Washington State Park workers put up a new Canadian flag in front of an American flag about to be replaced during scheduled maintenance atop the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)2025-03-02T11:10:06Z DETROIT (AP) At the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, a quote from former President Ronald Reagan is engraved on one wall. Let the 5,000-mile border between Canada and the United States stand as a symbol for the future, Reagan said upon signing a 1988 free trade pact with Americas northern neighbor. Let it forever be not a point of division but a meeting place between our great and true friends. But a point of division is here. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump plans to impose a 25% tariff on most imported Canadian goods and a 10% tariff on Canadian oil and gas. Canada has said it will retaliate with a 25% import tax on a multitude of American products, including wine, cigarettes and shotguns. The tariffs have touched off a range of emotions along the worlds longest international border, where residents and industries are closely intertwined. Ranchers in Canada rely on American companies for farm equipment, and export cattle and hogs to U.S. meat processors. U.S. consumers enjoy thousands of gallons of Canadian maple syrup each year. Canadian dogs and cats dine on U.S.-made pet food. The trade dispute will have far-reaching spillover effects, from price increases and paperwork backlogs to longer wait times at the U.S.-Canada border for both people and products, said Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. These industries on both sides are built up out of a cross-border relationship, and disruptions will play out on both sides, Trautman said. Even the threat of tariffs may have already caused irreparable harm, she said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged Canadians to buy Canadian products and vacation at home.The Associated Press wanted to know what residents and businesses were thinking along the border that Reagan vowed would remain unburdened by an invisible barrier of economic suspicion and fear. Heres what they said: Skagway, Alaska-Whitehorse, YukonPeople flocked from the boomtown of Skagway, Alaska, to Canadas Yukon in search of riches during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s, following routes that Indigenous tribes long used for trade. Today, Skagway trades on its past, drawing more than 1 million cruise ship passengers a year to a historic downtown that features Klondike-themed museums. But the municipality with a population of about 1,100 still holds deep ties to the Yukon. Skagway residents frequently travel to Whitehorse, the territorys capital, for a wider selection of groceries and shopping, dental care, veterinary services and swimming lessons. The Alaskan citys port, meanwhile, still supports Yukon mining and is a critical hub for fuel and other essentials both communities need. Its a special connection, Orion Hanson, a contractor and Skagway Assembly member, said of Whitehorse, which sits 110 miles (177 kilometers) north and has 30,000 people. Its really our most accessible neighbor.Hanson is concerned about what tariffs might mean for the price of building supplies, such as lumber, concrete and steel. The cost of living in small, remote places already is high. People in Whitehorse and Skagway worry about the potential impact on community relations as well as prices. Norman Holler, who lives in Whitehorse, said the months the tariffs have loomed created an uncomfortable feeling and resentment. If the threat becomes reality, Holler said he would probably still visit Alaska border towns but not other parts of the United States.Is it rational? I dont know, but it satisfies an emotional need not to go, he said.- Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska Point Roberts, Washington-Delta, British ColumbiaAt the border of Washington state and British Columbia, the tension over tariffs is evident in a waterfront community that is hoping for Canadian mercy.Point Roberts is a 5-square-mile (13-square kilometer) U.S. exclave whose only land connection lies in Canada, which supplies the unincorporated nub of American soil its water and electricity. Its a geographic oddity that requires a 20-mile drive around Canada to reach mainland Washington state. Local real estate agent Wayne Lyle, who like many of his neighbors has dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship, said some of Point Roberts roughly 1,000 residents are signing a petition pleading with British Columbias premier for an exemption to whatever retaliatory tariffs Canada may institute.Were basically connected to Canada. Were about as Canadian as an American city can be, Lyle said. Were unique enough that maybe we can get a break.Lyle, who serves as the president of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce, said its too early to identify measurable effects, but he fears Canadians wont visit the popular summer getaway destination out of spite. We dont want Canada to think were the bad guys, Lyle said. Please dont take it out on us. - Sally Ho in Seattle Billings, Montana-AlbertaThe 545-mile (877-kilometer) stretch of land that separates Montana from Canada includes some of the sleepiest checkpoints on the binational border. Several of the states border posts had fewer than 50 crossings a day on average last year.But unseen, in underground pipelines that cut through vast fields of barley, flows about $5 billion annually worth of Canadian crude oil and natural gas, most of it from Alberta. The lines traverse a continental pivot point -- Montana is the only state with rivers that drain into the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Canadas Hudson Bay and deliver to refineries around Billings. Canada is one of our major supply sources for oil across the United States, said Dallas Scholes, the government affairs director of Houston-based refinery company Par Pacific, which runs a processing facility along the Yellowstone River. If tariffs are imposed on the oil and gas industry, its not going to be good for consumers.People in Montana drive long distances given its sprawling size and burn lots of natural gas through harsh winters, making its residents the highest energy consumers per capita in the U.S., according to federal data.That means a 10% tax on Canadian energy resources would be felt broadly. The states farmers would be among those hit more severely, given the large volumes of gasoline needed to run tractors and other equipment, according to Jeffrey Michael, director of the University of Montanas Bureau of Business and Economic Research.It will be painful, but there are larger concerns if I were an agricultural producer in Montana, Michael said. Id be worried about the trade war escalating to where my products start to get hit with reciprocal tariffs.- Matthew Brown in Billings, Mont.Detroit-Windsor, OntarioThe Detroit River is all that separates Windsor, Ontario, from Detroit. The cities are so close that Detroiters can smell the drying grain at Windsors Hiram Walker distillery and Windsor can hear the music drifting from Detroits outdoor concert venues.Manufacturing muscle makes the Ambassador Bridge, the 1.4-mile-long span connecting the two cities, the busiest international crossing in North America. According to the Michigan company that owns the bridge, $323 million worth of goods travel each day between Windsor and Detroit, the automotive capitals of their countries. The U.S., Canada and Mexico have long operated as one nation when it comes to auto manufacturing, noted Pat DEramo, CEO of Vaughan, Ontario-based automotive suppler Martinrea. Tariffs will cause confusion and disruption, he said.Right now, steel coils arrive at a plant in Michigan and get stamped into parts that are shipped to Martinrea in Canada. Martinrea uses the parts to build vehicle sub-assemblies that get shipped back to an automaker in Detroit.Its unclear if parts would be taxed twice if they crossed the border multiple times, and if suppliers or their customers will have to pay for the tariffs. Also unclear is how a separate 25% levy on steel and aluminum that Trump said would take effect starting March 12 factors into the mix. DEramo understands the impulse to strengthen U.S. manufacturing but says the U.S. doesnt have the capacity to make all the tooling Martinrea would need if it were to shift production there. At the end of the day, he thinks its sad tariffs will take up so much time, energy and resources, and only make vehicles even more expensive.We need to be spending our time and money to get more efficient and reduce our costs so customers can reduce their costs, he said.-Dee-Ann Durbin in DetroitBuffalo, New York-OntarioBuffalo, New York is, decidedly, a beer town. Its also a border town.That makes for a complementary relationship. Western New Yorks dozens of craft breweries rely on Canada for aluminum cans and much of the malted grain that goes into their brews. Canadians regularly cross one of the four international bridges into the region to shop, go to sporting events and sip Buffalos beers.Brewers and other businesses fear there may be less of that, though, if the tariffs on Canada and aluminum go into effect. Trumps repeated comments about making the neighboring nation the 51st U.S. state already offended its citizens - so much so that Buffalos tourism agency paused a campaign running in Canada because of negative comments.Obviously, having a bad taste in their mouth and booing the national anthem at sporting events is not a great thing for them coming down here and drinking our beer and hanging out in our city, said Jeff Ware, president of Resurgence Brewing Co. The historic factory building housing Wares business in Buffalo is about 4 miles from the Peace Bridge border crossing, where 1.8 million cars and buses and 518,000 commercial trucks entered Buffalo from Ontario last year.Its a terrible time to alienate customers, Canadian or American. The snowy first months of the year are hard enough for Buffalos breweries, Ware said. Higher prices from 25% tariffs would be yet another obstacle. Ware gets about 80% of the base malt be uses to make his specialty beers from Canada. Labor is more expensive, energy is more expensive, all of our raw ingredients are more expensive, he said. Its death by a thousand cuts.- Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, N.Y.Cutler, Maine-New BrunswickCommercial lobsterman John Drouin has fished for Maines signature seafood for more than 45 years, often in disputed waters known as the grey zone that straddle the U.S.-Canada border.The relationship between American and Canadian fishermen can sometimes be fraught, but harvesters on both side of the border know they depend on each other, Drouin said. Maine fishermen catch millions of pounds of lobsters every year, but much of the processing capacity for the valuable crustaceans is in Canada.If Trump follows through with the threatened tariffs next week, lobsters sent to Canada for processing would be subject to customs duties when they return to the U.S. to go to market. Drouin fears what will happen to the lobster industry if the trade dispute persists and Canada enacts a retaliatory tariff on lobsters.As the price goes up to the consumer, there comes a point where it just doesnt become palatable for them to purchase it, Drouin said.Drouin, 60, fishes out of Cutler, Maine, and sees Grand Manan Island, an island in the Bay of Fundy that is part of the province of New Brunswick, when he takes his boat out. He described his business as right smack on the Canadian border in terms of both economics and geography.He described himself as a fan of Trumps first term who is not overly thrilled with what hes been doing here. And he said hes concerned his home state could ultimately be hurt by the tariffs if the president isnt mindful of border industries such as his.The rhetoric is a bit much, whats taking place, Drouin said.- Patrick Whittle in Scarborough, Maine DEE-ANN DURBIN Durbin is an Associated Press business writer focusing on the food and beverage industry. She has also covered the auto industry and state and national politics in her nearly 30-year career with the AP. twitter mailto SALLY HO Ho is an investigative and business news reporter for The Associated Press. Shes filed public records requests in all 50 U.S. states and covered a range of major world events. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Blythe Gonzalez, right, asks a question of a Jackson, Miss., precinct worker, unseen, while her husband Jorge Gonzalez, left, waits with his paper ballot, to accompany her to a voting kiosk, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Rogelio V. Solis, File)2025-03-02T12:21:35Z WASHINGTON (AP) The centerpiece election legislation from congressional Republicans would require voters to prove their citizenship when registering, raising concerns among state election officials about how it would be implemented and who would pay for it.In recent interviews, secretaries of state from both parties said they were wary of federal lawmakers creating state election rules and of costly new procedures that would come with them, including collecting and storing sensitive documents. They also criticized a provision that would allow for civil or criminal penalties against any election official who registers someone without evidence of citizenship.Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said there is no federal database that states can use to confirm a persons citizenship status. Election officials described databases maintained by the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security as unreliable. Reasonable people can agree that only citizens should be voting in our elections, said Bellows, a Democrat. If they want us to prove citizenship, then they need to build the infrastructure for that to happen. House Republicans are ready to act quicklyWith the urging of President Donald Trump, House Republicans are expected to move quickly to advance the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. A proof of citizenship requirement was included in a package of priority bills that can bypass committee and head straight to a floor vote. That could happen as soon as this week, though the bills prospects in the Senate are uncertain amid likely Democratic opposition.State election officials said they generally support steps to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting, an issue that typically involves a tiny fraction of ballots and is more often an individual mistake rather than an intentional and coordinated attempt to subvert an election. Debates largely center on how best to accomplish that, whether the responsibility should fall on the voter or whether the federal government should do a better job providing states with reliable data to verify citizenship status. Every time theres federal legislation, Ive got concerns, especially when the feds talk about things that the states typically do on a year-by-year, day-to-day basis, said Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican. Just because you think itll work in your state doesnt mean it will work in everybody elses state.Republicans in Congress have said the current process for registering voters is filled with loopholes that have allowed people who are not U.S. citizens to vote in past elections and relies on a system in which voters sign an oath that they are a citizen.Before the 2024 election, Trump pushed claims without evidence that such people might vote in large enough numbers to sway the outcome. In fact, voting by noncitizens is rare and can lead to felony charges and deportation.Since his victory in November, Trump has continued to press for changes to how elections are run, including requiring proof of citizenship. No money included and the threat of prosecutionUtah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican who oversees elections in her state, said she was concerned about federal overreach and the legislation lacking the support states will need to make it work.It definitely shouldnt be on throwing election workers or secretaries of state or county clerks in jail for accidentally registering a noncitizen to vote when we dont have adequate tools to even verify citizenship, she said.Another concern is funding. The bill does not include an appropriation, leaving states to cover the costs of its implementation. Federal money for elections has long been a point of contention for some election officials.If you talk to the vast majority of election officials, they will tell you that federal investment in our elections is sorely needed, especially if folks in Congress are going to be talking about things like the SAVE Act, which will only increase costs of running elections and increase federal oversight and involvement in our elections, said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat. Concerns about voters having the right documentsVoting rights groups have said married women who have changed their name could have trouble registering under the SAVE Act because their birth certificate lists their maiden name.Those groups also have criticized the bills requirement that people provide documents in person, saying that could be a challenge for people in rural parts of the country where visiting an election office might require a long drive and taking time off from work.Under the current registration system, those seeking to register are asked to provide either a state drivers license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number and are directed to sign an oath swearing they are a U.S. citizen. A few states require a full Social Security number. Republicans say states can add people to the voter rolls even if they do not provide that information and that some noncitizens can receive Social Security numbers and drivers licenses. The legislation outlines documents that could prove citizenship, including a REAL ID-compliant drivers license, a passport or a birth certificate.It also allows for states to establish a way for voters to provide other supporting documents. Only about 50% of Americans have a passport, and adoption of REAL ID has been slow. As of January 2024, about 56% of drivers licenses and IDs in the U.S. were REAL ID-compliant, according to data collected by DHS.State citizenship requirements have mixed resultsCurrently, eight states have laws requiring proof of citizenship for voters while lawmakers in 17 states have introduced legislation this year to add that requirement, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Experiences have been mixed. In Kansas, where a proof of citizenship requirement was in effect for three years, the states own expert estimated that almost all the roughly 30,000 people who were prevented from registering to vote during that time were U.S. citizens eligible to vote.Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, has said his state has been successful in establishing a system with the states motor vehicle agency to verify citizenship. He and 20 other Republican secretaries of state sent a letter this past week asking the Department of Homeland Security to improve its database and eliminate fees for using it.Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, described federal data as totally unreliable and pointed to an issue in his state, which has for years sought to implement a state-level proof of citizenship requirement. A recent state audit revealed instances in which U.S. passports might not prove citizenship because U.S. nationals those born in U.S. territories are eligible for passports but are not eligible to vote in U.S. elections. Weve got so many issues to deal with and such a poor understanding of our own laws that I think a massive shift like this is just problematic, Fontes said. I dont think Congress has taken the time to ask the folks who actually do this work if what they are proposing is workable in the first place. And thats dangerous, especially when you are criminalizing some of these activities.___The Associated Pressreceives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-03-02T12:26:52Z WASHINGTON (AP) Every time a baby is born in Louisiana, where Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson handily won reelection last year, theres more than a 60% chance taxpayers will finance the birth through Medicaid. In Republican Rep. David Valadao s central California district, 6 out of 10 people use Medicaid to pay for doctor visits and emergency room trips.And one-third of the population is covered by Medicaid in GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowskis Alaska, one of the nations costliest corners for health care.Each of these Republicans and some of their conservative colleagues lined up last week to defend Medicaid, in a departure from long-held GOP policies. Republicans, who already have ruled out massive cuts to Social Security and Medicare, are turning their attention to siphoning as much as $880 billion from Medicaid over the next decade to help finance $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. But as a deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown nears, hesitation is surfacing among Washingtons Republican lawmakers once reliable critics of lofty government social welfare programs such as Medicaid who say that deep cuts to the health care program could prove too untenable for people back home. Ive heard from countless constituents who tell me the only way they can afford health care is through programs like Medicaid, Valadao said on the House floor. And I will not support a final reconciliation bill that risks leaving them behind. And on Wednesday, President Donald Trump, too, made his position on Medicaid clear: Were not going to touch it. States and the federal government jointly pay for Medicaid, which offers nearly-free health care coverage for roughly 80 million poor and disabled Americans, including millions of children. It cost $880 billion to operate in 2023.Johnson has ruled out two of the biggest potential cuts: paying fixed, shrunken rates to states for care and changing the calculation for the share of federal dollars that each state receives for Medicaid. Just a few years ago, Johnson spearheaded a report that lobbied for some of those changes during the first Trump administration. Johnson insisted in a CNN interview that the focus will instead be ferreting out fraud, waste and abuse, in Medicaid, although its unlikely to deliver the savings Republicans seek.GOP pressure over Medicaid is mounting, with some state party leaders joining the calls to preserve the program. States are already struggling with the growing cost of sicker patients and could be left to cover more if the federal government pulls back. In some states, the federal government picks up over 80%. More than a dozen Minnesota GOP lawmakers wrote the president recently warning that too deep of a cut is unmanageable in any instance. Gov. Joe Lombardo, R-Nev., told Congress in a letter that proposed reductions would put lives at risk. In Alaska, state Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, a Republican and nurse, cited huge concerns during a floor speech. Nationally, 55% of Americans said the government spends too little on Medicaid, according to a January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Its now a very popular program that touches a very broad cross-section of American society, said Drew Altman, president of the health care research firm KFF. Roughly half of the American people say that they or a family member have at one time been served by the program. Significant changes to Medicaid are still on the table. They have to be for Republicans get the savings they need to pay for tax cuts. Work requirements, which could save as much as $109 billion over the next decade, seem to have solid support among GOP members, with some individual Republican-led states already moving to implement them. Republicans also could consider cuts in benefits or coverage, as well as eliminating a provider tax that states use to finance Medicaid, Altman added. Democrats warn that reductions are inevitable and could be dire. Starting Monday, TV ads will caution people across 20 congressional districts that hospitals are at risk of closing and millions of people could lose coverage if Republicans cut Medicaid to fund massive tax cuts for Elon Musk and billionaires. The Democratic super political action committee House Majority Forward has launched the seven-figure campaign. Trump and Republicans have for years called to lower government spending on health care, but they have struggled to formulate a serious plan that gains traction. Trump, for example, has spent nearly a decade arguing for an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. His efforts to repeal the Obama-era national health care law failed during his first term and in his most recent presidential campaign he offered only concepts of a plan to adapt the program.Michael Cannon, a director of health studies at libertarian Cato Institute, believes Medicaid needs an overhaul because it is a significant part of the federal budget and a contributor to the nations growing debt. But Republicans, he said, are not looking at serious ways to drive down the cost of health care.The only reason for the cuts right now is to pay for the tax cuts, Cannon said. None of them are talking about the need to do better health reform. ___Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska and AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. AMANDA SEITZ Seitz is an Associated Press reporter covering federal health care policy. 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Jarrett Borden, a Florida resident, speaks about President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, in Hollywood, Fla., Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin)2025-03-02T12:16:47Z WASHINGTON (AP) The nation will hear a new president sing a far different tune in his prime-time address before Congress on Tuesday night. Some Americans will lustily sing along. Others will plug their ears.The old tune is out the one where a president declares we strongly support NATO, I believe strongly in free trade and Washington must do more to promote clean air, clean water, womens health and civil rights.That was Donald Trump in 2017. That was back when gestures of bipartisanship and appeals to national unity were still in the mix on the night the president comes before Congress to hold forth on the state of the union. Trump, then new at the job, was just getting his footing in the halls of power and not ready to stomp on everything.It would be three more years before Americans would see Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, then the House speaker and his State of the Union host in the chamber, performatively rip up a copy of Trumps speech in disgust over its contents. On Tuesday, Americans who tune into Trumps address will see whether he speaks to the whole country, as he mostly did in his first such speech in the chamber as president, or only to the roughly half who voted for him. They will see also whether he hews to ceremony and common courtesies, as he did in 2017, or goes full bore on showmanship and incitement.He comes into it days after assailing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his face and before the cameras in the Oval Office for not expressing sufficient gratitude for U.S. support in Ukraines war with Russia. It was a display of public humiliation by an American president to an allied foreign leader with no parallel in anyones memory. Jarrett Borden, walking to lunch on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Florida, this past week, expressed ambivalence about Trump, having heard a lot of hogwash from him even while liking some of what he has done. Borden anticipates a good show Tuesday and will watch. I want to see if hes going to leave the mic open for Elon Musk, like its an open mic at a club or something, he said, citing the billionaire architect of Trumps civil service purge. This is what hes been doing recently, which is comical. In Philadelphia, visual artist Nova Villanueva will spend Tuesday evening doing something anything else. She is into avoiding politics and social media altogether these fraught days.Yeah, its kind of sad, she said. Its almost like I have to be ignorant to be at peace with myself and my life right now.A new presidents first speech to Congress is not designated a State of the Union address, coming so close to the Jan. 20 inauguration. But it serves the same purpose, offering an annual accounting of what has been done, what is ahead and what condition the country is in, as the president sees it.It is customary in modern times for the president to say the state of the union is strong, no matter what a mess it may be in. Trump won the election saying the state of the union was in shambles and he was going to make it right. The Trump who addressed Congress on Feb. 28, 2017, is recognizable now, despite the measured tone and content of that speech. After all, he had already shocked the political class by assailing American carnage from the inaugural stage.He told Congress that night he wanted NATO members to spend more on their armed forces, wanted trade to be fair as well as free, and wanted foreign countries in crises to be made stable enough so that people who fled to the U.S. could go back home. But he did not open his first term with the wrenching turns in foreign policy, civil service firings, stirrings of mass deportation or cries of drill, baby, drill of today.In a line that could have come from any president of either party, Trump noted in his 2017 speech that, with the help of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we have formed a council with our neighbors in Canada to help ensure that women entrepreneurs have access to the networks, markets and capital they need to start a business and live out their financial dreams. Now he belittles Trudeau as governor of a land he wants to make the 51st state and is about to slam with tariffs, along with Mexico. Canadians, not known for displays of patriotism, are seething about their neighbor and rushing to buy and fly their flag.In Philadelphia, small-time entrepreneur Michael Mangraviti cannot help but take some satisfaction in Trumps scouring of the bureaucracy as the firings pile up with scant regard for how well people did their jobs or how those jobs helped keep services to the public running.He said for years and years, Drain the swamp, drain the swamp, Mangraviti said. But, you know, now is the time to actually drain the swamp.Weve seen time and time and time again that the government is horribly, horribly ineffective at everything it wants to do, he went on. The fact that theyre actually taking action on something that they say theyre going to do, the fact that theyre ready to take the ax and take it to our government, is something I appreciate. To Cassandra Piper, a Philadelphia instrumentalist, Trumps move to stop making pennies was a fine decision unlike everything else he has said and done.I comprehensively disapprove of the changes that are being made, Piper said, stopping to speak while walking by the Liberty Bell Center. Not that I was all too happy with the status quo beforehand in the first place, but theres absolutely no good that can come from the inhumanity of mass deportation, something that this country has already been scarred by.So, too, with Trumps selection of vaccination skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and his choice of Musk to lead the effort to effectively plunder the government of its resources, in Pipers view.In Hollywood, Florida, Borden, who is Black, said that to the extent Trump can take money that Washington spends overseas and pump it into the U.S. economy, then you are making America great again. But do that without the racial overtones. Do that without the negative energy, and were going to be OK.I think the world is just the world, and we should all just love each other, he said.Abraham Lincoln might have agreed, as he summoned the better angels of our nature in an inaugural speech, a month before the Civil War, that pleaded with Americans not to break our bonds of affection.Trump had something to say on that subject, too, in 2017: We all bleed the same blood.___Associated Press video journalists Tassanee Vejpongsa in Philadelphia and Daniel Kozin in Hollywood, Florida, contributed to this report.

