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

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., attends a meeting of the House GOP conference, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-03-08T13:40:03Z WASHINGTON (AP) Almost two months into President Donald Trumps second term, the chairman of the House Republican campaign committee is already predicting his party will pick up seats in the midterm elections some 20 months away.Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., is in charge of increasing the GOPs slim majority in the House, or at least defending it. After Republicans met privately this past week with Elon Musk, Hudson said the cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency are resonating with voters.With disruptions at GOP town halls during the recent break, Hudson and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have told Republican lawmakers to skip the events for now and meet with constituents elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hudson said Republicans are confident their budget-cutting is on the side of the angels. Heres the political outlook from the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee as he confronts Democrats trying to win back the House in 2026. This Q&A has been edited for brevity and length. What was your advice about holding town halls?HUDSON: I just said that, its very important that all of us are communicating with our constituents, are very visible in our districts, very accessible. And its a shame that Democrat organizations are paying people to disrupt in-person town halls. And so this normal dialogue that we want to have with our constituents isnt possible at in-person town halls. So we need to use technology to reach our constituents. Do you think the DOGE cuts will be a tough sell?HUDSON: I think its the greatest thing thats happened since Ive been in Congress.My biggest frustration as a member of Congress is these massive bureaucracies that hide all their spending and when I ask questions or send letters, ignore it. And now its all mapped. You can see it all. Theres transparency for the American people. Now we can go in and decide, do we like the taxpayers dollars being spent on this program? Yes. Lets keep it. This one? No, lets cut it. I mean, we actually can do our job. Its exciting. Its exhilarating. Do you feel any blowback back home from people losing their jobs, cuts to veterans?HUDSON: (Musk) did say that the the the firings at the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) were a mistake done by that agency, by the VA.He said mistakes were made by bureaucrats.What do you make of the 80,000 cuts at the VA?HUDSON: Im disturbed when I hear veterans are being fired. I think we ought to give veterans priority. But, you know, I do acknowledge that there may need to be firings in all these agencies.When it comes to the VA, for example, what Im concerned about is giving world class health care to our veterans in a timely manner. And so any waste, fraud and abuse that makes that difficult or messes that up, Im interested in cutting.Whats your message to the fired federal workers, what do you say to them?HUDSON: Hang tight.Whats that mean?HUDSON: I mean there may be some mistakes that are being corrected.Do you think that will be an OK message for other GOP lawmakers to use?HUDSON: The American people are sick of the swamp. Theyre sick of waste, fraud and abuse. For the first time. ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us. Democrats envision a repeat of Trumps first term, when they won back the House?HUDSON: I think theyre digging their own grave politically.Were on the side of the angels. Were doing what the American people asked us to do, what 77 million people voted for Donald Trump to get.Were going to pick up seats.

Welcome back to the Abstract!Let me start this column with a question: Are you a man or a mouse? Or a mammoth? Or a mammoth mouse? Okay, that was more than one question, but in my defense, scientists made a bunch of mammothy mice and Im getting my taxonomical lines crossed.Then, hornet guts: Whats in them? The answer will haunt your nightmares (but in a fun way). Next, quench your thirst with primordial supernova water. Last, a heartwarming story about how we averted death by cosmic radiation. I love that for us!Introducing: The Woolly Mam-mouseChen, Rui et al. Multiplex-edited mice recapitulate woolly mammoth hair phenotypes. bioRxiv.The last woolly mammoths vanished from Earth 4,000 years ago, but they loom large in our imaginations. The extinct proboscideans have become the main avatar of a push to de-extinct lost animals by creating genetic proxy species spliced together with gene-editing tools like CRISPR. Yes, this movement is very reminiscent of Jurassic Parkexcept the proposed attractions are dodos, thylacines, and mammoths instead of T-rexes with a specific taste for lawyers.Now, researchers working for Colossal Biosciences, a biotech startup that bills itself as the de-extinction company have unveiled a woolly mouse chimera, according to a new preprint study. These mice have exaggerated hair phenotypes including curly, textured coats, and golden-brown hair, which the researchers claim could shed light into the genetic adaptations of mammoths.The mice dont have any actual mammoth DNA in them; rather, the team toggled gene mutations that are similar to those found in mammoths, and other mammals.This study establishes a rapid platform for testing mammoth-centric genetic variants while advancing methods for complex genetic model generation, said researchers led by Rui Chen of Colossal Biosciences. These approaches inform de-extinction efforts and research into the genetic basis of mammalian hair development and cold adaptation.The study was published this week on bioRxiv, a server for biology preprints that are hot off the press and have not yet gone through the peer review process. The team also disclosed competing interests in this statement: The authors have filed a patent application based on the results of this work. All authors are current or former employees, or scientific advisors/consultants for Colossal Biosciences and/or Form Bio, and may hold stock and/or stock options in these companies.In other words, this study has not been traditionally vetted and the authors acknowledge financial interest in the outcome, which are important considerations in evaluating its results. Some scientists have already pushed back on the teams claim that the mice offer a meaningful step toward a resurrected mammoth.Jurassic Park may be a good guide here not only for its literal premise of resurrecting animals, but for its excellent portrayal of how commercialization shapes our conception of scientific breakthroughs. After all, science is very cool, people are often enthused about it, and this makes it easy to market lofty and appealing narratives about its progress. John Hammond (the British dino tycoon) wants to make money off his park, sure, but he also has a grander sense of purpose that he has even sold himself on. How can we stand in the light of discovery and not act? he asks his guests over a meal. Hungry dinosaurs bluntly counter this techno-optimism by making meals of several characters.Of course, its just a movie (albeit the best one ever made). Future mammoth proxies are unlikely to go on murderous rampages, though they would be well within their rights to do so. But it will be interesting to watch how this clear commercial interest in de-extinction will materialize in the coming years and, crucially, what popular narratives emerge from it. Are proxies possible? If so, who are they for? Can simulacra of dead things help save living things? Or is it all just a stunt? (Stunts can be very profitable, after all!)This study demonstrates an eagerness to prove that the rubber is meeting the road in the journey to de-extinction, but nobody knows where this road leads or what Frankensteinian creatures might show up along the way. For a deeper dive into the thorny dimensions of de-extinction efforts, I recommend Sabrina Imblers thoughtful feature on the topic for Defector.And while the methods and conclusions of this preprint should be adjudicated by experts, I did want to end on a light note by spotlighting the many luxurious mouse hairdos described in the study, such as wavy pelage and curly vibrissae. If nothing else, these mice chimeras can serve as inspiration for your next haircut.Theres a Party in these Hornet Guts and Everyones InvitedPedersen, Siffreya et al. Broad ecological threats of an invasive hornet revealed through a deep sequencing approach. Science of the Total Environment.In what is hands-down the gnarliest study of the week, scientists rummaged through hundreds of hornet guts to see what they were eating. Why would any sane person want to do such a thing? Because,like Mount Everest, the hornet guts are there. Oh, and also, the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is an invasive predator that is wreaking havoc across Europe, and understanding its diet is key to mitigating its ecological impact.And boy, this hornet did not disappoint: The team found a veritable buffet of 1,449 different species in the bellies of its babies (larvae).Through deep sequencing of gut samples from >1500 V. velutina larvae originating from 103 nests, the aim of this study was to provide the first large-scale dietary analysis of V. velutina across European regions, said researchers led by Siffreya Pedersen at the University of Exeter.We evidence V. velutina as a highly adaptable predator with an incredibly wide array of invertebrate prey, spanning the orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Araneae with considerable dietary species variation across seasons and geographical regions, the team said.Asian hornet dismembering a bee. Image: KennedyMitigating the devastating impacts of this predator will clearly be a tough job, as it can apparently subsist on any biofuel it can catch. The Asian hornet is particularly fond of devouring pollinators like the honey bee Apis mellifera, and it is truly chilling to read about their tactics.The hornets hunt A. mellifera by hawking outside of hive entrances and intercepting returning workers, or by targeting individual foragers at floral patches, the team said. Unlike the Eastern honey bee, Apis cerana, which has evolved defensive mechanisms such as killing the hornets through thermal shock (bee balling), A. mellifera has no effective defence against V. velutina.Insect studies will just casually mention insane defense moves like bee balling that sound like Bioshock plasmids. All in all, the Asian hornets gastronomical versatility distinguishes it as a potential ecosystem-level pressure in Europe and a threat that must be addressed. But even as we vow to curb its carnage, we must salute this epicurious gourmand.A Glimpse of the Cosmic WellspringWhalen, D.J. et al. Abundant water from primordial supernovae at cosmic dawn. Nature Astronomy.We now move from the gnarly to the serene. The very title of this study is a slice of zen: Abundant water from primordial supernovae at cosmic dawn. Forget abracadabra and other incantations. This is the kind of phrase I believe might make you levitate into enlightened transcendence if you repeat it enough.Water is the essential catalyst for life as we know it on Earth, and it is the fundamental parameter that we use to assess the habitability of other worlds. For this reason, the origins of water in the universe is a major research area that can shed light on the odds that life has emerged elsewhere in space and time.Researchers have now simulated the explosions of the first very stars in the universe, known as population III, which were much more massive and chemically homogenous than their stellar descendants. The models predicted that water formed in the cooling haloes that surrounded these inaugural supernovae, hinting that this vital compound has been around for about 13.6 billion years.Primordial (or population III) supernovae were the first nucleosynthetic engines in the Universe, and they forged the heavy elements required for the later formation of planets and life, said researchers led by D.J. Whalen of the University of Portsmouth. Here we present numerical simulations that show that the first water in the Universe formed in population IIIsupernovae.The primary sites of water production in these remnants are dense molecular cloud cores, which in some cases were enriched with primordial water to mass fractions that were only a factor of a few below those in the Solar System today, the team said. Besides revealing that a primary ingredient for life was already in place in the Universe 100200[million years] after the Big Bang, our simulations show that water was probably a key constituent of the first galaxies.Water, water everywhere? More like water, water, every-when. Water has been around almost as long as starlight, which makes it obvious that there are lots of aliens out there who must be just actively ignoring us.An Update on the Ozone Layer: Earths Bullet-Proof VestWang, Peidong et al. Fingerprinting the recovery of Antarctic ozone. Nature.Well close on a high noteso high, in fact, that it is located in the stratosphere. If you are an ancient crone like me, you might recall a time called the 1980s when humans realized that many commercial chemicals, especially chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were eating away at an atmospheric layer of ozone gas that helpfully protects life on Earth from deadly radiation. People were like, I dont want to be exposed to deadly radiation! so they banned ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) in the Montreal Protocol of 1987.The Montreal Protocol has often been held up as one of the biggest environmental successes in history, and a study out this week has further bolstered its reputation. While a lot of research has shown evidence of healing ozone, scientists have now adapted advanced climate change tools to check in on the famous ozone hole that once gaped over Antarctica.We performed a pattern-based fingerprint analysis for Antarctic ozone recovery, analogous to fingerprinting anthropogenic climate change, said researchers led by Peidong Wang at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We demonstrate that the data and simulations show compelling agreement in the fingerprint pattern of the ozone response to decreasing ODSs since 2005.Our results provide robust statistical and physical evidence that actions taken under the Montreal Protocol to reduce ODSs are indeed resulting in the beginning of Antarctic ozone recovery, the team said.Boom! Take the win, humanity, we need all the morale we can get. Indeed, the Montreal Protocol is often cited as an aspirational model of the international collaboration required to combat climate change. This is a bit of an oversimplificationthe entire global economy was not built on CFCs, and fossil fuels are a much harder habit to kick. Still, if youre a person who doesnt like being bombarded with carcinogenic space particles, rejoice. And if you do like radiation exposure, I have some waterfront property on Mars to sell you.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

