, or refusing them access to bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity, constituted a form of harassment. Former EEOC General Counsel and Professor and Co-Dean Emeritus at Rutgers Law School David Lopez, who served in the agency for more than 20 years, called the EEOCs move unprecedented and discriminatory.For an anti-discrimination agency to discriminate against a group, and say, Were not going to enforce the law on their behalf itself is discrimination, in my view. Its like a complete abdication of responsibility, Lopez told The Associated Press in a phone interview.The motion to dismiss the Alabama case, filed jointly with the defendants, comes just weeks after Trump dismissed two Democratic commissioners of the five-member EEOC before their terms expired, an unprecedented decision that removed what would have been a major obstacle to his administration efforts to upend interpretation of the nations civil rights laws. Had the commissioners been allowed to carry out their terms, the EEOC would have had a Democratic majority well into Trumps term. The administration also fired Karla Gilbride as the EEOCs general counsel, replacing her with Andrew Rogers as acting counsel. Shortly after their dismissal, acting EEOC chair Andrea Lucas, a Republican, signaled her intent to put the agencys resources behind enforcing Trumps executive order on gender. She announced in a statement that one of her priorities would be defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights. Later, she ordered that the EEOC would continue accepting any and all discrimination charges filed by workers, although complaints that implicate Trumps order should be elevated to headquarters for review. Biology is not bigotry. Biological sex is real, and it matters, Lucas said in her statement. Sex is binary (male and female) and immutable. It is not harassment to acknowledge these truths or to use language like pronouns that flow from these realities, even repeatedly. She removed the agencys pronoun app, which allowed employees to display their pronouns in their Microsoft 365 profiles, among other changes. Nearly all workplace discrimination charges must pass through the EEOC at least initially and the agencys decision to drop the Alabama case raises serious questions about whether its protections will extend to LGBTQ+ and gender nonconforming people going forward. Attorneys for Harmony Hospitality LLC did not immediately reply to emails seeking comment. In a court filing, the company denied the original allegations of discrimination in the EEOCs lawsuit and said the plaintiff was separated from employment based on reasonable, legitimate factors, though the company did not specify the reasons. The company also said the plaintiffs gender played no role in any of the companys actions. Asked for comment on why its dropping the case, an EEOC spokesperson replied that the agency will not comment on litigation. But in its motion to dismiss, the EEOC cites compliance guidance from the Office of Personnel Management on Trumps executive order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government as the reason behind its decision.The EEOCs continued litigation of the claims in this action may be inconsistent with the Order and the OPM Guidance, the motion says.Jocelyn Samuels, one of the Democratic EEOC commissioners who was fired last month, said via email of the decision: I think it is truly regrettable and an illustration of the significant damage caused by the Presidents executive order. The Administrations efforts to erase trans people are deeply harmful to a vulnerable community and inconsistent with governing law. I hope that the EEOC will assist each of the individuals harmed by this withdrawal to find counsel who can represent them in vindicating their rights.Lopez of Rutgers University said dropping the Alabama case is not only inconsistent with a 2020 Supreme Court decision that ruled gay, lesbian and transgender people are protected from discrimination in employment, but also the agencys own strategic priorities and harassment enforcement guidance.This is the inevitable outcome when the EEOC is weaponized to greenlight discrimination against American workers, added Sarah Warbelow, vice president of legal at LGBTQ+ rights group Human Rights Campaign, in an emailed statement. Instead of standing up for the rights of everyone to a workplace free from discrimination, including harassment and bias, the Trump administration is making it abundantly clear they will not protect working people.________The Associated Press women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. CLAIRE SAVAGE Savage is a national reporter for the APs Business team. She covers women in the workforce and is based in Chicago. twitter instagram mailto ALEXANDRA OLSON Olson is a business reporter for The Associated Press, focusing on women in the workplace. She has spent many years as a correspondent in Latin America. twitter mailto

FBI agents search a neighborhood in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 where Teresa Youngblut and Felix Bauckholt, who were involved in the shooting death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont, had been renting homes in the neighborhood, their landlord told The Associated Press. (WRAL-TV via AP)2025-02-15T05:07:24Z Heres a look at the timeline of events in a series of killings that culminated in a Jan. 20 highways shootout that killed a Border Patrol officer in Vermont. It is based on Associated Press interviews and a review of police reports, court records and online postings: 2016Jack LaSota, who uses feminine pronouns, a computer programmer and transgender woman living in the San Francisco Bay area, starts writing a blog under the online persona Ziz with complex and sometimes rambling theories about technology, gender identity and human cognition. She gets involved in the rationalist movement, a community that seeks to understand human cognition and is concerned with the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.2018LaSota attends programs organized by rationalist groups but splits from them after they reject her theory that the two hemispheres of the brain can hold separate values and genders. November 2019LaSota and three others Emma Borhanian, Gwen Danielson and Alexander Leatham are arrested during what they called a protest against sexual misconduct within rationalist organizations. August 2022The U.S. Coast Guard responds to a report that LaSota had fallen out of a boat in San Francisco Bay. No body is found. An obituary is published. November 2022Curtis Lind goes to court seeking to evict LaSota, Borhanian, Leatham and others who have been living in vans and box trucks on his property in Vallejo, California, for nonpayment of rent. On Nov. 15, two days before the eviction deadline, Lind is impaled with a sword and partially blinded in an attack during which he shoots and kills Borhanian. Concluding that Lind acted in self-defense, officials charge Leatham and Suri Dao with murder. LaSota is not charged but police report having contact with her at the scene. December 2022Rita and Richard Zajko are shot and killed in their home in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, on New Years Eve. A neighbors doorbell camera captures audio and video of a car pulling up to their home, a voice shouting Mom! and another voice exclaiming, Oh my God! Oh, God, God! January 2023Police question the Zajkos daughter, Michelle, at her home in Vermont. A few weeks later, officers briefly take her into custody at a Pennsylvania hotel, but release her without charges. LaSota, staying at the same hotel, is arrested and charged with obstructing the homicide investigation and disorderly conduct. July 2023Felix Bauckholt, also referred to in court documents as Ophelia, begins renting half a duplex in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.May 2024Teresa Youngbluts parents report her missing in Seattle after she sends her mother emails saying she has moved in with a friend and changed her number. November 2024Youngblut and Maximilian Snyder apply for a marriage license in Washington state. Also this month, Youngblut begins renting a condo near Bauckholts in North Carolina. January 2025Youngblut and Bauckholt check into a hotel in Lyndonville, Vermont, on Jan. 14. Investigators put the pair under surveillance after a hotel worker reports concerns about their all-black tactical clothing and the gun Youngblut was carrying.On Jan. 17, Lind, the landlord in California is killed. Snyder is charged with murder, and prosecutors allege he was trying to prevent Lind from testifying against his earlier attackers.On Jan. 20, U.S. Border Patrol officers pull Youngblut and Bauckholt over on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Agent David Maland and Bauckholt are killed in a shootout. Youngblut, who is wounded, is charged with firearms charges.February 2025The FBI searches the Chapel Hill property where a landlord says Youngblut, Bauckholt and LaSota had been living earlier this winter.

A marble statue of late Pope John Paul II is backdropped by the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, where Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened and is receiving drug therapy for a respiratory tract infection. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-02-15T11:15:02Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis slept well during a quiet first night in the hospital after being admitted with a respiratory tract infection, and was up eating and reading Saturday, the Vatican said.Francis, 88, ate breakfast Saturday morning and read the newspapers while continuing his drug therapy, spokesman Matteo Bruni said.Francis was admitted to Romes Gemelli hospital on Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. It was his fourth hospitalization since his 2013 election and raised questions about his increasingly precarious health.Preliminary tests showed he had a respiratory tract infection and a slight fever. The Vatican canceled his audiences through Monday at least.___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.