Workers set up an Oscar statue in the red carpet area before the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)2025-03-02T11:01:31Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Its almost time to see how the biggest nailbiter Oscar season of recent years concludes.Stars will converge at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which will undoubtedly see some first-time Oscar winners in top categories.Its the second year the Oscars are starting earlier in the hope that the best picture award will be announced before audiences go to bed.The best picture race has been a real horserace this year, with Anora and Conclave scooping up top awards at other shows in recent weeks. Emilia Prez, the leading nominee this year, has had its Oscar chances upended by the surfacing of racist tweets by star Karla Sofa Gascn, so it remains to be seen how often the divisive Netflix narco-musical has its name out after the envelopes are opened Sunday.Heres how to watch and other key things to know before Sundays show: What time do the Oscars start?The Oscars start at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. PST. ABC is available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.How can I stream the Oscars?The show is being livestreamed this year on Hulu. Its also available on services offering live streaming of ABC such as Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. I dont live in the U.S. How can I watch the Oscars?The Oscars are widely broadcast beyond the United States. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a handy guide to dozens of international territories that have Oscar telecasts. How can I watch the red carpet?The Oscars red carpet is a major fashion showcase. Oscar nominees and winners from past, present and future pose and mingle ahead of the ceremony.ABC will begin its red carpet pre-show at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, live on air and streaming on Hulu.E! will kick off its show, Live From E!: The Oscars, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.The Associated Press will have a livestream of stars arrivals available on APNews.com and YouTube.Whats likely to win and how can I watch the nominated films?AP Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr have made their predictions for this years show. And for the first time, you can make your own predictions on APNews.This years nominees are widely available on streaming platforms. The AP has compiled a guide of where to watch, whether youre trying to cram a film in before the show or catching up after the awards. ___For full coverage of this years Oscars, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards.

City of Miami Beach police officers respond to an incident during spring break, March 15, 2024, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)2025-03-02T05:19:43Z MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) Miami Beach broke up with spring break last year and city leaders still arent interested in couples counseling.Officials recently announced they were bringing back enhanced security measures for practically the entire month of March, including parking restrictions and increased fees for nonresidents. The new rules were introduced last year after three consecutive years of spring break violence. The city is again warning visitors to expect curfews, bag searches at the beach, early beach closures, DUI checkpoints and arrests for drug possession and violence.Last years spring break was a success on any level you measure it, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said. We had zero fatalities, zero shootings, zero stampedes. The majority of our businesses did very well and actually thanked us for the measures we took. Most spring break activity centers around a 10-block stretch of Ocean Drive known for its Art Deco hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. Before spring break last year, city officials launched a marketing campaign that said, Miami Beach Is Breaking Up With Spring Break. A video featured residents breaking up with spring breakers and warning them to expect restrictions if they decided to come anyway. This year, officials followed up with a Reality Check video featuring a group of young people on a fictitious reality show having their spring break ruined by the citys enhanced rules. We broke up a spring break, Meiner said. Some people ask, are you getting back together? No, were done.City leaders want visitors to come and enjoy the beaches, hotels and restaurants, as long as they behave, Meiner said, noting that overall hotel occupancy actually increased in 2024 over 2023.And thats because when you walked around Ocean Drive and South Beach, you felt welcoming, you felt safe, Meiner said. Other Florida cities struggle with spring break crowdsMiami Beach isnt the only Florida city bracing for spring breakers this year. Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa are among the top 10 domestic spring break destinations, according to AAA booking data.Following a particularly rowdy Presidents Day weekend in Daytona Beach, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood recently announced plans to crack down on bad behavior from spring breakers.They dont bring any financial benefit, Chitwood said. All they do is bring chaos, and if they want to bring chaos, I am going to bring chaos in return.Businesses have mixed reactionsSome Miami Beach business owners see the restrictions as necessary to ensure public safety, while others are concerned that driving away spring breakers could irreparably damage Miami Beachs status as an iconic tourist destination.Louis Taic, owner of the Z Ocean Hotel, said he welcomes visitors to Miami Beach any time of the year, but he understands why city officials have taken to actions that they have.What we dont like is people that take advantage of Miami Beach, that take advantage by doing things here that they would never do at home, Taic said.David Wallack, owner of Mangos Tropical Cafe, said Miami Beach has thrived as an entertainment destination for nearly a century, even through Prohibition and the Great Depression. Instead of trying to scare people away, city officials need to organize events such as concerts, art festivals and sporting events to attract people who will spend money, Wallack said.Miami Beach is magical, but youve got to still give customers what they want, Wallack said.Are restrictions linked to race? Some civil rights advocates believe the restrictions are racially motivated. South Beach became popular among Black tourists about two decades ago as promoters organized Urban Beach Week during the Memorial Day weekend. Many locals have complained about violence and other crime associated with the event, which led to an increased police presence. But the events continued popularity correlates to a bump in Black tourism throughout the year.Stephen Hunter Johnson, an attorney and member of Miami-Dades Black Affairs Advisory Board, said city leaders are using a brief spike in violence as an excuse to discourage Black visitors. Most of the problems experienced by Miami Beach in recent years began during the pandemic, when Florida remained open while other popular tourist destinations around the U.S. were locked down, and officials are unfairly crediting the new spring break restrictions with decreasing violence last year, Johnson said.Arrests were down, and no one was shot, Johnson said. Those things were going to occur anyway, because the farther we get away from COVID restrictions, the more normalized things are.Meiner has repeatedly rejected the notion that the restrictions are racially motivated. He always hates the idea of anyone getting injured, but as an elected official he feels an additional sense of responsibility when people are shot and killed in the city he serves, he said.We are going to keep people safe, Meiner said. Law and order is the number one priority in our city. There is no compromising on that.

Festive lights are strung between destroyed Palestinian homes for the holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-03-02T15:09:14Z Muslims in the Middle East are observing the holy month of Ramadan under exceptional circumstances.Ramadan is seen as a time of religious reflection and worship, charity, and community, as they fast from sunrise until sunset.Families broke their first day of fast with loved ones, as towns and cities lit festive lights and held events for communities to mark the occasion as they have for generations during times of peace and economic stability.However, the impact of war and major political transformations that shook the region are still felt.This is the first Ramadan for many Syrian spent without the Assad dynasty ruling the country in over half a century. President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgency in December led by the countrys new Islamist de facto rulers in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.Assads downfall brought initial joy and hope among Syrians, but the vast destruction following over a decade of war, economic turmoil that has plunged an estimated 90% of its population into poverty, and uncertainty over whether the countrys security will find stability anytime soon has simmered down that initial optimism. Families in once bustling neighborhoods reduced to rubble broke their fast by the ruins as charities arranged Iftar dinners. The widespread poverty in Syria comes as the new interim government has urged the international community to lift sanctions to allow reconstruction and make the countrys battered economy viable again. It is still a novel sight, as Syrians in Damascus walked through its iconic old city markets at night, only this time without the portraits of Assad on every corner, and with Syrias new flag draped over store fronts. In the Gaza Strip, its the second year Palestinians are marking Ramadan following the war between Israel and the militant Hamas group. This year, they are hoping that a shaky ceasefire deal holds, as much of the tiny enclave lays in ruins, where most Palestinians rely on food and medical aid to survive due to the widespread destruction. In the southern city of Rafah, where a monthslong Israeli military operation took place since last summer, Palestinians set strings of lights across the ruins of damaged buildings and a table stretching across the road for Iftar during sunset.Elsewhere, a family in Jabaliya in northern Gaza prepares a modest Iftar dinner over a makeshift stove in their damaged home. Its a far cry from the larger dinners families hold where they invite relatives and friends to have a meal.Photographers from The Associated Press in Syria, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Turkey, and Pakistan show us a glimpse of what this years Ramadan looks like in the region.

Soul singer Angie Stone, pictured in New York, Oct. 14, 1999. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper, file)2025-03-02T19:37:03Z MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Fans are remembering the voice and songs of trailblazer Angie Stone after her death at 63 in a weekend crash on an Alabama highway as she traveled from a performance.The Grammy-nominated R&B singer was a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence and known for the hit song Wish I Didnt Miss You. She found a sweet spot in the early 2000s as neo-soul began to dominate R&B. In a recent Instagram post, Stone told fans she was excited about upcoming events and getting back in the mix.A lot of stuff is going on that I dont want to just let out of the bag just yet, she said. But you can see that theres a big grin on my face.The tributes to Stone on social media included one from rap artist MC Hammer, who posted a video featuring Stones song Brotha, writing I cant tell you how many days this song blessed my Soul. R.I.P. Angie Stone. Actor and singer Jennifer Hudson expressed disbelief in a social media post.What a loss !!! Angie Stone was a true pioneer, Hudson wrote. Another one of our great soul singers gone too soon. Prayers up for her family and loved ones! The Alabama Highway Patrol said the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that Stone was traveling in overturned on Interstate 65 early Saturday before being hit by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia truck. Stone was pronounced dead at the scene, the highway patrol said in a statement. The crash occurred about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the Montgomery city limits. The vans driver and seven others were taken to a hospital for treatment. Officials continue to investigate the crash. The singer-songwriter created hits like No More Rain (In This Cloud) which reached No. 1 for 10 weeks on Billboards Adult R&B airplay chart, Baby with legendary soul singer Betty Wright, another No. 1 hit, and Wish I Didnt Miss You and Brotha. Her 2001 album Mahagony Soul reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while 2007s The Art Of Love & War peaked at No. 11. Rest in Power, Angie Stone. A true pioneer, a soulful storyteller, and a voice that helped shape the sound of R&B, the NAACP Image Awards posted on social media.The church-grown singer was born in Columbia, South Carolina. She helped form The Sequence, the first all-female group on the hip-hop trailblazing imprint Sugar Hill Records, becoming one of the first female groups to record a rap song. The groups Funk You Up, which has been sampled by numerous artists, including Dr. Dre. Stone later joined the trio Vertical Hold before launching her solo career.Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx said Stone would be missed painfully.I know they say that God doesnt make any mistakes but man this one hurts, Foxx said. Angie Stone was an incredible songwriter, and incredible artist and incredible person never thought in 1 million years that this would happenStone was also remembered by the Rev. Bernice King, daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the King Center.So heartbreaking King posted on social media. Rest well, soul sister. #AngieStone Stones performance at the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Associations Grand Marshals Ball on Friday night was nothing short of phenomenal, according to the organizations president, Isadore B. Sims. In a statement, Sims said they would cherish memories of Stones talent and warm spirit.Her talent captivated everyone in attendance, and her presence truly elevated the event, Sims said. Never could we have imagined that it would be the last time we would have the honor of witnessing her perform.At the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Associations mens championship basketball game in Baltimore on Saturday, where Stone was scheduled to perform during halftime, Chaplain Pastor Jerome Barber called for a moment of silence.Zeta Phi Beta Sorority mourned the loss of their sorority sister.Renowned for her contributions to the R&B and neo-soul genres, Stones music has resonated with fans for decades, the sorority said in a statement, remembering her diabetes awareness efforts and work with the sororitys Elder Care initiatives and Zetas Helping Other People Excel.