Trucks loaded with avocados are seen reflected on a rear view mirror as they are escorted by the police on their way to the city of Uruapan, in Santa Ana Zirosto, Michoacan state, Mexico, Jan. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Armando Solis, File)2025-03-08T14:00:07Z NEW YORK (AP) Long-threatened tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump have plunged the country into a trade war abroad all while on-again, off-again new levies continue to escalate uncertainty.Since taking office less than two months ago, Trump has rolled out hefty import taxes on goods coming from Americas three biggest trading partners Mexico, Canada and China and promises that more targets are on the horizon. Trump is no stranger to tariffs. He also launched a trade war during his first term in office, but has more sweeping plans now. Economists stress there could greater consequences on businesses and economies worldwide this time and that higher prices will likely leave consumers footing the bill.Theres also been a sense of whiplash from Trumps back-and-forth tariff threats and responding retaliation, including recently-postponed levies for some goods from Canada and Mexico that followed a 30-day pause for the auto industry. The uncertainty has roiled financial markets, lowered consumer confidence, and enveloped many businesses with questions that could delay hiring and investment.Heres a timeline of how we got here: Trumps first termTrump launches a trade war during his first term in office taking particular aim at China.The two countries exchange a series of tit-for-tat levies affecting hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods. The dispute centers around U.S. allegations that China deploys underhanded tactics including stealing trade secrets and pressuring U.S. companies to hand over sensitive technology in an effort to supplant the U.S. in advanced fields such as quantum computing and automated cars. Trump puts tariffs on most Chinese goods. Meanwhile, Beijing responds with its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products ranging from fruit, soybeans and wine to aircraft, automotive and chemical imports.Separately, Trump slaps tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines. And in 2018, he imposes taxes of 25% on imported steel and 10% on aluminum imports on national security grounds, escalating tensions with other trading partners. He also uses the threat of more tariffs to force Canada and Mexico to renegotiate a North American trade pact, called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in 2020. Tariffs under BidenPresident Joe Biden largely preserves most of the tariffs Trump previously enacted against China, but his administration claims to take a more targeted approach. In October 2022, he issues sweeping new restrictions on selling semiconductors and chipmaking equipment to China. These curbs will be expanded in October 2023 and December 2024 when China responds with a ban of U.S. exports for various high-tech materials like gallium and germanium.Biden also hikes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment in May 2024. And in July, he imposes tariffs on steel and aluminum shipped from Mexico but made elsewhere in an attempt to stop China from circumventing import taxes. 2024 campaign trail promisesBidens 2024 tariff moves come in the middle of a heated presidential campaign with both Biden and Trump taking jabs at each other in attempts to show whos tougher on China.On the campaign trail, Trump says that he plans to impose tariffs of at least 60% on all Chinese imports if he wins a second term. He also floats the idea of a tariff of up to 20% on everything else the U.S. imports while threatening to impose even bigger levies for specific countries or manufacturers that take their business outside the U.S.While the Biden-Harris administration uses tariffs to target China, both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who becomes the Democratic nominee after Biden drops out of the race maintain that Trumps promise of more broad tariffs worldwide would be a mistake. Harris labels Trumps call for tariffs as a national sales tax with her campaign later saying that a 20% tariff applied across the board would raise expenses for a typical family by almost $4,000 annually.November 2024Trump wins the U.S. presidential election. He continues to promise steep tariff hikes in the coming weeks and months leading up to his first day back in office. January 20Trump is sworn in. In his inaugural address, he again promises to tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. And he reiterates plans to create an agency called the External Revenue Service, which has yet to be established.On his first day in office, Trump also says he expects to put 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting on Feb. 1, while declining to immediately flesh out plans for taxing Chinese imports.January 26Trump threatens 25% tariffs on all Colombia imports and other retaliatory measures after President Gustavo Petros rejects two U.S. military aircraft carrying migrants to the country, accusing Trump of not treating immigrants with dignity during deportation. In response, Petro also announces a retaliatory 25% increase in Colombian tariffs on U.S. goods. But Colombia later reversed its decision and accepted the flights carrying migrants. The two countries soon signaled a halt in the trade dispute. February 1Trump signs an executive order to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China 10% on all imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada starting Feb. 4. Trump invoked this power by declaring a national emergency ostensibly over undocumented immigration and drug trafficking. The levies on Canada and Mexico threaten to blow up Trumps own USMCA trade deal, which allowed many products to cross North American borders duty free.The action prompts swift outrage from all three countries, with promises of retaliatory measures.February 3Trump agrees to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada, with both trading partners taking steps to appease Trumps concerns about border security and drug trafficking.February 4Trumps new 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports to the U.S. still go into effect. China retaliates the same day by announcing a flurry of countermeasures, including sweeping new duties on a variety of American goods and an anti-monopoly investigation into Google.Chinas 15% tariffs on coal and liquefied natural gas products, and a 10% levy on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars imported from the U.S., take effect Feb. 10.February 10Trump announces plans to hike steel and aluminum tariffs. He removes the exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on steel, meaning that all steel imports will be taxed at a minimum of 25%, and also raises his 2018 aluminum tariffs to 25% from 10% set to go into effect March 12.February 13Trump announces a plan for reciprocal tariffs promising to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports for purposes of fairness. Economists warn that the reciprocal tariffs, set to overturn decades of trade policy, could create chaos for global businesses.Beyond China, Canada and Mexico, he indicates that additional countries, such as India, wont be spared from higher tariffs. And in the following weeks, Trump suggests that European countries could face a 25% levy as part of these efforts.February 25Trump signed an executive order instructing the Commerce Department to consider whether a tariff on imported copper is needed to protect national security. He cites the materials use in U.S. defense, infrastructure and emerging technologies.March 1Trump signs an additional executive order instructing the Commerce Department to consider whether tariffs on lumber and timber are also needed to protect national security, arguing that the construction industry and military depend on a strong supply of wooden products in the U.S.March 4Trumps 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico go into effect, though he limits the levy to 10% on Canadian energy. He also doubles the tariff on all Chinese imports to 20%. All three countries promise retaliatory measures. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days. And Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her country would respond with its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods without specifying the targeted products immediately, signaling hopes to de-escalate.China, meanwhile, imposes tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of key U.S. farm exports. It also expands the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen.March 5Trump grants a one-month exemption on his new tariffs impacting goods from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers. The pause arrives after the president spoke with leaders of the Big 3 automakers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.March 6In a wider extension, Trump postpones 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month. But he still plans to impose reciprocal tariffs starting on April 2.Trump credited Sheinbaum with making progress on border security and drug smuggling as a reason for again pausing tariffs and the Mexican president said in a post on X that she and Trump had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results.Trumps actions also thawed relations with Canada somewhat, although outrage and uncertainty over the trade war remains. Still, after its initial retaliatory tariffs of $30 billion Canadian (US$21 billion) on U.S. goods, the government said it had suspended its second wave of retaliatory tariffs worth $125 billion Canadian (US$87 billion). WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Grantham-Philips is a business reporter who covers trending news for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto

Syrian government forces are deployed amid heightened security in Damascus, Syria, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)2025-03-08T14:47:48Z BEIRUT (AP) The death toll from two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 600, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syrias conflict began 14 years ago.The clashes, which erupted Thursday, marked a major escalation in the challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after insurgents took authority after removing Assad from power.The government has said that they were responding to attacks from remnants of Assads forces and blamed individual actions for the rampant violence.The revenge killings that started Friday by Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government against members of Assads minority Alawite sect are a major blow to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction that led the overthrow of the former government. Alawites made up a large part of Assads support base for decades. Residents of Alawite villages and towns spoke to The Associated Press about killings during which gunmen shot Alawites, the majority of them men, in the streets or at the gates of their homes. Many homes of Alawites were looted and then set on fire in different areas, two residents of Syrias coastal region told the AP from their hideouts. They asked that their names not be made public out of fear of being killed by gunmen, adding that thousands of people have fled to nearby mountains for safety. Residents of Baniyas, one of the towns worst hit by the violence, said bodies were strewn on the streets or left unburied in homes and on the roofs of buildings, and nobody was able to collect them. One resident said that the gunmen prevented residents for hours from removing the bodies of five of their neighbors killed Friday at close range. Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident of Baniyas who fled with his family and neighbors hours after the violence broke out Friday, said that at least 20 of his neighbors and colleagues in one neighborhood of Baniyas where Alawites lived, were killed, some of them in their shops, or in their homes. Sheha called the attacks revenge killings of the Alawite minority for the crimes committed by Assads government. Other residents said the gunmen included foreign fighters, and militants from neighboring villages and towns. It was very very bad. Bodies were on the streets, as he was fleeing, Sheha said, speaking by phone from nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the city. He said the gunmen were gathering less than 100 meters from his apartment building, firing randomly at homes and residents and in at least one incident he knows of, asked residents for their IDs to check their religion and their sect before killing them. He said the gunmen also burned some homes and stole cars and robbed homes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said that 428 Alawites have been killed in revenge attacks in addition to 120 pro-Assad fighters and 89 from security forces. The Observatorys chief Rami Abdurrahman said that revenge killings stopped early Saturday.This was one of the biggest massacres during the Syrian conflict, Abdurrahman said about the killings of Alawite civilians.No official figures have been released. SARAH EL DEEB El Deeb is part of the APs Global Investigative team. She is based in the Middle East, a region she covered for two decades twitter mailto

Police attend the scene of a shooting at a pub in Toronto, Canada, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-08T05:31:03Z TORONTO (AP) A dozen people were injured in a shooting at an eastern Toronto pub in what police called a reckless act of violence by three men who entered the bar and fired randomly without warning.Superintendent Paul MacIntyre of the Toronto Police Service said police received numerous emergency calls reporting a shooting at the Piper Arms around 10:40 p.m. Friday.A preliminary investigation determined three males entered the pub and began shooting at customers, MacIntyre said during a news conference at the scene. There were no immediate arrests.One male was armed with what appears to be an assault rifle, the other two males were armed with handguns, and they walked into the bar, they produced their guns and they opened fire indiscriminately on the people sitting inside, MacIntyre said, adding there were no fatalities.Police arrived at the scene and found 12 people suffering from various injuries. The victims were transported to local hospitals and six were confirmed to have gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening, MacIntyre said, calling the victims extremely lucky. The remaining six victims were hurt by flying and broken glass. The motive was not immediately clear, MacIntyre said, calling the shooting a brazen and reckless act of violence thats really shaken our community and the city itself. MacIntyre said he and other officers were horrified by what they saw on a security video. These guys just looked at the ground and opened fire, he said. Shortly after the shooting, police said a suspect wearing a black balaclava was seen fleeing in a silver car and was still at large after the shooting. People were being warned to stay away from the area.Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she had spoken to Police Chief Myron Demkiw and was told all necessary resources had been deployed.This is an early and ongoing investigation police will provide further details, Chow wrote on social media. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.