Staff Sgt. Travis Snyder receives the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine given at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Dec. 16, 2020, south of Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)2025-02-14T22:46:38Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Defense Department has told the military services to reach out once again to service members who were forced out or voluntarily left the military because they refused to get the COVID vaccine and see if they want to reenlist. The directive reflects the executive order signed by President Donald Trump a week after he took office, and it says that all service members who opt to return to the military will have to reenlist for at least two years. According to a memo released on X, Darin Selnick, who is working as the defense undersecretary for personnel, said the vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary burden on service members. It directs the services to set up a program to contact troops and begin doing so in two months.At least 8,200 troops were forced out of the military in 2021 for refusing to obey a lawful order when they declined to get the vaccine. The military services sent out notices in 2023 to all troops discharged over the vaccine, advising them they could return to the military, but just 113 have reenlisted. Defense officials said at the time that many troops appeared to use the vaccine mandate as a way to get out of their service obligations quickly and easily. Its unclear how many more may now be interested, since this new offer will allow eligible troops to come in at their previous rank and give them back pay, benefits and bonuses, as long as they meet all requirements for the reinstatement. Officials have not provided any cost estimates. To return, all would have to meet weight, fitness, medical and other requirements, and they could be refused if they now have a criminal record or other disqualifying factor. Officers would have to get recommissioned, which is a simple appointment process. The memo directs the services to broadly apply waiver authorities to permit maximum eligibility, as appropriate. And, in a highly unusual move, only very senior civilian leaders confirmed by the Senate will have the authority to reject a waiver request. In addition, any recommendation to reject a service members request for reinstatement must be sent to the secretary of that service, and that authority cannot be delegated to anyone else. Traditionally waivers or other similar decisions are made at much lower levels.The services will have 30 days to identify those who were forced out solely for refusing the vaccine order, and within 60 days must begin a program to contact them. Once service members receive the estimate of back pay and other compensation, they will have 60 days to decide whether to return to the military. The offer is only good for one year from the date of the memo, which was Feb. 7. It wasnt posted publicly until late Thursday afternoon.Service members must go through screening through the Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records process. The memo directs the boards to move swiftly and give priority to COVID-related applications. Troops who left the service voluntarily to avoid the vaccine may also seek reinstatement but must submit a written statement saying they left for that reason. They will not receive back pay, but will have to commit to a two-year reenlistment. According to the services, 3,748 Marines were discharged, and 25 opted to re-enlist since the 2023 offer went out; 1,903 Army soldiers were discharged, and 73 returned; 1,878 sailors were discharged and two returned; 671 airmen were discharged and 13 returned.The Pentagon made the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory in August 2021 for all service members, including the National Guard and Reserve. Then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said getting the vaccine was critical to maintaining a healthy force prepared to defend the nation. The Pentagon dropped the mandate in January 2023. LOLITA C. BALDOR Baldor has covered the Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005. She has reported from all over the world including warzones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. twitter mailto

Welcome back to the Abstract, 404 Media's weekly roundup of scientific studies to distract us from our present dystopia!This week, we are traveling back in time to 16th century Transylvania, so please make sure you are up to date on your bubonic plague shots. A study reconstructed wild weather events through the eyes of record-keepers during this fraught period, opening a tantalizing window into climate extremes unleashed by a vengeful God (according to contemporary reports).Then: making love the medaka way (get those anal fins ready). Next, the chillest insect in Antarctica (also: the only one). Finally, these turtles will dance for food, and yes, its very cute.The Haunting Weather Reports of 16th Century TransylvaniaGaceu. Ovidiu Rzvan et al. Reconstruction of climatic events from the 16th century in Transylvania: interdisciplinary analysis based on historical sources. Frontiers in Climate.Rejoice, for this week has delivered one of the best varieties of study: Science via historical documents. Sure, ice cores and geological strata are great for reconstructing past climates, but nobody can bitch about the weather better than a good old-fashioned red-blooded member of team Homo sapien.To that end, researchers searched for mentions of weird weather across a trove of diaries, monastery records, travel notes, and other documents from 16th century Transylvania, during a pivotal moment in climate history when a centuries-long cooling event called the Little Ice Age intensified, according to researchers led by Ovidiu Rzvan Gaceu of the University of Oradea.These types of studies are packed with colorful human testimonies that can corroborate natural records. More importantly, though, they are just fun to read, especially during such an evocative time and place, freshly haunted by the vampiric spirit of Vlad the Impaler. Some highlights:In August 1526, heavy rainfall caused freak floods in Braov that washed the walls of the fortress, demolished the main gate, and the fish also got caught in the big church, according to the Annals of Braov. Fish in the church! The ultimate baptism.In autumn 1553, people in the city of Cluj reported unusual weather events including October strawberries. For real, October is for pumpkins, get out of here with the strawbs. Turned out it was a bad omenthere was a plague the following winter. Keep that in mind if you see any late autumn strawberries: Kill on sight.Naturally, a lot of these accounts are heartbreaking. Locusts sometimes covered the whole sky and destroyed grain crops and caused terrible famines. A storm-related fire killed 14 people and made 60 poor. On September 29, 1582, there was such a big storm, as it was said that it had never been seen before in the city of Cluj, which uprooted the trees and raised the roofs of the houses, people believed that it is sent by divinity to punish the crimes committed by them.I mean, Im not saying these people werent doing crimes. Its 16th century Transylvania. Do what you gotta do. But that's not why there is extreme weather. Youre just in the Little Ice Age.The study ultimately identified multiple pieces of evidence associated with extreme weather events, including 40 unusually warm summers and several years of excess precipitation or drought. Taken together with natural archives, the documents paint a picture of troubled times, exacerbated by an unstable climate and possible emergent vampires. Relatable!Fish Spawn WildKondo, Yuki et al. Medaka (Oryzias latipes) initiate courtship and spawning late at night: Insights from field observations. PLOS One.Valentines Day is over, but the romantic mood is still in the airor in the water, if youre a medaka (flawless segue). Scientists have discovered that wild medaka, also known as Japanese rice fish, are fans of late-night booty calls, which is a behavior that has not been observed in captivity.Although medaka and other model organisms are invaluable in laboratories, their ecology in the wild remains largely unknown, said researchers led by Yuki Kondo of Osaka Metropolitan University. This study showed that medaka in the wild initiate spawning during late nocturnal hours and exhibit vigorous courtship behavior at midnight.Kondo and her colleagues recorded this vigorous courtship by placing GoPros into streams over the course of several summer nights in Gifu, Japan. The tapes revealed that medaka like to spawn in the dark, possibly to avoid predators during copulation. The results provide the first empirical evidence that medaka mating begins significantly earlier than previously reported in the laboratory.For anyone who feels clueless about courtship, may I offer a page from the Medaka Sutra:The spawning behavior of medaka follows a sequence of events: the male chases the female (following), the male swims rapidly around the female (quick circle), the male wraps his dorsal and anal fins around the female (wrapping), the female releases eggs, the male releases sperm (egg and sperm release), and the male leaves the female (leaving), according to Kondos team.The only true love language is, indeed, spoken with anal fins.Medaka at Medaka. Image: Osaka Metropolitan UniversityMajor bonus points also go to Osaka Metropolitan Universitys press team for throwing together this version of Edward Hoppers famous Nighthawks painting with medaka getting drinks at a bar that is also named Medaka. It is genuinely one of the most inspired public relations efforts I have ever seen, and Im going to get a print of it to hang on my wall.The Insect at the Edge of EarthYoshida, Mizuki et al. Obligate diapause and its termination shape the life-cycle seasonality of an Antarctic insect. Scientific Reports.Belgica antarctica, or the Antarctic midge, is the only insect that lives year-round on its namesake continent. Do you know how weird you have to be to be the only insect somewhere? But this midge doesnt care. It just lives out its bug life, which lasts two years, in an otherwise bugless wasteland.Humans definitely care about the midge, thoughhow could we not? What is it doing there? How is it not dead? What can it teach us about cryopreservation? These questions are addressed in a new study that resolved mysteries about the animals interesting life cycle.Freeze tolerance and cryoprotective dehydration are cold tolerance strategies used by various invertebrate species in polar regions and indeed, B. antarctica utilises both for overwintering, said researchers led by Mizuki Yoshida of the Ohio State University, who completed the project while at Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU killing it this week).Larvae that are frozen in ice and cryoprotectively dehydrated readily survived 32 days of simulated overwintering, the team said. Unlike many insects restricted to highly specific microhabitats, B. antarctica larvae inhabit a remarkably diverse range of substrates that differ in vegetation, substrate type, slope, drainage, and thermal and hydric conditions.Antarctic midges. Image: Osaka Metropolitan UniversityI love the phrasing of readily survived as if the midges were eager to show off their cryoprotective superpowers. After this 32-day period they emerged with That all you got? energy. By studying the bugs in these simulated conditions, the researchers confirmed that they rely on multiple overwintering strategies, including a state of arrested development called obligate diapause.Diapause has long been assumed to be uncommon in Antarctic species, but the present study reveals that B. antarctica utilises diapause for seasonal adaptation, as in many temperate species, Yoshida and her colleagues said.In addition to being the only endemic Antarctic insect, this midge has the smallest genome of any known insect while also being the largest fully terrestrial animal on the continent, even though its only a few millimeters long. In other words, it is the biggest animal in Antarctica that doesnt fly or swim. Okay, Antarctic midge. You just keep doing you.Everyone Do the TurtleGoforth, Kayla et al. Learned magnetic map cues and two mechanisms of magnetoreception in turtles. Nature.Last, turtles do a little victory dance when they find food. Yes, it is cute. Yes, there is a video.The footage (along with this extended clip) is part of a study that tested if turtles could distinguish the magnetic signatures of two geographical areas. When the turtles were exposed to signatures associated with an area they associated with food, they danced in anticipation of a meal, demonstrating that they could tell the signals apartand party accordingly.Hallmarks of the behaviour include some or all of the following: tilting the body vertically, holding the head near or above water, opening the mouth, rapid alternating movement of the front flippers, and, occasionally, even spinning in place, hence the name turtle dance, said researchers led by Kayla Goforth of Texas A&M University. Turtles exhibited significantly higher levels of turtle dance behaviour when experiencing the field in which they had been fed.With that, lets all tilt vertically, spin in place, and shell-abrate the long weekend.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