Trucks line up at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip after Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks into Gaza, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat)2025-03-02T19:18:57Z Israel has cut off the entry of all food and other goods into Gaza in an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of its war with Hamas. The United Nations and other humanitarian aid providers are sharply criticizing the decision and calling it a violation of international law.A tool of extortion, Saudi Arabias foreign ministry said. A reckless act of collective punishment, Oxfam said. Key mediator Egypt accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon.Hunger has been an issue throughout the war for Gazas over 2 million people, and some aid experts had warned of possible famine. Now there is concern about losing the progress that experts reported under the past six weeks of a ceasefire.Israel is trying to pressure the Hamas militant group to agree to what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government describes as a U.S. proposal to extend the ceasefires first phase instead of beginning negotiations on the far more difficult second phase. In phase two, Hamas would release the remaining living hostages in return for Israels withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.Heres a look at what Israels decision means and the reactions. US says it supports Israels next stepsThe ceasefires first phase ended early Sunday. Minutes later, Israel said it supported a new proposal to extend that phase through the Jewish holiday of Passover in mid-April. It called the proposal a U.S. one from Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Israel also warned it could resume the war after the first phase if it believes negotiations are ineffective.Negotiations on the second phase were meant to start a month ago, increasing the uncertainty around the fragile truce. Hamas has insisted that those talks begin.Later Sunday, Israel announced the immediate cutoff of aid to Gaza.The U.S. National Security Council said Washington will support Israels decision on next steps, given Hamas has indicated its no longer interested in a negotiated ceasefire. The statement didnt confirm the proposal was Witkoffs or mention the cutoff of aid. Its not clear when Witkoff will visit the Middle East again. He had been expected to visit last week.The U.S. under the Biden administration pressed Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, threatening to limit weapons support. Aid organizations repeatedly criticized Israeli restrictions on items entering the small coastal territory, while hundreds of trucks with aid at times waited to enter.Israel says it has allowed in enough aid. It has blamed shortages on what it called the U.N.s inability to distribute it, and accused Hamas militants of siphoning off aid.For months before the ceasefire, some Palestinians reported limiting meals, searching through garbage and foraging for edible weeds as food supplies ran low. 600 trucks of aid a dayThe ceasefires first phase took effect on Jan. 19 and allowed a surge of aid into Gaza. An average of 600 trucks with aid entered per day. Those daily 600 trucks of aid were meant to continue entering through all three phases of the ceasefire.However, Hamas says less than 50% of the agreed-upon number of trucks carrying fuel, for generators and other uses, were allowed in. Hamas also says the entry of live animals and animal feed, key for food security, were denied entry.Still, Palestinians in Gaza were able to stock up on some supplies. The ceasefire brought some much-needed relief to Gaza, but it was far from enough to cover the immense needs, the Norwegian Refugee Council said Sunday.Israels announcement came hours after Muslims in Gaza marked the first breaking of the fast during the holy month of Ramadan, with long tables set for collective meals snaking through the rubble of war-destroyed buildings.The sudden aid cutoff sent Palestinians hurrying to markets. Prices in Gaza tripled immediately, Mahmoud Shalabi, the Medical Aid for Palestinians deputy director of programs in northern Gaza, told The Associated Press. Legal implicationsProminent in the immediate criticism of Israels aid cutoff were statements calling the decision a violation.International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid, said the U.N. humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher.Hours after Israels announcement, five non-governmental groups asked Israels Supreme Court for an interim order barring the state from preventing aid from entering Gaza, claiming the move violates Israels obligations under international law and amounts to a war crime: These obligations cannot be condition on political considerations.Last year, the International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used starvation as a method of warfare when it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. The allegation is also central to South Africas case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.On Sunday, Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, said Israel as an occupying power has an absolute duty to facilitate humanitarian aid under the Geneva Conventions, and called Israels decision a resumption of the war-crime starvation strategy that led to the ICC warrant.___Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed. CARA ANNA Anna is an editor on the APs Global Desk. She has reported from Africa, China, Ukraine, Afghanistan and the United Nations. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy departs after a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-03-02T20:00:50Z PHOENIX (AP) President Donald Trumps senior aides and allies lashed out at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Washington as he attended a European summit Sunday in London to rally international support for his militarys fight against the Russian invasion. Following Trumps lead, White House officials and Republicans in Congress used news show appearances to demand that Zelenskyy display more gratitude for U.S. support and an openness to potential war-ending concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some suggested Zelenskyy should consider resigning even as Ukrainians rally around him.But they offered little clarity as to what Zelenskyy and Ukraine could do after Fridays Oval Office meeting in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated him before canceling the signature of an economic agreement between Washington and Kyiv. The dispute leaves the future of that relationship in question, as well as the prospects for ending a conflict that began when the Kremlin invaded in February 2022. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, who while in Congress went to Ukraine during the first year of the war to meet Zelenskyy and once compared him to wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, said Zelenskyys behavior at the White House was incredibly disrespectful. Asked about that Churchill-Zelenskyy comparison, Waltz noted that Churchill was voted out of office in the final months of World War II. Churchill was a man for a moment, but he did not then transition England into the next phase, Waltz said. And its unclear whether President Zelenskyy, particularly after what we saw Friday, is ready to transition to Ukraine to an end to this war and to negotiate and have to compromise. Waltz said a negotiated end to the war would involve territorial concessions from Ukraine as well as Russian concessions on security guarantees, but he did not offer any more details about what Moscow would have to do. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., echoed the suggestion that Zelenskyy may need to step aside. Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that, Johnson said. I mean, its up to the Ukrainians to figure that out. But I can tell you that we are reexerting peace through strength.Trumps director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said the contentious meeting has led to a huge rift in the relationship and she took issue with Zelenskyy telling Fox News afterward that he did not think he did anything wrong. Theres going to have to be a rebuilding of any kind of interest in good faith negotiations, I think, before President Trump is going to be willing to reengage on this, she said.The coordinated campaign of pressure from Washington played out as Zelenskyy and European leaders came to terms with Trumps overhaul of U.S. foreign policy. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom would use 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) in export financing to supply 5,000 air defense missiles for Ukraine. Support for Zelenskyy among congressional Republicans has been scant after the Oval Office meeting. But Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the few GOP lawmakers willing to break with Trump publicly, criticized the Republican presidents stance toward the Ukrainians.I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world, Murkowski wrote on X on Saturday. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said it was inappropriate for senators to call for Zelenskyy to leave office and predicted that such a move would spiral Ukraine into chaos right now. Others were more vocal in support of Zelenskyy. Millions of Americans are embarrassed, are ashamed, said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.Our job is to defend the 250-year tradition that we have of being the democratic leader of the world, not turn our backs on a struggling country that is trying to do the right thing, Sanders said.Waltz appeared on CNNs State of the Union,' Johnson, Sanders and Lankford were on NBCs Meet the Press, and Gabbard spoke on Fox News Sunday JONATHAN J. COOPER Cooper writes about national politics from Arizona and beyond for The Associated Press. Now based in Phoenix, he previously covered politics in Oregon and California. twitter mailto

In this photo released by the Horry County Fire Rescue, smoke is seen from fires in Horry County, S.C., on Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Horry County Fire Rescue via AP)2025-03-02T21:36:56Z Crews battled wildfires in North and South Carolina on Sunday amid dry conditions and gusty winds and evacuations were ordered in some areas.The National Weather Service warned of increased fire danger in the region due to a combination of critically dry fuels and very low relative humidity.In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Sunday to support the wildfire response effort, and a statewide burning ban remained in effect.Crews worked to contain a fire in the Carolina Forest area west of the coastal resort city of Myrtle Beach, where residents were ordered to evacuate several neighborhoods, according to Horry County Fire Rescue. The South Carolina Forestry Commission estimated Sunday afternoon that the blaze was burning about 1.9 square miles (4.9 square kilometers) with zero percent containment. No structures had succumbed to the blaze and no injuries had been reported as of Sunday morning, officials said. The 410 personnel involved in the effort were expected to remain until the fire was contained, county fire officials said. Evacuations were expected to remain in place Sunday and officials warned residents in the Carolina Forest area to be prepared with go-bags and emergency plans if more evacuations were called in their neighborhoods. In North Carolina, the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were working to contain multiple wildfires burning on more than 400 acres (161.87 hectares) in four forests across the state on Sunday. The largest, about 300 acres (121.41 hectares), was at Uwharrie National Forest, about 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) east of Charlotte. The small southwestern town of Tryon in Polk County, North Carolina, urged some residents to evacuate Saturday as a fire spread rapidly there. On Sunday, officials said those evacuations remained in effect. That fire was burning about 400 acres (161.87 hectares) on Sunday afternoon, with zero percent containment, according to the Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshals office. The North Carolina Forest Service was conducting helicopter water drops and back-burning operations on the ground, and area residents should expect a lot of smoke during those operations, officials said. Officials have not said what caused any of the fires.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference at Canada House in London on Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-02T21:22:54Z TORONTO (AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with King Charles III, the countrys head of state, on Monday where he will discuss U.S. President Donald Trumps threats to make Canada the 51st state. The king has come under criticism in Canada for being silent about Trumps threats to annex Canada. Trudeau said in London on Sunday he will discuss matters of importance to Canadians with Charles and said nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation. Charles is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.Overall, the antiroyal movement in Canada is small, but the silence of the monarch on Trumps threats have spurred talk in recent days. Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said for Canadians disappointed that King Charles has not commented on Trumps threats he can only act on the advice of Canadas prime minister. The Government of Canada should ask the Head of State to underscore Canadian sovereignty, Kenney posted on X. The king, who met Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has invited Trump to come to Scotland for a state visit. Though Canadians are somewhat indifferent to the monarchy, many had great affection for the late Queen Elizabeth, whose silhouette marks their coins. She was the head of state for 45% of Canadas existence and visited the country 22 times as monarch. Visits by Charles over the years have attracted sparse crowdsCanadians will need to decide what purpose King Charles III serves as King of Canada if he cant even speak up for our sovereignty, Artur Wilczynski, a former Canadian public servant, posted on X. Abolishing the monarchy would mean changing the constitution. Thats an inherently risky undertaking, given how delicately it is engineered to unite a nation of 41 million people that embraces English-speakers, French-speakers, Indigenous tribes and a constant flow of new immigrants.

Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick speaks in the Oval Office of the White House after President Donald Trump signed an executive order, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-03-02T17:36:42Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that government spending could be separated from gross domestic product reports in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. You know, that governments historically have messed with GDP, Lutnick said on Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures. They count government spending as part of GDP. So Im going to separate those two and make it transparent.Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the U.S. economys health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because changes in taxes, spending, deficits and regulations by the government can impact the path of overall growth. GDP reports already include extensive details on government spending, offering a level of transparency for economists. Musks efforts to downsize federal agencies could result in the layoffs of tens of thousands of federal workers, whose lost income could potentially reduce their spending, affecting businesses and the economy at large. AP AUDIO: The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts AP correspondent Julie Walker reports the Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts. The commerce secretarys remarks echoed Musks arguments made Friday on X that government spending doesnt create value for the economy. A more accurate measure of GDP would exclude government spending, Musk wrote on his social media platform. Otherwise, you can scale GDP artificially high by spending money on things that dont make peoples lives better. The argument as articulated so far by Trump administration officials appears to play down the economic benefits created by Social Security payments, infrastructure spending, scientific research and other forms of government spending that can shape an economys trajectory.If the government buys a tank, thats GDP, Lutnick said Sunday. But paying 1,000 people to think about buying a tank is not GDP. That is wasted inefficiency, wasted money. And cutting that, while it shows in GDP, were going to get rid of that. The Commerce Departments Bureau of Economic Analysis published its most recent GDP report on Thursday, showing that the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.3% in the final three months of last year.The report makes it possible to measure the forces driving the economy, showing that the gains at the end of last year were largely driven by greater consumer spending and an upward revision to federal government spending related to defense. Still, the federal governments component of the GDP report for all of 2024 increased at 2.6%, slightly lower than overall economic growth last year of 2.8%.In the GDP report, government spending accounts for almost one-fifth of peoples personal income, which totaled more than $24.6 trillion last year. This includes Social Security payments, benefits for military veterans, Medicare and Medicaid and other programs. But the report also measures the amount of peoples personal incomes that are paid in taxes to the government. The government is not always a contributor to GDP and can subtract from it, which is what happened in 2022 as pandemic-related aid expired.Lutnick said that the Trump administration would balance the federal budget with spending cuts, saying that would help growth and reduce the interest rates paid by consumers.When we balance the budget of the United States of America, interest rates are going to come smashing down, Lutnick said. This is going to be the best economy anybodys ever seen. And to bet against it is foolish. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

Max Naumov reacts after performing Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Washington at the Legacy on Ice event, a figure skating tribute to support the families and loved ones affected by the Jan. 29, 2025, aviation incident. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)2025-03-02T22:42:11Z WASHINGTON (AP) Maxim Naumov wept on his knees at the end of his performance honoring his parents, wiped away tears as he skated off the ice and held an electric candle in the air as applause rained down. Amber Glenn broke down when she finished skating, and so did 13-year-old Isabella Aparicio, who was performing in memory of her brother, Franco, and their father Luciano.There was not a dry eye to be found anywhere, pairs skater Madison Chock said. A low murmur of crying pierced a lengthy moment of silence as fans lit the arena with their cellphones, riding waves of emotion through a poignant figure skating show Sunday in the nations capital to remember and raise money for the victims of the midair collision outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.The Legacy on Ice benefit event featured a star-studded group of some of the best U.S. figure skaters of the past and present taking part to pay tribute to the 67 people who died when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River on Jan. 29. That included 28 members of the figure skating community, some of whom lived and trained in the Washington area. Everyone grieves in their own way, and the last month has been really challenging for a lot of us to just grapple with the magnitude of this loss, said Evan Bates, who with Chock won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2022. I think coming together today and doing something tangible like a show will give people, hopefully, a little glimmer of hope and a little light for that next step forward. American icons of the sport Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano emceed the show, which included performances by the likes of Glenn, Johnny Weir and reigning mens world champion Ilia Malinin, along with poignant tributes to the victims. We are not powerless, Boitano said in opening the show. As skaters, we learned to be resilient and to always find a path forward that is positive. Ted Leonsis, head of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which staged the event along with U.S. Figure Skating, DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation, hopes doing this at Capital One Arena helps families in the healing process the way concerts and sports at Madison Square Garden did in New York in 2001 after 9/11.Sports can play this convening and healing role, Leonsis said. Our goal is to allow the community to heal, kind of a collective hug for these communities, but then we want to raise a lot of money.The dasher boards had 67 stars, one for each of the victims, and skaters put flowers on a rinkside table of candles before beginning their routines.Were all here to support one another, whether it was our friends that were on that plane, family members, coaches, teammates, loved ones, said 2014 Olympic team bronze medalist Jason Brown, who skated to The Impossible Dream by Josh Groban. We all travel for this sport. We get to do what we love. And travel is such a huge part of what we do, so it all hit us really hard because this is just such an integral part of what we do, as well as those are people that were closest to. Glenn kicked things off by performing to Andra Days Rise Up and broke down in tears at center ice when she finished. Weir, whose family moved to Newark, Delaware, when he was 12 for him to pursue his skating career, dedicated his performance to the members of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club who were on American Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, following a national development camp there coinciding with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.It was a very traumatic experience for me and really just devastating for me to hear when all that happened, and I really wanted to have something that everyone could remember as a family, as a whole community that we remember them, Malinin said. All of our daily lives, every time we step on the ice, well always think of them. Every time were competing, theyll always be in our hearts.Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic champion, said she hopes the event will heal and give strength to our skaters in the future. Alysa Liu wants to try to honor the memory of those lost so she can keep going. Its still a struggle and was a struggle, said Liu, who performed to Hero by Mariah Carey. Coming together and seeing everyone again has definitely been the most reassuring feeling. And its just because everyone knows exactly how everyone feels.Forty-one years after winning gold at the Olympics, Scott Hamilton skated onto the ice and led a prayer. Imagine blared from arena speakers during one ensemble performance, Malinin dazzled the crowd with his jump-filled routine and Lady Gagas Hold My Hand was the soundtrack of the grand finale of the emotional two-plus-hour show.It was just an amazing show, U.S. Figure Skating interim CEO Sam Auxier said. You could see even with Ilia the passion and the feelings about what happened coming through in their skating. Among the sellout crowd of over 15,000 were hundreds of first responders and their family members. Some came from as far away as Baltimore to be part of the rescue and recovery efforts.This was an incredibly challenging scene for those first responders, DC Fire and EMS Foundation executive director Amy Mauro said. The things that they witnessed are very difficult and will stay with them for a long time. This is part of their grieving and healing process, as well.In addition to being a gathering place for figure skaters, first responders and all the families affected by the crash, the intent was to raise money for all of them.Weve heard from the families about things like college tuition for young children who are in elementary school today but also things like therapy and health care that they need, Monumental president of external affairs and chief administrative officer Monica Dixon said. Every family will choose how to use those funds in the best way that they choose.The event aired live on Monumental Sports Network and streamed on Peacock. NBC will show an encore performance March 30.Thats what were hoping: We raise a lot of donations that way, Leonsis said. People care. The lesson in this is that, to me, if you personalize something like this, you can come together and do the right things in the right way.___AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports STEPHEN WHYNO Whyno has covered the NHL, Washington Capitals, the NFLs Washington Commanders and horse racing for The Associated Press since 2016. twitter facebook RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Posters showing the face of Elon Musk and messages relating to data privacy are seen on a fence surrounding a building site in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-03-07T22:09:41Z WASHINGTON (AP) A series of decisions revealed Friday provided a glimpse of the turmoil engulfing federal agencies since President Donald Trump and Elon Musk launched their campaign of disruption, upending how government functions in ways big and small. Some changes appeared designed to increase political control over agencies that have historically operated with some degree of autonomy, such as requiring Environmental Protection Agency officials to seek approval from the Department of Government Efficiency for any contracts exceeding $50,000.Other directives increased burdens on federal workers, who have already endured insults, layoffs and threats from the president and other top officials. For example, government credit cards issued to civilian employees at the Pentagon were altered to have a $1 limit, choking off their ability to travel for work. The Transportation Security Administration became another target. The administration canceled a collective bargaining agreement with 47,000 workers who screen travelers and luggage at airports around the country, eliminating union protections in a possible prelude to layoffs or privatization. The cascading developments are only a fraction of the upheaval thats taken place since Trump took office, but they still reshaped how hundreds of thousands of public servants do their jobs, with potentially enduring consequences. The ongoing shakeup is much more intense than the typical whiplash that Washington endures when one administration gives way to another, raising fundamental questions about how government will function under a president who has viewed civil servants as an obstacle to his agenda. The White House has wrestled with political blowback over Musks role and legal challenges that have tried to block or slow down his work. Republicans who are facing growing pressure in contentious town halls have started to speak up. I will fully admit, I think Elon Musk has tweeted first and thought second sometimes, said Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., during a virtual meeting with constituents on Friday. He has plunged ahead without necessarily knowing and understanding what he legally has to do or what he is going to be doing.Mistakes are being madeThe overhaul of the federal government is happening at lightning speed, reflecting years of preparation by Trumps allies and the presidents decision to grant Musk sweeping influence over his administration. Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur with no previous experience in public service, has shown no interest in slowing down despite admitting that hell make mistakes in his crusade to slash spending and downsize the workforce. The government is facing even more dramatic changes in the coming weeks and months. Trump has directed agencies to prepare plans for widespread layoffs, known as reductions in force, that will likely require more limited operations at agencies that provide critical services.The Department of Veterans Affairs could shed 80,000 employees, while the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration are considering plans that would cut their workforces in half. Trump has vowed not to reduce Social Security benefits, but Democrats argue that layoffs would make it harder to deliver payments to 72.5 million people, including retirees and children. There are also concerns that politics could interfere with Social Security. Trump has feuded over transgender issues with Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, and his administration recently said children born in the state would no longer have a Social Security number assigned at birth. Instead, parents would have to apply for one at a local office. Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of Social Security, rescinded the order on Friday.In retrospect, I realize that ending these contracts created an undue burden on the people of Maine, which was not the intent, he said in a statement. Dudek added that as a leader, I will admit my mistakes and make them right. A startup mindset takes holdMore than a month after Trump took office, theres still confusion about Musks authority. In public statements and legal filings, administration officials have insisted that Musk does not actually run DOGE and has no direct authority over budgets.But Trump has contradicted both statements. He said Tuesday that DOGE is headed by Elon Musk in a prime-time speech to a joint session of Congress, and he said Thursday that Elon will do the cutting if agency leaders dont reduce their spending. Their approach has energized people like David Sacks, a venture capitalist serving as a Trump adviser on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, who praised the administration as moving faster than any startup that Ive been part of.Trump denied reports of friction between Musk and Cabinet officials, particularly Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a meeting Thursday. Elon gets along great with Marco, the president said. The State Department had no immediate comment. Norm Eisen, executive chair of State Democracy Defenders Fund, an organization that has been suing the Trump administration, said the president made clear that Musk and DOGE have been calling the shots.Musk serves as a presidential adviser, not a Senate-confirmed official, which Eisen argued makes his role unconstitutional. He said Trumps comments are an admission that the vast chaos that Musk and DOGE have wrought without proper approval and documentation is illegal and so must be completely unwound.Trump is using executive orders to reshape governmentMany of the changes sweeping through Washington were ignited by Trumps executive orders. One order issued last week said agencies must develop new systems for distributing and justifying payments so they can be monitored by DOGE representatives. The EPA distributed guidance intended to ensure compliance. Any assistance agreement, contract or interagency agreement transaction (valued at) $50,000 or greater must receive approval from an EPA DOGE team member, said the documents obtained by The Associated Press.Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the involvement of Musks unvetted, inexperienced team raises serious concerns about improper external influence on specialized agency decision-making.Republicans have shied away from holding town hall meetings with constituents after critics started using them to vent their frustration. Some protesters gathered outside Huizengas district office in Holland, Michigan, calling on him to answer questions in person. I would like to ask him why he thinks that someone like Musk can go in and simply blow up agencies without seemingly even knowing what theyre doing, said Linda Visscher, a Holland resident.She said increasing the efficiency of government was a good idea, but she doesnt agree with just taking the blowtorch to it.____Associated Press reporters Lolita Baldor, Matthew Daly, Fatima Hussein and Matthew Lee in Washington; Joey Cappelletti in Holland, Michigan; and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto

Vivian Lovingood protests the scheduled execution of South Carolina inmate Brad Sigmon, Friday, March 7, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. For the first time in 15 years a death row inmate in the U.S. will be executed by a firing squad. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)2025-03-07T23:21:41Z COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A South Carolina man convicted of murder was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner to die by that method in 15 years.Three volunteer prison employees used rifles to carry out the execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, who was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.Sigmon killed his ex-girlfriends parents with a baseball bat in their Greenville County home in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter. He told police he planned to take her for a romantic weekend, then kill her and himself.Sigmons lawyers said he chose the firing squad because the electric chair would cook him alive, and he feared that a lethal injection of pentobarbital into his veins would send a rush of fluid and blood into his lungs and drown him. The details of South Carolinas lethal injection method are kept secret in South Carolina, and Sigmon unsuccessfully asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to pause his execution because of that. On Friday, Sigmon wore a black jumpsuit with a hood over his head and a white target with a red bullseye over his chest. The armed prison employees stood 15 feet (4.6 meters) from where he sat in the states death chamber the same distance as the backboard is from the free-throw line on a basketball court. Visible in the same small room was the states unused electric chair. The gurney used to carry out lethal injections had been rolled away. The volunteers all fired at the same time through openings in a wall. They were not visible to about a dozen witnesses in a room separated from the chamber by bullet-resistant glass. Sigmon made several heavy breaths during the two minutes that elapsed from when the hood was placed to the shots being fired. His arms briefly tensed when he was shot, and the target was blasted off his chest. He appeared to give another breath or two with a red stain on his chest, and small amounts of tissue could be seen from the wound during those breaths. A doctor came out about a minute later and examined Sigmon for 90 seconds before declaring him dead.Witnesses included three family members of the victims, David and Gladys Larke. Also present were Sigmons attorney and spiritual advisor, a representative from the prosecuting solicitors office, a sheriffs investigator and three members of the news media.Sigmon delivered a closing statement that he said was one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty.The firing squad is an execution method with a long and violent history in the U.S. and around the world. Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in Americas Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.Since 1977 only three other prisoners in the U.S. have been executed by firing squad. All were in Utah, most recently Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. Another Utah man, Ralph Menzies, could be next; he is awaiting the result of a hearing in which his lawyers argued that his dementia makes him unfit for execution. In South Carolina on Friday, a group of protesters holding signs with messages such as All life is precious and Execute justice not people gathered outside the prison before Sigmons execution.Supporters and lawyers for Sigmon asked Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to commute his sentence to life in prison. They said he was a model prisoner trusted by guards and worked every day to atone for the killings and also that he committed the killings after succumbing to severe mental illness.But McMaster denied the clemency plea. No governor has ever commuted a death sentence in the state, where 46 other prisoners have been executed since the death penalty resumed in the U.S. in 1976. Seven have died in the electric chair and 39 others by lethal injection. In the early 2000s, South Carolina was among the busiest death penalty states, carrying out an average of three executions a year. But officials suspended executions for 13 years, in part because they were unable to obtain lethal injection drugs. The state Supreme Court cleared the way to resume them in July. Freddie Owens was the first to be put to death, on Sept. 20, after McMaster denied him clemency. Richard Moore was executed on Nov. 1 and Marion Bowman Jr. on Jan. 31.Going forward the court will allow an execution every five weeks.South Carolina now has 28 inmates on its death row including two who have exhausted their appeals and are awaiting execution, most likely this spring. Just one man has been added to death row in the past decade. Before executions were paused, more than 60 people faced death sentences. Many of those have either had their sentences reduced to life or died in prison. JEFFREY COLLINS Collins covers South Carolina from Columbia for The Associated Press. He has been with the AP since 2000. twitter mailto

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss a Supreme drop, a visit to a local Risograph printer, and what is up with Big Car.JOSEPH: My only experience with brands like Supreme and drops is when Ive covered the underground industry of bots and tools for getting ahead of ordinary customers. In 2019 I spoke to the hacker finalphoenix about her fascinating work on this botting ecosystem. I was very frustrated, because whenever Id try to buy something that was relatively cool on Instagram, it was always sold out, she told me at the time. I think we were standing in one of those cavernous hallways at the DEF CON hacking conference in Vegas. She then automated the process of buying these clothes herself, but learned so much more about the wider industry too.

Googles featured snippet is pulling in an Amazon AI summary of Adolf Hitlers Nazi manifesto Mein Kampf that calls it a true work of art in the latest AI-related fuckup affecting top search results.As of writing, searching for mein kampf positive reviews returned a result that was pulled from an AI-generated summary of an Amazon listings customer reviews. So, its a search algorithm attempting to summarize an AI summary. The full AI summary on Amazon says: Customers find the book easy to read and interesting. They appreciate the insightful and intelligent rants. The print looks nice and is plain. Readers describe the book as a true work of art. However, some find the content boring and grim. Opinions vary on the suspenseful content, historical accuracy, and value for money.As Im writing this, Google says An AI Overview is not available for this search, but the Amazon AI summary was in large text directly below it, in the space where an overview would typically be, above other web results. This is what Google calls a featured snippet: "Google's automated systems select featured snippets based on how well they answer the specific search request and how helpful they are to the user," the company says. A highlight appeared, added by Google, over the phrase easy to read and interesting. Notably the featured snippet result for this doesnt quote everything from Amazons AI, so it is itself a summary.Google's result for "mein kampf positive reviews" as of early Thursday morning, showing the Amazon review as a "featured snippet." Screenshot of Amazon's AI-generated review summaryAlexios Mantzarlis, the director of the security, trust, and safety initiative at Cornell Tech and formerly principal of Trust & Safety Intelligence at Google, first spotted the result.Uh... Amazon's AI summary of Mein Kampf is even worse, and pollutes Google results for [Mein Kampf positive reviews] Alexios Mantzarlis (@mantzarlis.com) 2025-03-06T13:45:31.788ZAfter I contacted Google for comment (the company hasnt responded as of writing) an AI Overview did appear, and notes that the book is widely condemned for its hateful and racist ideology, but that historical analyses might point to aspects of the book that could be considered positive from a purely literary or rhetorical perspective.Screenshot of Google's search result for "mein kampf positive reviews" as of late Thursday morning, showing the AI Overview result.This is, at least, a better summation of the conversation around Hitlers book that Amazons AI summary gives. The AI-generated review summary on the Amazon listing also shows links to see reviews that mention specific words, like readability, read pace, and suspenseful content. Enough people mentioned Mein Kampf being boring that theres a boredom link, too.Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The 2,067 reviews for this specific copy of Hitlers fascist manifesto are mostly positive, and taken extremely literally, the blueprint for Nazism is easy to read and, in some sense, interesting. But the reviews are much more nuanced than that. Reviewing the roadmap for the Holocaust from the worlds most infamous genocidal dictator with five stars seems twisted, but the reviews are nuanced in a way that AI clearly doesnt understandbut a human can.Mein Kampf, by Adolf Hitler, should be read by everyone in the world who are interested in a world of peace, social responsibility, and worldwide cooperation, one reviewer wrote, in an honestly pretty concerning start to a very long review. But they go on to write more that clarifies their point of view: This evil book presents a dark vision of how to go about creating tyranny in a democratic society so that one, similar to Russia, is created. [...] Also, Hitler is an excellent writer; he is not a rambling madman writing disconnected ideas and expressing a confusing methodology. His text is easy reading, and it is a world classic that is a must read.Another five-star review says: Chilling to begin reading this book and realize that these are the words written by Adolf Hitler. Read it and absorb what he says in his own words and you soon grasp what he means. [...] We are bound to repeat History if we don't understand mistakes that were made in the past.These arent positive reviews; most of the five-star reviews are noting the quality of the print or shipping, and not endorsing the contents of the book.Mein Kampf has never been banned in the U.S. (unlike plenty of other books about race, gender, and sex), but Amazon did briefly ban listings of the book from its platform in 2020 before reinstating it.Googles AI Overview shoots itself in the algorithmic foot frequently, so its noteworthy that its sitting this result out. When it launched in May 2024 as a default feature on searches, it was an immediate and often hysterical mess, telling people its chill to eat glue and that they should consume one small rock a day. In January, the feature was telling users to use the most famous sex toy in the world with children for behavioral issues. These weird results are beside the bigger point: Googles perversion of its own search functionits most popular and important productis a deep problem that it still hasnt fixed, and that has real repercussions for the health of the internet. At first, AI Overview was so bad Google added an option to turn it off entirely, but the company is still hanging on to the feature despite all of this.The Mein Kampf AI summaries are also an example of how AI is starting to eat itself online, and the cracks are showing. Studies in the last few years show that AI models are consuming AI-generated content as training data in a way thats polluting and destroying the models themselves.

Flags fly outside the United Nations headquarters Sept. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz, File)2025-03-07T22:01:59Z UNITED NATIONS (AP) In 2015, then-President Barack Obama committed the United States to achieving newly adopted U.N. global goals by 2030, including ending poverty, achieving gender equality and urgently tackling climate change. The Trump administration now says it rejects and denounces the goals.The U.S. renunciation was one of the first if not the first by any country of the 17 goals that were adopted unanimously by all 193 U.N. member nations, with the aim of eliminating global hunger, protecting the planet, ensuring prosperity for all people, and promoting peace.The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, also include providing clean water and sanitation for all people and quality education for every child, while promoting good health and decent work and economic growth for everyone.The Trump administrations announcement was buried in remarks on a General Assembly resolution on the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence this week by Edward Heartney, a minister-counselor at the U.S. mission to the United Nations. Heartney said that while framed in neutral language, the goals and the U.N. agenda for 2030 advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans. In last Novembers election that gave President Donald Trump a second term, he said, globalist endeavors like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box to the U.S. government focusing first and foremost on Americans. President Trump also set a clear and overdue course correction on `gender and climate ideology, which pervade the SDGs, Heartney said.Trump has said the U.S. government will only recognize two sexes, male and female, and spoken out against transgender people and rights. The SDGs stress that they apply to everyone, everywhere, and will leave no one behind, but they do not specifically mention LGBTQ people. As for climate, Trump has promoted more oil and gas drilling and he withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 landmark Paris climate agreement to combat global warming, and said he would take the U.S. out of other climate pacts. The SDGs call for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, noting that planet Earth is standing at the brink of climate calamity. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, responding to the U.S. announcement, said all 193 U.N. member states voted in 2015 for the SDGs and agreed to work together to deliver the 2030 Agenda, which is the path to bridging divides, restoring trust and building solidarity.It continues to be the U.N.s guiding principles to advance a world of peace, prosperity and dignity for all and a better, healthier, safer and more prosperous and sustainable future, he said.After Trumps first election in November 2016 on an America First platform, the U.S. also opposed multilateral solutions, but it didnt disavow the SDGs. It just ignored them.Following Joe Bidens election to the presidency in 2020, the U.S. renewed support for the SDGs, reporting to Congress on how the United States was contributing to achieving the 17 goals.___On the Web: https://sdgs.un.org/goals RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Actor Gene Hackman with wife Betsy Arakawa in June 1993. (AP Photo, File)2025-03-07T22:21:41Z Gene Hackmans wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection, officials in New Mexico announced Friday. Hantavirus, found throughout the world, is spread by contact with rodents or their urine or feces. It does not spread between people. The virus can cause a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency began tracking the virus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet.The vast majority of U.S. cases since then have been in western states, especially the southwest. Between 1993 and 2022, there were 864 reported U.S. cases. New Mexico had the highest number over that time, at 122, followed by Colorado at 119. Symptoms start one to eight weeks after exposure, and initially can include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, according to the CDC. As the disease progresses, symptoms can include coughing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest as the lungs fill with fluid. About a third of people who develop respiratory symptoms from the disease can die, the CDC says. The best way to avoid the germ is to minimize contact with rodents and their droppings. ___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.

A number of AI video generators, mostly released by Chinese companies, lack the most basic guardrails that prevent people from generating nonconsensual nudity and pornography, and are already widely used for that exact purpose in online communities dedicated to creating and sharing that type of content.A 404 Media investigation into these AI video generators show that the same kind of ecosystem thats developed around AI image generators and nonconsensual content has already been replicated around AI video generators, meaning that only a single image of someone is now required to create a short nonconsensual adult video of them. Most of these videos are created by abusing mainstream tools from companies with millions of dollars in venture capital funding, and are extremely easy to produce, requiring only a reference image and a text prompt describing a sexual act. Other tools use more complicated workflows that require more technical expertise, but are based on technology produced by some of the biggest tech companies in the world. The latter are free to use, and have attracted a large community of hobbyists who produced guides for these workflows, as well as tools and models that make those videos easier to produce.[These AI video generators] need to put in safeguards to prevent the prompting and creation of NCII [nonconsensual intimate images], Hany Farid, a professor at UC Berkeley and one of the worlds leading experts on synthetic media, told me in an email. OpenAIs DALL-E, for example, has some pretty good semantic guardrails on the user prompt input, and image filtering on the image output to prevent the widespread misuse of their image generator. This type of output filtering is relatively standard now and used in many social media platforms like Facebook/Instagram/YouTube to limit the uploading of NSFW content.Do you know anything else about people abusing AI tools? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at emanuel.404. Otherwise, send me an email at emanuel@404media.co.