Light shines from a total lunar eclipse over Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, Calif., Wednesday, May 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)2025-03-08T14:00:06Z NEW YORK (AP) A total lunar eclipse will flush the moon red Thursday night into Friday morning across the Western Hemisphere. The best views will be from North America and South America. Parts of Africa and Europe may catch a glimpse.Lunar eclipses happen when the moon, Earth and sun align just so. The Earth casts a shadow that can partially or totally blot out the moon. During a partial lunar eclipse, Earths shadow appears to take a bite of the moon. The full moon is covered during a total eclipse and blushes coppery red because of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earths atmosphere.Lunar and solar eclipses happen anywhere from four to seven times a year, according to NASA. A partial lunar eclipse graced skies in the Americas, Africa and Europe last September and the last total lunar eclipse was in 2022. How to see the lunar eclipseThe so-called blood moon will be visible for about an hour starting at 2:26 a.m. Eastern on Friday morning. Peak viewing will be close to 3 a.m. Eastern. To see it, venture outside and look up no need for eclipse glasses or any special equipment.As long as the sky is clear, you should be able to see it, said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.The setting of the moon may make it harder to see the eclipse in Europe and Africa.This is really an eclipse for North and South America, said astronomy expert Michael Faison from Yale University.If you miss out, mark your calendar for Sept. 7. Another total lunar eclipse will sweep across parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. Parts of the Americas will get their next taste in March 2026. History of eclipsesCivilizations have viewed and interpreted lunar eclipses for thousands of years. Ancient people knew more about the celestial bodies than we give them credit for, said historian Zoe Ortiz.They were looking at the night sky and they had a much brighter vision than we do today, said Ortiz with the University of North Texas.Aristotle noticed that the shadow the Earth cast on the moon during a lunar eclipse was always curved, observations proving that the Earth is round. And a civilization in ancient Mesopotamia saw the blood red moon as a bad omen for the king. The people installed a substitute king on the throne around the time of the eclipse to protect their ruler from any bad will.If theres ever a movie plot, said Ortiz, thats the one.___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. ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Ramakrishnan is a science reporter for The Associated Press, based in New York. She covers research and new developments related to space, early human history and more. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A Social Security card is displayed Oct. 12, 2021, in Tigard, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)2025-03-08T12:59:12Z WASHINGTON (AP) A group of labor unions are asking a federal court for an emergency order to stop Elon Musk s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans.The motion for emergency relief was filed late Friday in federal court in Maryland by the legal services group Democracy Forward against the Social Security Administration and its acting commissioner, Leland Dudek. The unions want the court to block DOGEs access to the vast troves of personal data held by the agency.Included in the filing is an affidavit from Tiffany Flick, a former senior official at the agency who says career civil servants are trying to protect the data from DOGE. A disregard for our careful privacy systems and processes now threatens the security the data SSA houses about millions of Americans, Flick wrote in court documents. Karianne Jones, a lawyer for the unions and a retiree group behind the lawsuit, said it is not fully clear what kind of access that DOGE might have to personal data about taxpayers. But she said the apparent scope and the lack of information about what DOGE is looking for mean the potential impact is huge. Essentially what you have is DOGE just swooping in and bullying their way into access to millions of Americans private data. They cannot explain why they want this data. They cant really tell you what data they want. They just want everything. They want the source code, and they want to do it without any restrictions, she said. The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request Saturday for comment on the lawsuit, which was originally filed last month. DOGEs work during the early stages of the Trump administration has drawn nearly two dozen lawsuits. Judges have raised questions in several cases about DOGEs sweeping cost-cutting efforts, conducted with little public information about its staffing and operations. But judges have not always agreed that the risks are imminent enough to block DOGE from government systems. Across-the-board cuts at the Social Security Administration are prompting questions about the possible effects on benefits for tens of millions of recipients.Among the potential changes at the agency are layoffs for more than 10% of the workforce and the closure of dozens of offices throughout the country. Its all part of the Trump administrations efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce.DOGE has accessed other government databases, including at the Treasury and IRS. The Trump administration has said generally that the efforts are aimed at eliminating what it claims is waste and fraud in government. On Friday, a federal judge in Washington refused to block DOGE employees from accessing Treasury systems containing sensitive personal data for millions of people. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly did acknowledge privacy concerns about that work. DOGE is still limited by a different court order in New York.In addition, a February agreement between the Office of Personnel Management and the IRS states that a DOGE employee, Gavin Kliger, would be allowed to have access to IRS systems, but not the personal information of taxpayers. FATIMA HUSSEIN Hussein reports on the U.S. Treasury Department for The Associated Press. She covers tax policy, sanctions and any issue that relates to money. twitter mailto LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court, legal affairs and criminal justice for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. Past stops include Salt Lake City, New Mexico and Indiana. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)2025-03-08T13:04:41Z If you listen to some self-proclaimed exercise experts on social media, they swear that working out on an empty stomach burns more fat. But its a common misconception that exercising in a fasted state improves performance or burns more calories, said Abby Langer, a dietitian in Toronto.The research shows that in terms of gains, it doesnt really make much of a difference, she said.Does that mean you should load up on protein and carbs right before a workout? No, thats not true either.Heres a look at when and how you should eat, before, after or even during a workout. (And remember, experts say what you eat is more important than when you eat.)Whats the case for eating before exercising? The calories in food literally are energy, so you need them to fuel your body for a proper workout. Eating too much too soon beforehand, though, can be problematic.Exercising diverts blood from organs including the stomach to the muscles, said Langer, author of Good Food, Bad Diet. So exercising on a full stomach affects the digestive process, which could cause cramping or even make you feel sick.Thats particularly the case with meals high in fat, protein or fiber, which take longer to digest than carbohydrates. Langer recommends eating a high ratio of carbs beforehand and waiting two to three hours before intense exercise. You dont want to eat a big steak an hour before you play hockey, she said.If you exercise first thing in the morning or before dinner, its OK to have a carb-rich snack like a banana with peanut butter or yogurt with fruit beforehand. It will give you the energy to perform well, and you can fuel up afterward with a full meal. When and what should you eat after exercise?That steak may serve you better afterward because thats when a higher ratio of protein is easier to digest, said Krista Austin, a physiologist in Colorado Springs.Austin said if it will be an hour or longer before you can have a full meal, its better to have a high-protein snack in the meantime to help curb your appetite. The reason has little to do with muscle recovery or nutrient absorption: Rather, people who are too hungry make poor dietary choices.A lot of people get very hungry about an hour after exercise, and you dont want to do that, said Austin, author of Performance Nutrition: Applying the Science of Nutrient Timing. You want to catch it early, or you go and overeat.But its another myth that you need to grab a protein shake within minutes of finishing to build the biggest muscles, Langer said.Many exercise enthusiasts point to whats known as an anabolic window of about an hour within exercising that the body is primed to repair muscle. For the average person, you have a much longer window, and nutrient timing is less important than making sure you consume some protein at every meal, Langer said. The body needs a continuous supply of amino acids like protein for muscle repair and maintenance, she said, which means about 25 to 30 grams at every meal, depending on various factors. Prioritizing that will help with goals, either muscle building, satiety, weight loss, all of that, Langer said. How about eating during exercise?Most people who are eating enough throughout the day dont need anything during a workout. Langer and Austin said the threshold is about an hour of intense exercise. Longer than that say youre training for a marathon and you can benefit from a carb-rich snack in the middle.Instead of focusing on when to eat, Austin said to focus on what and how much. She cautioned against overcomplicating the topic and recommended following the USDAs My Plate recommendations for a balanced diet.The biggest thing we need to teach people is that nutrition is simple, she said. Maybe you need to stop focusing on the concept of nutrient timing and just make sure that youre consistently eating throughout the day and focus on health.EDITORS NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com