Video by: Slav Velkov and Joey LautrupSince President Donald Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20, his administration has waged a full-court press attack on the transgender and nonbinary community, with one executive order stating thatin the eyes of the federal governmentthey dont exist.Trans and nonbinary people of color face significantly higher levels of unemployment and are more likely to live in poverty and resort to survival sex work.Boyabaddie, who grew up in Indiana and moved to New York City in 2023, has made a career as a social media influencer, model and actor. With more than 2.8 million followers and nearly 70 million likes on TikTok, they grew a following through their viral videos jumping on benches, climbing fences and coining catchphrases like, Helllllo, bitch! and Hold my bag!Today, Boyabaddie goes Beneath the Grid to speak about growing up in a religious family in rural Indiana, the challenges queer women of color face in America today, and how they believe actions toward the trans and nonbinary community are akin to genocide.Subscribe nowWatch the full interview above or read the transcript here:SM: Boya, thank you for being here.B: Thank you for having me.SM: Okay, before we get too real, I want to know. How did you come up with the name Boyabaddie?B: So my last name is Tichenor. And my hometown, I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana. My nickname is Tichiiee. So when I started my Instagram, that was my Instagram name. It was Tichiiee. And then honestly, I would get a lot of comments like, Oh, if you're going to be a girl, you need to shave your mustache off. You know, I'll get a lot of those comments and that would actually irritate me. So then I put Boyabaddie.SM: You literally jump fences, jump on boxes, jump on dumpsters and scream, Hello, bitch! with a purse. How did that happen?B: I am a freestyler. I'm very free with what I do. And also that's what my content represents is freedom. Like freedom of speech. I say what I want. I do what I want. I wear what I want. And literally I just go out because the world is our oyster.SM: I love that freedom is part of your brand.B: I feel like my audience needs freedom, probably needs a good laugh, a good escape from the world that could be hell.SM: What are your pronouns?B: I mean, I feel like I go by all pronouns because I am everything. I mean, I represent everything. You can't label me and put me in a box because I am all. That's what I would say.SM: Rewind a little bit back to Boyabaddie Junior, a.k.a little Aaron in pretty much rural Indiana. Talk a little bit about your upbringing as a kid.B: I like art and I used to draw paper people. I had like, you know, crayons and papers. My mama, [my] auntie, my nana, rest in peace, would buy me all my arts and crafts. And I would sit there and draw people and every person would have a nice outfit. And I guess looking back, it's like stuff that I'm wearing now. I would just draw. That was my escape.Photo Courtesy: BoyabaddieSM: What does gender identity mean for you?B: I guess just noticing who you are, even though the paper when you came into the world says like what you are, that does not mean who you are. So like just tapping into who you are the best way you can. I know it's not the easiest, but it's the best in the long run.SM: Tell me about the earliest concepts you had of your own gender.B:I [would] put my t-shirt on my head, and that would be my long hair, and I [would] walk around. I had a short [hair]cut I didn't like. You know, it wasn't me and I knew I wanted hair. [When] I was in the first grade, my art teacher would let me put a piece of string. It was like yarn all over my head and that was my hair. And that was just me expressing myself because I love hair and I love long hair. It made me feel like myself.SM: You grew up in what is a red state in a pretty rural area and the mental health struggles for queer kids were bad back then. And they're really bad right now. Forty-one percent of LGBTQ kids in this country seriously considered suicide in the last year. Tell me about your mental health growing up.B: It wasn't the best and it wasn't easy. In sixth grade, that's when I found out the word gay. Because people would say, Oh my God, are you gay? You're gay. Theyd always say I hang around too many girls or I talk like a girl, I walk like a girl. It was a lot. I'm 31 now and I can still remember that like it was yesterday.Photo courtesy: BoyabaddieSM: You grew up in the Baptist Church, right? Tell me a little bit about that and the earliest messages you learned through religion about what homosexuality was.B: They would say if you're gay, God doesn't like that. You're not going to go to heaven and you're going to burn in hell. So that was I was like, OK, I'm going to burn in hell because I like men. My thing is if God is a higher power, he wouldn't make everyone the same. You know, the world would really be black and white.SM: What did it mean to hear the people you trusted, the adults in your life saying, If you are this way, you're going to hell.B: It was scary. I'm not going to lie. I was a child. I would think, Oh my God, I'm going to burn in hell for the rest of my life when I pass. It was sad that I felt like I had to hide myself.SM: Obviously, I'm sitting here in privilege as a white cisgender gay man. Talk to me a little bit more about being, you know, a not cis queer person of color in this city. What are the obstacles that you have to face?B: We don't get a lot of opportunities that, you know, you would get, honestly. I mean, like looking at you right now, you look like a straight man. You know? But like when people see me, they know what the hell is going on. You know what I'm saying? And it sucks. It just sucks for people of color. I've called Ubers and I will be standing outside, waiting for my Uber and the driver will see me and cancel the ride and then drive off just because of how I look.SM: I just want to read you some stats and get you to respond. According to recent data, half of trans women and femmes of color engaged in some form of criminalized work. Trans people of color faced four times higher rates of unemployment than the general population and 53% of them reported discrimination affecting their ability to be hired. Twenty-seven percent of black trans people had participated in survival sex work, and 45% of black trans people were living in poverty. How do you react to all that and why do you think that is?B: I'm sorry. I'm trying to get it. How do I? Oh God.SM: Why does it make you emotional?B: Because it's crazy that I still have to hear this, and it's 2025, you know? I feel like it's an American horror story. A story that's insane. It's just insane and it's really ignorant to hear it now. And it should be better but people don't want change. I still go out and get called faggot. I remember one time this guy I had on [my] purse and it had fell off my arm and he said, See, that's why you shouldn't be wearing it.SM: It's been a brutal past few months for the trans and non-binary community in this country. They're being dehumanized and attacked by the federal government, by the President of the United States. Trump passed an executive order last week called Defending Women from Gender Ideology, Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. In it, it says that it's the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable. How does it feel to be in your reality right now at this moment in time in American history?B: This is going to sound dark, but he's dark. So if he really wants to erase us, I feel that he should round up troops and kill every trans person. Because that's what he's doing. Like literally with a gun. You can't erase people. You're just doing stuff out of hate and you're really not helping the people. But if he wants to erase us, he should just kill us, honey. Like put us in a room and bomb us, bitch. That's how I feel. Just do that, because that's what you're doing.SM: And I think it is dark, but perhaps appropriate to use a metaphor of not just trying to erase, but genocidal. That's essentially what you're saying. B: Yeah. SM: His acts are genocidal. Why do you go so far to use that metaphor?B: Because he's gone so far. I wouldn't have to put that example up if he was being a good president. He's not someone that takes my life seriously. My life and millions of people around the globe. That's so unfair. You're supposed to be a leader. There's a list of things that the world needs, that the people need, if he wants to make America great. But he's not. It's hateful. It scares me, for people that are like me, that are in smaller towns. My heart really goes out to them because I can't even imagine. That's one of the reasons why I moved out of Indianapolis. It's unfair. I really don't have all the answers because I'm a human. I'm going through it too. Imagine people being upset because I identify as they/them. Oh my goodness! You are not able to pay your water bill. I know it's not affecting you and you're not able to feed your family because someone wants to identify [as] what they believe in.Subscribe to support LGBTQ-focused accountability journalism. SM: We brand ourselves as a nonpartisan publication, but I think there's a difference between nonpartisan and being nonsensical. What you just laid out is common sense. You want to fix your water bill, but you're attacking they/them. There's just zero connection to that.B: Honey, people are complaining about gas prices. Can we work on the gas?SM: There are little girls, little boys, little theys all across the country. A lot of them, undoubtedly, are scared right now because of what's going on. What's your message to the kids right now?B: Don't try to let someone that does not know themselves or someone that is clearly intimidated of you, someone that is scared to live their truth, someone that is so bothered by you because they don't know what's going on with them. Try to not let them dim your light. So keep that light, stay beautiful, we're going to get through these four years, sweetie. Four years. Were gonna get through it. SM: You are amazing. Is there anything else you wanted to say in this context before we wrap?B: I don't even know why I'm getting emotional, but be yourself. Love yourself. Everything starts with you, and that's why I'm grateful for my fans because I love myself. I do. If people really loved them, they would not. There would not be no hate. There would be no envy. There would be no jealousy. So I wish people could just be [themselves]. People know they/them pronouns. Like, come on. You don't want to, [because] you have hate. Stop it. It's ignorant. My bio on Instagram, and this is what I go by: Be you, do you, become a better you, take risks, believe in yourself, reach high, don't stop, love life, and enjoy the ride. And I feel like it's really that simple.Additional reporting by Sam Donndelinger and Ben LandSpecial thanks: Rise Bar, Ted Arenas, John Accursio and Azaan HaiderIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, third left, speaks during a bilateral meeting with United States Vice-President JD Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)2025-02-14T18:53:03Z MUNICH (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to President Donald Trumps history as a dealmaker on Friday, offering flattering words as he sought the U.S. presidents leadership in negotiations that could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.I hope that we can count that, really, President Trump will help us, Zelenskyy said during the Munich Security Conference. I really count on him because he is the president of the United States.Trump was not in Munich, but his presence loomed large over the gathering.Zelenskyy, speaking in English during a panel discussion with U.S. senators, did not hesitate to lay on the approbation for the U.S. president: I see, yes, that he is a strong man. And if he will choose our side, and if he will not be in the middle, I think he will pressure and he will push Putin to stop the war. He can do it. The Ukrainian presidents comments came after Trump upended years of steadfast U.S. support for Ukraine by talking directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call on Wednesday. The U.S. president has been vague about his specific intentions, other than suggesting that a deal will likely result in Ukraine being forced to cede territory that Russia has seized since it annexed Crimea in 2014. Trump has long played up his deal-making abilities stretching back to his days as a New York developer including in his 1987 book, The Art of the Deal, and his reality TV show, The Apprentice. Zelenskyy on Friday said he will agree to meet with Putin only after we have common plan with Trump, and told the crowd Trump had recently given him his telephone number.Some in Munich were wary about what Trumps dealmaking might produce. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was convinced that a simple make a deal and leave would weaken us all: Ukraine and Europe, but also the U.S. But Lithuanias defense minister said Europe needs to admit the harsh reality that it needs the United States and Trump, whom she called creative with out-of-the-box solutions.Dovil akalien said Europe needs to muscle up and the continent must band together against Russia. We cannot get in a quarrel. We cannot become hostile to each other, akalien told The Associated Press in Munich.In Warsaw, Poland, on Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put the spotlight on his boss as personally leading any negotiations.President Trump will be the one at the table with Zelenskyy and Putin, Hegseth said, to lead to a lasting and enduring peace that will not embolden Russia.But its not just Trump who likes to emerge from every negotiation as the winner.Hegseth said that while Trump would have a seat at the table, he expects Putin to claim victory no matter what.Zelenskyy acknowledged that all parties want to claim success.I think everyone will try to come out of this situation as winners, Zelensky told reporters. I mean, the United States wants victory. The Russians want this victory very much, you understand. And Ukraine it deserves it, thats all. And thats why it will be very difficult. Just very difficult.He added: But who said we wouldnt overcome difficulties?__Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland, and Dazio from Berlin. EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter STEFANIE DAZIO Dazio covers Northern Europe from Berlin for The Associated Press. She previously covered crime and criminal justice from Los Angeles.

President Donald Trump walks from the Oval Office to board Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-02-15T14:09:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) As President Donald Trump approaches the first-month mark in his second term, he has moved with dizzying speed and blunt force to reorder American social and political norms and the economy while redefining the U.S. role in the world.At the same time, he has empowered Elon Musk, an unelected, South African-born billionaire, to help engineer the firing of thousands of federal employees and potentially shutter entire agencies created by Congress. Those efforts have largely overshadowed Trumps crackdowns on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border, and his efforts to remake social policy by wiping out diversity, equity and inclusion programs and rolling back transgender rights. The president has also imposed scores of new tariffs against U.S. trade partners and threatened more, even as economists warn that will pass costs on to U.S. consumers and feed inflation. Heres a look at the first four weeks: Mass f ederal firings begin The Trump administration fired thousands of workers who were still in probationary periods common among new hires. Some had less than an hour to leave their offices. Those potentially losing jobs include medical scientists, energy infrastructure specialists, foreign service employees, FBI agents, prosecutors, educational and farming data experts, overseas aid workers and even human resources personnel who would otherwise have to manage the dismissals. At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was created to protect the public after the 2008 financial crisis, employees say the administration not only wants to cut nearly the entire workforce but also erase all its data from the past 12 years. The administration agreed to pause any further dismantling of the agency until March 3, under a judges order. While Trump promised to turn Washington upside down, his moves could have far-reaching implications for thousands of federal employees around the country and drive up the unemployment rate if large numbers of layoffs happen at once. President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, en route to West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, en route to West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Legal challenges mount Court challenges to Trumps policies started on Inauguration Day and have continued at a furious pace since Jan. 20. The administration is facing some 70 lawsuits nationwide challenging his executive orders and moves to downsize the federal government. The Republican-controlled Congress is putting up little resistance, so the court system is ground zero for pushback. Judges have issued more than a dozen orders at least temporarily blocking aspects of Trumps agenda, ranging from an executive order to end U.S. citizenship extended automatically to people born in this country to giving Musks team access to sensitive federal data. While many of those judges were nominated by Democratic presidents, Trump has gotten unfavorable rulings from judges picked by Republican presidents, too. Trump suggested he could target the judiciary, saying, Maybe we have to look at the judges. The administration has said in the meantime that it will appeal, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt railed against the orders slowing the presidents agenda, calling each an abuse of the rule of law. The administration has notched a few wins, too, most significantly when a judge allowed it to move forward with a deferred resignation program spearheaded by Musk. The economic outlook worsensAmid the policy upheaval, the latest economic data could prompt some White House worries. Inflation rose at a monthly rate of 0.5% in January, according to the Labor Department. Over the past three months, the consumer price index has increased at an annual rate of 4.5% -- a sign that inflation is heating up again after having cooled for much of 2024. Trump told voters he could lower inflation, and do so almost immediately after taking office. But Leavitt, while blaming Trumps predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, acknowledged the latest inflation indicators were worse than expected.More trouble signs came when the Commerce Department reported that retail sales slumped 0.9% on a monthly basis in January. A drop that large could signal a weakening in consumer confidence and economic growth. The Federal Reserves report on industrial production also found that factory output slipped 0.1% in January, largely due to a 5.2% drop in the making of motor vehicles and parts.These could all be blips, which means the monthly data in February will really matter. The fair trade Trump wants isnt necessarily fair After previously imposing tariffs on China and readying import taxes on Canada and Mexico, Trump rolled out what he called the big one. He said his administration would put together new tariffs in the coming weeks and months to match what other countries charge.Other nations hardly find Trumps approach fair.From their vantage point, he is including items other than tariffs such as value added taxes, which are akin to sales taxes. That means the rates could be much higher than a standard tariff in Europe. On top of that, Trump plans separate additional tariffs on autos, computer chips and pharmaceuticals, in addition to the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that he announced on Monday.It is not clear whether these trade penalties are mainly negotiating tools or ways for Trump to raise revenues. So far, he has suggested that they are both.Congress watches its authority erode. But there are signs of pushbackCongress finds itself confounded by the onslaught as its institutional power as the Constitutions first branch of government with its unmatched authority over federal spending is being eroded in real time.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he finds the work of Musks team very exciting. Johnson said Trump is taking legitimate executive action.But even among congressional Republicans there were small signs of protest emerging letters being written and phone calls being made to protect their home-state interests and constituents as funding for programs, services and government contracts is being dismantled. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., urged the Homeland Security Department not to issue blanket deportations for Venezuelan migrants who fled their country and now call the Miami-area home. Im not powerless. Im a member of Congress, he said.Democratic lawmakers have joined protesters outside shuttered federal offices, arguing Trump and Musk had gone too far. Democrats suggested legislation to protect various programs, and even filed articles of impeachment against the president over his plans to bulldoze and redevelop Gaza. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the media during a briefing at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko, File) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the media during a briefing at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Trump wants a new world order With his phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin this past week, Trump is hoping he initiated the beginning of the end of the Kremlins war on Ukraine.The leaders agreed to have their teams start negotiations immediately. After getting off the phone with Putin, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss getting both sides to the negotiating table.The Putin call is a monumental development in a war that has left hundreds of thousands dead or seriously wounded.But the way ahead remains complicated.Zelenskyy said he will not meet with Putin until a plan for peace is hammered out by Trump. Trump has gotten blowback when European leaders sharply criticized him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for suggesting that NATO membership was not in the cards for Ukraine.The White House faces a further quandary with Zelenskyy wanting the U.S. and other countries to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, and Zelenskyy insisting that he and Trump iron out an agreement on the contours of any peace deal.___Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Munich and AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court, legal affairs and criminal justice for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. Past stops include Salt Lake City, New Mexico and Indiana. twitter mailto

GLAAD joined over 1,000 people on Friday, February 14 at the Stonewall National Monument in New York Citys West Village to protest the Trump Administrations removal of transgender and queer Americans from the Stonewall National Monument official government website. The online announcement for the protest described its purpose: NO LGB WITHOUT THE T. The Trump [...]The post Rally at Stonewall Draws 1000+ People Protesting Removal of Trans People, History From Park Service Website first appeared on GLAAD.