A leading French university is inviting American scientists who fear their research on subjects like climate might be censored by Donald Trumps administration to do their work in France.The program is called safe place for science, and will provide 15 million Euros in funding for some 15 researchers over a 3-year period, Clara Bufi, a spokesperson for Aix Marseille University, told me in an email. It targets, but is not limited to, climate and environment, health, and human and social sciences.A press release from Aix Marseille University today said that the program is for American scientists who may feel threatened or hindered in their research, and is dedicated to welcoming scientists wishing to pursue their work in an environment conducive to innovation, excellence and academic freedom.Are you doing research that's compromised by the Trump Executive Orders? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at emanuel.404. Otherwise, send me an email at emanuel@404media.co.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends an event at the NYPD's 40th precinct, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2025-03-07T05:15:04Z NEW YORK (AP) A judge has no choice but to grant the Justice Departments unusual and divisive request to dismiss New York City Mayor Eric Adams corruption case, a court-appointed lawyer said Friday. But he recommended that prosecutors be barred from ever reviving the charges so they dont hang over Adams like the proverbial Sword of Damocles.Paul Clement, who represented the federal government before the Supreme Court as President George W. Bushs solicitor general, delivered the recommendation to Manhattan federal Judge Dale E. Ho in papers filed two weeks after Ho appointed him to provide neutral advice on the case.In a written submission, Clement told Ho that there was ample reason to dismiss the prosecution without granting the Justice Departments request to be able to refile them after this years mayoral election, which would leave a prospect that hangs like the proverbial Sword of Damocles over the accused. He added: Such an ongoing prospect of re-indictment is particularly problematic when it comes to the sensitive task of prosecuting public officials. There is an inherent risk that once an indictment has been procured, the prospect of re-indictment could create the appearance, if not the reality, that the actions of a public official are being driven by concerns about staying in the good graces of the federal executive, rather than the best interests of his constituents. Ho appointed Clement after Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove defended the request at a hearing, saying they came too close to Adams reelection campaign and would distract the mayor from assisting the Trump administrations law-and-order priorities. Bove had suggested the charges could be reinstated after the election if the new permanent U.S. attorney decided it was appropriate.In a filing late Friday signed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Bove, the government continued to maintain that the judge should allow reinstatement of the charges in the future. They also cited text messages exchanged by prosecutors who worked on the case a result of an investigation of the Adams prosecution team that Bove disclosed two weeks ago and suggested that they would reference those materials if Ho conducts a hearing, saying any additional inquiry will not reflect well on Manhattan prosecutors.Among the subjects addressed in the text messages, prosecutors discussed how to react to recent public statements about political corruption by former U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who stepped down late last year.The filing came on the same day that two prosecutors who worked on the Adams case Celia Cohen and Andrew Rohrbach were placed on leave while the internal probe of the Adams prosecution continued, according to a person with knowledge of the action. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak publicly. Messages sent to Cohen and Rohrbach for comment were not returned Friday. Two other prosecutors on the case had already been placed on leave and one has resigned. The government also was expected to file papers soon in response to a recent request by lawyers for Adams asking that the charges be dismissed with prejudice, meaning they could not be refiled. That request is pending.Adams was indicted in September and accused of accepting over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and travel perks from a Turkish official and others seeking to buy influence while he was Brooklyn borough president. He has pleaded not guilty and insisted he is innocent.Ho has said that oral arguments, if necessary, could occur next week on the government request to dismiss the indictment.Bove initially directed then-interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon to request dismissal, but she refused, telling Attorney General Pam Bondi in a Feb. 12 letter as she offered to resign that she could not agree to seek a dismissal driven by improper considerations.She said the indictment was brought nine months before New Yorks June Democratic mayoral primary, consistent with longstanding Justice Department policy regarding election-year sensitivities, and the threat of possibly refiling the charges amounted to using the criminal process to control the behavior of a political figure. Besides Sassoon, whose resignation was accepted by Bove the day after her letter, six prosecutors, including five high-ranking ones at the Justice Department, resigned before Bove made the dismissal request himself, along with two other Washington prosecutors.In his recommendation to Ho, Clement observed that the Justice Departments move to end the case precipitated a series of resignations and unusual public disclosures concerning internal deliberations about the case and the decision to seek dismissal.Suffice it to say that those materials raised material questions concerning both the initial decision to pursue the indictment and the subsequent decision to seek dismissal, he wrote. 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 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Christmas photo of the Ken Martin family, from left, Barbara, 7; Ken, Barbara, Sue, 4; Donald, 21; and Virginia, 6; in Portland, Ore., in December 1952. (Ken Martin family via AP, File)2025-03-07T19:56:01Z After two days of dredging, a crane on Friday pulled a Ford station wagon from the Columbia River that officials believe belonged to an Oregon family who disappeared while on a trip 66 years ago to collect Christmas greenery.The vehicle came apart in the process and only the frame with wheels attached came out as the crane lifted it out of the water. The body, which was visible in diving videos, came off the frame in the retrieval process, which started about 3:44 p.m. Friday and took about 10 minutes. The car will be wrapped and sent to a warehouse where a forensic team will try to learn more about its owners, said Pete Hughes, a Hood River County Sheriffs deputy. But officials felt certain the found the car they were looking for, he said.Everything matches, he said. It appears to be the color, make and model of the Martin vehicle, Hughes said. The search for the Martin family was a national news story at the time and led some to speculate about the possibility of foul play, with a $1,000 reward offered for information. Where do you search if youve already searched every place logic and fragmentary clues would suggest? an Associated Press article wondered in 1959, months after the disappearance. Two of the familys children were found in the river later that year, though the remaining members never turned up.Salvage efforts were called off just before dark on Thursday and resumed early Friday as crews tried to clear mud that buried much of the car. The station wagon thought to belong to Ken and Barbara Martin was found last fall by Archer Mayo, a diver who had been looking for it for seven years, said Mayos representative, Ian Costello. Mayo pinpointed the likely location and dove several times before finding the car upside-down about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, covered in mud, salmon guts, silt and mussel shells, Costello said. This is a very big development in a case thats been on the back of Portlands mind for 66 years, Costello told The Associated Press.Mayo found other cars nearby, Costello said. Hughes, the Hood River County sheriffs deputy, said one car had been previously identified and the second was an unknown Volkswagen. The Martins took their daughters Barbara, 14; Virginia, 13; and Sue, 11 on a ride to the mountains on Dec. 7, 1958, to collect Christmas greenery, according to AP stories from the time. The children left the Sunday newspaper comics scattered about. Dishes remained in the sink and a load of laundry in the washing machine.They never returned. Officials narrowed their search for the family after learning that Ken Martin had used a credit card to buy gas at a station near Cascade Locks, a small Columbia River community about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Portland.Police have speculated that Martins red and white station wagon might have plunged into an isolated canyon or river, the AP reported. The credit card purchase was the only thing to pinpoint the familys movements.A waitress reported seeing a family that could have been the Martins at the Paradise Snack Bar, east of Cascade Locks, just before sunset. The family had been out looking for a Christmas tree. They ordered hamburgers, fries, milk and dessert. It came to $4.15. Five months after their disappearance, the body of the youngest daughter was found bobbing in a Columbia River slough, according to the AP. The body of Susan apparently floated free of the wreckage in the spring current and was washed to a back water slough near Camas, Washington, the AP wrote.Virginia Martins body was found the next day about 25 miles (40 kilometers) upstream from where her sisters was located. The other family members were never found, but the search continued.The Martins had a 28-year-old son, Don, who was a Marine veteran and graduate student at Columbia University in New York at the time and told the AP he believed his family was dead. Its been a high public interest case, Hughes told the AP on Thursday. After Mayo provided part of the license plate number and other vehicle identifiers, the sheriffs office and the Columbia Gorge major crimes team, along with the Oregon State Crime Lab, arranged to have the car pulled out, he said. Mayo runs a business that finds things that were lost in the river, like watches and rings, but also helps with the recovery of drowning victims, Costello said. He had been looking for a research vessel that sank in 2017 when he learned about the Martin family, Costello said.Mayo began digging up material on the family and used modeling to pinpoint the possible location, he said.___Associated Press journalists Sarit Hand and Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report. MARTHA BELLISLE Bellisle is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington state. She reports on a range of topics, including police accountability, police training and mental health. She also has covered the Winter Olympics. twitter mailto

A game created with AI in just 30 minutes is generating more than $50,000 a month, its creator claimsand could be a peek at how AI can, and cant, change game design in the future.fly.pieter.com, an in-browser fun free-to-play MMO flight sim made with AI was made by Pieter Levels, who amassed a huge online following for pioneering the practice of quickly developing and launching software and startups with the help of AI. As he explains in his X bio, All my websites/apps/startups/projects are built by just me with vanilla HTML, JS with jQuery, PHP and SQLite. I'm very fast with my own little stack. I don't collaborate with other people and prefer shipping fast by myself.This is sometimes referred to as vibe coding, which generally means being less methodical and detail oriented, telling the AI tool what you want, and getting it to work without worrying about the code base being messy.

A team of volunteer archivists has recreated the Centers for Disease Control website exactly as it was the day Donald Trump was inaugurated. The site, called RestoredCDC.org, went live Tuesday and is currently being hosted in Europe.As we have been following since the beginning of Trumps second term, websites across the entire federal government have been altered and taken offline under this administrations war on science, health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Critical information promoting vaccines, HIV care, reproductive health options including abortion, and trans and gender confirmation healthcare have been purged from the CDCs live website under Trump. Disease surveillance data about bird flu and other concerns have either been delayed or have stopped being updated entirely. Some deleted pages across the government have at least temporarily been restored thanks to a court order, but the Trump administration has added a note rejecting gender ideology to some of them.Restored CDC isnt going to have continuous updates on this type of healthcare and disease guidance, but it has brought back all of the critical data that was purged in an easy to use, easy to navigate, and fast website. Other critical archiving projects, including the End of Term Archive, have saved government websites more broadly, but many website archives are slow to use and difficult to navigate because things like interactive elements and internal linking can sometimes be wonky. Some archives require users to download files to navigate them on their own computers, for example. Archives on the Internet Archives Wayback Machine are a great public service, but depending on the snapshot, they can be slow to load and some elements may be broken. Using RestoredCDC.org, meanwhile, is like using any other website, and the team hopes that the pages will be indexed by Google so they will be easily discoverable on search engines.On other archives, The individual pages are archived, but links between them are broken and the pages are not easy to locate through web searches, the team behind RestoredCDC wrote.Therefore, we will re-build the links between the pages, to create a site that can be navigated the same way as the pre-January 21, 2025 CDC site, they wrote. The only changes we will make on these pages is to add a header that indicates that this site is not a CDC website. Because of the complex navigation between pages, we will also include a button to report problems in this header. Our goal is to provide a mirror site that provides the same information and user experience as the previous CDC website.In a Reddit post on the DataHoarders subreddit, one of the developers of RestoredCDC said that the website was made using archived pages created by that community, and that the website is hosted in Europe.Our goal is to provide a resource that includes the information and data previously available, the team wrote. We are committed to providing the previously available webpages and data, from before the potential tampering occurred. Our approach is to be as transparent as possible about our process. We plan to gather archival data and then remove CDC logos and branding, using GitHub to host our code to create the site.

Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)2025-03-08T02:25:56Z SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimers disease, authorities revealed Friday. Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead Feb. 26. In the days that followed, mystery swirled around the deaths as authorities ruled out foul play, and immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative.Then authorities in New Mexico released the causes, proposing a simple but tragic theory for the deaths: Shortly after Arakawas death from a rare infection, Hackman died of the nations leading killer heart disease apparently unable to seek help after his wife died.I believe they really discovered what truly happened in this case, said forensic pathologist Dr. Victor Weedn, who was not involved in the investigation. It seemed such a great mystery to the entire nation. Heres a timeline of events surrounding the couples deaths: Feb. 11Arakawas last known activities happened this day. She emailed with a massage therapist in the late morning, visited a grocery store in Santa Fe in the afternoon, then went to a pharmacy and a pet food store, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said. At 5:15 p.m., Arakawa entered the gated community to the home she shared with Hackman. Mendoza said investigators found no other communication or activity by Arakawa after Feb. 11, which they believe to be the day of her death. The medical examiner said she may have been experiencing symptoms of hantavirus before her death. Feb. 17-18Hackmans initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity Feb. 17. Subsequent pacemaker investigation showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation Feb. 18, the last record of heart activity.Based on this information, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said it is reasonable to conclude that Hackman probably died around Feb. 18. Feb. 26 A maintenance worker who showed up to do routine work at the house could not get inside and called a security worker, who spotted two people on the ground inside the home, Mendoza said. The worker called 911 and told an operator he did not know if they were breathing. He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks prior.Police found Hackman in an entryway and Arakawa in a bathroom, as well as a deceased dog in a closet. Arakawa had picked up the kelpie mix named Zinna from Gruda Veterinary Hospital on Feb. 9 after a procedure was done, according to the sheriff. He said the hospital visit might help explain why the dog was found dead. A necropsy is being done on Zinna to determine the cause of death, he said.Two healthy dogs were found on the property one inside and one outside.Feb. 27 Autopsies were done on Hackman and Arakawa. Detectives wrote in a search warrant that the couple and the dog had been dead for some time when the maintenance worker discovered their bodies. Feb. 28Preliminary autopsy results didnt reveal causes of death but showed Hackman and Arakawa were not killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff said. The initial autopsies also found no external trauma to either body. March 7 Authorities reveal causes of death for Hackman and Arakawa. Jarrell said both deaths were from natural causes. Hackmans death was tied to heart disease with Alzheimers disease contributing. Authorities linked Betsy Arakawas death to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.

The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back, in Reserve, La., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)2025-03-08T00:37:01Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department on Friday celebrated its decision to drop a federal lawsuit against a Louisiana petrochemical plant accused of worsening cancer risks for residents in a majority-Black community, saying the dismissal showed that officials are delivering on President (Donald) Trumps promise to dismantle radical DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs and restore integrity to federal enforcement efforts.The dismissal Wednesday of the two-year-old case underscored the Trump administrations commitment to eliminate ideological overreach and restore impartial enforcement of federal laws,' Justice said in a statement. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew its formal referral of the case to the Justice Department. The agency said the action aligns with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldins pledge to end the use of environmental justice as an enforcement tool that Zeldin was too often used to advance liberal ideological priorities. Dismissal of the case unraveled one of former President Joe Bidens highest-profile targets for an environmental justice effort aimed at improving conditions in places disproportionately harmed by decades of industrial pollution. Bidens EPA sued the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in early 2023, alleging it posed an unacceptable cancer risk and demanding cuts in toxic emissions of cancer-causing chloroprene. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana and was formally withdrawn Wednesday. The action is one of a series the Trump administration has taken as it moves quickly to reverse the environmental justice focus of Bidens administration, placing roughly 170 environmental justice-focused staffers on administrative leave. Dropping the Denka case relieves pressure on a company that has spent years fighting federal lawsuits and investigations over its impact on public health. Denka, based in Japan, bought the former DuPont plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, a decade ago. Its located near an elementary school in a community about 30 miles outside New Orleans. The site produces neoprene, a synthetic rubber that is found in products such as wetsuits and laptop sleeves. The Justice Department sued the company in early 2023, accusing it of emitting unacceptable levels of chloroprene, a chemical that may be especially harmful to children. A judge had scheduled a bench trial for April.Dismissal of the case reflects the Justice Departments renewed commitment to enforce environmental laws as Congress intended consistently, fairly and without regard to race, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson, who oversees the departments Environment and Natural Resources Division.Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who took over the EPA in late January, said the dismissal was a step toward ensuring that environmental enforcement is consistent with the law. While EPAs core mission includes securing clean air for all Americans, we can fulfill that mission within well-established legal frameworks, without stretching the bounds of the law or improperly implementing so-called environmental justice. Denka said the dismissal was long-overdue and ends litigation that it said lacked scientific and legal merit. The lawsuit was a draining attack on our business, the company said. The focus should be on the real-world data that shows no adverse health effects, even at substantially higher emission levels, the company said in a statement.The governments lawsuit said air monitoring showed that long-term concentrations near the Denka plant are as high as 15 times the amount recommended for long-term exposure to chloroprene.The EPA under Biden issued a related rule aimed at reducing industrial pollution that gave Denka a fast deadline to lower its emissions. The company said it was being singled out and other manufacturers were given far more time to comply. The company also said the plant has significantly reduced its emissions in recent years, since the sale was completed in 2015. The company won an extension of its deadline. The Denka plant is located in an industrial stretch of Louisiana from New Orleans to Baton Rouge that is officially called the Mississippi River Chemical Corridor. Its known informally as Cancer Alley for the high incidence of cancer among residents who live near the industrial corridor, which has about 200 fossil fuel and petrochemical operations. The area accounts for about 25% of the petrochemical production in the United States. MATTHEW DALY Daly covers climate, environment and energy policy for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto MICHAEL PHILLIS Phillis is an Associated Press reporter covering the environment with a focus on water. He is based in St. Louis. mailto

This week we start with Jason's article on how a Facebook group for Cybertruck owners is completely overrun with people flipping them off. Then Joseph explains how U.S. crypto traders are buying IDs from the tropical nation of Palau to skirt the law. Then in the subscribers-only section (with a content warning), we talk about Jason's story on a big Instagram bug that pushed really horrible stuff into ordinary peoples' feeds.Listen to the weekly podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orYouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism.If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. SXSW afterparty event informationFacebook Cybertruck Owners Group Copes With Relentless MockeryBuying a $250 Residency Card From a Tropical Island Let Me Bypass U.S. Crypto LawsInstagram 'Error' Turned Reels Into Neverending Scroll of Murder, Gore, and Violence

Cellebrite, the company which makes near ubiquitous phone hacking and forensics technology used by police officers around the world, has introduced artificial intelligence capabilities into its products, including summarizing chat logs or audio messages from seized mobile phones, according to an announcement from the company last month.The introduction of AI into a tool that essentially governs how evidence against criminal defendants is analyzed already has civil liberties experts concerned.When you have results from an AI, they are not transparent. Often you cannot trace back where a conclusion came from, or what information it is based on. AIs hallucinate. If you always train it on data from cases where there are convictions, it will never understand cases where indictments should not be brought, Jennifer Granick, surveillance and cybersecurity counsel at the American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLU) Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, told 404 Media in an email.

Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Mark Carney addresses supporters in Calgary, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-07T19:38:02Z TORONTO (AP) Canada looks set to pick a measured former central banker to deal with the threats President Donald Trumps tariffs pose against a pillar of Western free trade.Mark Carney, 59, could become the next prime minister when the governing Liberal Party of Canada announces a replacement for Justin Trudeau in a leadership vote Sunday. Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Mark Carney arrives to address supporters in Calgary, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP) Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Mark Carney arrives to address supporters in Calgary, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. Trudeau announced his resignation in January but remains prime minister until a successor is chosen. Election laws mandate a vote before October but one is expected sooner. Trumps trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are cancelling trips south and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Partys chances in Parliamentary elections that are expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving steadily in opinion polls.After decades of bilateral stability, the vote on Canadas next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States. Mark Carney, candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, is surrounded by journalists outside a campaign event in Ottawa, Ontario, Jan. 23, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP, File) /The Canadian Press via AP) Mark Carney, candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, is surrounded by journalists outside a campaign event in Ottawa, Ontario, Jan. 23, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP, File) /The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Who is Mark Carney? Carney navigated crises when he was the head of Canadas central bank and when he became the first non-citizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. His appointment won bipartisan praise in Britain after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries.Carney is credited with keeping money flowing through the Canadian economy by acting quickly in cutting interest rates to their lowest level ever of 1%, working with bankers to sustain lending through the crisis and, critically, letting the public know rates would remain low so they would keep borrowing. And it wasnt just that he had good policies he sold them to the public in a way everyone could understand. He was the first central banker to commit to keep them at a historic low for a definite time, a step the U.S. Federal Reserve would follow.Carney has picked up one endorsement after another from Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament since declaring his candidacy in January.The other top Liberal leadership candidate is former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Trudeau told Freeland in December he no longer wanted her as finance minister, but that she could remain deputy prime minister and the point person for U.S.-Canada relations. Freeland resigned shortly after, releasing a scathing letter about the government that proved to be the last straw for Trudeau. Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates Karina Gould, Frank Baylis, Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney greet one another prior to the English-language Liberal Leadership debate in Montreal on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates Karina Gould, Frank Baylis, Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney greet one another prior to the English-language Liberal Leadership debate in Montreal on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Three points turned the leadership race into a runaway for Carney. Freeland had a long association with the unpopular Trudeau. Carney worked hard to gather support from Liberal members of Parliament members. And Trumps tariff fixation was also pivotal, said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. Liberal backbenchers feared losing their seats and knew that Carney was more electable as their leader than Freeland, Wiseman said. Whats next for Canada?The Liberal Party members will pick a new leader in a secret vote by about 140,000 members that will be announced on Sunday. The new leader is expected to trigger an election shortly afterward. Either the new Liberal party leader will call one, or the opposition parties in Parliament could force one with a no-confidence vote this month. Daniel Bland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said Carneys calm demeanor and outstanding resume make him a reassuring figure to many Canadians at a time when Trump is going after their countrys economy and sovereignty.Bland said that style and profile stands in strong contrast to the Conservative Partys Pierre Poilievre, whom he called a true career politician who has embraced a populist rhetoric not unlike Trumps. Canada Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a news conference in Ottawa, Dec. 1, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP, File) Canada Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a news conference in Ottawa, Dec. 1, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Poilievre, 45, for years the partys go-to attack dog, is a firebrand populist who says he will to put Canada first. He attacks the mainstream media and vows to defund Canadas public broadcaster and cut taxes. That works with his base but that is not welcomed by other Canadians, especially considering what the U.S. president is now saying about, and doing to, their country, Bland said. Poilievre urged Trump on Friday stop the attacks on Canada and the monthly melodrama that is hurting our economies on both side of the border.

(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)2025-03-07T18:57:36Z A growing number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020.The changes have come in response to a campaign by conservative activists to target workplace programs in the courts and social media, and more recently, President Donald Trumps executive orders aimed at upending DEI policies in both the federal government and private sector. DEI policies typically are intended to root out systemic barriers to the advancement of historically marginalized groups in certain fields or roles. Critics argue that some education, government and business programs are discriminatory because they single out participants based on factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation. They have targeted corporate sponsorships, employee-led affinity groups, programs aimed at steering contracts to minority or women-owned businesses, and goals that some companies established for increasing minority representation in leadership ranks. While hiring or promotion decisions based on race or gender is illegal under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in most circumstances, companies say they are not doing that. Instead, they say they aspire to diversify their workforce over time through policies like widening candidate pools for job openings.These are some of the companies that have retreated from DEI: UberAfter an conducting an internal investigation that found rampant sexual harassment issues within its corporate office under its founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, Uber has been focused on overhauling its corporate culture since its current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took over in 2017.Those changes had included a ramped-up commitment to diversity and inclusion as part of a commitment that the ride-hailing service highlighted in a section of its annual report for 2023.But Uber dropped its diversity and inclusion section from its 2024 annual report filed last month. And the word diversity doesnt appear anywhere in its 135 pages.Uber didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.SalesforceSalesforce CEO Marc Benioff once was on a crusade to inspire other corporate leaders to become social activists in a drive to fix a train wreck of inequality, but he has since toned down that message while pledging to work with President Donald Trump to drive American success and prosperity for all.Although Benioff personally has remained an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, Salesforce is no longer touting its diversity program. After carving out a section of its annual report filed last year to declare, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Equality is a core value at Salesforce, the San Francisco excluded any discussion of diversity programs in its latest annual report filed March 5.While we dont have representation goals, we remain committed to our value of equality, Salesforce said in a statement. PepsiPepsiCo confirmed that its ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lays potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based companys chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.Goldman SachsInvestment firm Goldman Sachs confirmed that it was dropping a requirement that forced IPO clients to include women and members of minority groups on their board of directors. As a result of legal developments related to board diversity requirements, we ended our formal board diversity policy, said a Goldman Sachs spokesman in an email to The Associated Press. We continue to believe that successful boards benefit from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we will encourage them to take this approach. Goldman Sachs said that it will still have a placement service that connects its clients with diverse candidates to serve on their boards. GoogleGoogle rescinded a goal it had set in 2020 to increase representation of underrepresented groups among the companys leadership team by 30% within five years. In a memo to employees, the company also said it was considering other changes in response to Trumps executive order aimed at prohibiting federal contractors from conducting DEI practices that constitute illegal discrimination. Googles parent company Alphabet also signaled things were changing in its annual 10-K report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report dropped a boilerplate sentence it has used since 2020 declaring that the company is committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve. TargetThe retailer said that changes to its Belonging at the Bullseye strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following Floyds death in Minneapolis, where Target has its headquarters.Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles.The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities.Target also will no longer participate in surveys designed to gauge the effectiveness of its actions, including an annual index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ rights organization. Target also said it would further evaluate corporate partnerships to ensure theyre connected directly to business objectives, but declined to share details.Meta PlatformsThe parent company of Facebook and Instagram said it was getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program, which featured policies for hiring, training and picking vendors.Like other companies that announced similar changes before Meta, the social media giant said it had been reviewing the program since the Supreme Courts July 2023 ruling upending affirmative action in higher education.Citing an internal memo sent to employees, news website Axios reported the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant said it would no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion and will instead focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background. The change means the company will also end its diverse slate approach to hiring, which involved considering a diverse pool of candidates for every open position.AmazonAmazon said it was halting some of its DEI programs, although it did not specify which ones. In a Dec. 16 memo to employees, Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive, said the company has been winding down outdated programs and materials, and were aiming to complete that by the end of 2024.We also know there will always be individuals or teams who continue to do well-intentioned things that dont align with our company-wide approach, and we might not always see those right away. But well keep at it, she wrote.Rather than have individual groups build programs, Castleberry said, Amazon is focusing on programs with proven outcomes and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture.McDonaldsMcDonalds said on Jan. 6 that it would retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels. It also planned to end a program that encouraged its suppliers to develop diversity training and to increase the number of minority group members represented within their own leadership ranks.McDonalds later said it was changing but not eliminating a scholarship program for Latino students after it was sued by a group that opposes affirmative action. The program will now be open to any student who can demonstrate an impact on the Latino community, the fast-food giant said. Applicants no longer need to have at least one Latino parent.In an open letter to employees and franchisees, McDonalds senior leadership team said it remained committed to inclusion and believes that having a diverse workforce is a competitive advantage. The company said it would continue to publicly report its demographic information and spending on diverse-owned suppliers.WalmartThe worlds largest retailer confirmed in November that it would not be renewing a five-year commitment to a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd, and that it would stop participating in the HRCs Corporate Equality Index.Walmart also said it will better monitor its third-party marketplace to make sure items sold there do not include products aimed at LGBTQ+ minors, including chest binders intended for transgender youth.Additionally, the company will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts and it wont be gathering demographic data when determining financing eligibility for those grants.FordCEO Jim Farley sent a memo to the automakers employees in August outlining changes to the companys DEI policies, including a decision to stop taking part in HRCs Corporate Equality Index.Ford, he wrote, had been looking at its policies for a year. The company doesnt use hiring quotas or tie compensation to specific diversity goals but remains committed to fostering a safe and inclusive workplace, Farley said.We will continue to put our effort and resources into taking care of our customers, our team, and our communities versus publicly commenting on the many polarizing issues of the day, the memo said.LowesIn August, Lowes executive leadership said the company began reviewing its programs following the Supreme Courts affirmative action ruling and decided to combine its employee resource groups into one umbrella organization. Previously, the company had individual groups representing diverse sections of our associate population.The retailer also will no longer participate in the HRC index, and will stop sponsoring and participating in events, such as festivals and parades, that are outside of its business areas.Harley-DavidsonIn a post on X in August, Harley-Davidson said the company would review all sponsorships and organizations it was affiliated with, and that all would have to be centrally approved. It said the company would focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining its loyal riding community, in addition to supporting first responders, active military members and veterans.The motorcycle maker said it would no longer participate in the ranking of workplace equality compiled by the HRC, and that its trainings would be related to the needs of the business and absent of socially motivated content.Harley-Davidson also said it does not have hiring quotas and would no longer have supplier diversity spending goals.Brown-FormanThe parent company of Jack Daniels also pulled out from participating in the HRCs Corporate Equality Index, among other changes. Its leaders sent an email to employees in August saying the company launched its diversity and inclusion strategy in 2019, but since then the world has evolved, our business has changed, and the legal and external landscape has shifted dramatically.The company said it would remove its quantitative workforce and supplier diversity ambitions, ensure incentives and employee goals were tied to business performance, and review training programs for consistency with a revised strategy.Brown-Forman continues to foster an inclusive work environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, and able to bring their best self to work, spokeswoman Elizabeth Conway said in an email.John DeereThe farm equipment maker said in July that it would no longer sponsor social or cultural awareness events, and that it would audit all training materials to ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages in compliance with federal and local laws.Moline, Illinois-based John Deere added the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy. But it noted that it would still continue to track and advance the diversity of the company.Tractor SupplyThe retailer in June said it was ending an array of corporate diversity and climate efforts, a move that came after weeks of online conservative backlash against the rural retailer.Tractor Supply said it would be eliminating all of its DEI roles while retiring current DEI goals. The company added that it would stop sponsoring non-business activities such as Pride festivals or voting campaigns and no longer submit data for the HRC index.The Brentwood, Tennessee-based company, which sells products ranging from farming equipment to pet supplies, also said that it would withdraw from its carbon emission goals to instead focus on our land and water conservation efforts.The National Black Farmers Association called on Tractor Supplys president and CEO to step down shortly after the companys announcement. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Subscribe Join the newsletter to get the latest updates. Success Great! Check your inbox and click the link. Error Please enter a valid email address. A Facebook group for Cybertruck owners is full of videos and photos of passersby and other drivers flicking them off, leaving notes that say WHATS ELONS CUM TASTE LIKE?, and NAZI CAR, and people kicking their cars, throwing slices of cheese at it, etc.This genre of post is being made nearly daily in a group called Cybertruck Owners Only, a development that shows two things. The wider protests and backlash against Elon Musk at Tesla dealerships is, at the very least, making it uncomfortable for some people to own a Cybertruck. The protests also highlight that Cybertrucks are outfitted with many cameras that are always recording in Sentry Mode, and that a community of Cybertruck owners are sometimes trying to identify people using this footage.In a video taken from a Cybertruck of a man throwing American cheese slices at the windshield of a Cybertruck, many comments suggest filing a police report and attempting to dox the man by posting a screengrab of his face to social media: Freeze frame and blow up his face. Go on all the social media platforms and post your video. I would file a police report stating that if he is willing to do this in public, then he obviously has some type of vendetta against me, and therefore, I feel threatened and fearful for my life the only way these people will learn [is] if they are shamed, one comment reads. Can you make an 8 x 11 print out of his face with a QR code that leads to the video so everybody in your city will know who this guy is and what he did?? cant we just make him famous? 0:00 /0:10 1

This article was produced in collaboration with Court Watch, an independent outlet that unearths overlooked court records. Subscribe to them here.After a group of attorneys were caught using AI to cite cases that didnt actually exist in court documents last month, another lawyer was told to pay $15,000 for his own AI hallucinations that showed up in several briefs.Attorney Rafael Ramirez, who represented a company called HoosierVac in an ongoing case where the Mid Central Operating Engineers Health and Welfare Fund claims the company is failing to allow the union a full audit of its books and records, filed a brief in October 2024 that cited a case the judge wasnt able to locate. Ramirez "acknowledge[d] that the referenced citation was in error, withdrew the citation, and apologized to the court and opposing counsel for the confusion, according to Judge Mark Dinsmore, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana. But that wasnt the end of it. An exhaustive review of Ramirez's other filings in the case showed that hed included made-up cases in two other briefs, too.Mr. Ramirez explained that he had used AI before to assist with legal matters, such as drafting agreements, and did not know that AI was capable of generating fictitious cases and citations, Judge Dinsmore wrote in court documents filed last week. These hallucination cites, Mr. Ramirez asserted, included text excerpts which appeared to be credible. As such, Mr. Ramirez did not conduct any further research, nor did he make any attempt to verify the existence of the generated citations. Mr. Ramirez reported that he has since taken continuing legal education courses on the topic of AI use and continues to use AI products which he has been assured will not produce hallucination cites.But the explanation and Ramirezs promise to educate himself on the use of AI wasnt enough, and the judge chided him for not doing his research before filing. It is abundantly clear that Mr. Ramirez did not make the requisite reasonable inquiry into the law. Had he expended even minimal effort to do so, he would have discovered that the AI-generated cases do not exist. That the AI-generated excerpts appeared valid to Mr. Ramirez does not relieve him of his duty to conduct a reasonable inquiry, Judge Dinsmore continued, before recommending that Ramirez be sanctioned for $15,000.Lawyers Caught Citing AI-Hallucinated Cases Call It a Cautionary TaleThe attorneys filed court documents referencing eight non-existent cases, then admitted it was a hallucination by an AI tool.404 MediaSamantha ColeThe judge wrote that he does not aim to suggest that AI is inherently bad or that its use by lawyers should be forbidden, and noted that hes a vocal advocate for the use of technology in the legal profession. Nevertheless, much like a chain saw or other useful [but] potentially dangerous tools, one must understand the tools they are using and use those tools with caution, he wrote. It should go without saying that any use of artificial intelligence must be consistent with counsel's ethical and professional obligations. In other words, the use of artificial intelligence must be accompanied by the application of actual intelligence in its execution.In January, as part of a separate case against a hoverboard manufacturer and Walmart seeking damages for an allegedly faulty lithium battery, attorneys filed court documents that cited a series of cases that dont exist. In February, U.S. District Judge Kelly demanded they explain why they shouldnt be sanctioned for referencing eight non-existent cases. The attorneys contritely admitted to using AI to generate the cases without catching the errors, and called it a cautionary tale for the rest of the legal world.Last week, Judge Rankin issued sanctions on those attorneys, according to new records, including revoking one of the attorneys pro hac vice admission (a legal term meaning a lawyer can temporarily practice in a jurisdiction where they're not licensed) and removed him from the case, and the three other attorneys on the case were fined between $1,000 and $3,000 each.

The first envelope looked innocuous enough. A sticker on the white cardboard sleeve said it came from Hangzhou City in the east of China. Opening it up revealed something more ostentatious: a second blue envelope with a regal gold stamp.Welcome to the Metaverse on Earth! the letter inside read. Attached was my new identity card for the Republic of Palau, a tropical island nation in Micronesia near Indonesia and the Philippines. I was now officially a digital resident of Palau, despite never stepping foot in the country. According to the website I bought the ID from, run by a company called RNS.ID, I could use it to check-in to rental accommodation and could extend a tourist visa for Palau by 180 days if I wished. Most importantly, I could use it as my identity document on cryptocurrency exchanges.That is exactly what traders in the U.S. are doing in order to bypass restrictions on the amount of cryptocurrency they can withdraw and the exchanges they can use, according to interviews with users, a review of Discord messages and YouTube tutorials, and my own successful tests. Many exchanges dont allow signups from the U.S. because of the countrys still strict regulations around cryptocurrency. But with a Palau ID, U.S. traders can skirt that issue, and claim they come from Palau. The ID is so ripe for abuse that major cryptocurrency exchanges such as Binance and Kraken have already banned use of the ID from their platforms.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum walks to the House Chamber before of President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-03-08T03:17:12Z NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Three tribal nations and five Native American students filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration, accusing it of failing its legal obligations to tribes when it cut jobs at Bureau of Indian Education schools last month.Firings at two colleges as part of the administrations cuts to federal agencies, with the help of Elon Musk, have left students and staff with unsafe conditions, cancelled classes, and delayed financial aid, according to the lawsuit.Lawyers at the Native American Rights Fund filed the suit against the heads of the Interior Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Indian Education Programs on behalf of the Pueblo of Isleta, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. The tribes allege in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that they were not consulted when the federal government laid off several employees at the two colleges under the purview of the BIE. Nearly a quarter of the staff at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, including nine instructors, were fired or forced to resign in February. The lawsuit alleges that security and maintenance firings have left the campus unsafe, including two power outages in the last few weeks that went unresolved due to the lack of staff. One SIPI student named in the lawsuit, Kaiya Brown, said in the filing that her dorm was without power for 13 hours. Ms. Brown was forced to leave her dorm residence and drive to a second location to be able to complete her school assignments. Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas lost over a quarter of its staff, including the Dean of Students, instructors, property management specialists, coaches, tutors, residential advisors, academic advisors, custodians, and food services employees as well as its only bus driver, the lawsuit states. It also notes that Haskells student center has been shuttered and students reported their financial aid has either been delayed or has not been disbursed. Students also reported reduced meal sizes, bathrooms without toilet paper, and classes that are now being taught by deans who do not have the same expertise as the professors who were fired.Both institutions report that some staff and faculty have been rehired, but BIE notified those individuals that this might be temporary and they may be laid off again, according to the lawsuit.When reached for comment, the BIA said, It is Department policy to not comment on pending litigation.The BIE is responsible for providing educational opportunities for Native Americans and Alaska Natives across the country, part of the U.S. governments trust responsibilities the legal and moral obligations the U.S. has to protect and uphold treaties, laws and congressional acts dealing with tribes. There are 183 Bureau-funded elementary and secondary schools, located on 64 reservations in 23 states, serving approximately 42,000 Indian students, according to the BIEs website. Of these, 55 are BIE-operated, and 128 are tribally operated. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has highlighted for several years significant understaffing at the BIE that has impacted its ability to monitor and assist schools. One of the federal governments obligations to tribal nations is to provide meaningful consultation before it takes any action that could possibly harm tribes or their services, said Hershel Gorham, Lt. Governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, which has 35 students at Haskell. In this case there is no consultation that was done, not only from the BIA and BIE, but the federal government in general.Recent cuts to the Departments of the Interior and Health and Human Services that affect tribal citizens and were later rescinded might illustrate that Secretaries Doug Burgum and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. understand those trust responsibilities, Gorham said, but they also might suggest they dont have the autonomy to prevent the violation of those rights for Native Americans. Right now it seems like theyre not being given that full autonomy, if you look at the cuts that were made to Haskell, SIPI and the BIE schools, he said. GRAHAM LEE BREWER Brewer reports for the APs Race and Ethnicity team, focusing on Indigenous communities and tribal nations. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is based in Oklahoma. twitter mailto