Women chant slogans during a protest marking International Women's Day in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)2025-03-08T12:39:23Z ISTANBUL (AP) Women took to the streets of cities across Europe, Africa, South America and elsewhere to mark International Womens Day with demands for ending inequality and gender-based violence. On the Asian side of Turkeys biggest city Istanbul, a rally in Kadikoy saw members of dozens of womens groups listen to speeches, dance and sing in the spring sunshine. The colorful protest was overseen by a large police presence, including officers in riot gear and a water cannon truck.The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared 2025 the Year of the Family. Protestors pushed back against the idea of womens role being confined to marriage and motherhood, carrying banners reading Family will not bind us to life and We will not be sacrificed to the family. People march in support of women on the International Womens Day in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) People march in support of women on the International Womens Day in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Women take part in a Transfeminist strike on International Womens Day, in Rome, Saturday, March 8, 2025 (Valentina Stefanelli/LaPresse via AP) Women take part in a Transfeminist strike on International Womens Day, in Rome, Saturday, March 8, 2025 (Valentina Stefanelli/LaPresse via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Critics have accused the government of overseeing restrictions on womens rights and not doing enough to tackle violence against women. Erdogan in 2021 withdrew Turkey from a European treaty, dubbed the Istanbul Convention, that protects women from domestic violence. Turkeys We Will Stop Femicides Platform says 394 women were killed by men in 2024.There is bullying at work, pressure from husbands and fathers at home and pressure from patriarchal society. We demand that this pressure be reduced even further, Yaz Gulgun, 52, said. Women across Europe and Africa march against discriminationIn many other European countries, women also protested against violence, for better access to gender-specific health care, equal pay and other issues in which they dont get the same treatment as men.In Poland, activists opened a center across from the parliament building in Warsaw where women can go to have abortions with pills, either alone or with other women.Opening the center on International Womens Day across from the legislature was a symbolic challenge to authorities in the traditionally Roman Catholic nation, which has one of Europes most restrictive abortion laws. People take part in the 18th annual Million Women Rise march on International Womens Day, in central London, Saturday March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP) People take part in the 18th annual Million Women Rise march on International Womens Day, in central London, Saturday March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Honour guard soldiers present flowers to girls and women during International Women's Day celebration in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Honour guard soldiers present flowers to girls and women during International Women's Day celebration in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A man carries a bouquet of fresh flowers from a flower market on International Women's Day, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) A man carries a bouquet of fresh flowers from a flower market on International Women's Day, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More From Athens to Madrid, Paris, Munich, Zurich and Belgrade and in many more cities across the continent, women marched to demand an end to treatment as second-class citizens in society, politics, family and at work.In Madrid, protesters held up big hand-drawn pictures depicting Gisele Plicot, the woman who was drugged by her now ex-husband in France over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious. Plicot has become a symbol for women all over Europe in the fight against sexual violence.In the Nigerian capital of Lagos, thousands of women gathered at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, dancing and signing and celebrating their womanhood. Many were dressed in purple the traditional color of the womens liberation movement.In Russia, the womens day celebrations had a more official tone, with honor guard soldiers presenting yellow tulips to girls and women during a celebration in St. Petersburg. Germanys president warns of backlash against progress already madeIn Berlin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for stronger efforts to achieve equality and warned against tendencies to roll back progress already made.Globally, we are seeing populist parties trying to create the impression that equality is something like a fixed idea of progressive forces, he said. He gave an example of " large tech companies that have long prided themselves on their modernity and are now, at the behest of a new American administration, setting up diversity programs and raving about a new masculine energy in companies and society. Women chant slogans during a protest marking International Womens Day in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Women chant slogans during a protest marking International Womens Day in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Demonstrators rally during an International Womens Day protest in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Demonstrators rally during an International Womens Day protest in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Marchers in South America denounce femicidesIn South America, some of the marches were organized by groups protesting the killings of women known as femicides. Hundreds of women in Ecuador marched through the streets of Quito to steady drumbeats and held signs that opposed violence and the patriarchal system.Justice for our daughters! some demonstrators yelled in support of women slain in recent years.In Bolivia, thousands of women began marching late Friday, with some scrawling graffiti on the walls of courthouses demanding that their rights be respected and denouncing impunity in femicides, with less than half of those cases reaching a sentencing. ___Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.

Women take selfie photos while they participate in the flash mob "Beautiful secular outing" by wearing hats to a performance at the St. Petersburg State Academic Capella celebrating upcoming International Women's Day, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)2025-03-07T17:07:10Z MEXICO CITY (AP) Women across the world will call for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decision-making jobs during demonstrations marking International Womens Day on Saturday.Officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977, International Womens Day is commemorated in different ways and to varying degrees in places around the world. Protests are often political and at times violent rooted in womens efforts to improve their rights as workers. Women sing and march during the International Womens Day celebration at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Women sing and march during the International Womens Day celebration at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Demonstrations are planned from Tokyo to Mexico City, and this years global theme is Accelerate Action, coming at a moment where many activists worry that the current political environment may result in a backsliding on many of the rights theyve long fought for. One in four countries reported a backlash against womens rights last year, according to U.N. data.Here is what to know about the March 8 global event: What is International Womens Day?International Womens Day is a global celebration and a call to action marked by demonstrations, mostly of women, around the world, ranging from combative protests to charity runs. Some celebrate the economic, social and political achievements of women, while others urge governments to guarantee equal pay, access to health care, justice for victims of gender-based violence and education for girls.It is an official holiday in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, Russia and Cuba, the only one in the Americas. As in other aspects of life, social media plays an important role during International Womens Day, particularly by amplifying attention to demonstrations held in countries with repressive governments toward women and dissent in general. Women sing and march during the International Womens Day celebration at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Women sing and march during the International Womens Day celebration at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More When did it start and why does it fall on March 8?While the idea behind a womens day originated in the U.S. with the American Socialist Party in 1909, it was a German feminist who pushed for a global commemoration during an international conference of socialist women held in 1910 in Copenhagen. The following year, events across Europe marked the day, and during World War I, women used it to protest the armed conflict, which lasted from 1914 to 1918.International Womens Day is observed on March 8 after a massive protest in Russia on Feb. 23, 1917, that led to the countrys eventual withdrawal from the war. At the time, Russia had not adopted the Gregorian calendar and still used the Julian calendar.On Feb. 23 in Russia, which was March 8 in Western Europe, women went out on the streets and protested for bread and peace, said Kristen Ghodsee, professor and chair of Russian and East European studies at the University of Pennsylvania. The authorities werent able to stop them, and then, once the men saw that the women were out on the streets, all of the workers started coming and joining the women.The U.N. began commemorating the holiday in 1975, which was International Womens Year, and its General Assembly officially recognized the day two years later.How is it celebrated across the world? People go down the escalator in the subway with bunches of flowers purchased from the flower market on the eve of an International Womens Day, in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) People go down the escalator in the subway with bunches of flowers purchased from the flower market on the eve of an International Womens Day, in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Women in Eastern Europe have long received flowers on March 8 and sometimes even gotten the day off from work. But chocolates and candy can come across as a belittling gestures, showing a lack of understanding of the struggles driving women to protest, particularly in regions where protests have been combative. In Turkey, women in 2023 braved an official ban on an International Womens Day march in Istanbul, and protested for about two hours before police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and detain dozens of people. In Mexico, which hosts one of the regions biggest marches, celebrations this year are marked by sharp contrasts. While the country celebrates its first female president, many also mourn victims of stark violence against women including femicide. In Mexico and Latin America, soaring rates of violence against women and persistent machismo often leave tension simmering on March 8 as protesters demand justice.Globally, a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a family member or partner, according to U.N. figures, and women being exposed to conflict has significantly jumped over the past decade. What does the future hold for March 8? Contestants take part in traditional-suit round during Miss Yangon competition to mark International Women Day at Myanmar Convention Center (MCC) in Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) Contestants take part in traditional-suit round during Miss Yangon competition to mark International Women Day at Myanmar Convention Center (MCC) in Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Ghodsee said commemorating International Womens Day is now more important than ever, as women have lost gains made in the last century, chief among them the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a nationwide right to abortion, which ended constitutional protections that had been in place nearly 50 years.The U.S. decision on abortion has reverberated across Europes political landscape, forcing the issue back into public debate in some countries at a time when far-right nationalist parties are gaining influence. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Cook Malithi Prabhani, second left, and her colleagues prepare lunch for guests at the Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)2025-03-08T05:29:25Z DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (AP) After leaving school, Jeewanthi Adikari was determined to pursue her studies in accounting. But her life took a different path when she began a three-month training program in hospitality.She has since worked in different hotels throughout a career spanning over two decades. Now 42, she is in charge of Sri Lankas first resort fully operated and managed by women. Its an attempt to address gender disparities in a male-dominated tourism sector crucial for the countrys economic recovery after a major crisis. This is a place where women can realise their potential. They will not be inside the shell. Instead, they will come out and try to perform better, said Adikari, who oversees the daily operations of Amba Yaalu, a resort located in Dambulla city that serves as a gateway to most of Sri Lankas tourist attractions. Resort manager Jeewanthi Adikari, center, attends a management meeting with the staff of Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Resort manager Jeewanthi Adikari, center, attends a management meeting with the staff of Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Housekeeping staff arrange a bed at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Housekeeping staff arrange a bed at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A maintenance staff member carries a ladder at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) A maintenance staff member carries a ladder at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Most Sri Lankan women dont get a chance to work in the tourism industry, earn money and own a career. In a country where 52% of the 22 million people are women, they account for only about 10% of the 200,000-strong workforce in the hospitality sector. Amba Yaalu wants to be the driver of change Some 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Colombo, the resort is nestled in a mango plantation and all work is managed by 75 women staff who garden, work in the kitchens, clean the facility, address the guests and provide security in the form of seven ex-military members. The resorts facilities also include training programs for women to develop their skills in different areas of hospitality. The resort opened in January and has been seen as a move unlocking womens potential and driving the tourism economy in the debt-stricken nation. The idea was conceived by seasoned hotelier Chandra Wickramasinghe, who said he was inspired by the power of women, especially that of his mother who raised him and his seven siblings as a single parent. Staff members of Amba Yaalu resort walk by the pool after a meeting in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Staff members of Amba Yaalu resort walk by the pool after a meeting in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Receptionist Dilani smiles as at work at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Receptionist Dilani smiles as at work at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Technician Sandali Ratnayake fixes electric lights during daily maintenance work at the Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Technician Sandali Ratnayake fixes electric lights during daily maintenance work at the Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More I knew what these ladies can do. I got the idea and put my team to work on it. We got a strong team to run it and it worked very well, said Wickramasinghe, adding that the resort would enable women to thrive as leaders.Social stigma, language barrier, work-life balance, lack of training facilities and low salaries have long kept the majority of Sri Lankan women away from the hospitality industry, especially those in the rural areas, said Suranga Silva, professor of tourism economics in the University of Colombo.Much of this stems from a patriarchal structure and traditional gender roles deeply embedded in Sri Lankas society, even though many women have made their mark in the countrys politics and have held key positions in the government. The island nations current prime minister, Harini Amarasuriya, is a woman.Tourism industry cant be isolated from women, said Silva, adding that womens employment in Sri Lankas tourism is very low compared to the global and regional levels. Nawodya, a stewardess at Amba Yaalu resort attends to guests at a restaurant in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Nawodya, a stewardess at Amba Yaalu resort attends to guests at a restaurant in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More An employee dusts the living area at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) An employee dusts the living area at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Lack of women professionals Sri Lankas tourism and hospitality sector contributed 2.3% to the countrys economy in 2023 down from 5% in 2018 and the industry has traditionally been the countrys third largest foreign exchange earner. But the shortage of skilled women and some of them leaving jobs after getting married have been challenges faced by the industry since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and the coronavirus pandemic.Kaushalya Batagoda, the executive chef at the resort, said the industry faces a shortage of female professionals to serve in the kitchen and as a result, most staff recruited to the resorts kitchen were rookies still in training.But, the new generation has a passion for working in the kitchen, she said, adding that she gets a lot of applications from women. Executive chef Kaushalya Batagoda, center, and her team pose for a photograph at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Executive chef Kaushalya Batagoda, center, and her team pose for a photograph at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Executive chef Kaushalya Batagoda, left, interviews a prospective employee at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Executive chef Kaushalya Batagoda, left, interviews a prospective employee at Amba Yaalu resort in the Kandalama locality in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The resort has been lauded by womens rights activists who have long been concerned about limited career choices for women in Sri Lanka.Activist Sepali Kottegoda said such business enterprises can open up more safe employment opportunities for women. Silva, the professor, said that a dramatic change is taking place as more young women are eager to join the industry, but suggested that the government and the sector must jointly provide training programs for women to improve their skills and employability. At Amba Yaalu resort, some of these concerns are already being tackled.This is purely to empower women, Adikari said. We invite women to come and join us, see whether they can perform better in the career, sharpen their capacities and skills and contribute to the industry. The all-female staff of Amba Yaalu resort cheers as they pose for a photograph in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) The all-female staff of Amba Yaalu resort cheers as they pose for a photograph in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More