An assortment of Kellogg's Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, and Honey Smacks in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., June 25, 2010. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)2025-02-15T13:54:12Z The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the dye known as Red 3 from the nations food supply in January, setting deadlines for stripping the brightly hued additive from candies and cough syrup, baked goods and frozen treats.The agency said it was taking the action because studies found that the dye, also known as erythrosine, caused cancer in lab rats. A federal statute requires FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in animals, though officials stressed that the way Red 3 leads to cancer in rats doesnt happen in people.But the dye is only one of several synthetic colors widely found in common foods and other products.As their use is questioned by experts and consumers, heres what you need to know: What are artificial colors?Synthetic dyes are petroleum-based chemicals that dont occur in nature. Theyre widely used in foods to enhance the visual appeal of products, according to Sensient Food Colors, a St. Louis-based supplier of food colors and flavorings.Nine dyes, including Red 3, have been allowed in U.S. food. The other common color additives in food are Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Two permitted colors are used more rarely: Citrus Red 2 and Orange B.The FDA certifies synthetic color additives and regulates their use.With the FDAs recent order on Red 3, manufacturers have until January 2027 to remove the dye from their products. Makers of ingested drugs like cough syrups have until January 2028. Who is concerned about these dyes and why?Consumer advocates, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, had long lobbied to ban Red 3 from food because of the rat-cancer link. The dye was prohibited for decades in cosmetics, but not in food or ingested medications.Other research has tied artificial colors to behavioral problems in some children, including hyperactivity and impulsivity, particularly for those at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.Artificial colors are not the main cause of ADHD, but they may contribute significantly to some cases, said Dr. L. Eugene Arnold, an emeritus psychiatry professor at Ohio State University who studied dyes and their effect on behavior and now advises CHADD, a support group for people with ADHD.The FDA says it has reviewed and evaluated the effects of color additives on childrens behavior. It says its scientists believe that most children suffer no adverse effects when consuming them, though it acknowledges some children may be sensitive to them.About two-thirds of Americans favor restricting or reformulating processed foods to remove ingredients like added sugar or dyes, according to a recent AP-NORC poll.Will other colors be banned?Momentum is building for the removal of synthetic dyes in foods. Last year, California became the first state to ban six artificial food dyes from food served in public schools. More than a dozen state legislatures may take up bills this year that would ban synthetic dyes in foods, either for school lunches or in any setting. In October, protesters demanded that WK Kellogg Co. remove artificial dyes from cereals such as Apple Jacks and Froot Loops. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently confirmed as the U.S. secretary of health and human services, campaigned on a promise to Make America Healthy Again, including a focus on artificial dyes and other chemicals in food. His support has been buoyed by MAHA moms, women on social media calling for an end to artificial ingredients and ultraprocessing in the U.S. food supply, among other concerns. I was called a conspiracy theorist because I said that red dye caused cancer, Kennedy said during his confirmation hearing. Now, FDA has acknowledged that and banned it.What about natural colors?It is possible to add color to foods with natural ingredients. Some manufacturers have already reformulated products to remove Red 3. In its place they use beet juice; carmine, a dye made from insects; or pigments from foods such as purple sweet potato, radish and red cabbage.But its tricky, said Meghan Skidmore, a Sensient spokesperson. Natural dyes may be less stable than synthetic dyes and may be affected by factors including heat and acid levels. Its not impossible to replace, but theres not a single solution, she said. How can you avoid synthetic dyes?Because the dyes are so widely used, it can be difficult to find foods that dont contain color additives.The best to way to avoid the dyes is to read ingredient labels, said Arnold.If the list is so long that you dont want bother reading it and it probably has things in it you cant pronounce, dont buy it, he said.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Darren Cobb poses for a photo at his home Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)2025-02-15T15:00:06Z NEW YORK (AP) To President Donald Trump, its a hotbed of waste, fraud and abuse whose only purpose is to destroy people and whose staff amounts to a vicious group.To Jonathon Booth, its simply the agency that helped him get $17 back.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in the crosshairs of a White House that has halted its work, closed its headquarters and fired scores of its workers. But to many who have turned to the agency, it has been an effective problem-solver that fought abusive businesses when no one else would.This is the core of consumer protection someone willing to help with stuff thats small enough that no one would sue over, says Booth, a 34-year-old professor from Boulder, Colorado, who filed a complaint with CFPB in October when his credit card company wouldnt remove an errant late fee. If theres no one watching, if the risk of getting caught goes down, more companies will bend the law to make money. A few weeks after Booth turned to CFPB, his case was closed and his account credited.Even as Trump and his cost-cutting czar, the billionaire Elon Musk, have demonized and neutered the agency, its defenders tell success stories of its work. Created under the 2010 DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and beginning its work in 2011, CFPB says it has fielded more than 7.7 million complaints and returned nearly $20 billion to consumers in just over 13 years of existence. Nurit Baytch, a 47-year-old from Cambridge, Massachusetts, turned to CFPB last month after a dispute over a basement mold removal project. Baytch, who is disabled, said she discovered a worker knocked over a jug of hydrogen peroxide, soaking boxes of photos, books and electronics. When neither the contractor nor Venmo, the service she used to pay him, would help, she contacted CFPB. She didnt expect to receive anything out of the filing, but less than two weeks later, she was refunded $100 to cover the damage. Baytch now calls the agency an unalloyed good. The only people its bad for is big businesses that want to mistreat consumers, Baytch says, calling Trumps targeting of the agency dishonest. Any voter who understands what it does sees its a positive thing.CFPB, a response to the 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing Great Recession, was set up to protect Americans from credit card companies, mortgage providers and debt collectors, among others. It was a brainchild of Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts prior to her election to the Senate and, from its birth, has been a source of ire for the finance industry and many Republican lawmakers.Conservatives have long branded CFPB a power-hungry agency that goes beyond its authority, a viewpoint made clear in the sweeping far-right vision for the U.S. known as Project 2025, which called the bureau a shakedown mechanism for leftist nonprofits.Still, nothing has compared to what awaited CFPB since Trump returned to Washington. The White House branded the agency woke and weaponized and ordered it to stop nearly all its work. A judge ruled Friday that plans for mass layoffs, deletion of data or removal of funding from the agency must be halted at least through March 3. But CFPBs future has never seemed more tenuous.Its been troubling to watch for those like Barbara Seese, a 71-year-old retired teacher in Phoenix, who says CFPB is far from the villain Trump has portrayed it as.A hero, she says of the agency.A decade ago, Seese was pestered by debt collectors who claimed her 95-year-old father had unpaid dentist bills. Even as the calls persisted and got increasingly ugly, the debt collectors refused to give basic information for Seese to check if there actually were bills that she let slip through the cracks.She reached out to attorneys general in two states but it wasnt until she filed a claim with CFPB that anything changed. Within a day, the calls stopped, and a week later, the case was closed. The debt, it turned out, was for another man with the same name as her father. They were just so helpful, so informative, so professional. I just really felt like I was in safe hands, in good hands, says Seese. Once a complaint is filed with CFPB, it is reviewed by staff and the clock begins ticking. In cases outside CFPBs oversight, the consumer is referred to another regulator or advised to contact a local authority like their state attorney general. But for cases within CFPBs purview pertaining to large financial services companies the complaint is routed to that company, which typically has 15 days to respond.Sometimes, the simple involvement of CFPB and the clout of its name leads to an immediate resolution from a company eager to avoid a negative light in the agency complaint database. For others, it prompts additional investigation. And in some, the company digs in its heels, insisting it is in the right. The agencys work has two essential tracks: the micro view of individual complaints and the macro view across all complaints that informs broader regulation and lawsuits. Whatever the outcome in the former could lead to action in the latter.In 2023, some 40% of cases were closed with some sort of non-monetary relief. Just 1.5% resulted in a payment to the consumer.I would like to see more of these complaints resolved, but no agency is flawless, says Ruth Susswein, director of consumer protection at the nonprofit Consumer Action and a wholehearted supporter of CFPB. Resolution is the goal but its not the only benefit of this system, of this process.As much of a target as CFPB has been for some, it had recently showed signs of staying power. Bills introduced to repeal the agency in the last Congress went nowhere and a Supreme Court case aimed at dismantling the way CPFB is funded failed last year by a 7-2 vote.The bureau marshaled on, with recent work including capping bank overdraft fees and removing medical debt from consumer credit reports. Now, all of it is in doubt.Musk conceded the agency staff did above zero good things, but still need to go. CFPB had about 1,700 employees late last year. Its budget last fiscal year was $729 million.Though many are quick to defend Trumps moves and agree Washington is a hotbed of waste, the attack on CFPB has caused even some of his supporters to pause.Darren Cobb, a 61-year-old retired auto dealership manager from Las Vegas, spent two months wrestling with his mortgage company last year when it failed to pay local taxes that he was billed for. Nine letters and countless calls yielded nothing.But Cobb says as soon as he filed a CFPB complaint, the mortgage companys tenor changed. Within two weeks, the claim was settled. To avoid being in arrears with his county, he had paid the roughly $800 tax bill a second time. The mortgage company finally refunded the money.With CFPBs intervention, a check was overnighted to him.Sometimes youre up against a brick wall and you need an advocate, says Cobb. If that program is disbanded, where is a consumer supposed to turn to? There is nobody.Cobb voted for Trump and agrees there is government waste, but cautions the president to make sure he understands the work of the agency hes targeting.You just cant get scissors out and start cutting without understanding what youre cutting, he says.___Matt Sedensky can be reached at [emailprotected] and https://x.com/sedensky. MATT SEDENSKY Sedensky is a national writer for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Motorists travel along a snow covered State Route 267 in Truckee, Calif., Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)2025-02-15T16:37:32Z LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Much of the eastern U.S. braced for a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather on Saturday, while snowstorms were predicted in the Northeast and heavy winds brought the threat of tornadoes to the Mississippi Valley.Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas were under flood warnings, and residents were warned by the National Weather Service to stay off roads. Parts of western Kentucky could face up to 8 inches of rain.Gov. Andy Beshear preemptively declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, where flash flooding is expected on Saturday and into Sunday.We want to specifically put assets in places that flood and have flooded in the past, Beshear said on social media.The weather service said flash flooding is possible in the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. In Tennessee on Saturday, flash flood warnings were alerted in some counties north of Nashville until Saturday evening. The National Weather Service called the expected rain a major, potentially historic, flash flood event.Heavy snow, meanwhile, was expected to blanket much of New England and then transition to sleet, making travel nearly impossible, the NWS said. In northern New York, heavy mixed precipitation is expected throughout the weekend. Weather forecasters said residents should expect snow, sleet and ice accumulations of six to 13 inches and wind gusts as high as 45 mph (72 kph) late Saturday and Sunday.Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice and strong winds. Travel could be very difficult to nearly impossible, the NWS said. Frigid polar vortex arrives Saturday Meteorologists warn that the U.S. is about to get its 10th and coldest polar vortex stretching event this season. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually stays near the North Pole into the U.S. and Europe. The latest projected cold outbreak should first hit the northern Rockies and northern Plains on Saturday and then stick around all next week.In Denver, where temperatures are expected to dip as low as 14 degrees (minus 10 degrees Celsius) over the weekend, the city has extended its cold weather shelters for those living on the streets. The Denver Coliseum will be opened Saturday for additional space.In the Rocky Mountains, skiers eager for the long Presidents Day weekend are already facing a closure on a section of Interstate 70 due to snow as officials warn of hazardous conditions on the mountain roads over the weekend. California struggles with mudslidesDry weather returned to southern California after the strongest storm of the year but the risk of rock and mudslides on wildfire-scarred hillsides continued Friday since dangerous slides can strike even after rain stops, particularly in scorched areas where vegetation that helps keep soil anchored has burned away.Water, debris and boulders rushed down the mountain in the city of Sierra Madre on Thursday night, trapping at least one car in the mud and damaging several home garages with mud and debris. Bulldozers on Friday were cleaning up the mud-covered streets in the city of 10,000 people.A storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains dumped 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow over 36 hours. Two ski patrol staff from Mammoth Mountain were caught in an avalanche during avalanche mitigation work Friday morning, the resort said in a Facebook post. One was extracted and was responsive, while the other was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.__Olga R. Rodriguez and Eugene Garcia in California contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House, May 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-02-15T18:41:16Z VIENNA (AP) A 23-year-old man stabbed five passersby in southern Austria on Saturday in what police said was a random attack that left a 14-year-old dead and four others injured.The suspect was detained in the city of Villach, where the attack took place, police said. He is a Syrian national with legal residence in Austria, they said.The victims were all men. Two were seriously injured and two sustained minor injuries, police said.Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said a motive was not immediately known. He added that police were investigating the attackers personal background. We have to wait until we get secure information, he said.A 42-year-old man who works for a food delivery company witnessed the incident from his car, police said. He drove toward the suspect and helped to prevent things from getting worse, Dionisio told Austrias public broadcaster ORF. Peter Kaiser, the governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, expressed his condolences to the family of the 14-year-old victim. This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences. I have always said with clarity and unambiguously: Those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values. Erwin Angerer, a lawmaker for the far-right Freedom Party, said his party had been warning about the situation in Austria as a result of the countrys disastrous asylum policy. Austrias Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was expected in Villach on Sunday morning.Police said it wasnt clear whether the suspect acted on his own and continued to search for potential additional suspects. It was also not known whether there is any connection between the attacker and the victims. According to the Austrian Ministry of Interior, 24,941 foreigners applied for asylum in Austria in 2024. The largest group of applicants comes from Syria, followed by Afghanistan. Over the past two years, the number of asylum seekers has decreased significantly. In 2022, applications peaked at over 100,000, while approximately 59,000 individuals sought asylum in 2023.Several European countries, among them Austria, said in December they are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals because of the unclear political situation in their homeland following the fall of Bashar Assad.

The sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen. May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)2025-02-15T16:23:39Z WASHINGTON (AP) The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agencys plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week.This comes as the Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection. Its unclear how many IRS workers will be affected. Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a deferred resignation program to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.However, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees. It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff announcement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment. Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency. Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have called for the U.S. to delete entire agencies from the federal government as part of his to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities. Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority of to access sensitive government data and exercise virtually unchecked power in a lawsuit filed Thursday.The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the powers of Congress and the president. FATIMA HUSSEIN Hussein reports on the U.S. Treasury Department for The Associated Press. She covers tax policy, sanctions and any issue that relates to money. twitter mailto

White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)2025-02-15T10:39:12Z PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) Some white South Africans showed support for President Donald Trump on Saturday and gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria to claim they are victims of racism by their own government.Hundreds of protesters held placards that read Thank God for President Trump and displayed other messages criticizing what they see as racist laws instituted by the South African government that discriminate against the white minority.Many were from the Afrikaner community that Trump focused on in an executive order a week ago that cut aid and assistance to the Black-led South African government. In the order, Trump said South Africas Afrikaners, who are descendants of mainly Dutch colonial settlers, were being targeted by a new law that allows the government to expropriate private land.The South African government has denied its new law is tied to race and says Trumps claims over the country and the law have been full of misinformation and distortions. Trump said land was being expropriated from Afrikaners which the order referred to as racially disfavored landowners when no land has been taken under the law. Trump also announced a plan to offer Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S. They are only one part of South Africas white minority. In a speech to Parliament this week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the forced removal of any people from their land will never be allowed in South Africa again after millions of Blacks were dispossessed of property under the apartheid system of white minority rule and hundreds of years of colonialism before that. The people of this country know the pain of forced removals, Ramaphosa said. He said the land law does not allow any arbitrary taking of land and only refers to land that can be redistributed for the public good.The Trump administrations criticism and punishment of South Africa has elevated a long-standing dilemma in the country over moves to address the wrongs of centuries of white minority rule that oppressed the Black majority. According to the government, the land law aims to fairly address the inequality that the majority of farmland in South Africa is owned by whites, even though they make up just 7% of the countrys population.White protesters on Saturday held banners referencing the expropriation law but also other affirmative action policies put in place by the government since the end of apartheid in 1994 to advance opportunities for Blacks. Those laws, known as Black Economic Empowerment, have been a source of frustration for some white people.Influential Trump adviser Elon Musk who was raised in South Africa has also criticized South Africas government and claimed it is anti-white for years, although some have questioned his motivations. He has recently failed to get a license for his Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa because it doesnt meet the countrys affirmative action criteria.While race has long framed South African politics, the country has been largely successful in reconciling its racially diverse people in the years after apartheid. The current government is made up of a coalition of 10 Black-led and white-led political parties that are working together.___Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House, May 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-02-15T12:42:43Z BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Hours before President Donald Trump was sworn in to begin his second term, promising a golden age for America, the leader of a Central European country was describing the years ahead in strikingly similar terms.Prime Minister Viktor Orbn said Trumps return would usher in Hungarys own golden age and mark the collapse of liberal democracy.The messaging overlap was no surprise.Orbns strongman style has long served as an inspiration for U.S. conservatives, who have looked at Hungary as a possible model for a right-wing America with less immigration, fewer regulations and the removal of democratic constraints they see as unwieldy or inconvenient. Orbn has formed a close bond with Trump and has made multiple visits to the presidents Florida resort. This week, the prime minister praised Trumps unilateral outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. During one of last years U.S. presidential debates, Trump praised Orbn as a strong man. Hes a tough person. Now, with Trump back in office since Jan. 20, he is testing the limits of presidential power in a way that is drawing comparisons to the anti-democratic methods employed by Orbn and other autocrats. Orbn used state power to crush rivals, remake the judiciary and game elections to make it much harder to oust his party. He has cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, the media and civic organizations.Although the two men and political systems are different, there are striking parallels between what Orbn has achieved in Hungary and Trumps agenda and approach for his second term. A blueprint for returning to officeAfter becoming prime minister in 1998, Orbn suffered an unexpected electoral defeat four years later. He then swore he would never lose again and began planning the political transformation of Hungary, said Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton professor who worked at Hungarys Constitutional Court in the 1990s.While he was out of power, Orbn and his allies created a legal framework to consolidate authority. It was swiftly implemented after Orbns Fidesz party swept to victory with a two-thirds majority in 2010. It wasnt called Project 2025, Scheppele added, referring to the controversial conservative blueprint for Trumps second term that has been reflected in many of the presidents early actions. It might have been called Project 2010.The European Parliament has declared Orbans Hungary an electoral autocracy.Upon returning to office with a Republican majority in Congress, Trump issued a blizzard of executive orders seeking to expand the power of the presidency and test the countrys system of checks and balances. He has continued to make changes to the government without consulting Congress.The American Bar Association issued a statement warning that many of the Trump administrations actions are contrary to the rule of law. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House, May 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House, May 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Remaking the legal systemThe most consequential of Fideszs early actions was cracking down on judicial independence.In 2012, Orbns government lowered the mandatory judicial retirement age, resulting in the termination of nearly 300 senior judges. Responsibility for filling the positions was vested in a single political appointee the spouse of a Fidesz founder.It took three years and it was all over, Scheppele said. As long as he had the highest court in his pocket, he could get away with a lot.While Trump and Republicans cannot unilaterally change the face of the judiciary, the parallels with Orbn are clear. Republicans have long sought a conservative judiciary, and Trump embraced that priority when he first became president in 2017. In his first term, Trump nominated three of the U.S. Supreme Courts current nine members, giving conservatives a supermajority that last year shielded the Republican from criminal prosecution for his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss.Trump has moved to remake the U.S. Department of Justice after having spoken repeatedly about using it to go after his critics and those who investigated him. He has fired prosecutors who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and moved to purge the FBI. His administration has criticized judges who have temporarily halted some of its actions, with some in power even suggesting at one point that unfavorable decisions could be defied.Still, Trumps power over the judicial branch is not absolute. Many Trump-appointed judges showed independence in 2020, rebuffing his lawsuits to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.The U.S. court system also is larger than Hungarys and full of judges appointed by previous presidents, including Biden. Consolidating political powerOrbns first moves after regaining power were rewriting Hungarys constitution and overhauling election laws in a way that ensured his party would have a greater proportion of its own lawmakers in the legislature.Due partly to those changes, Orbns party has won a two-thirds majority in every election since 2010 while receiving as little as 44% of the vote. In Hungary, parties, rather than voters, select candidates for seats in parliament a system that gives Orbn tremendous power in shaping the government.He decides who can be a politician and who cannot be a politician, said Zsuzsanna Szelnyi, a founding Fidesz member who left the party in 1994. He completely owns the party. Orbn has defined his party as embodying true Hungarian identity while branding his rivals as unpatriotic and serving foreign interests. Its similar to Trump, who has used dark rhetoric against political opponents. There also are parallels in dealing with the media. Orban undermined his countrys independent media as deep-pocketed allies who benefited from generous state contracts bought out influential news outlets. Trump, too, has put pressure on the media in the United States through lawsuits and regulatory threats.While Trump does not control party elections in the same way Orbn does, he has put his stamp on the Republican Party, making loyalty to him its organizing principle. He has prioritized loyalty in nominations for top government jobs, including the leadership of the U.S. Justice Department, FBI and U.S. Defense Department.Trump also is pushing to change civil service rules so he and his allies can remove federal employees who they see as not loyal to him and potentially replace them with ones who are. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shake hands during a meeting in Moscow, July 5, 2024. (Valeriy Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shake hands during a meeting in Moscow, July 5, 2024. (Valeriy Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Cozying up to dictatorsOrbns evolution into an autocrat occurred parallel to another transformation: his drift toward Russia, China and other autocracies.Gza Jeszenszky, Hungarys first foreign minister after the fall of state socialism, said Orbn recognized that the constraints of a Western democracy were incompatible with the sweeping changes he wanted. So he took examples from autocratic countries, specifically Putins Russia.His aim was to follow them, Jeszenszky said. Trump has a long history of speaking favorably about autocrats, especially Putin whom he once said he trusted above U.S. intelligence services. He also had praised Putins invasion of Ukraine as brilliant and has not committed to Ukraine being an equal participant in negotiations with Russia to end the war.Szelnyi, the Fidesz founding member, said fundamental political and economic differences between Hungary and the U.S. would make it more difficult for such a comprehensive political capture to take place in the U.S.Still, she said, Hungarys transformation under Orbn should serve as a warning.If autocratization starts, it goes on like a snowball, she said. Its not something that stops its a process.