A worker transfers steel cables at a steel factory in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province, on June 8, 2018. (Chinatopix via AP, File)2025-03-08T03:17:13Z BEIJING (AP) China on Saturday announced retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports, after Canada imposed duties in October on Chinese-made electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products.The new duties become effective March 20, according to a statement by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council. Additional 100% tariffs will be imposed on Canadian rapeseed oil, oil cakes and peas, and additional 25% tariffs will apply to pork and aquatic products.The tariffs add to global trade tensions already high, with rounds of tariff announcements by the United States, China, Canada and Mexico.The duties come in retaliation for Ottawa imposing tariffs against Chinese imports in October, including a 100% surtax on all Chinese-made EVs and 25% on steel and aluminum imports.Despite Chinas repeated opposition and dissuasion, Canada has taken unilateral restrictive measures on electric vehicles, steel, aluminum and other products imported from China without investigation, undermining China-Canada economic and trade relations, read the statement by the customs authorities. The decision to impose retaliatory duties comes after an anti-discrimination probe, which found out that Canadas restrictive measures against some Chinese products have disrupted normal trade order and harmed the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, it added.Canada announced tariffs on Chinese goods last August following similar duties being imposed by the U.S. and the European Union against Chinese-made EVs and other products. The Western governments say Chinas subsidies give its industry an unfair advantage. SIMINA MISTREANU Mistreanu is a Greater China reporter for The Associated Press, based in Taipei, Taiwan. She has reported on China since 2015. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Tetyana Bobina and her daughter Aleksandra receive humanitarian aid provided by UN World Food Program and ADRA charity organisation for the residents of the region and internally displaced persons at the distribution center in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)2025-03-08T06:59:09Z GENEVA (AP) Trump administration freezes on U.S. foreign aid have led many United Nations organizations to cut staff, budgets and services in places as diverse as Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine and far beyond.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has lamented the severe cuts and cited some fallout last week: Over 9 million people in Afghanistan will miss out on health and protection services; cash allocations that helped 1 million people in Ukraine last year have been suspended; funding for programs for people fleeing Sudan have run out, among other things.Many independent NGOs some that work with the United Nations have cited many project closures because of the U.S. administrations decision to eliminate more than 90% of foreign aid contracts, cut some $60 billion in funding, and terminate some 10,000 contracts worldwide involving the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID. For their part, U.N. agencies have been scrambling to revise their operations, make strategic cuts, seek funding elsewhere, and appeal to the administration to restore U.S. support. Some hope federal court rulings will salvage some U.S. foreign aid outlays.Heres what some U.N. organizations say about the impact of the U.S. funding freezes and their response to them so far. Less UN help for people on the move: Refugees and MigrantsUNHCR : The U.N. refugee agency, which got over 40% of its nearly $5 billion budget last year from the United States, told The Associated Press on Wednesday the pause in U.S. funding allocations have affected operations and its first cost saving efforts will involve cutting $300 million in planned activities.Some partners U.N. organizations often rely on and fund outside groups have pulled back or halted some activities that, for example, have led to suspended services for nearly 180,000 forcibly displaced women in girls in Central African Republic, Uganda and South Sudan. In Ethiopia, 200,000 forcibly displaced women and girls will be affected by the closure of services, it said. If new funding is not forthcoming soon, more cuts in direct life-saving assistance will be inevitable, spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh said. IOM: The International Organization for Migration, which is run by Amy Pope of the United States and got more than 40% of its $3.4 billion budget in 2023 from the U.S., said it was acting accordingly in response to the U.S. order to pause foreign assistance funding that was affecting staff, operations and beneficiaries. Devex, a news organization focusing on global development, reported last month that IOM sent dismissal notices to some 3,000 employees who had been working on a U.S. resettlement program following the funding freezes. The agency declined to comment to the AP.UN health agencies sound the alarmWHO: The Trump administration has been especially tough with the World Health Organization. One of his earliest executive orders announced a U.S. pullout from the U.N. health agency, which cant take full effect until next January, as well as a recall of U.S. staff working with WHO and funding pauses. WHO says a global measles and rubella lab network is at risk of collapse because its cost of about $8 million a year is entirely funded by the U.S. The funding cuts have affected the global response to mpox, and WHO has tapped its own emergency funds to fill gaps left in the response to Ebola in Uganda. On Wednesday, WHO said U.S. cuts in bilateral funding to fight tuberculosis will have a devastating response on TB programs which the United States has generally contributed $200-$250 million to every year over the last decade.UNAIDS : The AIDS-fighting agency said Wednesday that U.S. funding has served as the backbone for HIV prevention in many countries hit hard by the virus. U.S. funding amounts to 55% of the total AIDS budget in Uganda, and the funding freeze has led to the closure of drop-in centers and service points that provide antiretroviral therapy.It said a rapid assessment estimated that 750,000 people in Haiti are affected by the U.S. freeze, and 70% of the 181 total sites funded through the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, had closed: Patients have flooded the remaining sites, which are unable to meet the increased demand. A large portion of PEPFAR-funded staff working on HIV response in South Africa will be affected because dozens of USAID implementing partners received termination letters last week, UNAIDS said.At a regular briefing Thursday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric highlighted the impact of funding cuts on Afghanistan alone, saying more than 200 health facilities have closed -- depriving 1.8 million people from essential health services in the country. Unlocking aid from UN coffersOCHA: The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Thursday it was releasing $110 million from its emergency response fund to help address underfunded crises in Africa, Asia and Latin America.Tom Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief who heads the office, told the Security Council on Thursday the U.S. funding cuts to foreign aid amounted to body blow to our work to save lives.He said he had asked partners to provide lists of areas where they have to cut back.It is of course for individual countries to decide how to spend their money. But it is the pace at which so much vital work has been shut down that adds to the perfect storm that we face, Fletcher said.___Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations in New York contributed to this report. JAMEY KEATEN Keaten is the chief Associated Press reporter in Geneva. He previously was posted in Paris and has reported from Afghanistan, the Middle East, North Africa and across Europe. twitter

President Donald Trump walks up the stairs of Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)2025-03-08T05:01:44Z WASHINGTON (AP) With his flurry of tariffs, government layoffs and spending freezes, there are growing worries President Donald Trump may be doing more to harm the U.S. economy than to fix it.The labor market remains healthy with a 4.1% unemployment rate and 151,000 jobs added in February, and Trump likes to point to investment commitments by Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to show that hes delivering results.But Fridays employment report also found that the number of people stuck working part-time because of economic circumstances jumped by 460,000 last month. In the leisure and hospitality sectors that reflect consumers having extra money to spend, 16,000 jobs were lost. And the federal government reduced its payrolls by 10,000 in a potential harbinger of the alarm being sounded by the stock market, consumer confidence and other measures of where the economy is headed. Since January, the economic policy uncertainty index has spiked 41% to a level, 334.5, that in the past signaled a recession. Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford University economist and co-developer of the uncertainty index, said its unclear how this will play out, but hes worried. I have an increasing fear we will enter into what may become known as the Trump recession, he said. Ongoing policy turbulence and a tariff war could tip the U.S. economy into its first recession in five years. That last recession occurred under Trump because of the coronavirus pandemic. For his part, Trump seems comfortable with the uncertainty that hes generating, saying that any financial pain from import taxes is a mere disruption that will eventually lead to more factories relocating to the United States and stronger growth.If Trumps gambit succeeds, the Republican would cement his reputation as an unconventional leader who proved doubters wrong. But if Trumps tariffs backfire, much of the price would be paid by everyday Americans who could suffer from job losses, lower wages, higher inflation and, possibly, an injured sense of national pride. In an interview to air Sunday on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, Trump was pressed to provide some clarity on his tariffs agenda that has caused uncertainty to fester. The president largely hedged his answer and blamed the 6% drop in the stock market over the past two weeks on big globalists.You know, the tariffs could go up as time goes by, and they may go up and, you know, I dont know if its predictability, the president said.The White House maintains that Fridays jobs report showed the administrations strategy is working because manufacturers added 10,000 jobs. Of the manufacturing gains, 8,900 jobs came from the auto sector, recovering some of the industrys job losses in January. The White House also suggested that the loss of leisure and hospitality jobs was the result of flu season and people having depleted savings and credit card debt because of President Joe Bidens term.I thought it was a really, really impressive jobs report, Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said of Fridays numbers. Hassett said the additional factory jobs were the result of companies on-shoring work because of the coming tariffs.This is the first of many reports that are going to look like this, Hassett said with regard to the hiring in the industrial sector.The stock market selloff raises doubts about whether tariffs will create the promised jobs.Markets anticipate, said John Silvia, CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy. The turn down the dark alley of tariffs signals higher inflation, slower economic growth and a weaker U.S. dollar. It is an economic horror movie in slow motion.Trump has instigated a trade war in the last week with Canada, Mexico and China, only to then hit a monthlong pause on some of his import taxes because of the threat to U.S. auto factory jobs and because of Mexicos latest efforts to curb fentanyl smuggling.More tariffs are coming on April 2 for Europe, Trump says, possibly putting the United States into open conflict with a continent it helped rebuild after World War II. South Korea, India and Brazil could also face new tariffs, Trump said in his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. Silvia said Trumps tariffs need to be more targeted with regard to products and nations and set at lower rates, adding that doing so would provide an assurance that there is solid research backing the measures.There were multiple signs of uncertainty and concerns about the tariffs in the Federal Reserves beige book, a collection of anecdotes from hundreds of businesses that the Fed releases eight times a year.Published Wednesday, the beige book included 47 references to uncertainty, up from just 17 in the previous edition in January.Many businesses noted heightened economic uncertainty and expressed concern about tariffs, the Feds New York branch reported. Looking ahead, businesses were notably less optimistic. This is the perfect storm for businesses, said Brian Bethune, an economist at Boston College. How can you possibly plan anything in this environment?Still, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday on CNBC that he sees positive momentum in combating inflation. He said crude oil prices have fallen since Trumps inauguration, as have the interest rates on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes and mortgages. Still, interest rates on government debt are higher than they were last year in September, and the recent decline could reflect a slowdown in economic demand.Bessent suggested a core problem is that the U.S. economy has become overly reliant on government deficits and that the Trump administration would be fostering stronger growth in the private sector.Weve become addicted to this government spending, and theres going to be a detox period, he said.This particular form of economic rehab is coming from Trumps Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by T-shirted tech mogul Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, X and SpaceX, among other companies.The alleged savings by DOGE are still too paltry to bend the troubling trajectory of the national debt that is largely being driven by tax revenues that are insufficient to cover the rising costs of Social Security and Medicare.But the initiative has started to downsize the federal workforce in ways that could surface in future jobs reports. Roughly 75,000 employees took the deferred resignation plan. There are also thousands of probationary federal workers who were fired and tens of thousands of layoffs to come based on the administrations plans. Asked Friday in the Oval Office if the government layoffs could hurt the overall labor market, Trump said the economy would be great.I think the labor market is going to be fantastic, but its going to have high-paying manufacturing jobs, he said. We had too many people in government. You cant just do that.___AP economics writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

This image provided by Travis Bond shows Amy Gleason, the acting administrator of the DOGE Service, pictured in 2014 at a health care technology conference in San Francisco, (Travis Bond via AP)2025-03-08T05:00:51Z When her daughter was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease in 2010, Amy Gleason attacked the challenge.She carried binders of medical records to doctors appointments across six health systems seeking the best care for juvenile dermatomyositis. She volunteered at a nonprofit searching for a cure. She also started a health care company to create record-sharing software that would make life easier for chronically ill patients and families.Within five years, President Barack Obamas White House recognized Gleason as a Champion of Change in the industry. When the coronavirus struck in 2020, she was a health care technologist in the first Trump White House who worked grueling hours building data systems to guide the federal response. (And her daughter was a thriving college student.)Now, her journey has improbably led to President Donald Trump naming her the acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service, a position that seems to convey extraordinary power. Except almost no one has heard of her and everyone knows the man the president says is actually leading the unparalleled effort to gut the federal workforce and shutter agencies: Elon Musk. Gleasons role at DOGE is unclearWhile Musk has claimed his Department of Government Efficiency is fully transparent, until last week the White House press secretary would not even say Gleasons name which does not appear on the DOGE website.In his address to Congress Tuesday, Trump made clear that Musk is in charge, saluting him as the head of DOGE, with Musk smiling down on the president from the visitors gallery. Yet government lawyers have argued in court that Gleason and not Musk is the agencys leader.The confusion has added to the mystery around the role of Gleason, who did not respond to a phone call or text message for comment. I dont think anyone really knows for sure what her role is and whether she actually has any oversight of any of the people doing the work, or is she just there as a punching bag and a distraction to keep their actual activities shielded from the public, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that sued the DOGE Service and Gleason seeking access to records that would shed light on their operations.DOGE claims credit for saving more than $100 billion through mass firings, cancellations of contracts and grants, office closures and other cuts that have paralyzed entire agencies. Many of those claimed savings have turned out to be overstated or unproven. Gleason is known as a behind-the-scenes operatorOn one level, Gleason fits the mold of a Musk employee, one willing to work arduous hours to meet his goals. Former colleagues say she is an effective behind-the-scenes operator and say her rise is the story of a former nurse who got into health care technology to help patients and doctors and climbed through merit.From my perspective, I cant imagine somebody Id rather have there, said Jamie Grant, a former Republican lawmaker in Florida who worked with Gleason to start a health care company. Somebody saying yes to that job right now better believe in the mission and better have a spine and be talented and shes that in spades. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Gleason had served as the acting administrator at DOGE for weeks. But that was not the widely held understanding of her position internally, according to three people with knowledge of the offices operation who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.While the exact nature of Gleasons portfolio was not well defined, what was clear is that she was working closely with DOGE leaders. She attempted to push civil service staffers in the office to hire at least two people who failed screening reviews for prospective hires; both were later hired by DOGE, according to two of the people who spoke to The Associated Press.The uncertainty over her role and when she was appointed to it could have far-reaching implications in a series of ongoing lawsuits filed to blunt the impact of Musks radical paring of the government workforce. Under questioning from U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly recently, government attorneys struggled to explain who was in charge of DOGE or Musks precise role. That led Kollar-Kotelly to wonder if the office was running afoul of the Constitutions appointments clause because Musk had not been nominated to lead the office, or received confirmation from the Senate.The Trump administration announced the following day that Gleason was DOGEs acting administrator, a question they had previously refused to answer. Gleason has ties to Trump worldUnlike many DOGE workers, Gleason has no prior ties to Musk. She recently worked as chief products officer at Nashville-based health care firms founded by Brad Smith, who worked in the prior Trump administration on health care and is also a DOGE adviser.Smith and Gleason began working on Trumps transition after the November election, and her role in Trumps orbit has grown. In December, she rejoined the United States Digital Service, where she had previously worked from 2018 through 2021 on high-level government health care technology initiatives.On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order rebranding USDS as the US DOGE Service and giving it a mandate to help Musks cost-cutting initiative. Soon, dozens of Musk acolytes associated with DOGE began arriving at agencies across the government demanding access to sensitive data systems and pushing for drastic changes.While 21 others in the office resigned in protest rather than carry out Musks initiatives, Gleason accepted a position that thrust her into an unfamiliar spotlight.Health care entrepreneur Travis Bond, Gleasons colleague over two decades at companies in Florida, said Gleason will hate the public attention but excel in her new role.Im not sure they could have picked a better person. She just thinks, eats and breathes this stuff, he said. Gleason helped build CareSync, which later collapsedBond, Gleason and Grant in 2011 launched CareSync Inc., which developed an app to allow patients suffering from chronic disease to keep their medical records in one place. After benefiting from a $7.25 million grant from one Florida county, CareSync found it hard to attract buyers for subscriptions that cost up to $199 annually.CareSync pivoted in 2015, taking advantage of a new federal rule that allowed Medicare providers to bill for chronic care management services delivered remotely. The company raised millions of dollars from investors and began rapidly adding staff and serving more than 20,000 patients nationwide. By summer 2018, CareSync ran out of cash and closed without notice, firing 300 workers and leaving creditors owed millions.Gleason recalled later that she was trying to figure out what in the world to do in life after that experience and applied for the USDS with encouragement from Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer under Obama. Chopra declined comment.She focused on improving technology systems at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. During the pandemic, she worked under White House response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx to develop laboratory and hospital data reporting systems. Birx praised Gleason last week in an interview with CNN as a really competent, hardworking, focused woman who understands the value of data.Near the end of her three-year stint in 2021, Gleason reflected on her work in a podcast interview, saying the digital service sought to empower the civil servants and to bring new approaches in technology to the government and to help modernize their efforts.Our mission is really to do the greatest good, for the greatest number of people, in the greatest need, she said. RYAN J. FOLEY Foley covers state and national news for The Associated Press and is based in Iowa City, Iowa. A 20-year AP veteran, hes known for investigative reporting and using open records laws to obtain information. twitter mailto BRIAN SLODYSKO Slodysko is an investigative reporter for the Associated Press based in Washington, D.C. mailto