Actress Ruslana Ostapko, wearing a painted moustache, cries as the talks about her male colleagues who joined the Ukrainian army and were killed in Russia-Ukraine war, in the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2025-03-08T11:11:37Z CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) The 43-year-old Ukrainian actor took to the stage wearing a black leather jacket and with a moustache painted on her face. Actress Ruslana Ostapko, wearing a painted moustache, cries as the talks about her male colleagues who joined the Ukrainian army and were killed in Russia-Ukraine war, in the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Actress Ruslana Ostapko, wearing a painted moustache, cries as the talks about her male colleagues who joined the Ukrainian army and were killed in Russia-Ukraine war, in the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Actress Ruslana Ostapko paints a moustache on her face getting ready to take the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Actress Ruslana Ostapko paints a moustache on her face getting ready to take the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Actresses perform male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Actresses perform male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Ruslana Ostapko was performing in multiple traditionally male roles in a recent production of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater. With so many men serving in Ukraines armed forces to repel Russias invasion, the theater has adapted to the realities of war, and women are taking the spotlight. We were rehearsing Shakespeares King Lear when suddenly our men were taken to the front, said the theaters 52-year-old director, Roman Pokrovskyi. We only had the female part of the troupe left. So we thought, Well, if men played women in Shakespeares times, why not give it a try?The efforts of the theater in Chernihiv, the capital of a region that borders Russia and Belarus, reflect a broader reality in Ukraine where women are stepping into roles once dominated by men, sustaining not just their industries but the spirit of national resistance. Since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, four of the theaters male actors and five stage workers have joined the army, leaving the troupe short-handed. Only two men still perform on the stage, and most stage work is done by women. But the troupe has reinvented itself by adapting its repertoire, transforming its space into a hub for art and wartime volunteer work, and casting women in most roles. Actress perform male roles, as their male colleagues joined the Ukrainian army defending their homeland against the Russian troops, in the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Actress perform male roles, as their male colleagues joined the Ukrainian army defending their homeland against the Russian troops, in the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A new take on a storied pro-independence figure An all-female cast is taking on Hetman, a play based on the life of Ivan Mazepa, a 17th century Cossack leader who defected from the Russian Empires army to side with King Charles XII of Sweden.Mazepas role as the pro-independence leader, and the theme of Ukraine aligning with European states to resist Russian control, remain salient in Ukraine more than 300 years later.Ostapko burst into tears when asked about her friends and colleagues fighting at the front. This is pain, the pain of the entire nation, our pain, she said while preparing for a performance. But our guys are doing well. We keep our fingers crossed for them. We help. Actresses perform male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Actresses perform male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More An actress prepares to take the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) An actress prepares to take the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The theaters predominantly female actors and staff including cloakroom attendants, cashiers, cleaners, and cafeteria workers spend much of their time supporting Ukrainian soldiers, weaving camouflage nets in the theater before opening the doors to audiences at night.The team also regularly raises funds to supply their deployed colleagues with necessary kit for the front lines. But some of those colleagues will never return to the stage. Our actor, Kostiantyn Slobodeniuk, went missing. Our sound operator, Dmytro Pohuliaylo, disappeared in the Pokrovsk direction at the end of 2024, said Oleksii Bysh, 52, one of the theaters few remaining male actors.Standing by a photograph of one of his former colleagues, sound engineer Vyacheslav Shevtsov, Bysh describes how he was killed in a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Russian region of Kursk last August.Destroying our culture means destroying our future Actresses thank spectators on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Actresses thank spectators on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Spectators applaud to actresses playing male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Spectators applaud to actresses playing male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More While Chernihiv remains under Ukrainian control, it has paid a heavy price for its proximity to Russias borders. At the start of the invasion, Russian troops besieged the city, forcing residents to endure harsh winter conditions without electricity or water under constant shelling from Russian artillery, missiles and drones. As the war enters its fourth year, Russian strikes on Chernihiv remain frequent and culture has not been spared.A significant number of cultural and artistic institutions in the Chernihiv region have been destroyed or severely damaged, requiring repairs or total reconstruction, said Oksana Tunik-Fryz, 46, head of the Arts and Culture Council at the Chernihiv Regional Administration.The enemy is destroying us from within by destroying our culture, she said. Killing a Ukrainian is killing a person. But destroying our culture means destroying our future. Drone strikes unite a communityBefore every performance at the theater in Chernihiv, a recorded announcement reminds audiences that the show will be paused in the event of an air raid alert. That warning was recorded by Kostiantyn Sloodeniuk, an actor who joined the army and is now missing, theater director Ihor Tykhomyrov told the Associated Press. When the alarm sounds, which Tykhomyrov said happens at nearly every second performance, everyone inside moves into bomb shelters.Russian drone strikes are a problem, a serious problem, but theres an interesting thing, he said. It brings people together. Women walk next to photos of city residents who joined the Ukrainian army and were killed battling Russia, at a memorial to fallen soldiers in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Women walk next to photos of city residents who joined the Ukrainian army and were killed battling Russia, at a memorial to fallen soldiers in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Spectators applaud actresses playing male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Spectators applaud actresses playing male roles on the stage of the Chernihiv Regional Youth Theater, which reinvented itself with an all-female cast, with most male actors at war, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Despite an uncertain future, the theaters team is determined to continue their art and their wartime volunteering. Reflecting on their resilience, Bysh quotes Soviet-era Ukrainian filmmaker, Oleksandr Dovzhenko.We are a small theater, Bysh said. But, as Dovzhenko said, you are only small from afar. Up close, you are large. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, arrives for a round table meeting at an EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)2025-03-07T15:56:07Z BRUSSELS (AP) European Union leaders are trumpeting their endorsement of a plan to free up hundreds of billions of euros to inject into their defense budgets after the Trump administration warned that the continent must look after its own security, including Ukraine, in future.After more than 12 hours of talks on Thursday, the 27 leaders signed off on a scheme that would ease budget restrictions for defense spending, funnel some of the EUs unused funds toward security priorities and provide 150 billion euros ($162 billion) in loans for military purchases.As a priority, the funds would be spent on air and missile defense, artillery systems, ammunition, drones and air transport, as well as cyber systems, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare.The three-year war in Ukraine was also top of the agenda, but no obvious short-term solutions were found to keep the country in the fight, after the U.S. halted military support and intelligence sharing. No new weapons were pledged, no ready cash identified.Hungary also vetoed a joint statement on support to Ukraine, notably the stance of the 26 other member countries that their war-ravaged partner can only achieve peace through strength. Taking the budget brakes offAll 27 leaders agreed that the EUs executive branch, the European Commission, should loosen budget restrictions so countries that are willing can increase their military spending. The commission monitors whether members are keeping their debt under control.It estimates that around 650 billion euros ($702 billion) could be freed up that way, and could allow each country to spend at least 3% of their gross domestic product on defense. NATOs current guideline is that allies should spend at least 2%.Seven EU countries fall short of that figure, including heavyweights Italy and Spain.It remains to be seen whether countries that pledged to hit 2% more than a decade ago and still havent are now willing, or even able, to dig deeper into their pockets. A new defense loan programThe commission also tabled a proposal for an offer of loans worth 150 billion euros ($162 billion) to buy new military equipment, with material priorities to be based on lessons learned from the battlefield in Ukraine. Air and missile defenses are right up there.The European Commission said it would raise the money on financial markets, and that around 20 member countries would benefit from the more favorable rates that it could generate.But the leaders did not welcome the idea with open arms. Instead, they invited EU headquarters staff to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency.France believes the pot is too small. Heavily indebted Spain is demanding free grants rather than loans. Hungary. Together, aloneHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putins closest ally in Europe, refused to endorse part of the summit statement in favor of Ukraine.Its not the first time that Orbn has tried to block proceedings, nor the first time that Hungarys EU partners have moved forward without it.Hungary is isolated among the 27, and we respect Hungarys position, European Council President Antonio Costa told reporters after the meeting. But its one out of 27, and 26 are more than one.Orbn appears to relish his isolationist role and is intent on turning the tables.The European Union has isolated itself from the United States now, isolated itself from China because of the trade war, and isolated itself from Russia because of the sanction policy. So if somebody is isolated here it is the European Union, he said.Hungarys population totals around 9.5 million, a fraction of the EUs 450 million people.Its high on European minds but Ukraine needs morePresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy dined with the leaders. He welcomed their security plans and expressed hope that some new spending could strengthen Ukraines defense industry.Ukraine can make weapons more cheaply than elsewhere in Europe, and closer to the battlefields where they are needed.We are very thankful that we are not alone, and these are not just words. We feel it. Its very important, Zelenskyy said, looking more relaxed among Europes leaders in Brussels than when he received a verbal lashing from Trump in Washington last week. But the EU offered no new weapons, a day after Zelenskyys hometown was bombed again, even though the leaders might argue that this was not the main goal of their summit.No discussion was held on whether to unblock the estimated 183 billion euros ($196 billion) in frozen Russian assets held in a Belgian clearing house, a pot of ready cash that could be seized if Europe was willing.Some countries feel it is wiser to use the interest generated from the assets to help Ukraine, rather than use the funds themselves. Others worry that confiscating the money, with its tricky legal implications, could undermine confidence in the euro.