___Riccardi reported from Denver. JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, en route to West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-02-15T19:47:01Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump toured a Boeing airplane to check out new hardware and technology features and highlight the aircraft makers delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft, the White House said Saturday. Trump visited the 13-year-old private aircraft parked at Palm Beach International Airport. President Trump is touring a new Boeing plane to checkout the new hardware/technology, said Steven Cheung, the White House communications director. This highlights the projects failure to deliver a new Air Force One on time as promised.Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist and the president flies on both of the more than 30-year-old planes. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the aircraft maker has lost billions of dollars on the project. Delivery initially was set for 2024, but has been pushed to some time in 2027 for the first plane and in 2028 Trumps final year in office for the second, according to the U.S. Air Force. Trump has railed against the projects cost and delivery delays. He told Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk during an online chat in 2024 on Musks X social media platform that he was able to cut more than $1 billion from the project by playing hard ball with Boeing during his first term in office. Over a course of about four weeks, by my saying Im not going to do it, I got the price reduced by $1.6 billion for the exact same plane, other than we had a nicer paint job, if you want to know the truth, but for the exact same plane, Trump said. Musk, a billionaire, helped bankroll Trumps 2024 campaign and is leading a new Department of Government Efficiency that is working to shrink the size of government by cutting spending, eliminating agencies and slashing the federal workforce. Musk has been criticized for his methods. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said last month that Musk is working with the company to help speed delivery of the Air Force One replacements.Trump is also interested in changing the color scheme of Air Force One from light blue to a darker blue. An earlier attempt by Trump to switch the colors was dropped by then-President Joe Biden after a study concluded that doing so would require additional testing and cause further delays, adding to the cost. DARLENE SUPERVILLE Superville covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a special emphasis on first ladies and first families. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Palestinian prisoner Waddeh Bazrah, 43, is greeted after being released from Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)2025-02-15T13:14:51Z JERUSALEM (AP) Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Saturday in the latest exchange for Israeli hostages captured by Hamas, as a fragile ceasefire held.Israel views the prisoners as terrorists. Palestinians often see them as freedom fighters resisting a decades-long Israeli military occupation.Nearly every Palestinian has a friend or family member who has been jailed by Israel for militant attacks or lesser offenses such as rock-throwing. Some are incarcerated for months or years without trial in what is known as administrative detention, which Israel says is needed to prevent attacks and avoid sharing sensitive intelligence.Among those newly released, 36 had been sentenced to life for involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis. Twelve of those were allowed to return to homes in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. Palestinian medics said that four were hospitalized for urgent care. The 24 others with life sentences were being sent into exile.The rest of the 333 Palestinians released had been detained in Gaza after Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the war. Israeli forces have arrested hundreds of people in Gaza and held them without trial. As part of the ceasefire, Israel committed to releasing more than 1,000 of them on the condition that they hadnt participated in the Oct. 7 attack.A look at some prominent prisoners released since the truce took effect on Jan. 19: Ahmed Barghouti, 48Among the most prominent prisoners released is a close aide of militant leader and political figure Marwan Barghouti, who is still imprisoned. The two arent closely related.Ahmed Barghouti was given a life sentence for dispatching assailants to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians during the second intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s. As a commander in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of the secular Fatah Party, he was also convicted of possession of firearms and attempted murder.He was sent to Egypt. The Sarahneh brothers Three brothers from east Jerusalem were released after more than 22 years in prison for their involvement in suicide bombings that killed Israelis during the second intifada. Israeli authorities brought Ibrahim, 55, and Musa, 63, to their homes in the West Bank.The third brother, Khalil, 45, who was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to life in 2002, was sent to Egypt.Ibrahim Sarahnehs Ukrainian wife, Irena, had been sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for organizing with her husband a suicide bombing that killed two people in the Israeli city of Rishon Lezion. She was released in 2011 as part of a swap for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas.The conditions of detention are more difficult than you could imagine, Ibrahim Sarahneh told The Associated Press as he stepped off a bus in the West Bank village of Beitunia. There is beating, insults, cursing. The Israeli Prison Service says it ensures all basic rights of prisoners and detains them according to the law.The Aweis brothers Hassan Aweis, 47, and Abdel Karim Aweis, 54, from the occupied West Bank, were released on Saturday after nearly 23 years in prison.Hassan Aweis was sentenced to life in 2002 on charges of voluntary manslaughter, planting an explosive device and attempted murder. He was involved in planning attacks during the second intifada for the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.Its an indescribable feeling of pain mixed with joy, Aweis said.Abdel Karim Aweis sentenced to the equivalent of six life sentences for throwing an explosive device, attempted murder and assault, among other charges was transferred to Egypt.Iyad Abu Shakhdam, 49Abu Shakhdam was sentenced to the equivalent of 18 life sentences over his involvement in Hamas attacks that killed dozens of Israelis during the second intifada. They included a suicide bombing that blew up two buses in Beersheba in 2004, killing 16 Israelis, including a 4-year-old.Abu Shakhdam was arrested in the West Bank in 2004 following a gunfight with Israeli security forces in which he was shot 10 times.During 21 years in prison, his family said, he finished high school and earned a certificate for psychology courses. He was released on Feb. 8. Jamal al-Tawil, 61Al-Tawil, a prominent Hamas politician in the occupied West Bank, spent nearly two decades in and out of Israeli prisons, in part over allegations that he helped plot suicide bombings.Most recently, the Israeli military arrested al-Tawil in 2021, saying he had participated in riots and mobilized Hamas political activists in Ramallah, the seat of the semiautonomous Palestinian Authority, Hamas main rival. He was held without charge or trial.Too weak to walk, al-Tawil was taken to a hospital after his release in Ramallah on Feb. 8.Mohammed el-Halabi, 47The Palestinian manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision, a Christian aid organization, was arrested in 2016 and accused of diverting tens of millions of dollars to Hamas in a case that drew criticism from rights groups. He was freed on Feb. 1.El-Halabi and World Vision denied the allegations and independent investigations found no proof of wrongdoing. Zakaria Zubeidi, 49 A prominent militant leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade during the second intifada, Zubeidi later became a theater director in the Jenin refugee camp, where he promoted what he described as cultural resistance to Israel.His jailbreak in 2021 when he and five others used spoons to tunnel out of one of Israels most secure prisons and remained at large for days before being caught thrilled Palestinians and stunned the Israeli security establishment.In 2019, after Zubeidi had served years in prison for attacks in the early 2000s, Israel arrested him again, accusing him of being involved in shooting attacks that targeted buses of Israeli settlers but caused no injuries.Zubeidi had been awaiting trial when he was sentenced to five years in prison for his jailbreak. He was released on Jan. 30 into the West Bank.Mohammed Odeh, 52, Wael Qassim, 54, and Wissam Abbasi, 48They hail from east Jerusalem and rose within the ranks of Hamas. Held responsible for deadly attacks during the second intifada, they were handed multiple life sentences in 2002.They were accused of plotting a suicide bombing at a pool hall near Tel Aviv in 2002 that killed 15 people. Later that year, they were found to have orchestrated a bombing at Hebrew University that killed nine people, including five American students.All were transferred to Egypt on Jan. 25.Mohammad al-Tous, 67Al-Tous held the title of longest continuously held prisoner in Israel until his release on Jan. 25, Palestinian authorities said.First arrested in 1985 while fighting Israeli forces along the Jordanian border, the Fatah party activist spent a total of 39 years behind bars. Originally from the West Bank, he was sent into exile.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto

After waiting in a cue, people are led into a downtown Chicago building where an immigration court presides, Nov. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)2025-02-15T19:43:02Z SAN DIEGO (AP) The Trump administration fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government.On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances in the last week.It was unclear if they would be replaced. The U.S. Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees its roughly 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.Immigration courts are backlogged with more than 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, and it takes years to decide asylum cases. There is support across the political spectrum for more judges and support staff, though the first Trump administration also pressured some judges to decide cases more quickly. The Trump administration earlier replaced five top court officials, including Mary Cheng, the agencys acting director. Sirce Owen, the current leader and previously an appellate immigration judge, has issued a slew of new instructions, many reversing policies of the Biden administration. Last month, the Justice Department halted financial support for nongovernmental organizations to provide information and guidance to people facing deportation but restored funding after a coalition of nonprofit groups filed a federal lawsuit. The firings touch on two top Trump priorities: mass deportations and shrinking the size of the federal government. On Thursday, it ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. Probationary workers generally have less than a year on the job.Biggs, the union official, said he didnt know if the judges firings were intended to send a message on immigration policy and characterized them as part of a campaign across the federal workforce. Theyre treating these people as if theyre not human beings, he said. Its bad all around. ___ RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site