Santa Fe County Sheriff, Adan Mendoza, second from left, Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical investigator for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, center, and Dr. Erin Phipps, New Mexico State Veterinarian with the New Mexico Department of Health, hold a news conference to talk about the cause of death for Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in Santa Fe, N.M. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)2025-03-08T06:12:45Z SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A towering figure in cinema for decades, retired actor Gene Hackman spent his final years in seclusion with his wife, living with heart disease and Alzheimers, authorities said Friday.An investigation into the deaths of Hackman and his wife, 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa, paint a tragic picture of the 95-year-old Oscar-winners last days before he succumbed to heart disease, one week after Arakawa died from a rare disease called hantavirus.Here are some takeaways:Hackman may not have realized his wife died a week earlierMr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimers disease, New Mexico chief medical investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell said. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately thats what resulted in his death. All signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said, adding, Its quite possible he was not aware she was deceased.Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired because of Alzheimers disease and unable to deal with his wifes death in the last week of his life. Couple lived a secluded life and were not found for daysWhen Hackman and Arakawa were found, the bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fes especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza described the couple as a very private family, which presented difficulties in determining a timeline in their deaths. Hackman had no food in his stomach when he died, meaning he hadnt eaten recently, but he wasnt dehydrated, Jarrell said.Investigators have not found any indication Hackman tried to contact anyone after Arakawa died, Mendoza said.All of us that knew him should have been checking on him, said Stuart Ashman, co-owner of Artes de Cuba gallery. He cherished his encounters with Hackman at a local Pilates exercise studio, where they used to swap stories. I had no idea. ... Its just really sad, Ashman said. And that she died a week before him. My God. Hantavirus believed to be the cause of Arakawas deathArakawa likely died Feb. 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease spread by infected rodent droppings. She had gone out that day to run errands and stopped at a grocery store, pharmacy and pet store before returning to their home in a gated neighborhood. How Arakawa contacted hantavirus is unknown, but signs of rodents were found by investigators in some of the buildings on the couples property, authorities said. Jarrell said its possible Arakawa was showing symptoms of the virus, similar to flu symptoms, before she died. The virus can cause a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection. While hantavirus is found throughout the world, most cases in the U.S. have been found in western states. Hackman had retired from a celebrated acting careerHackmans long career included roles as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films. Aside from appearances at awards shows, he was rarely seen on the Hollywood social circuit. Hackman and Arakawa eschewed fame and made Santa Fe their home decades ago, like many other artists. He met Arakawa, a classical pianist, at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They moved to Santa Fe by the end of the decade. Their Pueblo revival home sits on a hill with views of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.In his first decades in New Mexico, Hackman was often seen around the state capital and served on the board of trustees for the Georgia OKeeffe Museum from 1997 to 2004. Hackman kept a tight circle of friends and didnt go out much, but he was sometimes spotted downtown. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol greets his supporters after he came out of a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Kim Do-hun/Yonhap via AP)2025-03-08T08:58:35Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas impeached conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from prison on Saturday, a day after a Seoul court canceled his arrest to allow him to stand trial for rebellion without being detained.TV footage showed Yoon waving his hand, clenching his fists and bowing deeply to his supporters who were shouting his name and waving South Korean and U.S. national flags. He climbed into a black van to travel to his presidential residence in Seoul. Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waves to his supporters after he came out of a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Kim Do-hun/Yonhap via AP) Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waves to his supporters after he came out of a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Kim Do-hun/Yonhap via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In a statement distributed by his lawyers, Yoon said that he appreciates the courage and decision by the Seoul Central District Court to correct illegality, in an apparent reference to questions over his arrest. He said he also thanks his supporters and asked those who are on hunger strike against his impeachment to end it.Yoon was arrested and indicted by prosecutors in January over his Dec. 3 martial law decree that plunged the country into huge political turmoil. The liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly separately voted to impeach him, leading to his suspension from office. The Constitutional Court has been deliberating whether to formally dismiss or reinstate Yoon. If the court upholds his impeachment, a national election will be held to find his successor within two months. Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol greets to his supporters after he came out of a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Hong Hyo-shik/Newsis via AP) Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol greets to his supporters after he came out of a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Hong Hyo-shik/Newsis via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Seoul Central District Court said Friday it accepted Yoons request to be released from prison, citing the need to address questions over the legality of the investigations on the president. Yoons lawyers have accused the investigative agency that detained him before his formal arrest of lacking legal authority to probe rebellion charges. The Seoul court also said the legal period of his formal arrest expired before he was indicted. Yoons release came after prosecutors decided not to appeal the decision by the Seoul court. South Korean law allows prosecutors to continue to hold a suspect while pursuing an appeal, even after his or her arrest is canceled by a court. The main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which led Yoons Dec. 14 impeachment, lashed out at the prosecutors decision, calling them henchmen of Yoon, a former prosecutor general. Party spokesperson Cho Seung-rae urged the Constitutional Court to dismiss Yoon as soon as possible to avoid further public unrest and anxiety.At the heart of public criticism of Yoon over his martial law decree was his dispatch of hundreds of troops and police officers to the National Assembly after placing the country under military rule. Some senior military and police officials sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to pull out lawmakers to thwart a parliamentary vote on the decree. Yoon has countered that he aimed to maintain order.Enough lawmakers eventually managed to enter an assembly hall and voted unanimously to overturn Yoons decree. Investigators have alleged Yoons martial-law decree amounted to rebellion. If hes convicted of that offense, he would face the death penalty or life imprisonment. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions but that doesnt cover grave charges like rebellion and treason. Yoon has said he didnt intend to maintain martial law for long as he only attempted to inform the public of the danger of the Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda and impeached many senior officials and prosecutors. In his martial law announcement, Yoon called the assembly a den of criminals and anti-state forces.South Koreas conservative-liberal divide is severe, and rallies either supporting or denouncing Yoons impeachment have divided Seoul streets. Experts say whatever decision the Constitutional Court makes, the division is certain to worsen. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following a Russian rocket attack in Dobropillya, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)2025-03-08T09:31:27Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Russian strike on a town in Ukraines embattled Donetsk region killed at least 11 people, officials said Saturday, as a wave of heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine.Thirty people were also reported injured in multiple strikes late Friday that damaged eight apartment blocks in the town of Dobropillya, which is close to the front where Russian troops have been making steady advances. Ukraines State Emergency Service said a Russian drone damaged a Ukrainian fire truck while rescuers fought to extinguish the burning buildings.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least five children were among the injured. Last night, the Russian army fired two ballistic missiles at the center of Dobropillya, he said. After emergency services arrived at the scene, they launched another strike, deliberately targeting rescuers. It is a vile and inhumane intimidation tactic to which the Russians often resort. The attack took place just 24 hours after Russia hit Ukrainian energy facilities with dozens of missiles and drones, hobbling its ability to deliver heat and light to its citizens and to power weapons factories vital to its defenses. The barrage came after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine to pressure it into accepting a peace deal being pushed by the Trump administration. When asked Friday by a reporter during an Oval Office exchange if Russian President Vladimir Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. pause on intelligence-sharing to attack Ukraine, Trump responded: I think hes doing what anybody else would.Zelenskyy did not reference the intelligence-sharing deal, but did seem to appeal to other statements Trump made Friday related to financial sanctions against Moscow. Writing on social media, the U.S. president proposed imposing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire and final peace settlement was reached. Zelenskyy welcomed the prospect of additional sanctions on Moscow, saying, Everything that helps Putin finance the war must be broken.Ukraines air force reported Saturday that Russian troops launched three Iskander missiles and 145 drones over the country overnight. The bombardment contained a mix of attack and decoy drones intended to confuse air defenses. One missile and 79 drones were shot down, while 54 more drones were lost without causing damage, the Ukrainian air force said.Among the targeted areas was Ukraines northeastern region of Kharkiv, where three people died after a Russian drone hit a civilian workshop, emergency services said.Meanwhile, Russian troops shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 over the countrys Krasnodar region, Russias Defense Ministry said Saturday.Falling debris from one drone sparked a blaze at the KINEF oil refinery in Russias northern Leningrad region, local Gov. Aleksandr Drozdenko said in a statement. No casualties were reported. ___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks through the Capitol, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-03-08T05:02:15Z WASHINGTON (AP) House Republicans are looking to do what, for them, is almost unheard of - approving government funding on their terms with little help from Democrats.Speaker Mike Johnson is teeing up a bill that would generally fund federal agencies at current levels for the remainder of the budget year ending Sept. 30. That would mean defense and non-defense programs would be funded at 2024 levels. Congress must act by midnight March 14.Its a risky approach. Normally, when it comes to keeping the government fully open for business, Republicans have had to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. Thats because Republicans almost always lack the votes to pass spending bills on their own. This time, Republicans have hopes of going it alone. They plan to muscle the funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, though the House, and then dare Senate Democrats to oppose it and risk being blamed for a government shutdown. Crucially, the strategy has the backing of President Donald Trump, who has shown an ability so far in his term to hold Republicans in line. Lets get this Bill done! Trump said on social media.Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., says he has never voted for a continuing resolution, what lawmakers often call a CR, but he is on board with Johnsons effort. He says he has confidence in Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to make a difference on the nations debt. I dont like CRs, Norman said. But whats the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No.I freeze spending for six month to go identify more cuts? Somebody tell me how thats not a win in Washington, added Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, another lawmaker who has often frequently voted against spending bills but supports the six-month continuing resolution.Republicans are also hoping that resolving this years spending will allow them to devote their full attention to extending the individual tax cuts passed during Trumps first term and raising the nations debt ceiling to avoid a catastrophic federal default. But Democratic leaders are warning that the decision to move ahead without consulting them increases the prospects for a shutdown. One of their biggest concerns is the flexibility the legislation would give the Trump administration on spending.We cannot stand by and accept a yearlong power grab CR that would help Elon take a chainsaw to programs that families rely on and agencies that keep our communities safe, said Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.Democratic leadership in both chambers has stressed that Republicans have the majority and are responsible for funding the government. But they also have been wary of saying how Democrats would vote on a continuing resolution.We have to wait to see what their plan is, Schumer said. Weve always believed the only solution is a bipartisan solution, no matter what.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said earlier this week that the Democratic caucus would meet and discuss the legislation at the appropriate moment. But he struck a more forceful tone Friday. Jeffries said Democrats are ready to negotiate a meaningful, bipartisan spending agreement that puts working people first. But he said the partisan continuing resolution threatens to cut funding for key programs, such as veterans benefits and nutritional assistance for low-income families. That is not acceptable, Jeffries said.While continuing resolutions generally keep spending flat, many lawmakers say that failing to keep pace with inflation actually leads to a cut in services. Trump has been meeting with House Republicans in an effort to win their votes on the legislation. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, along with more than a dozen other lawmakers, met with Trump on Wednesday.Im open to it, Burchett said. But I want to see whats in it.Republicans have a 218-214 majority in the House, so if all lawmakers vote, they can afford only one defection if Democrats unite in opposition. The math gets even harder in the Senate, where at least seven Democrats would have to vote for the legislation to overcome a filibuster and thats assuming all 53 Republicans vote for it. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., has said that passage of the measure covering the remainder of the fiscal year doesnt preclude further negotiations to pass the regular appropriations bills for the budget year. A Democratic aide speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that such talks have reopened as the two sides try to reach agreement on topline spending levels. The talks could amount to a Plan B should the continuing resolution falter.

In this undated photo provided on March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, bottom right, visits a shipyard to construct warships at an undisclosed place in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)2025-03-08T07:10:22Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S.State media on Saturday released photos showing what it called a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine, as it reported leader Kim Jong Uns visits to major shipyards where warships are built. In this undated photo provided on March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits a shipyard to construct warships at an undisclosed place in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: KCNA which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) In this undated photo provided on March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits a shipyard to construct warships at an undisclosed place in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: KCNA which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, didnt provide details on the submarine, but said Kim was briefed on its construction.The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seouls Hanyang University. He said the use of the term the strategic guided missiles meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.It would be absolutely threatening to us and the U.S., Moon said. A nuclear-powered submarine was among a long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that Kim vowed to introduce during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called escalating U.S.-led military threats. Other weapons were solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles. North Korea has since performed a run of testing activities to acquire them. North Korea obtaining a greater ability to fire missiles from underwater is a worrying development because its difficult for its rivals to detect such launches in advance. Questions about how North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines have surfaced. Moon, the submarine expert, said North Korea may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in the submarine in return for supplying conventional weapons and troops to support Russias war efforts against Ukraine. He also said North Korea could launch the submarine in one or two years to test its capability before its actual deployment. In this undated photo provided on March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, bottom right, visits a shipyard to construct warships at an undisclosed place in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) In this undated photo provided on March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, bottom right, visits a shipyard to construct warships at an undisclosed place in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More North Korea has an estimated 70-90 diesel-powered submarines in one of the worlds largest fleets. However, they are mostly aging ones capable of launching only torpedoes and mines, not missiles.In 2023, North Korea said it had launched what it called its first tactical nuclear attack submarine, but foreign experts doubted the Norths announcement and speculated it was likely a diesel-powered submarine disclosed in 2019. Moon said there has been no confirmation that it has been deployed. North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic missile tests since 2016, but all launches were made from the same 2,000-ton-class submarine which has a single launch tube. Many experts call it a test platform, rather than an operational submarine in active service.In recent days, North Korea has been dialing up its fiery rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea ahead of their upcoming annual military drills set to start Monday. During his visits to the shipyards, Kim said North Korea aims to modernize water-surface and underwater warships simultaneously. He stressed the need to make the incomparably overwhelming warships fulfill their mission to contain the inveterate gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces, KCNA reported Saturday. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

A boy looks over a newly established tent camp for displaced Palestinians whose homes were damaged by Israeli army strikes in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-03-08T11:53:24Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Foreign ministers from Muslim nations on Saturday rejected calls by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population and backed a plan for an administrative committee of Palestinians to govern the territory to allow reconstruction to go ahead.The foreign ministers gathered in the Saudi city of Jeddah for a special session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the situation in Gaza, at a time when the 7-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been thrown into doubt.In a statement put out Saturday, the gathering threw its support behind a plan to rebuild Gaza put forward by Egypt and backed by Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, aimed at countering Trumps call. The OIC groups 57 nations with largely Muslim populations.Without specifically mentioning Trump, the ministers said they rejected plans aimed at displacing the Palestinian people individually or collectively as ethnic cleansing, a grave violation of international law and a crime against humanity. They also condemned policies of starvation that they said aim to push Palestinians to leave. The OIC also reinstated Syria as a member of the grouping. Syria was removed from the OIC in 2012 over then-President Bashar Assads brutal crackdown on opposition protests. After some 14 years of civil war, Assad was ousted in December by Islamist-led insurgents who since have created a transitional government. The ceasefire that began in mid-January brought a pause in Israels campaign of bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. The ceasefires first phase saw the release of 25 Israeli hostages held by militants in Gaza and the bodies of eight others in exchange for the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But an intended second phase of the deal meant to bring the release of remaining hostages and a lasting truce and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza has been thrown into doubt. Israel has balked at entering negotiations over the terms of the second phase. Instead, it has called for Hamas to release half its remaining hostages in return for an extension of the ceasefire and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Since Sunday, Israel has barred all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies from entering Gaza for some 2 million people, demanding Hamas accept the revised deal.At the same time, Trump has called for Gazas population to be resettled elsewhere permanently so that the United States can take over the territory and develop it for others. Palestinians have rejected calls to leave.The ministers at the OIC gathering supported an Egyptian-backed proposal that an administrative committee replace Hamas in governing Gaza. The committee would work under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank. Israel has rejected the PA having any role in the Gaza Strip, but has not put forward an alternative for post-war rule in the territory. Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces have pulled back to a zone along Gazas edges. Early Saturday, an Israeli strike killed two Palestinians in Gazas southernmost city of Rafah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said it struck several men who appeared to have been flying a drone that entered Israel from Gaza.Israels military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants. The campaign was triggered by Hamas October 2023 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took a total of 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 34 others.

A car prepares to tow a stuck vehicle as cars sit in traffic backed up for more than 15 miles on a westbound stretch of Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and Williams, Ariz., Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)2025-03-08T02:53:14Z PARKS, Ariz. (AP) A winter storm dumped heavy snow across northern Arizona on Friday, playing a major factor in a more than 15-mile (24-kilometer) backup on a major interstate.Semitrucks and other vehicles were stalled on Interstate 40 westbound between Flagstaff and Williams late Friday as the sun set. The standstill dragged on for hours. The snow, along with a two-vehicle crash contributed to the backup, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves said. We could not clear it quick enough to get traffic moving again because of the adverse snow conditions, he said.An injury was reported in the crash but no deaths were reported around the region as a result of the storm, Graves said.One driver got out of a vehicle and threw snowballs, while others nearby hooked a tow strap to a four-wheel drive vehicle to pull another vehicle out of deep snow. The storm was the biggest of the winter season so far and followed a dry stretch that left Flagstaff and numerous other cities across the West well below normal for precipitation to date. Theyll likely stay there despite the snow and rain. The snowfall ranged from a few inches in lower elevations to more than a foot (30 centimeters) in places like Flagstaff and Munds Park. Williams, west of Flagstaff, got more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow, according to the National Weather Service.The Arizona Snowbowl ski resort joked on X that Miracle March was in full effect. This weekend is bound to be epic, it wrote in a post.Parts of other roadways were closed at times during the storm, including Interstate 17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix. Traffic was clogged on U.S. 89 north of Flagstaff, with multiple slide-offs and motorists parked over the icy road.The storm was expected to move east out of the state on Saturday, the weather service said. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., speaks to Stephen Feinberg, President Donald Trump's choice to be deputy secretary of defense, as he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-03-08T13:23:22Z WASHINGTON (AP) Republicans in Congress have long been intent on countering Americas rivals and spreading U.S. influence abroad. But when President Donald Trump spelled out a sharp turn from that approach in his recent address to Congress, lawmakers in his party couldnt help but stand and applaud.Moves toward a neutral position on the war between Russia and Ukraine. Tariffs on trading partners and allies. Cuts in foreign military and humanitarian aid. More is sure to come as Trump sweeps Washington with his America First agenda. Were going to protect our citizens like never before, he told Congress.Those ideas have produced some of the most dramatic moments in the early part of his second term, none more so than the Oval Office clash involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Some Republicans who were not shy about countering Trumps foreign policy ideas during his first term are overwhelmingly standing by him now. It shows not only Trumps ability to impose his will on his party, but also the extent to which he is ushering in a potentially generational shift in global alliances and power. Honestly, its a completely different way of looking at the world, said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. How do we avoid having enemies and how do we turn even unfriendly adversaries into no worse than friendly rivals. Still, in the weeks since taking office, Trump has handled foreign policy with unpredictable starts and stops. Twice he has pledged to implement tough tariffs on Mexico and Canada, only to pause them. He has suggested the U.S. should take ownership of Gaza, Greenland and the Panama Canal, only to have his administration distance itself from such notions. And he has berated Zelenskyy, paused military aid to Ukraine and engaged in friendlier relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Heres how members of Congress navigated Trumps foreign policy moves this past week: The Oval Office blowup with ZelenskyyThe open display of animosity between Trump and Zelenskyy had many Republicans on edge as they began the week. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, repeatedly declined to speak to reporters about the exchange.Another senior Republican who had previously been supportive of Zelenskyy, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, seemed to make a dramatic shift. After a deal to give the U.S. access to Ukraines mineral riches fell apart, Graham suggested that the Ukrainian president should resign.Then, as Zelenskyy and Trump raised the prospect of revived talks, Graham praised the deal as an implicit security guarantee for Ukraine because it would give Trump a business incentive for ensuring that Russia does not continue to take Ukrainian territory.President Trumps a business guy. You got to make business, Graham said, adding that the America First policy was a hybrid from the GOPs days of Reagan Republicans.I see it as a reevaluation of traditional alignments, a outside-the-box-view of talking to traditional foes, but the reason I support it is because I think this hybrid approach is actually smart, Graham said. Other Republicans who are opposed to Ukraine aid were delighted to see Trump sour on Zelenskyy.What were seeing, which is a bit of a shock to the system, is a president thats prioritizing American interests, said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.The presidents address to CongressThe only part of Trumps address to Congress on Tuesday night that drew more applause from Democrats than Republicans was when the president spoke of how the U.S. had sent billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine. On the Democratic side of the House chamber, members unfurled a small Ukrainian flag and wore scarfs of blue and gold.On the Republican side, displays of support for Ukraine were hard to find. A few members wore lapel pins with the American and Ukrainian flags.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who was one of the only GOP lawmakers to defend Zelenskyy this past week, said he was wearing the pin to send the message that I support Ukraine and that I think that Vladimir Putin is a liar. And the minute that we think theres any redeeming quality from him, weve made a mistake. Wicker, who also wore a pin Tuesday, said during a committee meeting that day that he hoped to heaven that Trump and Zelenskyy would reenter talks and that friends decide to move on after conflicts. As Trump spoke of Ukraine that night, Wicker sat on the edge of his seat.Its time to end this senseless war, Trump said, adding he wanted to speak to both sides.A new generation of advisersRepublicans are not just worried about the future of Ukraine. During a Senate hearing, Republican hawks such as Wicker and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas closely questioned Elbridge Colby, Trumps nominee for the top policy job at the Pentagon, about his ideas, which in the past have included a drawdown of military aid to Ukraine, a greater tolerance for Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and softening the U.S. position that it would help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Wicker also questioned Colby on whether he agreed with recently hired Pentagon advisers such as Michael DiMino, who has argued for reducing U.S. involvement in the Middle East, or Andrew Byers, who is in favor of a less confrontational approach to China.Colby laid out his view that the U.S. cannot currently afford to be involved in countering multiple adversaries. But he also seemed to placate the senators by suggesting Iran could become an existential threat to the U.S.Democrats repeatedly pressed Colby to say that Russia had started its war by invading Ukraine. Colby declined to do so, saying that the Trump administration was in a delicate negotiation with both countries.Democrats try to rally support for UkraineAs Trump changed Americas position on the war in Ukraine. Democrats took to the Senate floor Wednesday evening to try to pass a series of resolutions declaring U.S. support for repelling Russias invasion and decrying alleged war crimes by the Kremlin.Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, objected, blocking the resolutions. He said he agreed with the sentiment, but that it was unhelpful to the negotiations underway.Everybody wants the same outcome and that is to have peace in Ukraine, Risch said. There is one man on this planet, one man that can make that happen, and that is Donald J. Trump.Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who led the Democrats effort, responded by saying he had hoped Republicans could have agreed on rebuking Putin. Mr. Putin, you started this terrible war, Sanders said. Youre acting illegally. Youre acting barbarically. Stop that war. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site