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a ceremony meeting a group of officials, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)2025-03-08T17:13:03Z TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he rejects a U.S. push for talks between the two countries because they would be aimed at imposing restrictions on Iranian missile range and its influence in the region.Speaking to a group of officials on Saturday, Khamenei did not identify the United States by name but said a bullying government was being persistent in its push for talks. Their talks are not aimed at solving problems, it is for ... lets talk to impose what we want on the other party that is sitting on the opposite side of the table.Khameneis remarks came a day after President Donald Trump acknowledged sending a letter to Khamenei seeking a new deal with Tehran to restrain its rapidly advancing nuclear program and replace the nuclear deal he withdrew America from during his first term in office. Khamenei said U.S. demands would be both military and related to the regional influence of Iran.They will be about defense capabilities, about international capabilities of the country. (They will urge Iran) not to do (certain) things, not to meet some certain people, not to go to a certain place, not to produce some items, your missile range should not be more than a certain distance. Is it possible for anybody to accept these? Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, said such talks would not address solving problems between Iran and the West. Though Khamenei did not name any person or country, he said the push for talks creates pressure on Iran in public opinion. It is not negotiation. It is commanding and imposition, he said. Trump in comments to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday did not mention the letter directly. But he made a veiled reference to possible military action, saying: We have a situation with Iran that, somethings going to happen very soon. Very, very soon. His overture comes as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels something only done by atomic-armed nations.Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are high with the U.S. over its sanctions and with Israel as a shaky ceasefire holds in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Irans accelerated production of near weapons-grade uranium puts more pressure on Trump. Hes repeatedly said hes open to negotiations with the Islamic Republic while also increasingly targeting Irans oil sales with sanctions as part of his reimposed maximum pressure policy.Late in August, Khamenei in a speech opened the door to possible talks with the U.S., saying there is no harm in engaging with the enemy. However, more recently the supreme leader tempered that, saying that negotiations with America are not intelligent, wise or honorable, after Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran.

This photo provided by the New York Air National Guard shows smoke from the fires in the Pine Barrens off Sunrise Highway in New York's Long Island, on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Cheran Campbell/New York Air National Guard via AP)2025-03-08T21:25:05Z NEW YORK (AP) Fast-moving brush fires burned through a large swath of land on New Yorks Long Island on Saturday fanned by high winds, spewing thick gray smoke into the sky and prompting the evacuation of a military base and the closure of a major highway. Officials said three of the four fires were fully contained while the other one, in Westhampton, was 50 percent contained. Two commercial buildings were partially burned, but officials said homes were not in the line of fire. One firefighter was flown to a hospital to be treated for burns to the face. Our biggest problem is the wind, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. It is driving this fire.Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency and said state agencies were responding to the fires around the Pine Barrens, a wooded area that is home to commuter towns east of New York City. This is still out of control at this moment, Hochul told Long Island TV station News 12. Were seeing people having to be evacuated from the Westhampton area, she said, adding that more evacuations may be needed.Hochul said homes, a chemical factory and an Amazon warehouse were at risk. Videos posted to social media showed flames shooting into the air and columns of black smoke rising above roads. Air National Guard helicopters dropped water on the flames.The Town of Southampton issued a warning in the afternoon against starting recreational fires due to the wildfire risk. That came around the time that the videos began appearing. In a statement, Hochul said the National Guard was providing support by helicopter and working with local law enforcement.Public safety is my top priority, and Im committed to doing everything possible to keep Long Islanders safe, she said.In her comments to News 12, Hochul declined to estimate the extent of the flames, saying only that they were growing rapidly. Rough satellite data indicated that fire and smoke stretched roughly 2.5 miles (3 kilometers) along Sunrise Highway, according to NASAs Fire Information for Resource Management System.Police closed a section of the highway, which is a thoroughfare to the East End of Long Island.The fires raged near the Francis S. Gabreski Airport, from which the National Guard launched at least one helicopter. One of the commercial buildings that partially burned was near the airport. Personnel at the base evacuated as a precautionary measure starting around 1:45 p.m., spokesman Cheran Cambell said in a statement. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

An Alabama state trooper swings a club at John Lewis, right foreground, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, to break up a civil rights voting march in Selma, Ala., March 7, 1965. (AP Photo, File)2025-03-09T05:09:50Z SELMA, Ala. (AP) Charles Mauldin was near the front of a line of voting rights marchers walking in pairs across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965.The marchers were protesting white officials refusal to allow Black Alabamians to register to vote, as well as the killing days earlier of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a minister and voting rights organizer who was shot by a state trooper in nearby Marion. At the apex of the span over the Alabama River, they saw what awaited them: a line of state troopers, deputies and men on horseback. After they approached, law enforcement gave a warning to disperse and then unleashed violence.Within about a minute or a half, they took their billy clubs, holding it on both ends, began to push us back to back us in, and then they began to beat men, women and children, and tear gas men, women and children, and cattle prod men, women and children viciously, said Mauldin, who was 17 at the time. Alabama this weekend is marking the 60th anniversary of the clash that became known as Bloody Sunday. The attack shocked the nation and galvanized support for the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965. The annual commemoration pays homage to those who fought to secure voting rights for Black Americans and each year brings calls to recommit to the fight for equality. For foot soldiers of the movement, the celebration comes amid concerns about new voting restrictions and the Trump administrations effort to remake federal agencies they said helped make America a democracy for all This country was not a democracy for Black folks until that happened, Mauldin said of voting rights. And were still constantly fighting to make that a more concrete reality for ourselves. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama this week reintroduced legislation to restore a VRA requirement for jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination to pre-clear new voting laws with the Justice Department. The legislation is named for John Lewis, the late Georgia congressman who was at the lead of the Bloody Sunday march. It is clear that the values that guided John Lewis and those foot soldiers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge are under attack every day. We see new efforts to roll back our progress and to make it harder for Americans to vote, Sewell said.The bill has stalled repeatedly in Congress as opponents argue such measures are no longer needed because the country has changed since the 1960s.The Bloody Sunday marchers walked in pairs across the Selma bridge. Mauldin was in the third pair of the line led by Lewis and Hosea Williams. We had steeled our nerves to a point where we were so determined that we were willing to confront. It was past being courageous. We were determined, and we were indignant, Mauldin recalled in an interview with The Associated Press. Mauldin, who took a blow to the head, said he believes law enforcement officers were trying to incite a riot as they attacked marchers.Kirk Carrington was just 13 on Bloody Sunday. As the violence erupted, a white man on a horse wielding a stick a chased him all the way back to the public housing projects where his family lived. Carrington said he started marching after witnessing his father get belittled by his white employers when his father returned from service in World War II. Standing in Tabernacle Baptist Church where he was trained in non-violent protest tactics 60 years earlier, he was brought to tears thinking about what the people of his city achieved.When we started marching, we did not know the impact we would have in America. We knew after we got older and got grown that the impact it not only had in Selma, but the impact it had in the entire world, Carrington said.Dr. Verdell Lett Dawson, who grew up in Selma, remembers a time when she was expected to lower her gaze if she passed a white person on the street to avoid making eye contact.Dawson and Maudlin said they are concerned about the potential dismantling of the Department of Education and other changes to federal agencies. Trump has pushed to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government. Support from the federal government is how Black Americans have been able to get justice, to get some semblance of equality, because left to states rights, it is going to be the white majority thats going to rule, Dawson said.That thats a tragedy of 60 years later: what we are looking at now is a return to the 1950s, Dawson said. SAFIYAH RIDDLE Riddle covers the Alabama statehouse with a focus on law enforcement. She is based in Montgomery, Alabama. mailto

Rohingya refugees collect food stuff distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP) at their refugee camp at Kutupalong in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Shafiqur Rahman)2025-03-09T04:38:48Z COXS BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) Rohingya refugees in crammed Bangladeshi camps say they are worried about a U.S. decision to cut food rations by half beginning next month, while a refugee official says the reduction will impact the nutrition of more than 1 million refugees and create social and mental pressure.President Donald Trump abruptly stopped most foreign aid and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has significantly hampered the global humanitarian sector. Trumps Jan. 20 executive order froze the funding for a 90-day review.The World Food Program, the main U.N. food agency, recently announced that cuts to food rations will take effect from April 1 in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, where dozens of camps are inhabited by Rohingya refugees.More than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar starting in late August 2017 when Myanmars military launched a clearance operation. The ethnic group faces discrimination and are denied citizenship and other rights in the Buddhist-majority nation. Following a miliary takeover in 2021, the country has been engulfed in an armed conflict widely seen as civil war. It was not immediately clear if the WFPs decision was directly related to the Trump administrations action. We received a letter that (says) previously it was $12.50, and now it is $6. They used to get $12.50 per month, and from now $6, this will greatly affect them, Shamsud Douza, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner of Bangladesh, told The Associated Press. As the food is cut, they will get less nutritious food, which may lead to a lack of nutrition. There will be social and mental pressure created amongst the Rohingya people in their community. They will have to look for an alternative for the food, he said.Douza said there are more sectors where budgets have been cut beyond the food rations, but he would not say whether WFP cuts were related to the U.S. funding rollback. Generally, there will be less (support) for the (Rohingya) response after the funding cuts. The response already has been slowed, and some people, including Rohingya, have lost their jobs, and some services are reduced. It does not bring a good result when the available services get reduced, he said.The interim Bangladesh government said the end of USAID payments would stop other projects in Bangladesh, but funding for Rohingya refugees will continue to flow.The U.S. has been the top donor to Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees, providing the U.N. with emergency food and nutrition assistance. The U.S. usually provides almost half of the aid money spent on the humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which provided about $300 million in 2024.As the news of the impending food reductions spread through the camps in Coxs Bazar, fear and frustration gripped the refugees.I am afraid now about how I am going to run my family, as we dont have any income-generating opportunities here. I got scared when I heard it, 40-year-old Manzur Ahmed said. How will I buy rice, chilies, salt, sugar and dal, let alone fish, meat and vegetables, with 700 taka ($6)? We wont even be able to buy (cooking) oil. How are we going to get them? Medical treatment also is decreasing, refugees said.When we go to the hospital, they dont provide medicines unless its an emergency. They only provide medicines to the very emergency patients. Earlier, they would treat anyone who felt unwell, but now they only provide treatment to those who are in an emergency, 32-year-old Dildar Begum said.Hundreds of thousands have lived in Bangladesh for decades and about 70,000 crossed the border from Myanmar in 2024. During fighting with the military junta, the opposition force known as the Arakan Army effectively took over the Rakhine state where Rohingya were displaced and took shelter in Bangladesh. Bangladesh says Rohingya refugees must return to Myanmar, which has been accused in an international court of genocide against Rohingya. ___Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)2025-03-09T05:03:00Z WASHINGTON (AP) The leaders of both Canada and Mexico got on the phone with President Donald Trump this past week to seek solutions after he slapped tariffs on their countries, but Chinas president appears unlikely to make a similar call soon.Beijing, which unlike Americas close partners and neighbors has been locked in a trade and tech war with the U.S. for years, is taking a different approach to Trump in his second term, making it clear that any negotiations should be conducted on equal footing. Chinas leaders say they are open to talks, but they also made preparations for the higher U.S. tariffs, which have risen 20% since Trump took office seven weeks ago. Intent on not being caught off guard as they were during Trumps first term, the Chinese were ready with retaliatory measures imposing their own taxes this past week on key U.S. farm imports and more. As Washington escalates the tariff, Beijing doesnt see other options but to retaliate, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. It doesnt mean Beijing doesnt want to negotiate, but it cannot be seen as begging for talks or mercy. As the worlds second-largest economy, China aspires to be a great power on both the regional and global stage, commanding respect from all countries, especially the United States, as proof that the Communist Party has made China prosperous and strong. After the U.S. this past week imposed another 10% tariff, on top of the 10% imposed on Feb. 4, the Chinese foreign ministry uttered its sharpest retort yet: If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, were ready to fight till the end.The harsh rhetoric echoed similar comments in 2018, when Trump launched his first trade war with China and it scrambled to line up tit-for-tat actions. Beijings leaders have since developed a toolkit of tariffs, import curbs, export controls, sanctions, regulatory reviews and measures to limit companies from doing business in China. All are designed to inflict pain on the U.S. economy and businesses in response to the American measures.That allowed the Chinese government to react swiftly to Trumps recent across-the-board doubling of new tariffs on Chinese goods by rolling out a basket of retaliatory measures, including taxing many American farm goods at up to 15%, suspending U.S. lumber imports and blacklisting 15 U.S. companies. Beijing showed restraint in its response to leave room for negotiation, analysts say.Xi Jinpings leadership of the ruling Communist Party spans both of Trumps terms, giving Beijing more continuity in its planning. He is the one who decided its not yet time to speak with Trump, said Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute.Thats not a scheduling issue, its leverage for China, said Russel, who previously served as the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Xi wont walk into a call if theres a chance hell be harassed or humiliated and for both political and strategic reasons, Xi wont play the role of a supplicant. Instead, China is hitting back promptly but judiciously to each set of tariffs, Russel said.At his annual press conference Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that no country should fantasize that it can suppress, contain China while developing good relations with China.Such two-faced acts not only are bad for the stability of bilateral relations but also will not build mutual trust, Wang said. He added that China welcomes cooperation with the U.S., but noted that if you keep pressuring, China will firmly retaliate.Scott Kennedy, a trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the Chinese this time are not psychologically shocked by Trumps shock-and-awe tactics.Theyve seen this before, Kennedy said. These are the kind of things that theyve anticipated. Chinas economy has slowed but is still growing at nearly a 5% annual pace, and under Xi, the party is investing heavily in advanced technology, education and other areas. It has stronger trade ties with many other countries than during Trumps first term and has diversified where it gets key products, for example, buying most of its soybeans from Brazil and Argentina instead of the U.S.In turn, the percentage of Chinese goods sold to the U.S. has fallen.They are better prepared to absorb the effect of the shocks, compared to several years ago, Kennedy said.Meanwhile, more than 80% of Mexicos exports go to the U.S., and Canada sends 75% of its exports here.China has learned from its previous dealings with Trump, Russel said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are facing a reversal of Trumps previous trade policies, with tariffs imposed and then postponed twice on at least some goods. Beijing has seen enough to know that appeasing Trump doesnt work, Russel said. In the first go-around, Trudeau and Sheinbaum bought a little time, but the pressure only came roaring back stronger.Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago to meet Trump in December after the president-elect threatened tariffs. But in announcing retaliatory tariffs Tuesday, Trudeau sternly warned: This is a time to hit back hard and to demonstrate that a fight with Canada will have no winners.Sheinbaum also has said that no one wins with this decision. DIDI TANG Tang joined the AP Washington bureau in 2023 after spending 11 years in Beijing as a China correspondent. She covers anything related to the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on U.S.-China competitions mailto

France's President Emmanuel Macron, from second left, speaks with President Donald Trump as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio react during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via AP)2025-03-09T07:18:08Z PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron is back at the center of global diplomacy, seeking to ease relations with President Donald Trump, championing a Ukraine peace plan alongside his British counterpart, and seeing his longstanding desire to boost European defense turning into reality.Six months ago, Macron seemed weaker than ever after his call for early legislative elections produced a hung parliament, sparking an unprecedented crisis. Known for his nonstop political activism, Macron shifted his focus to foreign policy, leaving domestic struggles largely to the prime minister. Now, he appears as the one leader who speaks to Trump several times per week and takes the lead in European support for Ukraine, while positioning himself as the commander-in-chief of the European Unions only nuclear power.Key world player Macron, 47, is one of the few leaders who knew Trump during his first term in office, maintaining despite disagreements a cordial relationship, which both describe as friendship. He was the first European leader to visit Trump since his reelection, seeking to persuade him not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal with Russia.Macron is also a heavyweight of European politics, and shifting U.S. policies gave momentum to his longstanding views. Since he was first elected in 2017, Macron has pushed for a stronger, more sovereign Europe. That same year, in a sweeping speech at Sorbonne University, he called for a common European defense policy, with increased military cooperation and joint defense initiatives. He later lamented the brain death of the NATO military alliance, insisting the EU should step up and start acting as a strategic world power.On Thursday, EU leaders committed to strengthening defenses and freeing up hundreds of billions of euros for security in the wake of Trumps warnings that they might face the Russian threat alone. Nuclear powerIn a resounding declaration last week, Macron announced he would discuss extending Frances nuclear deterrent to European partners to help protect the continent. Frances nuclear power is inherited from the strategy set by wartime hero Gen. Charles de Gaulle, president from 1958 to 1969, who sought to maintain Frances independence from the U.S. and assert the countrys role as a global power. That went through the development of an independent French nuclear arsenal. Poland and Baltic nations welcomed the proposal. Frances Minister for European affairs Benjamin Haddad praised Macrons efforts, saying they were aimed at ensuring that in the face of this world upheaval, Europeans are not spectators but players.New British and German partnersSome other key players appear to back Macrons approach. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in office for eight months, has sought closer defense cooperation with Europe as part of a reset with the EU after years of bitterness over Brexit.Macron and Starmer are now spearheading a desperate diplomatic drive to bolster Ukraines defenses, drawing up a peace plan with Kyiv at its core. That plan includes the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine to enforce a potential peace agreement. Meanwhile, Germanys conservative election winner Friedrich Merz said his top priority would be to strengthen Europe as soon as possible and gradually move toward real independence from the U.S.Only three days after his victory last month, Merz, who has called for a discussion on nuclear sharing with France, traveled to Paris for a working dinner with Macron.No statement was released after the meeting, but French officials with knowledge of the matter said both mens visions for Europe align. They spoke anonymously because the talks were not to be made public. Russias criticismRussias foreign ministry accused Macron of demonstrative militarism dictated by the domestic agenda. The ministry said that Macron seeks to distract the French public from worsening socio-economic problems in France and the European Union.Moscow dismissed Macrons nuclear deterrent offer as extremely confrontational, saying the remarks reflected Paris ambitions to become the nuclear patron of all of Europe, despite the fact that Frances nuclear forces are far smaller than those of the U.S.Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a comparison with Napoleon, saying that some people want to return to the times of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended a reference to the emperors failed invasion of Russia in 1812. Macron responded by calling Putin an imperialist. Reinvigorated at homeReelected in 2022, Macron last year struggled not to become a lame duck after his call for early legislative elections led to a chaotic situation in parliament, delaying the approval of the state budget and forcing the quick replacement of the prime minister.However, the French Constitution grants the president some substantial powers over foreign policy, European affairs and defense. Macron has a presidential mandate until 2027 and he has said he wont step down before the end of his term.Macrons activism on the global stage drew criticism from opposition leaders. Far-right National Rally party vice president Sbastien Chenu described Macrons moody character as one of the biggest issues for French diplomacy. He offended many people, he often changed his mind, Chenu said. The head of the hard-left France Unbowed group at the National Assembly, Mathilde Panot, also voiced concerns. The situation is too serious and the President of the Republic is too weakened for him to decide on his own, she said. We dont just want to be consulted. ... Its up to the parliament to decide on such serious issues.___Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to the story. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

FILE- A woman waits to have the malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M administered to her child at the comprehensive Health Centre in Agudama-Epie, in Yenagoa, Nigeria, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)2025-03-09T05:39:57Z KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Malaria season begins this month in a large part of Africa. No disease is deadlier on the continent, especially for children. But the Trump administrations decision to terminate 90% of USAIDs foreign aid contracts has local health officials warning of catastrophe in some of the worlds poorest communities.Dr. Jimmy Opigo, who runs Ugandas malaria control program, told The Associated Press that USAID stop-work orders issued in late January left him and others focusing on disaster preparedness. The U.S. is the top bilateral funder of anti-malaria efforts in Africa.Anti-malarial medicines and insecticide-treated bed nets to help control the mosquito-borne disease are like our groceries, Opigo said. Theres got to be continuous supply.As those dwindle with the U.S.-terminated contracts, he expects a rise in cases later this year of severe malaria, which includes problems like organ failure. There is no cure. Vaccines being rolled out in parts of Africa are imperfect but are expected to largely continue with the support of a global vaccine alliance. The Washington-based Malaria No More says new modeling shows that just a year of disruption in the malaria-control supply chain would lead to nearly 15 million additional cases and 107,000 additional deaths globally. It has urged the Trump administration to restart these life-saving programs before outbreaks get out of hand. Africas 1.5 billion people accounted for 95% of an estimated 597,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Health workers in the three African nations most burdened by malaria Nigeria, Congo and Uganda described a cascade of effects with the end of most U.S. government support.The U.S. has provided hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the three countries alone through the USAID-led Presidents Malaria Initiative. The U.S. funding has often been channeled through a web of non-governmental organizations, medical charities and faith-based organizations in projects that made malaria prevention and treatment more accessible, even free, especially for rural communities.Uganda in 2023 had 12.6 million malaria cases and nearly 16,000 deaths, many of them children under 5 and pregnant women, according to WHO.Opigo said the U.S. has been giving between $30 million and $35 million annually for malaria control. He didnt say which contracts have been terminated but noted that field research was also affected.Some of the USAID funding in Uganda paid for mosquito-spraying operations in remote areas. Those operations were supposed to begin in February ahead of the rainy season, when stagnant water becomes breeding ground for the wide-ranging anopheles mosquito. They have been suspended.We have to spray the houses before the rains, when the mosquitoes come to multiply, Opigo said.Already, long lines of malaria patients can be seen outside clinics in many areas every year. Malaria accounts for 30% to 50% of outpatient visits to health facilities across the country, according to Uganda National Institute of Public Health. Nigeria and CongoNigeria records a quarter of the worlds malaria cases. But authorities have reduced malaria-related deaths there by 55% since 2000 with the support of the U.S. and others.That support is part of the $600 million in health assistance the west African country received from the U.S. in 2023, according to U.S. Embassy figures. It was not immediately clear whether all of that funding has stopped.The Presidents Malaria Initiative has supported Nigerias malaria response with nearly 164 million fast-acting medicines, 83 million insecticide-treated bed nets, over 100 million rapid diagnostic tests, 22 million preventive treatments in pregnancy and insecticide for 121,000 homes since 2011, the embassy says.In Congo, U.S government funding has contributed about $650 million towards malaria control since 2010. Now, some of the successes in fighting malaria in Congo are being threatened, which will complicate already difficult efforts to identify and track disease outbreaks across the vast country as supplies and expertise for malaria testing are affected. Worsening conflict in Congos east, where some health workers have fled, has raised the risk of infection, with little backup coming.With the loss of substantial U.S. support, a lot of people are going to be affected. Some people are really poor and cannot afford (malaria treatment), said Dr. Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo, a Nigerian who runs the Market Doctors nonprofit providing affordable local healthcare services.Up to 40% of her organizations clients are diagnosed with malaria, Ayo-Oyalowo said.There is hope among health workers in Africa that, even after the dismantling of USAID, some U.S. funding will continue flowing via other groups including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. But that group also received U.S. support and has not issued a public statement on the dramatic cuts in U.S. aid. Opigo in Uganda said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health might be sources of help.But he added: We need to manage the relationship with the U.S. very carefully.___Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. AP journalist Dan Ikpoyi in Lagos, Nigeria contributed.

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)2025-03-09T10:10:10Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian special forces walked kilometers (miles) inside of a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region, Ukraines military and Russian war bloggers reported, as Moscow moves to recapture parts of its border province that Kyiv seized in a shock offensive. Ukraine launched a daring cross-border incursion into Kursk i n August, in what marked the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian units had captured 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of territory, including the strategic border town of Sudzha, and taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war. According to Kyiv, the operation aimed to gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks, and force Russia to divert troops away from its grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine. But months after Ukraines thunder run, its soldiers in Kursk are weary and bloodied by relentless assaults of more than 50,000 troops, including some from Russias ally North Korea. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers run the risk of being encircled, open source maps of the battlefield show. According to Telegram posts by a Ukrainian-born, pro-Kremlin blogger, Russian operatives walked about 15 kilometers (9 miles) inside the pipeline, which Moscow had until recently used to send gas to Europe. Some Russian troops had spent several days in the pipe before striking Ukrainian units from the rear near the town of Sudzha, blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed.The town had some 5,000 residents before the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and houses major gas transfer and measuring stations along the pipeline, once a major outlet for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory. Another war blogger, who uses the alias Two Majors, said fierce fighting was underway for Sudzha, and that Russian forces managed to enter the town through a gas pipeline. Russian Telegram channels showed photos of what they said were special forces operatives, wearing gas masks and moving along what looked like the inside of a large pipe. Ukraines General Staff confirmed on Saturday evening that Russian sabotage and assault groups used the pipeline in a bid to gain a foothold outside Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it said the Russian troops were detected in a timely manner and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery.At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. The enemys losses in Sudzha are very high, the General Staff reported. ___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Catholic worshippers gather for a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)2025-03-09T07:46:40Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis continued his recovery from double pneumonia Sunday after doctors reported some positive news: After more than three weeks in the hospital, the 88-year-old pope is responding well to treatment and has shown a gradual, slight improvement in recent days.In the early Sunday update, the Vatican said Francis was resting after a quiet night. For the fourth Sunday in a row, the pope will not appear for his weekly noon blessing, though the Vatican planned to distribute the text he would have delivered if he were well enough.The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, has remained stable, with no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors reported in a Vatican statement Saturday.The doctors said that such stability as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy. It was the first time the doctors had reported that Francis was responding positively to the treatment for the complex lung infection that was diagnosed after he was hospitalized on Feb. 14. But they kept his prognosis as guarded, meaning hes not out of danger.In his absence, the Vaticans day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrates the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated. A nun takes photos in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, March 8, 2025, where Pope Francis is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) A nun takes photos in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, March 8, 2025, where Pope Francis is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A Catholic nun holding a photograph of Pope Francis prays prior a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A Catholic nun holding a photograph of Pope Francis prays prior a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Catholic worshippers gather for a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Catholic worshippers gather for a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A Catholic nun takes photographs prior to a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peters Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A Catholic nun takes photographs prior to a prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peters Square at The Vatican, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Francis has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.Francis was hospitalized Feb. 14 for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis. The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels to New Orleans, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)2025-03-09T11:34:10Z WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump, the real estate developer turned commander in chief, is laying bare his style of diplomacy in the early weeks of his new term: Its a whole lot like a high-stakes business deal, and his No. 1 goal is to come out of the transaction on top.The tactics are clear in his brewing trade war with Canada and Mexico, in his approach to Russias war on Ukraine and in his selection of the first country he will visit in his second term.President Trump approaches diplomacy and engages in a very transactional manner, with economics as the foundation and driving force behind international affairs, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the presidents special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, explained at an event in Washington this past week.For Trump, its about leverage, not friendship; dollars as much as values; and hard power versus soft. Its not just a matter of negotiating style. At stake is the post-World War II international order as Trumps actions raise doubts about American leadership around the globe. Hes shaping a foreign policy thats more inward looking and conscious of the bottom line, dismissing American soft-power levers such as the U.S. Agency for International Development as dubious and riddled by waste and suggesting that the United States might not defend fellow NATO members that arent meeting defense spending benchmarks set by the alliance. Politics and presidents to a certain degree are all transactional. But Trump, who helped make himself a household name by burnishing an image as an intrepid real estate dealmaker, is taking it to another level as he navigates an increasingly complicated world.The Republican president, in his previous life as a real estate titan, saw every deal as one in which there were clear winners and losers. In his return to the White House, he is more demonstrably injecting a whats-in-it-for-me approach to his dealings with both friend and foe. Money talksEdward Frantz, a University of Indianapolis historian who has studied the American presidency, said Trumps ledger approach might not be the most practical way to conduct diplomacy.Frantz observed that Trump, 78, a baby boomer and football fan, seems inspired in his foreign policymaking by the ethos of legendary pro football coach Vince Lombardi, who famously said, Winning isnt everything. Its the only thing.But diplomacy, especially in a more complicated world, might be more like soccer, Frantz said. Sometimes you just need a tie. Sometimes you need to just survive and move on. Trump on Thursday told reporters that he has decided to make Saudi Arabia the first overseas visit of his new term because the oil-rich kingdom has agreed to make a huge investment in the United States over the next four years.Theyve gotten richer, weve all gotten older. So I said, Ill go if you pay a trillion dollars, $1 trillion to American companies, Trump said. He also made the kingdom his first overseas stop during his first White House term after the Saudis promised $450 billion in U.S. investment.Trump acknowledged that the United Kingdom, one of Americas oldest allies, has traditionally been the first stop for U.S. presidents. But money talks. Who has the cards matters to TrumpIn his dealings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has highly focused on who has the leverage. Putin has the cards and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly.Zelenskyy appeared to be making some strides in assuaging Trump after their recent rocky meeting in the Oval Office ended with Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticizing the Ukrainian leader for what they said was insufficient gratitude for the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. assistance provided in the three years since Russia invaded.Zelenskyy said later that how that meeting went down was regrettable. He also made clear he was ready to sign off on a minerals deal with the U.S. even without the explicit American security guarantees sought by the Ukrainians that Trump wants. In his Tuesday address before a joint session of Congress, Trump acknowledged Zelenskyys fence-mending efforts. Trump also announced plans to send top advisers to Saudi Arabia this week for talks with Ukrainian officials. But soon Trump was back to criticizing Zelenskyy, saying he does not have the leverage to keep fighting the war with Russia.Im finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they dont have the cards, Trump said. In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising, because they have all the cards.Trump departs from years of US skepticism toward RussiaTrumps push on Zelenskyy and pivot toward Moscow marks a significant departure from traditional U.S. foreign policy toward Russia since the Cold War.Others before Trump, including Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, have tried resets with Russia, but perhaps never at a time as fraught. Deep skepticism toward Moscow, even in the best moments in the relationship, has been the standard operating posture in both Republican and Democratic administrations. But Trump, who ran on a promise to quickly end the war, has veered from Democratic President Joe Bidens approach of making no major decision that could impact Ukraine without Kyivs involvement.At the same time, the new Republican administration has taken steps toward a more cooperative line with Putin, for whom Trump has long shown admiration.Trump has ordered a pause on U.S. military aid for and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, halted offensive cyberoperations against Russia by U.S. Cyber Command and disbanded a program aimed at seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs as a means to punish the Kremlin for its invasion.Keeping an eye on the ledgerKellogg, who also served in Trumps first White House, recalled seeing Trumps transactional diplomacy approach early in the first term. Kellogg said that the presidents first question in meetings with foreign leaders was often the same.As I found the very first time we were in the Cabinet room when a foreign official came in, the comment was, What is the trade imbalance between our two nations?'' Kellogg recalled, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations event.The trade ledger has been top of mind for Trump as he argues that for too long America has been played by friends and adversaries, including neighbors Canada and Mexico.Trump last week announced 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a broader trade war. He then postponed most of them.The White House insists the pending tariffs are about stopping the smuggling of fentanyl. Trump has also at times suggested that the tariffs could be resolved by fixing the trade deficit. The president on Friday was back to excoriating Canada, this time complaining about policies he said are hurting American dairy farmers and the lumber industry. He said he will act soon to even the ledger with Canada through reciprocal tariffs.Canada has been ripping us off for years on lumber and on dairy products, Trump said.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom Trump has taken to belittling as the governor of Americas 51st state, said his country will not be backing down from Trumps trade war. The episode has underscored Trumps willingness to embrace hard power to resolve differences, even if it means testing one of the worlds most durable and amicable alliances.The center-left Trudeau was so flummoxed by Trumps move that he found himself quoting the sharply conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page to make the point that this fight was unnecessary.Its not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, Trudeau said. But Donald, they point out that even though youre a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.___AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto