Fans of Los Angeles Dodgers wait for the team arrival as a staff installs partitions to block fans from the arrival route of the Dodgers team members at Tokyo International Airport Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Tokyo, as Dodgers to play their MLB opening games against and Chicago Cubs in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)2025-03-13T08:38:35Z TOKYO (AP) Hundreds of fans at Tokyos Haneda airport, who lined up 10 deep and hoped to catch a glimpse of Shohei Ohtani as he arrived on Thursday, saw nothing of the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar.What they saw was a 40-meter-long (130 feet) temporary white wall to shield the players in case they came through the arrival area. The Chicago Cubs exited this way when they arrived late Wednesday night.The Dodgers were seen on the tarmac disembarking from their charter from Phoenix, and Ohtani was one of the first off. But the players didnt make it to the arrival area, apparently taking an escape route.The next chance to see Ohtani and the Dodgers will be Friday when the teams open practice at the Tokyo Dome. The two-game series to open the MLB season is Tuesday and Wednesday, early evening starts in Tokyo. Games will go live in the early morning the same day in North America. Japan is 13 hours ahead of the American east coast. Fans waited for hours inside the terminal, hoping Ohtani would might show up. Many carried signs of welcome. One was a bright yellow board that read: I love LA. Others wore Dodgers caps and shirts and other garb. Several times excited fans reached high with smart phones, thinking Ohtani had arrived. It was always a false alarm with mere passengers from other flights coming into view.Patient and polite, fans eventually departed the reception area when it was clear that Japans most famous citizen would not appear. Most fans were hopeful, but realistic.I just came hoping for any chance I might see him. But I knew, probably not. said Satoshi Yoshii, a local accountant.Misaki Ueta came with her husband Reishi and a friend, Ryusei Takahashi. The two men wore Ohtanis No. 17 Dodgers jersey.We just came to be able to breathe the same air, Misaki said. The Ohtani air.Others came for the event like a rock concert. I dont care if I cant see him because Im not really a fan of Othani, said Kotomi Miyakoda. Standing alongside was her friend, also Kotomi Kotomi Nakatsu.Im not a fan but I want to see him, the person, Nakatsu said.This is billed as the Japan Series by MLB. It could be billed as the marketing-Ohtani-in Japan series. Othani is probably the countrys most famous citizen and MLBs most marketable asset.This is the second straight season that MLB has opened its season in Asia. Last year it was South Korea with the Dodgers and San Diego Padres where the gambling scandal broke around Ohtanis interpreter.Cubs vs. DodgersThe two teams come to Tokyo with five Japanese players. The Dodgers have Othani and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. The Cubs come with DH Seiya Suzuki and pitcher Shota Imanaga.Imanaga and Yamamoto are expected to oppose each other on Tuesday in the first game.The American clubs will face the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers in two exhitition games on Saturday and Sunday. Marketing the Dodgers in JapanChris Marinak, MLBs chief operations officer, talked with The Associated Press in an interview about advatanges of having a player like Ohtani. It helps to have a generational talent like Ohtani essentially the best player in the game to be from a different market, Marinak said. It changes how you can communicate about the game in different markets.Its not difficult. Japan has adopted the Dodgers as its national team. There has always been a strong connection, but now its rock soild since Ohtani won the World Series with the Dodgers.The Dodgers have set up an exhibition in central Tokyo called Dodgers Experience at MLB Tokyo Series. Fans can see the World Series trophy and a few World Series championship rings.Theres also a chance to view the Dodgers rich history, dating to Brooklyn before the team moved to Los Angeles to start the 1958 season. There are also interactive experiences where fans can try to hit an Ohtani pitch.Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has also designed artwork around the series. His work will also be on display during the series.Not a cheap ticketTickets on resale sites have been listed at as much a $20,000 for a single game. Many tickets for resale are more in the $2,000 to $8,000 range.Reselling tickets for above the face value it technically illegal in Japan. The government approved the rule before the 2020 Olympics, which were delayed by the pandemic until 2021.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb STEPHEN WADE Wade has written about sports and the politics of sports around the globe for The Associated Press. He has covered nine Olympics and five soccer World Cups and has been based for AP in Madrid, London, Beijing, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, before moving to Tokyo. twitter mailto

Displaced Palestinians lives in a school run by UNRWA, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, west of Gaza City, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-03-13T09:58:16Z United Nations-backed experts have accused Israel of the systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Israels mission to the U.N. in Geneva rejected the accusations and accused the commission, which was created by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, of relying on second-hand, single, uncorroborated sources.The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory is led by former U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay. Its findings can be used as evidence for the International Criminal Court or other bodies that seek to prosecute war crimes.Israel has refused to cooperate with the commission, accusing it and the council of being biased against it.In its report released Thursday, the commission examined the widespread destruction of Gaza, the use of heavy explosives in civilian areas and Israeli attacks on hospitals and health facilities. It said all three led to disproportionate violence against women and children. Israel says it took extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians in the 15-month war, which has been paused by a fragile ceasefire. It blames civilian deaths and destruction on Hamas because the militants operate in residential areas. The commission also accused Israeli security forces of rape and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees. Israel denies any systematic abuse of prisoners and says it takes action when there are violations. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. A U.N. envoy last year said there were reasonable grounds to believe Hamas committed rape and sexual violence in the attack.Israels retaliatory offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants.

In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov as he visits military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)2025-03-13T09:20:34Z Russian forces have driven the Ukrainian army out of the biggest town in Russias Kursk border region, officials claimed Thursday, as U.S. officials sought the Kremlins response to a proposed 30-day ceasefire in the three-year war that Ukraine has endorsed.The Russian Defense Ministrys claim that it recaptured the town of Sudzha, hours after President Vladimir Putin visited his commanders in Kursk and wore military fatigues, could not be independently verified. Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment.The renewed Russian military push and Putins high-profile visit to his troops came as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a diplomatic end to the war. The U.S. on Tuesday lifted its March 3 suspension of military aid for Kyiv after senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials made progress on how to stop the fighting in talks held in Saudi Arabia. Trump said Wednesday its up to Russia now as his administration presses Moscow to agree to the ceasefire.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that U.S. negotiators were on their way to Russia, but he wouldnt comment on Moscows view on the ceasefire proposal. Before the talks start, and they havent started yet, it would be wrong to talk about it in public, he told reporters.Senior U.S. officials say they hope to see Russia stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that national security adviser Mike Waltz spoke Wednesday with his Russian counterpart. She also confirmed that Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will head to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, possibly including Putin. By signaling its openness to a ceasefire, Ukraine has presented the Kremlin with a difficult challenge at a time when the Russian military has the upper hand in the war whether to accept a truce and abandon hopes of making new gains, or reject the offer and risk derailing a cautious rapprochement with Washington. The Ukrainian armys seven-month foothold inside Russia has been under intense pressure for months from a renewed effort by Russian forces, backed by North Korean troops. Ukraines daring incursion last August led to the first occupation of Russian soil by foreign troops since World War II and embarrassed the Kremlin.Ukraine launched the raid in a bid to counter the unceasingly glum news from the front line, as well as draw Russian troops away from the battlefield inside Ukraine and gain a bargaining chip in any peace talks.But the incursion didnt significantly change the dynamic of the war.

A couple kiss in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)2025-03-13T08:13:42Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis marked the 12th anniversary of his papacy Thursday with increasingly positive medical updates four weeks into his hospitalization for double pneumonia.The pope spent another tranquil night, the Vatican said in its brief morning statement. A chest X-ray confirmed improvements, the Vatican said on Wednesday, just two days after days after doctors declared hes no longer in imminent danger of death. The latest medical bulletin said that the 88-year-old popes condition remained stable, but indicated a complex picture considering his overall fragility.The Holy See hasnt said how the anniversary of his election as the 266th pope might be commemorated. It is a public holiday at the Vatican and Masses are planned in his honor at churches in Rome. No medical bulletins will be issued. Francis on Wednesday remotely followed a Lenten spiritual retreat that has been a mainstay of his papacy. He continues to receive high flows of oxygen through nasal tubes during the day and a non-invasive mechanical mask to aid his rest at night. The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot of the 2013 conclave, which was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned.While Francis has praised Benedicts humility in stepping down and said he might follow in his footsteps, more recently he has said the papacy is a job for life.Another milestone comes Friday, when Francis marks four weeks of hospitalization. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People wait in line to visit the European Parliament during Europe Day celebrations in Brussels on May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)2025-03-13T11:18:24Z BRUSSELS (AP) Belgian federal prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested several individuals as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU lawmakers.Some 100 federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and Portugal, the federal prosecutors office said.The suspects were arrested for questioning in connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries, prosecutors said. The offences were allegedly committed by a criminal organization.According to an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media, lobbyists working for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei are suspected of bribing current or former MEPs to promote the companys commercial policy in Europe. Huawei public relations representatives in London did not respond to an emailed request for comment and could not be reached by phone.A European Parliament spokesperson said only that the assembly takes note of the information. When requested, it always cooperates fully with the judicial authorities. The federal prosecutors office, which did not name Huawei, said that corruption is believed to have been practiced regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present day, and taking various forms, such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches. Prosecutors believe that payments might have been disguised as business expenses and in some cases may have been directed to third parties. From this point of view, the investigation also aims to detect any evidence of money laundering, they said.Police seized several documents and objects during the searches. Staff at Huaweis offices in Brussels declined to speak to an AP reporter. They turned the lights off inside when he started taking pictures through the window.This is the second corruption case targeting the EU Parliament in less than three years. In December 2022, the legislature was left reeling after a corruption scandal in which Qatari officials accused of bribing EU officials to play down labor rights concerns ahead of the soccer World Cup.The scandal scarred the reputation of the EUs only institution comprised of officials elected directly in the 27 member countries. It undermined the assemblys claim to the moral high ground in its own investigations, such as into allegations of corruption in member country Hungary.The impact of the scandal is still being felt, with the parliament due to rule soon on whether to lift the immunity of two more lawmakers who were implicatedAccording to Follow The Money, an investigative journalism platform, one of the main suspects in the latest probe is 41-year-old Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who joined Huawei in 2019. Before becoming Huaweis EU Public Affairs Director, Ottati was an assistant to two Italian MEPs who were both members of a European Parliament group dealing with China policy, Follow the Money reported.___Lorne Cook in Brussels and Kelvin Chan in London contributed. Petrequin reported from Paris. SAMUEL PETREQUIN Petrequin has been covering sports and general news for The Associated Press for more than two decades. twitter mailto

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte checks the scope of a Chinese-made CS/LR4A sniper rifle during the presentation of thousands of rifles and ammunition by China to the Philippines at Clark Airbase in northern Philippines on June 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)2025-03-13T12:01:52Z MANILA, Philippines (AP) Ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened a police general with lawsuits, refused to be fingerprinted and told law enforcers you have to kill me to bring me to The Hague in a tense confrontation after his arrest in Manila that was ordered by the International Criminal Court, a Philippine police general said Thursday.Police Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre provided details for the first time of Tuesdays 12-hour standoff at a Philippine air base before he and other police officers managed to bring the 79-year-old former leader onto a government-chartered jet that took him to The Hague, Netherlands, where he was detained by the global court on charges of crimes against humanity. Dutertes reversal of fortuneDuterte was once feared for his brutal anti-crime crackdowns and reviled for his irreverence while in office he called Pope Francis a son of a bitch at one time and said that U.S. President Barack Obama could go to hell. Dutertes stunning reversal of fortune was celebrated by human rights groups as a historic triumph against state impunity everywhere.Duterte was arrested Tuesday after he arrived at Manilas Ninoy Aquino International Airport with his common-law wife, daughter and friends from Hong Kong. He was later taken under heavy police guard to a nearby presidential lounge at the Villamor Air Base to undergo booking for arrested criminal suspects, including fingerprinting, before being taken to a plane for the long flight to The Hague to be turned over to the ICC, Torre said.But Duterte, his family, lawyers and friends resisted and prevented the former leader from being brought to a Gulfstream G550 executive jet, according to Torre. A tense half-day impasseThe standoff lasted for about 12 hours, Torre said.It was very tense, Torre told The Associated Press. One of my officers sustained a head injury after being hit hard with a cellphone by Dutertes common-law wife and his daughter was cursing me with expletives, but I kept my cool.The ex-president, who used to be a government prosecutor and congressman, refused to undergo the police booking procedure after his arrest, Torre said.We wanted to have him fingerprinted, but he resisted, Torre said. In a separate interview, he said that he arrested and handcuffed the former presidents executive secretary for blocking Dutertes transfer to the plane.Torre confirmed to the AP the authenticity of a video that has gone viral on social media showing Duterte surrounded by his family, lawyers and friends and asking Torre, who led the arresting officers, Are you going to bring me straight to the airplane?You have to kill me to bring me to The Hague, Torre quoted Duterte as saying.Thats not our intention sir, Torre said as his men dragged away one of several men surrounding Duterte. Dutertes legal team challenges his arrestDutertes lawyers said that Philippine authorities didnt show any copy of the ICC warrant and violated his constitutional rights. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s administration allowed the global court to take custody of Duterte, although the Philippines was no longer a party to the ICC, the legal team said.Our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen even a former president at that to foreign powers, Vice President Sara Duterte, the ex-presidents daughter, said Tuesday before her father was flown out of Manila.This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our nations independence, she said. This is not justice this is oppression and persecution, she said.Marcos appeared on nationwide television around midnight shortly after Duterte was flown out and denied the allegations of the vice president, who has had a bitter falling out with him after their whirlwind political alliance as running mates in the 2022 elections crumbled. Duterte predicts his fateIn Hong Kong, Duterte told a gathering of flag-waving followers Sunday before he flew back to Manila that he was aware that an ICC warrant for his arrest has been issued and added he was ready to be locked up. If this is my fate in life, its OK, Ill accept it. I cant do anything if I get arrested and jailed, he said in an expletives-laced speech.Duterte carved a political name decades ago with his violent approach to criminality and his profanities, which became a trademark of his political persona especially when threatening to kill drugs dealers as part of his war on illegal drugs that left thousands dead in his long years in power.While president, Duterte got incensed when Obama criticized his bloody campaign against illegal drugs and told him in one speech to go to hell.In 2015, he shocked the dominant Roman Catholic Church when he fired off an expletive while expressing his disgust over a monstrous traffic jam that trapped him while Francis was visiting Manila.I wanted to call. Pope, you son of a bitch, go home. Dont visit here anymore, he told a mob of supporters, some of whom laughed.He later apologized after Filipino bishops expressed shock and outrage.___Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report. JIM GOMEZ Gomez is The AP Chief Correspondent in the Philippines. twitter mailto

Former Congressman Dr. David Weldon speaks in The Villages, Fla., on May 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Brendan Farrington, File)2025-03-13T13:38:16Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his new administration. WASHINGTON (AP) The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Dr. David Weldon, a former Florida congressman, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Senate health committee announced Thursday morning that it was canceling a planned hearing on Weldons nomination because of the withdrawal. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the White House pulled the nomination because it became clear Weldon did not have the votes for confirmation.Weldon was considered to be closely aligned with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health secretary who for years has been one of the nations leading anti-vaccine activists.A former Florida congressman, Weldon also has been a prominent critic of vaccines and the CDC, which promotes vaccines and monitors their safety.Weldon becomes the third Trump administration nominee who didnt make it to a confirmation hearing. Previously, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general and Chad Chronister for the Drug Enforcement Administration. ___Stobbe reported from New York.___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. ZEKE MILLER Miller leads coverage of the president and the presidency for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A sign outside the New York Stock Exchange marks the intersection of Wall and Broad Streets, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2025-03-13T04:45:39Z NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. stock market is drifting lower Thursday, even after getting a double-shot of encouraging news on the economy. President Donald Trump keeps upping the stakes in his trade war, with his most recent threat to tax European wines and spirits. The S&P 500 was 0.2% lower in early trading, coming off a dizzying stretch where it set a record and then briefly tumbled as much as 10% from the mark within just a few weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 39 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower. Stocks have been turbulent because of questions about how much pain Trump will let the economy endure through tariffs and other policies in order to reshape the country and world as he wants. Hes said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States, along with a smaller U.S. government workforce and other fundamental changes. U.S. households and businesses have already reported drops in confidence because of all the uncertainty about which tariffs will stick from Trumps barrage of on -again, off -again announcements. Thats raised fears that they could pull back on their spending and sap energy from the economy. Some U.S. businesses say theyve already begun seeing a change in behavior among their customers. A particularly feared scenario for the overall economy is one where its growth stagnates but inflation stays high because of tariffs. Few tools are available in Washington to fix such stagflation. But good news came on both economic fronts Thursday. One report showed inflation at the wholesale level last month was milder than economists expected. It followed a similarly encouraging report from the prior day on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. A separate report, meanwhile, said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected. Its the latest signal that the job market remains relatively solid overall. If it can continue, that can allow U.S. consumers to keep spending, and thats the main engine of the economy. On Wall Steet, Intel jumped 16.7% for one of the markets bigger gains after naming former board member and semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its CEO. Tan, 65, will take over the daunting job next week, more than three months after Intels previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, abruptly retired amid a deepening downturn at the once-dominant chipmaker.In the bond market, Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.34% from 4.32%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia, but the moves were relatively modest. ___AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Women look at a phone while sitting on the pedestal of statue on International Women's Day in downtown Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)2025-03-13T13:52:57Z LONDON (AP) If youve got a smartphone, you probably spend too much time on it checking Instagram, watching silly TikTok videos, messaging on WhatsApp or doomscrolling on X. It can be hard to curb excessive use of smartphones and social media, which are addictive by design. Reducing your screen time is often more than just a matter of willpower, especially for younger people whose brains and impulse control are still developing. If youre a phone addict who wants to cut down on the hours a day spent looking at your device, here are some techniques you can try to free up more IRL time: Delete appsAn easy first step is getting rid of any apps youve been wasting time on. Over the past year, Ive deleted Facebook, Instagram and Twitter from my phone because I wanted to use them less. Now and then Ill have to go the app store and reinstall one because I need to do something like post a photo I took on my phone. (Sometimes Ill transfer the photo to my laptop and then post it to the web from there, but usually, its too much hassle.)The danger with this approach is that if you do reinstall the app, you wont bother deleting it again. Use built-in controlsBoth iPhones and Android devices have onboard controls to help regulate screen time. They can also be used by parents to regulate childrens phone usage. Apples Screen Time controls are found in the iPhones settings menu. Users can set overall Downtime, which shuts off all phone activity during a set period. If you want a phone-free evening, then you could set it to kick in from, say, 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. The controls also let users put a blanket restriction on certain categories of apps, such as social, games or entertainment or zero in on a specific app, by limiting the time that can be spent on it. Too distracted by Instagram? Then set it so that you can only use it for a daily total of 20 minutes. The downside is that the limits arent hard to get around. Its more of a nudge than a red line that you cant cross. If you try to open an app with a limit, youll get a screen menu offering one more minute, a reminder after 15 minutes, or to completely ignore it. Android users can use turn to their Digital Wellbeing settings, which include widgets to remind users how much screen time theyve had. Theres also the option to create separate work and personal profiles, so you can hide your social media apps and their notifications when youre at the office. Dont be distractedThere are other little tricks to make your phone less distracting. I use the Focus mode on my iPhone to silence notifications. For example, If Im in a meeting somewhere, I mute it until I leave that location. Android also has a Focus mode to pause distracting apps. Change your phone display to grayscale from color so that it doesnt look so exciting. On iPhones, adjust the color filter in your settings. For Android, turn on Bedtime Mode, or tweak the color correction setting. Android phones can also nag users not to look at their phones while walking, by activating the Heads Up feature in Digital Wellbeing. Block those appsIf the built-in controls arent enough, there are many third-party apps, like Jomo, Opal, Forest, Roots and LockMeOut that are designed to cut down screen time. Many of these apps have both free and premium versions with more features, and strongly push you toward signing up for a subscription by minimizing the option to skip for now on the payment screen. I tested out a few on my iPhone for this story.To try out Opal, I reinstalled Facebook so I could block it. Whenever I tapped the Facebook icon, Opal intervened to give me various inspirational messages, like Gain Wisdom, Lose Facebook, and tallied how many times I tried to open it. To get around the block, I had to open Opal and wait through a six-second timeout before requesting up to 15 minutes to look at Facebook. Theres an option to up the difficulty by increasing the delay before you can look again. Jomo, which I used to restrict my phones Reddit app, worked in a similar way: tap the Unlock button, which took me to the Jomo app, where I had to wait 20 seconds before I could tap the button to unlock Reddit for up to 10 minutes. The OneSec app takes a different approach by reminding users to first take a pause. The installation, which involves setting up an automation on the iPhones Shortcuts, can be confusing. When I eventually installed it for my Bluesky app, it gave me a prompt to run a shortcut that wiped my screen with a soothing purple-blue and reminded me to take a deep breath before letting me choose to open the app but in practice it was too easy to just skip the prompt. The Android-only LockMeOut can freeze you out of designated apps based on criteria like your location, how many times youve opened an app, or how long youve used it. The obvious way to defeat these apps is simply to delete them, although some advise users to follow the proper uninstall procedure or else apps could remain blocked. Use external hardwareDigital blockers might not be for everyone. Some startups, figuring that people might prefer a tangible barrier, offer hardware solutions that introduce physical friction between you and an app. Unpluq is a yellow tag that you have to hold up to your phone in order to access blocked apps. Brick and Blok are two different products that work along the same lines theyre squarish pieces of plastic that you have to tap or scan with your phone to unlock an app. The makers of these devices say that software solutions are too easy to bypass, but a physical object that you can put somewhere out of reach or leave behind if youre going somewhere is a more effective way to get rid of distractions. What about stashing the phone away entirely? There are various phone lockboxes and cases available, some of them designed so parents can lock up their teenagers phones when theyre supposed to be sleeping. Yondr, which makes portable phone locking pouches used at concerts or in schools, also sells a home phone box. See a therapist Perhaps there are deeper reasons for your smartphone compulsion. Maybe its a symptom of underlying problems like anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression or low self-esteem. If you think thats the case, it could be worth exploring therapy that is becoming more widely available. One London hospital treats technology addiction with a plan that includes dealing with discomfort in face-to-face time with other people, and exploring your relationship with technology.Another clinic boasts that its social media addiction treatment also includes working on a patients technology management skills, such as setting boundaries for device usage, finding alternative activities to fill the void of reduced online interaction, and learning how to engage more with the physical world. Downgrade your phone Why not trade your smartphone for a more basic one? Its an extreme option but theres a thriving subculture of cellphones with only basic features, catering to both retro enthusiasts and people, including parents, worried about screen time. They range from cheap old-school brick-and-flip phones by faded brands like Nokia to stylish but pricier devices from boutique manufacturers like Punkt.The tradeoff, of course, is that youll also have to do without essential apps like Google Maps or your bank. ___Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at [emailprotected] with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip. KELVIN CHAN Chan covers technology and innovation in Europe and beyond for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

A mallard duck rests on the edge of a path around the Tidal Basin as the sun rises in Washington, Sunday, March 5, 2023, with the Washington Monument in the background. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)2025-03-13T14:09:22Z WASHINGTON (AP) At least 112 North American bird species have lost more than half their populations in the past 50 years, according to a new report published Thursday.Among the birds showing the steepest declines are Allens hummingbirds, Florida scrub jays, golden-cheeked warblers, tricolored blackbirds and yellow-billed magpies.These are the very real consequences if we are unable to conserve and protect the crucial habitats that birds need, said study co-author Mike Brasher, a senior scientist at the nonprofit Ducks Unlimited.For several decades, waterfowl stood out as a conservation bright spot with duck populations growing nationwide even as many other groups of birds declined in the U.S. But that trend has reversed, the new data shows.The total number of dabbling and diving ducks is down about 30% from 2017, said Brasher. Loss of grasslands habitat and a prolonged drought affecting the wetlands of the Great Plains prairie pothole region have taken a toll. Among all waterfowl, numbers are down 20% since 2014, the report found. The latest report is a collaboration between several groups including Cornell University, Ducks Unlimited, American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society and the American Ornithological Society. The work draws on survey data from the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and citizen projects such as Cornells eBird. There are some 2,000 bird species in North America. A third of the species examined are rated as high or moderate concern for conservation due to declining numbers, habitat loss or other threats. These birds need urgent conservation attention, said Amanda Rodewald, a study co-author from Cornell, adding that bird survey trends also reveal the health of their habitats. The report focuses on birds that must breed and feed in specific habitats such as forests, grasslands and coastal regions. Grassland birds including the Bobolink are most at risk. For each species that were in danger of losing, its like pulling an individual thread out of the complex tapestry of life, said Georgetown University biologist Peter Marra, who was not involved in the new report.Marra pointed to key past conservation successes in the U.S. such as the comebacks of bald eagles, egrets and osprey. We know that we can bend the curve back with targeted conservation plans. But we cant just close our eyes and hope, he said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. CHRISTINA LARSON Larson is a science writer on The Associated Press Global Health & Science team. She has reported on the environment from five continents. mailto

Last week, Aix Marseille University, Frances largest university, invited American scientists who believe their work is at risk of being censored by Donald Trump administrations anti-science policies to continue their research in France. Today, the university announced that it is already seeing great interest from scientists at NASA, Yale, Stanford, and other American schools and government agencies, and that it wants to expand the program to other schools and European countries to absorb all the researchers who want to leave the United States.We are witnessing a new brain drain, ric Berton, Aix Marseille Universitys president, said in a press release. We will do everything in our power to help as many scientists as possible continue their research. However, we cannot meet all demands on our own. The Ministry of Education and Research is fully supporting and assisting us in this effort, which is intended to expand at both national and European levels.Has your research been impacted by the Trump administration? 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.The press release from the university claims that researchers from Stanford, Yale, NASA, the National Institute of Health, George Washington University, and about 15 other prestigious institutions," are now considering scientific exile. More than 40 American scientists have expressed interest in the program, it said. Their key research areas are health (LGBT+ medicine, epidemiology, infectious diseases, inequalities, immunology, etc.), environment and climate change (natural disaster management, greenhouse gases, social impact, artificial intelligence), humanities and social sciences (communication, psychology, history, cultural heritage), astrophysics.The current Executive Orders have led to a termination of one of my research grants. While it was not a lot of money, it was a high profile, large national study, one researcher who has reached out to Aix Marseille University in order to take advantage of the program told me. 404 Media granted the researcher anonymity because speaking about the program might jeopardize their current position at a leading American university. While I have not had to lay off staff as a result of that particular cancellation, I will have to lay off staff if additional projects are terminated. Everything I focus on is now a banned word.The program, called Safe Place for Science, initially will fund 15 researchers with 15 million Euros.Aix Marseille University says that it is already working closely with the regional government and Frances Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate the arrival of these scientists and their families in the region, offering support with employment, housing, school access, transportation, and visas.We are doing what is necessary to provide them with the best living environment. We are ready to welcome them and will make them true children of the country! Renaud Muselier, President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Cte d'Azur, said in a statement in support of the program.The Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency in particular have already frozen federal grants and loans for the National Institutes of Health, the US National Science Foundation, fired NASAs chief scientist, and fired thousands of workers across the federal government, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, critical for weather forecasting for natural disasters. The language of many of his executive orders is also so broad that researchers at public universities and other research institutions worry theyll lose funding for their work if they even mention climate, gender, race, or equity, terms that the Trump administration has been trying to wipe off any federal site and program.It is surreal that people are so scared and silent, because scientists and administrators are worried about losing ALL of their funding or MOST of their funding if they appeal or speak out against terminated grants, the researcher at the leading American university told me. I have been shocked that many in academic leadership seem to not see how similar these actions are to other totalitarian regimeswhich have taught us that we have to push back hard on EVERYTHING that is unethical and inhumane, not just the thing that affects us personally the most.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., arrives to speak with reporters as Republicans work to pass an interim spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies funded through September, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-03-13T15:21:50Z WASHINGTON (AP) A day before a shutdown deadline, Senate Democrats are mounting a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led government funding bill that already passed the House but failed to slap any limits on President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musks efforts to gut federal operations.Senate Democrats are under intense pressure to do whatever they can to stop the Trump administrations Department of Government Efficiency, which is taking a wrecking ball to long-established government agencies by purging thousands of federal workers from jobs.Democrats are pushing a stopgap 30-day funding bill as an alternative. But its prospects are dim in the Congress controlled by Republicans. And its unlikely the Democrats would allow a government shutdown, worried about the further chaos they say Trump and Musk could cause.As the Senate opened Thursday, with one day to go before Fridays midnight deadline, the Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said: Its time to fish or cut bait. Debates over funding the federal government routinely erupt in deadline moments but this year its showing the political leverage of Republicans, newly in majority control of the White House and Congress, and the shortcomings of Democrats who are finding themselves unable to stop the Trump administrations march across federal operations. In a rare turn of events, House Republicans stuck together to pass their bill, many conservatives cheering the DOGE cuts, leaving Democrats sidelined as they stood opposed. They House then left town, sending it to the Senate for final action. Options for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer are limited, especially as the party is wary of fully withholding their votes and being blamed for a full shutdown of services. Schumer announced that Democrats were unified in pressing for a 30-day stopgap measure as an alternative to the House passed bill, which would instead fund operations through the end of the budget year in September. With his party united, Schumer said the Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority, lack the support needed to reach the 60-vote threshold, which is required to overcome a filibuster.But Senate Republicans have shown little interest in Schumers offer.What is more likely is that senators will have a chance to vote on the Democrats stopgap measure, but if it fails as expected, the Senate would then turn to the broader bill for passage, hours before Fridays midnight deadline.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sought to shift attention from Trumps tariff tit-for-tat tariff war to a looming federal government shutdown.I can tell you whats not good for the economy is this government shutdown, Bessent said outside the White House. I dont know what Democrats are thinking here. Theyre going to own it.But Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has called Trump and Musk two billionaires to dont know the first thing about what American families need.In an highly unusual turn, the House package also required the District of Columbia, which already approved its own balanced budget, to revert back to 2024 levels, drawing outcry from the mayor and city leaders who are pushing the Congress to revert course. They warn of steep reductions to city services.Both choices that we are being offered are full of despair, said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.__Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Damon LaSalle (19) blocks against University of Mount Saint Vincent's Olatomiwa Ibitayo (4) during a men's NCAA Division III college volleyball game, Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-03-13T15:25:00Z Damon LaSalle keeps the athletic trainers busy at New Jersey City University.As he gets out of bed, his hamstrings, knees and back give him daily reminders that playing college volleyball can take a toll on the body. He has standing appointments with a chiropractor and acupuncturist in addition to the frequent visits to the training room.I have like a professional team taping me and sewing me together, he said, laughing.Those aches and pains are magnified for LaSalle.He is, after all, 40 years old.LaSalle plays middle blocker for the Knights, and most of his teammates werent born 20 years ago when he was one of the biggest stars in Division III. His first go in college ended because he was ruled academically ineligible before what would have been his senior season. With his wifes encouragement, the stay-at-home dad went back to school so he could honor his late mothers wish that he earn a degree and to set an example for his three children. He also wanted to put a proper bow on his volleyball career. The academic part has been no problem. LaSalle is a fire science major who is on the deans list with a 3.8 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, and he is on track to graduate this spring.The volleyball part has been an adventure. He has been limited to 10 of the Knights first 18 matches because of his assortment of injuries. Not all were volleyball-related. He missed two matches with a classic dad injury he tweaked his hamstring shoveling snow and the pain migrated to his back. 40 going on 20LaSalle doesnt jump as high or move as quickly as he once did. The way he describes it, he once could dunk a basketball and now can grab the rim with both hands. The guy can still play a little volleyball, though.Knights coach Carlo Edra, who played with LaSalle at NJCU from 2004-06, said hes shown two opposing coaches a photo array of the team and asked them to identify the 40-year-old. Both pointed to someone other than LaSalle.LaSalle can keep up with his younger teammates, but hes not the intimidating middle he once was. In 2006, he was national player of the week once and division player of the year in the old North East Collegiate Volleyball Association, which was Division IIIs top league. He is NJCUs career leader in block assists, and in wrapping his fourth season he is on the cusp of becoming the programs all-time leader in total blocks.His resume was right on hall of fame level at this college, said Ira Thor, the schools former sports information director.A sudden endingLaSalles first stint at NJCU ended suddenly. He was in preseason training during the fall of 2006 when an assistant athletic director pulled him out of practice and told him he was ineligible. His grade-point average was 1.4, the equivalent of a D-plus.I was more of an athlete-student instead of a student-athlete, he said. That happens to a lot of kids, and I let it get too far. I got to a point where when the athlete part wasnt available to me, it wasnt as interesting to be a student.So he quit school and, needing a job, asked Edra for help. Edra had graduated the year before and worked at a kitchen cabinet company. Edra recommended LaSalle, and he spent six or seven years there and became warehouse manager. LaSalle ended up marrying the woman who interviewed him for the job, and when Christina and he began a family, he was able to stay home. The LaSalles live about a 35-minute drive from NJCUs Jersey City campus and have daughters ages 4 and 6 and a son whos 8.When he asked Christina if she would be OK with him going to school and playing volleyball again, she told him it would make her proud if he did.That gave me goosebumps, he said. It made me feel like I could really do this. His biggest regretLaSalle said his biggest regret was dropping out of school, and his desire to go back grew stronger several years ago when he came across his wifes diploma from Rutgers.I looked at it and I was, I want one of these, he said. Carlo and I had a conversation, What if my kids ask me why I dont have one, what would my answer be to them about why I didnt finish?LaSalle, Edra and their former teammates have remained close over the years, and during their get-togethers or in their group texts somebody occasionally would suggest LaSalle finish what he started academically and athletically. In Division III, an athlete gets 10 semesters as a full-time student to play four seasons. There is no running eligibility clock as in Division I, so an athlete could leave school and return in, say, 20 years and pick up where he left off.In LaSalles case, he had played three seasons over seven semesters. To get his grades up and preserve his one remaining season of eligibility, LaSalle could only enroll as a part-time student and take a couple classes per semester. The slog to eligibility ended last summer. He became a full-time student in the fall and joined the team. Coming off the scrap heapThe only volleyball LaSalle had played since 2006 was with Edra in a summer sand volleyball league at a bar. Im not coming off the club court or anything, LaSalle said. I was coming off the scrap heap, as they say, off the couch.Actually, LaSalle had stayed fit over the years and that picked up once he decided to pursue college volleyball again. LaSalle knew he would have to earn his playing time and that Edra wouldnt give him special treatment because of their two-decade friendship.So if one of your kids is throwing a temper tantrum and youre late to practice, Ive got to make you run, dude, Edra said he told LaSalle.Sure enough, LaSalle stopped for coffee on his way to practice one day, had trouble finding a parking spot on campus and showed up late. He had to run laps, do 100 squat lifts, 30 pushups, a three-minute wall sit (a grueling quadriceps exercise) and a three-minute plank.Theres been plenty of days when I get home from these practices and Ill tell my wife, Should I be doing this? Am I going to be OK tomorrow? LaSalle said. Every day I wake up and here I am.Embraced by teammatesHis teammates have embraced him, first calling him Unc, as in uncle. The nickname morphed to Big 40 and stuck. Alex Casais, the team captain, said he treated LaSalle like any other teammate when practice started.I was not giving him the props, he said. I couldnt. I had to make sure to he was earning it on the court. He hit one ball and I knew it was over. I knew we were good.LaSalle said his approach was to blend in with his new teammates. That meant being quiet and doing what everybody else was doing. He said he never expected his teammates to know what he had accomplished 20 years ago, calling it immaterial. He came in with a sense of dignity, Casais said. He stepped on the court, and his head was down and he was going to work. I felt like a lot of the younger guys looked up to him, and thats where Big 40 came from. He was someone working as hard as everyone else, if not harder.Savoring every momentLaSalle said the game has become faster, players jump higher, systems are more sophisticated and the disparity between the top and bottom teams is smaller.But if anyone thought LaSalle would embarrass himself, he proved them wrong.It was kind of a surprise to everybody that once we all got in the gym in the fall season that he started to compete for the starting spot, Edra said. The fact hes keeping up with guys that are 21 years old and 20, 18 its kind of crazy.For LaSalle, its crazy fun. He said he savors every moment because he realizes he got an almost unimaginable second chance. Recalling 2006, he said, I played my last game, and I didnt know it was my last game.And now?Every practice we finish, its one less practice that I have before its over, he said. So I dont take that for granted. I dont take any day for granted at all.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports ERIC OLSON Olson is an Associated Press sports writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He covers Nebraska, Creighton, the Big Ten and national college sports issues. twitter mailto

Something very strange is happening inside Super Nintendo (SNES) consoles as they age: a component youve probably never heard of is running ever so slightly faster as we get further and further away from the time the consoles first hit the market in the early 90s.The discovery started a mild panic in the speedrunning community in late February since one theoretical consequence of a faster-running console is that it could impact how fast games are running and therefore how long they take to complete. This could potentially wreak havoc on decades of speedrunning leaderboards and make tracking the fastest times in the speedrunning scene much more difficult, but that outcome now seems very unlikely. However, the obscure discovery does highlight the fact that old consoles performance is not frozen at the time of their release date, and that they are made of sensitive components that can age and degrade, or even upgrade, over time.The idea that SNESs are running faster in a way that could impact speedrunning started with a Bluesky post from Alan Cecil, known online as dwangoAC and the administrator of TASbot (short for tool-assisted speedrun robot), a robot thats programmed to play games faster and better than a human ever could. If youre a fan of the Games Done Quick events you might have seen Cecil and TASbot speedrun games there before, and if you want to get caught up on how and why Cecil does this you should read this Art Technica profile from 2016.SNES consoles seem to be getting faster as they age, Cecil said on Bluesky on February 26, and shared a link to an online form and instructions where people could share how fast their own SNESs were running in order to collect more data and test if the theory is correct. Cecil told me that while he wants to collect more data before before coming to any final conclusions, for now two things appear to be true: First, both from investigating existing information on SNESs that has been posted online over the years and from data people shared via the form, SNESs do appear to be running faster as they age. Second, the changes are very small, and after Cecil spoke to other people in the speedrunning and SNES emulation communities, it doesnt appear that these changes are significant enough to impact speedrunning.So whats going on here? The SNES has an audio processing unit (APU) called the SPC700, a coprocessor made by Sony for Nintendo. Documentation given to game developers at the time the SNES was released says that the SPC700 should have a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000hz, which is set by a ceramic resonator that runs 24.576Mhz on that coprocessor. Were getting pretty technical here as you can see, but basically the composition of this ceramic component and how it resonates when connected to an electronic circuit generates the frequency for the audio processing unit, or how much data it processes in a second.Its well documented that these types of ceramic resonators are sensitive and can run at higher frequencies when subject to heat and other external conditions. For example, the chart below, taken from an application manual for Murata ceramic resonators, shows changes in the resonators oscillation under different physical conditions.As Cecil told me, as early as 2007 people making SNES emulators noticed that, despite documentation by Nintendo that the SPC700 should run at 32,000Hz, some SNESs ran faster. Emulators generally now emulate at the slightly higher frequency of 32,040Hz in order to emulate games more faithfully. Digging through forum posts in the SNES homebrew and emulation communities, Cecil started to put a pattern together: the SPC700 ran faster whenever it was measured further away from the SNESs release.Data Cecil collected since his Bluesky post, which now includes more than 140 responses, also shows that the SPC700 is running faster. There is still a lot of variation, in theory depending on how much an SNES was used, but overall the trend is clear: SNESs are running faster as they age, and the fastest SPC700 ran at 32,182Hz. More research shared by another user in the TASbot Discord has even more detailed technical analysis which appears to support those findings.A chart showing the distribution of how fast the SPC700 is running from data collected by Cecil. Provided by Cecil to 404 Media.The data also showed that SPC700s speed changes depending on temperature. To test this Cecil even put his SNES in the freezer overnight, then tested it, showing a difference.In theory, if the SPC700 is running faster, it would deliver audio data to the CPU faster, and this could impact how a game runs. Lets say youre playing Super Metroid and you hit one of those many room-to-room transitions where you shoot to open a door, go through the door, and then the entire screen fades to black and pans over to the next room. Part of what is happening there is that the SNES is loading the data for that next room, including audio data. If the SPC700 is running faster, that data would load every so slightly faster, meaning overall the game would take less time to complete because youre spending less time on those transitions.After talking to speedrunners, however, Cecil believes even SNESs running on the faster end of the scale would not gain enough frames over the length of an entire speedrun to add up to even one whole second.We don't yet know how much of an impact it will have on a long speedrun, he told me. We only know it has at least some impact on how quickly data can be transferred between the CPU and the APU.While its unlikely these very small differences will matter to human speedrunners, they could matter a lot to TASbots tool-assisted speedruns, where inputs need to be precise down to the frame, or "deterministic," as Cecil explained. More importantly, Cecil is continuing to collect more data on SNESs as theyre aging and changing, which could teach us how to continue to use and emulate them in the future.

President Donald Trump listens as Ireland's Prime Minister Michel Martin speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-03-13T12:39:19Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his new administration. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened a 200% tariff on European wine, Champagne and spirits if the European Union goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey.The European import tax, which was unveiled in response to steel and aluminum tariffs by the U.S. administration, is expected to go into effect on April 1, just ahead of separate reciprocal tariffs that Trump plans to place on the EU.But Trump, in a morning social media post, vowed a new escalation in his trade war if the EU goes forward with the planned 50% tax on American whiskey.If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES, Trump wrote. This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that the EU trade commissioner would be having a phone call Friday with his U.S. counterpart.We dont like tariffs because we think tariffs are taxes and they are bad for business and they are bad for consumers, she said. We have always said at the same time that we will defend our interests. Weve said it, and weve shown it, but at the same time I also want to emphasize that we are open for negotiations. The U.S. president has defined his opening weeks in the White House with near daily drama regarding tariffs, saying that taxing imports might cause some economic pain but would eventually lead to more domestic manufacturing and greater respect for America. But with the EU and Trump now tussling over alcohol tariffs, the impact of a trade war could surface for consumers. Its unclear how the import taxes would be absorbed among vintners, distillers, brewers, distributors, retailers and consumers. Because of Trumps threat, a previously untariffed $15 bottle of Italian Prosecco could possibly increase in price to $45. Similarly, Europes response to Trumps steel and aluminum tariffs means that the cost of a 30-euro bottle of bourbon in Paris could increase to 45 euros. Holly Seidewand, owner of First Fill Spirits, a shop in Saratoga Springs, New York, said before Trump threatened the tariffs on European alcohol, the spirits industry was already reeling from layoff announcements in the Kentucky Bourbon sector and the tariffs planned by the EU on American spirits.This ongoing tariff war doesnt just harm importers it weakens domestic brands, disrupts distributors, and squeezes retailers who rely on global selections, she said. In the end, consumers will bear the brunt of it all.Gabriel Picard, who heads the French Federation of Exporters of Wines and Spirits, said 200% tariffs would be a hammer blow for the sector. He said the U.S. market is worth 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) annually for French exporters of wines and spirits.Not a single bottle will continue to be expedited if 200% tariffs are applied to our products. All exports to the United States will come to a total, total, halt, Picard said in an interview with The Associated Press. With 200% duties, there is no more market. As of now, Europe seems unwilling to back down.Trump is escalating the trade war he has chosen, Laurent Saint-Martin, the French delegate minister for foreign trade, said on X. France, together with the European Commission and our partners, is determined to fight back. We will not give in to threats and will always protect our industries.Trumps latest tariff threats suggested that even companies that have publicly stood by him could be collateral damage, raising questions about whether the wider business community would be willing to openly challenge a series of trade wars that have hurt the stock market and scared consumers who worry about inflation worsening.Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury goods company LVMH, attended Trumps inauguration in January. His companys wine and spirits brands, which include Mot & Chandon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy, could be subject to the retaliatory tariffs the U.S. president is seeking. The Italian company Campari could also be hurt, after the White House highlighted it at Tuesdays press briefing for possibly opening a U.S. factory. The Republican president on Wednesday had signaled that he intended to take the tariffs action.Of course I will respond, Trump told reporters during an Oval Office exchange with reporters.Trump, in announcing the new steel and aluminum tariffs on Wednesday, openly challenged U.S. allies and vowed to take back wealth stolen by other countries, and he drew quick retaliation.He has separate tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, with plans to also tax imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by charging reciprocal rates starting on April 2. The EU announced its own countermeasures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that as the United States was applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros, or about $28 billion. Those measures cover not just steel and aluminum products but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods.European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said Thursday shortly before Trumps announcement that the EU was prepared for whatever might come, and we have been preparing for over a year.We call on the U.S. to immediately revoke the tariffs imposed yesterday, and we want to negotiate to avoid tariffs in the future, Gill added. They bring nothing but lose-lose outcomes, and we want to focus on win-win outcomes.U.S. whiskey makers, meanwhile, encouraged Trump to broker a deal.We urge President Trump to secure a spirits agreement with the EU to get us back to zero-for-zero tariffs, which will create U.S. jobs and increase manufacturing and exports for the American hospitality sector, Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, said in a statement.When Europe responded to Trumps 2018 tariffs with a 25% tax on U.S. whiskey, exports to the EU fell by 20% through 2021, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Trumps separate 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico could put 31,000 jobs at risk in the sector.___AP writers Lorne Cook in Brussels, Samuel Petrequin and John Leicester in Paris, Mae Anderson, Dee-Ann Durbin and Mike Warren contributed reporting. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

The sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen. May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)2025-03-13T16:11:37Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Internal Revenue Services acting chief counsel, William Paul, has been removed from his role at the agency and replaced by Andrew De Mello, an attorney in the chief counsels office who is deemed supportive of Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, according to two people familiar with the plans who were not authorized to speak publicly.The people said Paul was demoted from his position because he clashed with the DOGEs alleged push to share tax information with multiple agencies. The news also comes as the IRS plans to institute massive cuts to its workforce. The IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts as part of the President Donald Trumps efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. The administration is closing agencies, laying off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection and offering buyouts to almost all federal employees through a deferred resignation program to quickly reduce the government workforce. Already, roughly 7,000 probationary IRS employees with roughly one year or less of service were laid off from the organization in February. Paul was named acting chief counsel to the IRS in January, replacing Marjorie A. Rollinson, and has served in various roles at the IRS since the late 1980s. Paul is not the first government official to be demoted after voicing concern about access to sensitive systems and taxpayer data.Government officials across the Treasury Department, the Social Security Administration and other agencies have seen a wave of retirements, resignations and demotions for voicing concern about DOGE access to sensitive systems and taxpayer data. After 30 years of service, Michelle King, the SSAs acting commissioner, stepped down from her role in February after refusing to provide DOGE access Social Security recipient information, according to two people familiar with the officials departure who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The series of IRS officials who have put the law above their personal job security join a line of public servants, stretching back to Treasury and IRS leaders during the Nixon era, who have resisted unlawful attempts by elected officials to weaponize taxpayer data and systems, Chye-Ching Huang, executive director of the Tax Law Center at New York University School of Law, said in a statement. 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 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives before Ireland's Prime Minister Michel Martin and President Donald Trump speak during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-03-13T17:30:23Z WASHINGTON (AP) There sat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nations top health official, at a Steak n Shake with Fox News host Sean Hannity, raving about the fries.Steak n Shake has been great, were very grateful for them, Kennedy said, in between nibbles of fries that the Midwestern franchise recently announced would be cooked in beef tallow instead of common cooking oils that Kennedy says are bad for Americans diet.Its the kind of endorsement that doctors have implored him to make about the childhood vaccines used to prevent deadly diseases, like measles as outbreaks worsened in Texas and New Mexico during his first month in office.The secretary of Health and Human Services has, instead, raised doubts about vaccines, most recently saying in his interview with Hannity that the shots cause deaths every year, although he later added that vaccinations should be encouraged.In his first month in office, Kennedy, who vowed to Make America Healthy Again, has delivered an inconsistent message that has the nations top infectious diseases specialists worried that his tepid recommendations of vaccines will undermine access to long-proven remedies. Public health agencies cancel vaccine meetings, research under Kennedys watchDuring his first address to thousands of workers at the federal public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Food and Drug Administration, Kennedy promised to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule. Days later, the CDC cancelled a public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Panel, a group of doctors and scientists who make recommendations on vaccines. That meeting has not been rescheduled. In another case, a cancelled public meeting of vaccine advisers who make recommendations on the flu vaccine every year for the FDA also has not been given a new date. This week, the National Institutes for Health, also under Kennedys purview, began cancelling funding for some research on vaccines. The CDC also is preparing to research autism and vaccines, planning to leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement. Agency officials did not comment further for this article.Numerous studies have concluded that there is no link between the two, a fact the agency states on its website. What he is trying to do is scare about the safety of vaccines, Dr. Paul Offit, an FDA vaccine adviser and infectious disease doctor at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, said of Kennedys first month in office. It shouldnt surprise anybody. His agenda has always been to get vaccines off the market, or to make them less available. Offit worries that the cancellation of the FDAs flu vaccine meeting, held every March for at least 30 years, is just the beginning. The committees June meeting to recommend the COVID-19 vaccines formulation has also not been scheduled, he said.Democrats and Republicans pushed back when Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA nominee, wouldnt commit to rescheduling the committees flu meeting .What is lost is the transparency, said Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate health committee who is also a physician. Kennedy rejects anti-vaccine label but still echoes the movementDuring his senate confirmation hearings earlier this year, Kennedy repeatedly rejected any notion that he would undermine vaccines. I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule, he said. He promised Cassidy, who was unsettled about Kennedys anti-vaccine advocacy work, that he would not change existing vaccine recommendations. But Kennedys skeptical views of vaccines have emerged during interviews and public statements since his confirmation. Hes sent mixed messages on vaccine safety, even though the U.S. has the most elaborate vaccine adverse event surveillance system in the world, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. Serious problems, including death, are very rare and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks, he said.A simple way to describe this to the average person is the serious adverse events generally occur at a rate of 1 to a few cases per million doses of vaccine, he said. Thats a needle in a haystack. In an opinion piece on FoxNews.com earlier this month, Kennedy said the measles outbreak in West Texas that left a six-year old child dead was a call to action but stopped short of recommending that people receive the vaccine that prevents 97% of cases. Despite the U.S. registering its first measles death in a decade, Kennedy has repeatedly downplayed this years outbreaks, noting that when he was a child everybody got measles. This years cases reported at 250 are on track to far outpace last years reports of 286 measles infections. Pediatricians are fielding more questions from confused parents in their exam rooms, said Dr. Susan Kressly. Worried about reports of cancelled vaccine meetings, theyre wondering about their access to next years flu vaccines. Others are asking if they should get doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine earlier. Kressly said theres a clear message the government can send to help stop the rising case count. The only way to stop an outbreak is increased coordinated positive messaging around vaccinating, Kressly said. The CDC has assisted with vaccination efforts in West Texas. But Kennedy himself has publicly advocated for an alternative treatment for measles: Vitamin A. Under his watch, the CDCs guidance was updated to say that Vitamin A should be given to children with severe measles and prescribed in doses under a doctors supervision.Vitamin A supplementation has been recommended for decades to reduce pneumonia and death in malnourished children in developing countries, but the benefits in well-nourished children in countries like the U.S. are less clear.We need to use Vitamin A for those kids who are unlucky enough to get measles, said Dr. Andy Pavia, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the University of Utah. But it cant prevent measles and it can only provide some help in reducing the severity.When administered correctly, using Vitamin A in kids with severe measles will do no harm, Pavia said. But if improperly done, high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic and deadly.Kennedys supporters celebrate success on the food front during first monthAbrupt staffing changes have also dominated Kennedys first weeks in office, with CDC pick Dave Weldon withdrawing from the nomination mere minutes before his hearing, Kennedys top HHS spokesman quitting two weeks into the job and the Food and Drug Administrations newly minted chief counsel departing 48 hours into the position. Trump and Kennedys supporters, however, have dismissed concerns about the rocky start. His newfound platform as health secretary and talk of healthier foods is already affecting change in the American diet, advisers close to Kennedy and Trump have claimed on social media. They credit Kennedy with prompting Republican legislators to introduce bills in Utah and Texas that would ban soda in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for example. And then theres Steak n Shakes new fries. RFK Jr. just ate Steak n Shake on live TV, the fast food joint thats bravely frying everything in beef tallow, conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk said this week in a tweet. This is the way. On Wednesday, after a meeting with a handful of executives from the nations largest food manufactures, Kennedy released a slickly-produced video that promised more change would be on the way, saying companies were taking his MAHA movement seriously. They understand they have a new sheriff in town, Kennedy said. He did not share any details about what was discussed at the meeting. Associated Press writers Matthew Perrone and Mike Stobbe contributed. AMANDA SEITZ Seitz is an Associated Press reporter covering federal health care policy. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto JONEL ALECCIA Aleccia covers food and nutrition at The Associated Press. She is based in Southern California. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump speaks during an event with Ireland's Prime Minister Michel Martin in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-03-13T16:47:26Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his new administration. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of probationary workers let go in mass firings across multiple agencies.U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Thursday found the firings didnt follow federal law and required immediate offers of reinstatement be sent.The agencies include the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury.The order from the San Francisco-based judge came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to dramatically downsize the federal workforce. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Albert Whitehead spends time with Star, his pet reindeer, in Whitehead's backyard in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, on March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)2025-03-13T16:43:26Z ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) An iconic reindeer so beloved that he has been in parades, featured on reality TV shows and visited by schoolchildren on field trips in Alaskas largest city is fighting for his life after mysteriously falling ill after someone tampered with his pen.Ever since, 8-year-old Star has had pneumonia, digestion issues and rapid weight loss. Stars owner, Albert Whitehead, has taken him to a veterinarian every other day to receive care and in hopes of finding a cause for the issues.I think weve done everything possible for him, Whitehead said. Veterinarian Sabrieta Holland said she the reindeers prognosis is guarded.Star lives in a fenced-in pen attached to Whiteheads house at the edge of downtown Anchorage. Its been over 20 years since someone last tried to tamper with the enclosure where reindeer named Star have been kept for the last seven decades. Star is the seventh in a line of reindeer to carry that name. In early January, someone cut a huge hole in the fencing to gain entrance, spending about five minutes inside with Star before taking off. What the person did in the pen is unknown, but Star began having stomach issues and dropping weight shortly after. Then, on Feb. 20, Anchorage police found the friendly and trusting reindeer wandering around downtown and returned him home.When Whitehead reviewed his security cameras, he found someone had used bolt cutters to remove padlocks off Stars pen and an alley gate. Star followed the man out into the neighborhood, and the reindeer wound up alone downtown, familiar streets because thats where Whitehead walks him. The next night, the situation turned more serious.Whitehead was watching the video feed when a man wearing a scarf over his face sprayed something from two different cans into Stars pen and twice hit the reindeer in the face with an unknown substance. Whitehead rushed outside to confront the man.I yelled at him to stop, What the hell are you doing? What are you spraying on the animal? Dont do that, quit that! Whitehead said. The man replied: Im trying to help Star.I have no idea what he meant by that, said Whitehead, who suspects based on the smells that the sprays could have been a disinfectant and deodorizer.Whitehead and police believe it was the same man from the prior night. Its not known if the January tampering involved the same person. I dont think the individual wanted to harm Star, but by his actions, he did, Whitehead said. Anchorage police posted the surveillance video on social media in hopes it would lead to the suspects identity. So far, no viable tips have come in, spokesperson Christopher Barraza said in an email.Stars pneumonia worsened, and a cough leads Whitehead to believe Star ate something harmful, perhaps while loose.The pneumonia is likely due to him accidentally inhaling the chronic reflux or regurgitation of the contents in the largest of the reindeers four stomachs, Holland said. The sprays possibly also contributed.Its possible theres a blockage, but the largest stomach of a reindeer is quite big and not easily obstructed, Holland said. However, ingested plastic bags causing chronic weight loss and indigestion problems are the most common foreign objects shes seen in reindeer. The next option would be surgery to look at the reindeers abdomen and possibly remove any blockage, but its generally a poor outcome, even in healthy deer, she said.The bond between Whitehead and Star is quite significant and precious, Holland said. Alberts daily life and reason for getting out for walks and such all are because of Star. And Star is really fond of Albert, too, Holland said in a text. It will be quite devastating for him if he loses Star.Anchorage pioneers Oro and Ivan Stewart started the reindeer tradition, bringing the deer they received from an Alaska Native herder to Anchorage in the 1950s. Whitehead took over as caretaker from his friends in 2002.The average lifespan of a reindeer is about 15 years, but some Stars had long lives, like the first who lived to 23. Others didnt live as long, including the second Star, who was stolen, beaten to death and then butchered by a known Fairbanks meat thief. The third Star died after eating a plastic bag. MARK THIESSEN Thiessen is an Associated Press all-formats reporter based in Anchorage, Alaska. He covers Alaska Native issues and other general assignments. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)2025-03-13T16:35:48Z ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday withdrew from a $1.3 billion ballpark project, citing hurricanes and delays that likely will drive up the proposals cost.The team issued a statement by principal owner Stuart Sternberg saying that a series of events in October, which included severe damage to the existing Tropicana Field and financing delays, led to what he called this difficult decision.After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment, Sternberg said.Displaced from the Trop in St. Petersburg, the Rays are set to play this seasons home games across Tampa Bay at the New York Yankees spring training home, 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field. Meanwhile, repairs are envisioned to the Trop, including replacing its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton, that would have it ready for the 2026 season. Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired. Beyond that, the teams future in the Tampa Bay area is uncertain. MLB and the Rays could evaluate attendance and fan interest during the teams season in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field as they consider alternate sites. The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season, Sternberg said. We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring. The proposed 30,000-seat stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by construction of the Trop and an interstate highway spur.Supporters say the development would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the citys downtown, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, plus office and retail space and the promise of thousands of jobs.That broader project, counting on the Rays ballpark to be an anchor, is also in limbo with this decision.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Mahmoud Khalil, the green card holding legal permanent resident arrested by ICE on Saturday, and a group of other students are suing Columbia University, the universitys trustees, and a number of other officials, according to newly filed court records.The move is the latest episode in one of the most high profile immigration cases in the country, which could set a precedent for under what grounds the U.S. can deport legal residents who have not been charged with a crime. Authorities have previously said that Khalil was arrested because he led activities aligned to Hamas, without providing evidence for how Khalil was aligned with the terrorist organization, and he has not been charged with a crime.Specifically, the group is suing to stop Columbia University and Barnard College from producing all student or student-worker disciplinary records to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. The committee had demanded records relating to eleven incidents. This information likely involves the records of hundreds of students, and to enjoin the University from producing the requested documents or any other student records prior to a finding by this Court, the court records read.The Committees Letter is clearly intended to chill the protected speech of Universitys students through two primary means: (1) by exposing the students to negative publicity and investigation, pervasive and persistent harassment, doxing, and threats to their safety and lives, and (2) by compelling the University to discipline and punish students, including the four Plaintiffs, as well as to turn over those students (as well as faculty and staffs) private disciplinary records, it adds.The committees February letter includes sections such as Columbia Let Students Arrested in Hamilton Hall Off the Hook After Promising to Expel Them, and Numerous Antisemitic Incidents Have Taken Place at Columbia Since the Fall 2024 Semester Began. It then demands all the disciplinary records for the incidents, including the April 2024 takeover of Hamilton Hall and the obstruction of Columbias entrance and harassment of Jewish students in September 2024.The court record argues that Ultimately, the Committees Letter demands that the University violate its own contractual obligations to its students, as well as its obligations to protect student privacy under FERPA, and, in effect coerces the University to ignore the law by making oblique threats to the billions in federal funding the Universities receive.Columbia University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

2025-03-13T19:35:22Z More than 100 million people in the U.S. will be in the path of an intense March storm starting Friday as the sprawling multi-day system threatens fires, blizzards, tornadoes, and flooding as it tracks eastward across the Great Plains. Scientists said the storms strength and potential for far-reaching impacts is notable, but its timing isnt particularly unusual. Extreme weather can pop up in spring because storms feed on big temperature differences between the warmth thats starting to show up and the lingering chill of winter. If theres a time of the year where a storm like this can deliver these coast-to-coast impacts, we are in it, said Benjamin Reppert, meteorologist at Penn State University. The National Weather Service forecast strong winds stretching Friday from the Canadian border to the Rio Grande, with gusts up to 80 mph (130 kph), which creates a significant fire risk in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, a winter blast was expected farther north in parts of the Rockies and Northern Plains, with possible blizzard conditions in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The central region from the Gulf Coast to Wisconsin is at risk of severe thunderstorms that could spawn tornadoes and hail. On Saturday, severe storms are forecast to move toward Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and then into Florida. Potential flooding was a concern from the Central Gulf Coast through the upper Ohio Valley. The turbulent weather is expected to arrive on the East Coast Sunday with strong winds and a flash flooding risk in localized areas. Heavy rain was forecast along the Interstate 95 corridor south to Jacksonville, Florida. Reppert noted that temperatures in the upper atmosphere in much of the central and eastern U.S. are close to record levels for this time of year, while a cool air mass behind the storm in the western states is one of the coolest on record for that region and this time of year. He said that combination could be behind part of this storms expected strength. Russ Schumacher, a climatologist at Colorado State University, said the storm could become a bomb cyclone Friday afternoon or evening a designation given when a storm intensifies so rapidly that atmospheric pressure drops a certain amount in a 24-hour period. That would mean higher winds and more intense rainfall.In addition to fuel from big temperature swings, the storm will be shaped by the jet stream. In a fairly typical position for this time of year, its diving south across the U.S. and will help lift air and moisture into the atmosphere to fall back as rain.The storm also will tap into heat and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, also referred to as the Gulf of America as declared by President Donald Trump, which is 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 to 2.2 degrees Celsius) warmer than historic averages.You kind of have this Goldilocks situation, said Ryan Torn, professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany, referring to the mix of ingredients in the atmosphere that will add to the storms strength.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, right, appears in U.S. District Court in Boston, Friday, April 14, 2023. (Margaret Small via AP)2025-03-13T16:03:02Z BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) Jack Teixeira, the former Massachusetts Air National Guard member who caused an international uproar when he leaked highly classified documents about the war in Ukraine, pleaded guilty to military charges of obstructing justice at his court-martial Thursday. The plea agreement calls for dishonorable discharge and no confinement. The judge approved the plea agreement, but its not clear whether she will accept the plea agreement. His sentencing was expected to occur later Thursday afternoon.Teixeira was already sentenced last year to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act, following his arrest in the most consequential national security breach in years.Military prosecutors said before the court-martial at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts that charges of disobeying orders and obstructing justice were appropriate given that obeying orders is the absolute core of the military. Teixeiras lawyer, Lt. Col. Bradley Poronsky, argued Monday that the obstructing justice charge should either be dismissed or go unpunished, saying it amounts to double jeopardy because it already factored into Teixeiras November sentencing. A plea agreement was accepted by both sides that drops the disobeying orders charge. Teixeira pleaded guilty to the obstruction charge. The leaks exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of Russias war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine, and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. The leaked documents also revealed assessments of the defense capabilities of Taiwan and internal arguments in Britain, Egypt, Israel, South Korea and Japan. Teixeira also admitted posting information about a U.S. adversarys plans to harm U.S. forces serving overseas.Teixeira worked as an information technology specialist responsible for military communications networks. His lawyers described Teixeira as an autistic, isolated individual who spent most of his time online, especially with his Discord community, and never meant to harm the United States. MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

2025-03-13T21:25:31Z NEW YORK (AP) Columbia University says it has expelled or suspended some students who took over a campus building during pro-Palestinian protests last spring, and had temporarily revoked the diplomas of some students who have since graduated.In a campus-wide email sent Thursday, the university said its judicial board had issued its sanctions against dozens of students who occupied Hamilton Hall based on its evaluation of the severity of behaviors.The university did not provide a breakdown of how many students were expelled, suspended or had their degree revoked.The culmination of the monthslong investigative process comes as the universitys activist community is reeling from the arrest of a well-known campus activist, Mahmoud Khalil, by federal immigration authorities this past Saturday the first of many such arrests, according to President Donald Trump. At the same time, the Trump administration has stripped the university of more than $400 million in federal funds over what it describes as the colleges inaction against widespread campus antisemitism.The takeover of Hamilton Hall came on April 30, 2024, an escalation led by a smaller group of students of the tent encampment that had sprung up on Columbias campus against the war in Gaza. Students and their allies barricaded themselves inside the hall with furniture and padlocks in a major escalation of campus protests. At the request of university leaders, hundreds of officers with the New York Police Department stormed onto campus the following night. Officers carrying zip ties and riot shields poured in to the occupied building through a window and arrested dozens of people.At a court hearing in June, the Manhattan district attorneys office said it would not pursue criminal charges for 31 of the 46 people initially arrested on trespassing charges inside the administration building but all of the students still faced disciplinary hearings and possible expulsion from the university. The district attorneys office said at the time that they were dismissing charges against most of those arrested inside the building due in part to a lack of evidence tying them to specific acts of property damage and the fact that none of the students had criminal histories.More than a dozen of those arrested were offered deals that would have eventually led to the dismissal of their charges, but they refused them, protest organizers said, in a show of solidarity with those facing the most extreme repression. Most in that group were alumni, but two were current students, prosecutors said. JAKE OFFENHARTZ Offenhartz is a general assignment reporter in the New York City bureau of The Associated Press. twitter mailto

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen near sunset in Washington, Oct. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)2025-03-13T19:01:52Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow restrictions on birthright citizenship to partly take effect while legal fights play out.In emergency applications filed at the high court on Thursday, the administration asked the justices to narrow court orders entered by district judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington that blocked the order President Donald Trump signed shortly after beginning his second term.The order currently is blocked nationwide. Three federal appeals courts have rejected the administrations pleas, including one in Massachusetts on Tuesday. The order would deny citizenship to those born after Feb. 19 whose parents are in the country illegally. It also forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document or accepting any state document recognizing citizenship for such children. Roughly two dozen states, as well as several individuals and groups, have sued over the executive order, which they say violates the Constitutions 14th Amendment promise of citizenship to anyone born inside the United States. The Justice Department argues that individual judges lack the power to give nationwide effect to their rulings. The administration instead wants the justices to allow the Trumps plan to go into effect for everyone except the handful of people and group that sued, arguing that the states lack the legal right, or standing, to challenge the executive order. As a fallback, the administration asked at a minimum to be allowed to make public announcements about how they plan to carry out the policy if it eventually is allowed to take effect.Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris contends in her filing that Trumps order is constitutional because the 14th amendments citizenship clause, properly read, does not extend citizenship universally to everyone born in the United States. But the emergency appeal is not directly focused on the validity of the order. Instead, it raises an issue that has previously drawn criticism from some members of the court, the broad reach of orders issued by individual federal judges.In all, five conservative justices, a majority of the court, have raised concerns in the past about nationwide, or universal, injunctions.But the court has never ruled on the matter.The administration made a similar argument in Trumps first term, including in the Supreme Court fight over his ban on travel to the U.S. from several Muslim majority countries.The court eventually upheld Trumps policy, but did not take up the issue of nationwide injunctions.The problem has only gotten worse, Harris told the court on Thursday. Courts issued 15 orders blocking administration actions nationwide in February alone, compared to 14 such orders in the first three years of President Joe Bidens term, she wrote.The heightened pace of activity also reflects how quickly Trump has moved, less than two months in office, to fire thousands of federal workers, upend tens of billions of dollars in foreign and domestic aid, roll back the rights of transgender people and restrict birthright citizenship. 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

In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov as he visits military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)2025-03-13T20:09:07Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) As momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia, Ukraine has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip.The Ukrainian army stunned Russia in August by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land. It was a much-needed morale boost for Ukraine but more importantly, the countrys leaders believed the capture of Russian territory might help in any future peace negotiations with its enemy. Now, after months of intense pressure from Russian forces supported by troops from North Korea, Ukraine only holds about 30% of the Russian land it had seized and its forces are in retreat after a rapid near-defeat in the city of Sudzha. A damaged monument to Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin stands in a central square in Sudzha, Russia, on Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication. (AP Photo, File) A damaged monument to Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin stands in a central square in Sudzha, Russia, on Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication. (AP Photo, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The Ukrainian army on Thursday was trying to quickly build up defensive lines near the border to prevent Russia from turning its assault on Sudzha into a launchpad for advancing into northeastern Ukraine.Politically speaking, the retreat from large parts of Russias Kursk region could be a moment of reckoning for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his military advisers. The invasion of Kursk was intended to redirect Russian forces from inside Ukraine and the land gained was supposed to help Ukraine get back at least some of the 20% of its country taken by Russia since its full-scale invasion in February 2022 But many soldiers and commanders have long questioned whether it was worth diluting their forces available to defend Ukraine and those doubts only grew as the retreat from Kursk accelerated.Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he agrees in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but that the details still need to be worked out. Putin made the remarks just hours after the arrival of President Donald Trumps envoy in Moscow. In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a visit to military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP) In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a visit to military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The defeat in Sudzha caps months of struggle in KurskCombat is ongoing in the periphery of Sudzha as some Ukrainian soldiers try to fight their way out of Russias Kursk region back into the neighboring Sumy region of Ukraine.Ukrainian soldiers and commanders fear that Russias air superiority will enable them to wipe out the logistics routes vital to sustaining the soldiers who are still in Kursk. Russia has retaken control of about 70% of the territory Ukraine captured in the first weeks of its August incursion into Kursk, according to the Institute for the Study of War in Washington. In this image from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Nov. 7, 2024, Russian Army soldiers fight with Ukrainian Armed forces in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File) In this image from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Nov. 7, 2024, Russian Army soldiers fight with Ukrainian Armed forces in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More To flee the Kursk region, Ukrainian soldiers must walk dozens of kilometers to get back into Ukraine, while avoiding Russian forces. Some soldiers are angry that commanders did not order them to withdraw weeks ago, when it would have been safer to do so. Ukrainian soldiers ask: Was the invasion of Kursk worth it?Some of Ukraines military leaders believe the daring push into Russian territory was essential to preventing further Russian advances along the countrys northeast. And, by degrading and redirecting Russian forces, it enabled Ukraine to push back the enemy in the east for the first time since a successful counteroffensive in 2022.Other military leaders say the Kursk offensive whose political aim appears to have ultimately failed cost Ukraine some of its best units and most precious weapons. Relatives and friends attend a funeral for Ukrainian soldier Petro Velykiy, who was killed in a battle with the Russian troops in Russias Kursk region, during a ceremony in Chernyhiv, Ukraine, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov, File) Relatives and friends attend a funeral for Ukrainian soldier Petro Velykiy, who was killed in a battle with the Russian troops in Russias Kursk region, during a ceremony in Chernyhiv, Ukraine, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More After the fall of Sudzha the largest settlement in Kursk they controlled, with a pre-war population of 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers are pessimistic about their ability to hold what land they have left in the Russian region. And they recognize the political stakes of the defeat.I understand that the (Russian) side is delaying (ceasefire negotiations) until they reclaim Kursk, and only then they will talk, said one Ukrainian commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But we already, to put it mildly, will not have any levers of influence to return any of our territory.The Associated Press interviewed five soldiers and commanders, all of whom spoke anonymously, citing legal repercussions for talking about sensitive military matters. Russias use of North Korean soldiers changed the battlefieldSoldiers said their ability to hold Kursk began to deteriorate the moment soldiers from North Korea entered the battle late last year. As time went on, Pyongyangs troops only became more effective, Ukrainian soldiers said.When one Ukrainian drone operator spotted some 40 North Korean soldiers near a tree line a few weeks ago, he said he was amazed by the physical fitness of North Korean troops. Some were capable of quickly running long distances carrying heavy ammunition, he said. Ive never seen anything like that before, he said.Shortages of manpower, weaponry and ammunition also hampered Ukrainian soldiers, who said that they were outnumbered five to one, on average and ten to one in some areas. The last days in the battle for SudzhaOver the past three months, the Russians gradually wore down the Ukrainians. Under heavy air assault from the Russians, Ukrainian troops often had to carry on their backs for 20 or 30 kilometers (12 to 18 miles) reinforcements of ammunition, food and medical supplies. By the time they reach the positions, they are completely exhausted, a Ukrainian sergeant said. In this image from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Oct. 17, 2024, a Russian soldier fires a gun toward a Ukrainian position in the Russian-Ukrainian border area in the Kursk region, Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP, File) In this image from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Oct. 17, 2024, a Russian soldier fires a gun toward a Ukrainian position in the Russian-Ukrainian border area in the Kursk region, Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More It is unclear how the recent U.S. pause in intelligence sharing influenced the battle for Kursk. Russian forces seized an estimated 166 square kilometers (64 square miles) in Kursk between March 7 and March 10, a period that the pause was in effect.Also last week, several hundred Russian special forces launched a surprise attack from behind Ukraines defensive lines after crawling 15 kilometers through a natural gas pipeline.And in another instance, Ukrainian soldiers that had been positioned to the northwest of Sudzha, in Lebedivka, simply abandoned their positions, according to a Ukrainian drone operator.Everyone was leaving randomly, he said, so he eventually left, too. A withdrawal that came too lateTop army chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Wednesday he had ordered soldiers to withdraw to more advantageous positions in Kursk, saying preserving the lives of soldiers was his priority.But some soldiers said it should have happened sooner. One Ukrainian soldier said he and his comrades defied their company commanders orders, and made their own decision to retreat.Were sick and tired of sitting under fire all the time, said the soldier. Because all the main roads are being monitored by Russian drones, he said soldiers are withdrawing in small groups along tree lines to avoid detection. All the units that are left there, I dont know how they (the command) are going to get them out, because all supply chains have been disrupted, he said, referring to Sudzha and surrounding areas. The guys who came out said there were a lot of our dead bodies and a lot of burnt equipment.Russian forces are closing in on Ukrainian soldiers escape routes from the north and south of Sudzha.Ukraine still controls a sliver of territory in Kursk along the border with Sumy. Soldiers said attention has shifted to building up defenses along the border to prevent a Russian incursion into Ukrainian territory. Trenches are quickly being dug, but it is not clear if they will be enough.It depends on the power we have, one commander said. A destroyed Russian tank sits on a roadside near the town of Sudzha, Russia, in the Kursk region, on Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication. (AP Photo, File) A destroyed Russian tank sits on a roadside near the town of Sudzha, Russia, in the Kursk region, on Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication. (AP Photo, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___Associated Press journalist Hanna Arhirova contributed. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto

Sports writer and author John Feinstein poses in Washington, Feb. 28, 2006. (AP Photo Caleb Jones, file)2025-03-13T21:02:28Z WASHINGTON (AP) John Feinstein, one of the countrys foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, died unexpectedly Thursday. He was 69.Feinstein died of natural causes at his brothers home in McLean, Virginia. Robert Feinstein said he discovered Johns body.Feinstein was a full-time reporter for The Washington Post from 1977 to 1991 and a commentator for outlets such as NPR, ESPN and the Golf Channel. He remained with the Post as a contributing columnist, and he also hosted satellite radio programs on SiriusXM.He was very passionate about things, Robert Feinstein said. People either loved him or hated him and equally strongly.John Feinstein was working until the time of his death. He was in Washington this week to cover the Atlantic 10 Tournament, and he filed a column Wednesday for the Post on Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Feinstein was comfortable writing about an array of sports, but he was best-known for his connection to college basketball because of his groundbreaking book A Season on the Brink.Feinstein took a leave of absence from the Post in 1985 to embed with coach Bob Knights Indiana team, and the book highlighted the authors flair for the dramatic and ability to capture his subjects personalities.Knights reputation for having a hot temper was well-established by then, and Feinstein brought it to life. But Feinstein also effectively portrayed the personal relationships Knight had with his players, which could alternative between warm and abusive. He went on to write more than 40 books, including A Good Walk Spoiled (1995), about professional golf, and A Civil War (1996), about the Army-Navy football game. After that books publication, he worked for many years as a radio commentator for Navy football.The Ancient Eight, about Ivy League football, was published last year. Feinstein also wrote sports novels aimed at younger readers.Feinstein is survived by his wife, Christine, son Danny and daughters Brigid and Jayne, as well as Robert and his sister, Margaret.___AP Sports Writer Eric Olson in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report. HOWARD FENDRICH Fendrich is an Associated Press national writer based in Washington, D.C. He reports on tennis and other sports. twitter mailto

2025-03-14T01:42:17Z DENVER (AP) An American Airlines plane caught fire while sitting at a gate at Denver International Airport on Thursday, prompting slides to be deployed so passengers could evacuate quickly. An airport spokesperson told multiple news outlets that the plane was at gate C38 when the fire started Thursday afternoon. A photo posted by CBS News showed passengers standing on a planes wing as smoke surrounded the aircraft. No injuries were reported, and firefighters put out the blaze by the evening, the spokesperson said. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Specialist Philip Finale works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2025-03-13T20:07:39Z NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. stock market has just dropped 10% from its high set last month, hurt by worries about the economy and a global trade war.T he fall for the S&P 500 is steep enough that Wall Street has a name for it: a correction. Such drops have happened regularly for more than a century, and market pros often view them as potentially healthy wipeouts of overdone euphoria, which could send stock prices too high if unchecked. But corrections are frightening in the moment, particularly for every new generation of investors that gets into the market at a time when it seems like stocks only go up. The S&P 500 is coming off two straight years with gains of more than 20%. Such stellar gains left the market looking too expensive to critics, who pointed to how prices rose faster than corporate profits. Culling too-high enthusiasm among day traders is one thing. The larger fear always accompanying a correction is that it could be a warning sign of a coming bear market, which is what Wall Street calls a drop of at least 20%.Heres a look at what history shows about past corrections, and what market watchers are expecting going forward. Whats behind this correction?The U.S. stock market initially jumped after President Donald Trumps election in November on hopes hed bring lower taxes, less regulation for businesses and other policies that would drive corporate profits higher. All those gains have since disappeared, as Wall Street faces the potential downsides of Trumps White House for the economy.The president has been making announcements on tariffs at a dizzying pace, first placing them on trading partners, then exempting some and then doing it all over again. The tariffs could hit every country that trades with the United States, which would raise prices for U.S. households and businesses when high inflation has already proven stubborn to fully subdue. The fear is that tariffs could slow or even halt the solid growth the U.S. economy was showing when it ended 2024. Even if Trump ultimately goes forward with less painful tariffs, all the uncertainty around the will-he-or-wont-he rollout could prove damaging by freezing economic activity. Such concerns have shown up in the latest readings on consumer confidence, as well as companies forecasts for future profits. Trump himself has acknowledged his plans could affect the U.S. economys growth.All the uncertainty is also making things more complicated for the Federal Reserve, which had been cutting interest rates after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Cutting rates further would help the economy, but it could also put upward pressure on inflation. The brunt of this sell-off has also hit stocks that critics were saying looked the most expensive after running wild through the frenzy around artificial intelligence. Nvidia, for example, has already dropped roughly 14% in 2025 so far after surging more than 800% through 2023 and 2024.Most of the other big stocks in the Magnificent Seven that have dominated the market recently have also been lagging the rest of the S&P 500. Those seven stocks alone had accounted for more than half the S&P 500s total return last year. How often do corrections occur?Every couple years, on average. Even during the historic, nearly 11-year-long bull run for U.S. stocks from March 2009 to February 2020, the S&P 500 stumbled to five corrections, according to CFRA. Worries about everything from interest rates to trade wars to a European debt crisis caused the pullbacks. The U.S. markets last correction was in 2023, when the S&P 500 dropped 10.3% from the end of July into October. At the time, high Treasury yields were undercutting stock prices as traders accepted a new normal where the Fed would keep rates high for a while. But stocks would quickly turn higher as optimism revived that cuts to rates were on the horizon. The last correction that did graduate into a bear market was in 2022. Thats when the Fed first began cranking up interest rates to combat the worst inflation in generations. Worries rose that high rates would slow the economy enough to create a recession, one that ultimately never came. Through the 2022 bear market, the S&P 500 fell 25.4% from Jan. 3 to Oct. 12. What typically happens after a drop like this?Looking only at corrections since 1946 that managed to right themselves before turning into a bear market, the S&P 500 has taken an average of 133 days to hit bottom and lost an average of nearly 14% along the way, according to CFRA. The index has taken an average of 113 days to recoup its losses.For declines that become bear markets, the damage is much worse. Going back to 1929, the average bear market has taken an average of nearly 19 months to hit bottom and caused a loss of 38.5% for the S&P 500, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. How bad can a bear market be? On paper, an investor can lose most of their money. From late 1929 into the middle of 1932, the stock market fell a little more than 86%, for example. A bear market can also feel interminable: One lasted more than five years, from 1937 into 1942, where U.S. stocks lost 60%, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.In Japan, after the Nikkei 225 index set a record at the end of 1989, it sank and then took decades to fully recover. It wasnt until 2024 that it got back to that peak. The Japanese example is an outlier, though. In almost every case, investors would have made back all their losses from a downturn for U.S. stocks if they simply held on and didnt sell. That includes the 2000 dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 coronavirus collapse. What should we expect this time?No one knows. Some investors on Wall Street say they expect Trump to pull back on some policies if they prove to be too damaging, while others say the uncertainty alone is creating enough pain. The economy has given signals that its still relatively solid at the moment, including last months jobs report, but the outlook looks cloudier than usual given all the unknowns. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, center, answers questions about the investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa during a news conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)2025-03-14T00:23:10Z SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports especially photographs and police body-camera video related to the recent deaths of Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after their partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home last month.Authorities last week announced that Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from Alzheimers disease as much as a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease hantavirus pulmonary syndrome took the life of his 65-year-old wife. Hackmans pacemaker last showed signs of activity on Feb. 18, indicating an abnormal heart rhythm on the day he likely died. The couples bodies werent discovered until Feb. 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at the Santa Fe home and alerted police leaving a mystery for law enforcement and medical investigators to unravel. Julia Peters, a representative for the estate of Hackman and Arakawa, urged a state district court in Santa Fe to seal records in the cases to protect the familys right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution emphasizing the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media. The request, file Tuesday, also described the couples discrete lifestyle in Santa Fe since Hackmans retirement. The state capital city is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors. The couple lived an exemplary private life for over thirty years in Santa Fe, New Mexico and did not showcase their lifestyle, said the petition. New Mexicos open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of people who are deceased, said Amanda Lavin, legal director at the nonprofit New Mexico Foundation for Open Government. Some medical information also is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. At the same time, the bulk of death investigations by law enforcement and autopsy reports by medical investigators are typically considered public records under state law in the spirit of ensuring government transparency and accountability, she said.I do think it does infringe on transparency if the court were to prohibit release of all the investigation records, including the autopsies, Lavin said Thursday. The whole idea of those records being available is to ensure accountability in the way those investigations are done.There is also a public health concern given that hantavirus was involved, Lavin said.She said the preemptive request to prevent the release of government records on constitutional grounds is unusual.Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including The French Connection, Hoosiers and Superman from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.

A chain link fence protects a satellite station and other equipment behind the Bureau of Reclamation office Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)2025-03-14T04:04:31Z Federal agencies will begin to vacate hundreds of offices across the country this summer under a frenetic and error-riddled push by Elon Musks budget-cutting advisers to terminate leases that they say waste money.Musks Department of Government Efficiency maintains a list of canceled real estate leases on its website, but internal documents obtained by The Associated Press contain a crucial detail: when those cancellations are expected to take effect. The documents from inside the General Services Administration, the U.S. governments real estate manager, list dozens of federal office and building leases expected to end by June 30, with hundreds more slated over the coming months.The rapid pace of cancellations has raised alarms, with some agencies and lawmakers appealing to DOGE to exempt specific buildings. Several agencies are facing 20 or more lease cancellations in all, including the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey. Many of the terminations would affect agencies that arent as well-known but oversee services critical to many Americans. They span from a Boise, Idaho, office of the Bureau of Reclamation which oversees water supply and deals with disputes across the often-parched American West to a Joliet, Illinois, outpost of the Railroad Retirement Board, which provides benefits for railroad workers and their survivors. The lease terminations do not mean all the locations will close. In some cases, agencies may negotiate new leases to stay in place, downsize their existing space or relocate elsewhere.Some agencies are saying: Im not leaving. We cant leave, said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official who now represents building owners with government leases at Arco Real Estate Solutions. I think theres going to be a period of pushback, a period of disbelief. And then, if necessary, they may start working on the actual execution of a move. Errors add to confusionDOGE says GSA has notified landlords in recent weeks that it plans to terminate 793 leases, focusing mostly on those that can be ended within months without penalty. The group estimates those moves will save roughly $500 million over the terms of the leases, which in some cases were slated to continue into the 2030s. The Bureau of Reclamation cancellation in Boise, for instance, would take effect Aug. 31 and is expected to save a total of $18.7 million through 2035.But DOGEs savings estimates a fraction of Musks $1 trillion cost-cutting goal have not been verified and do not take into account the costs of moves and closures. The group has released no information about what they will mean for agencies.My initial reaction is this is just going to cause more chaos, said Jim Simpson, an accountant in Arizona who helps low-income people file taxes and serves on an IRS panel that advocates for taxpayers. Theres a lot of room to help with government efficiency, but it should be done surgically and not with a chainsaw. Simpson said he was surprised to learn that dozens of IRS offices, including local taxpayer assistance centers, were facing upcoming lease cancellations. He refers clients there to get paperwork to file returns and answer IRS inquiries, and he said losing services would cause a lot of anxiety and delay refunds.Plans to cancel the leases at several of the IRS centers and other sites were in error and have been rescinded, according to a person with direct knowledge of the changes who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity in order to avoid retaliation. Those changes are not yet reflected on DOGEs list, which only removed one and added dozens more in its latest update published Thursday.The GSA walked back the cancellation of a Geological Survey office in Anchorage, Alaska, for instance, after learning it did not have termination rights, according to the person familiar with the matter.Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Monday that hed convinced DOGE to back off lease terminations planned for the National Weather Center in Norman, a Social Security office in Lawton and the Indian Health Services office in Oklahoma City. But all three leases remained on DOGEs list of cancellations as of Thursday.GSAs press office didnt respond to inquiries. The real estate market is blindsidedWhile there was already a bipartisan push to reduce the governments real estate footprint, the mass cancellations blindsided an industry known for its stability.Landlords who had been expecting government agencies to remain tenants, for several more years in some cases under their existing leases, were stunned. Some agencies learned from building managers, not their federal partners, that their leases were being canceled, according to real estate managers.Becker, whose firm is tracking the DOGE lease cancellations, and other observers said they expect some agencies will be unable to move their personnel and property out of their spaces within such tight timelines. That may force some agencies to pay additional rent during whats known as a holdover period, undermining DOGEs stated goal of saving taxpayer money.The Building Owners and Managers Association, which represents the commercial real estate industry, told landlords in a recent advocacy alert to be prepared to seek payment from any federal government tenants who stay beyond their leases. Many affected agencies arent speaking upAsked about plans for buildings with leases that will soon expire, the IRS did not respond. A Social Security Administration spokesperson downplayed the impact of its offices losing leases, saying many were small remote hearing sites, did not serve the public, were already being consolidated elsewhere or planned for closure.Several other agencies provided little clarity saying they were working with GSA to consider their options, in statements that were nearly identical in some cases.But a spokesperson for the Railroad Retirement Board expressed concern over the upcoming lease cancellations of its offices in Joliet, Illinois, and eight other states, saying it was working to maintain a public-facing office presence for the local railroad community.Government Accountability Office official David Marroni told a congressional hearing last week that the push to unload unnecessary federal real estate was long overdue, saying agencies have for too long held on to unnecessary space. But he warned the downsizing must be deliberate and carefully planned to generate substantial savings and mitigate the risk of mistakes and unexpected mission impacts.That process had already started before Musks team arrived, with the federal governments real estate portfolio steadily declining over the last decade. Indeed, critics of DOGE say if it were truly interested in cost-cutting it could learn from GSA, whose mission even before Trump took office was to deliver effective and efficient services to the American public.A law signed by former President Joe Biden before he left office in January directed agencies to measure the true occupancy rates of leased spaces by this summer. Those that did not meet a target of 60% use rate over time would be directed to dispose of their excess space.There is a logical and orderly way to do this, Rep. Greg Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, said at last weeks hearing. Instead, he said, DOGE is pursuing a reckless approach that threatens to harm the delivery of public services.Industry observers cautioned that each situation is different, and it will take months or years to understand the full impact of the lease cancellations.It really depends on the terms. But it is a shock, there is no question, that all of a sudden, boom, in six weeks all these things have happened, said J. Reid Cummings, a professor of finance and real estate at the University of South Alabama. Its like a blitzkrieg.__Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa; Goodman reported from Miami; and Keller reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report. 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 JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER Keller works with reporters and editors to find stories in data and documents and contributes context to spot and breaking news stories for The Associated Press. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detain someone during an enforcement operation, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-03-14T04:02:42Z When a couple from Colombia who was planning their wedding showed up for a check-in with U.S. immigration authorities, one was given his next appointment date. The other was detained and deported.Jhojan doesnt know why Felipe was detained at the Feb. 5 appointment with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But Jhojan was so worried after Felipes deportation that he didnt show up for his next check-in a month later. Jhojan insisted The Associated Press withhold the couples last names, fearing retribution. He is among many people who now fear that once-routine immigration check-ins will be used as an opportunity to detain them. The appointments have become a source of anxiety as President Donald Trump presses ahead with a campaign of mass deportations and the number of people in ICE custody has reached its highest level since November 2019. The check-ins are how ICE keeps track of some people who are released by the government to pursue asylum or other immigration cases as they make their way through a backlogged court system. The government has not said how many people ICE has detained at such appointments or whether thats now standard practice, but immigration advocates and attorneys are concerned people might stop showing up, putting themselves further at risk of deportation. If you show up, theyll deport you. If you dont, theyll deport you, too, Jhojan, 23, told the AP this week. The U.S. government is saying littleICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, did not respond to repeated requests for comment about immigrants being detained at check-ins.With the federal government releasing little information, its hard to sort out facts from rumors as fears run rampant in many immigrant communities. However, Trump has made it a priority to deport anyone who is in the U.S. illegally, a sharp shift from his predecessor, Joe Biden, who focused only on immigrants who were deemed public safety or national security threats and people stopped at the border. ICE has arrested 32,809 people since Trump took office, a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said Wednesday during a call with reporters. About 47,600 people are in ICE detention, according to the ICE official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with guidance set by the administration.Its the first time in four years that ICE has arrested more people than Customs and Border Protection, indicating that more immigrants are being detained inside the U.S. than along its borders.Immigration check-insICE calls people in for appointments for several reasons, including issuing a court date. If an immigrant breaks the law during that time or a judge declines their appeal to stay in the U.S., ICE can detain and deport them. In Louisiana, ICE detained an immigrant last month who was asked to show up under the guise of being eligible for another program with less supervision, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, which declined to offer further details. ICE also has locked up some people it just recently deemed as likely to qualify for asylum and unlikely to flee authorities.John Torres, a former ICE acting director, said its hard to comment in detail without more information about each case. But, he added, the major reason those things take place is because something has changed in their status or somethings been discovered about their background. Some asylum-seekers have been targetedAn immigrant from Ecuador who is in his 20s is among the asylum-seekers who have been detained, according to attorney Rosa Barreca. It happened at the mans first check-in, on Feb. 3. The man had turned himself in to border agents after entering the U.S. illegally three weeks earlier. ICE officials at that time interviewed him and released him from custody, concluding he had a reasonable fear of persecution if he returned to his home country, according to Barreca. Releasing him suggested that ICE wasnt concerned he would flee. The fact that he didnt made it easier for ICE to jail him.The family called me surprised and in a panic, said Barreca, who runs a private practice in Philadelphia, where the mans family lives. When I asked the reason, he just said it is based on the executive orders and didnt specify anything further.He had no criminal convictions and no contact with police during his few weeks in the U.S., Barreca said, ruling out every red flag she can imagine. Lawyers are telling immigrants to prepare Lawyers cannot advise clients to simply skip the meetings, which would lead to deportation orders. Instead, advocates and lawyers urge immigrants to prepare for appointments and the possibility of detention. Theyre cautioning immigrants to note sudden changes in how their check-ins are conducted such as appointments that were always virtual instead being done in person.They are also encouraging immigrants to make emergency child care arrangements and to provide details of their cases with friends and family. That includes sharing a unique identification number that ICE uses to track people. Immigrant rights groups say people should bring someone, preferably an attorney, to ICE appointments.Advocates are also returning to a tactic from the first Trump administration by telling people to have a group of supporters walk them to their check-ins and wait outside. When people feel unsafe going to report, its setting everything up for failure, said Heidi Altman, vice president of policy at the National Immigration Law Center. It undermines the trust that people need to have.___Associated Press reporter Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed. CEDAR ATTANASIO Attanasio covers New York City for The Associated Press with a focus on immigration and the ocean. He uses remote sensing to support the APs global coverage. twitter instagram facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Soldiers from Belgium and Luxembourg line up as they prepare to board a military transport plane at Melsbroek Military Airport in Melsbroek, Belgium, July 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)2025-03-14T04:21:34Z BRUSSELS (AP) In the year after Russia launched outright war on Ukraine, NATO leaders approved a set of military plans designed to repel an invasion of Europe. It was the biggest shake-up of the alliances defense readiness preparations since the Cold War.The secret plans set out how Western allies would defend NATO territory from the Atlantic to the Arctic, through the Baltic region and Central Europe, down to the Mediterranean Sea. Up to 300,000 troops would move to its eastern flank within 30 days, many of them American. That would climb to 800,000 within six months.But the Trump administration warned last month that U.S. priorities lie elsewhere. Europe must take care of its own security, and those goals now seem questionable. Mustering just 30,000 European troops to police any future peace in Ukraine is proving a challenge. Billions of euros are being shifted to military budgets, but only slowly, and the Europeans are struggling to fire up production in their defense industries.Beyond funding, tens of thousands more European citizens might have to complete military service, and time is of the essence. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that Russian forces could be capable of launching an attack on European territory in 2030. Concerned about Russias intentions, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wants to introduce large-scale military training for every adult male, and double the size of Polands army to around 500,000 soldiers.If Ukraine loses the war or if it accepts the terms of peace, armistice or capitulation then, without a doubt and we can all agree on that Poland will find itself in a much more difficult geopolitical situation, Tusk warned lawmakers last week. The scale of Europes military personnel shortageThe Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that Europe, including the U.K., has almost 1.5 million active duty personnel. But many cant be deployed on a battlefield, and those who can are hard to use effectively without a centralized command system.The number of Russian troops in Ukraine at the end of 2024 was estimated to be around 700,000.NATO troops are controlled by a U.S. general, using American air transport and logistics.Analysts say that in the event of a Russian attack, NATOs top military officer would probably dispatch around 200,000 U.S. troops to Europe to build on the 100,000 U.S. military personnel already based there.With the Americans out of the picture, a realistic estimate may therefore be that an increase in European capacities equivalent to the fighting capacity of 300,000 U.S. troops is needed, the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank estimates.Europe faces a choice: either increase troop numbers significantly by more than 300,000 to make up for the fragmented nature of national militaries, or find ways to rapidly enhance military coordination, Bruegel said. The question is how. Making up the numbersNATO is encouraging countries to build up personnel numbers, but the trans-Atlantic alliance isnt telling them how to do it. Maintaining public support for the armed forces and for Ukraine is too important to risk by dictating choices.The way they go about it is intensely political, so we wouldnt prescribe any way of changing this whether to go for conscription, elective conscription, bigger reserves, a senior NATO official said on the condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to brief journalists unless he remained unnamed.We do stress the point that fighting with those regional plans means that we are in collective defense and likely in an attrition war that requires way more manpower than we currently have, or we designed our force models to deliver, he added.Eleven European countries have compulsory military service: Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and non-European Union nation Norway. The length of service ranges from as little as two months in Croatia to 19 months in Norway.Poland isnt considering a return to universal military service, but rather a reserve system based on the model in Switzerland, where every man is obliged to serve in the armed forces or an alternative civilian service. Women can volunteer.Belgiums new defense minister plans to write a letter in November to around 120,000 citizens who are age 18 to try to persuade at least 500 of them to sign up for voluntary military service. Debate about the issue goes on in the U.K. and Germany. Confronting the challengesGermanys professional armed forces had 181,174 active service personnel at the end of last year slightly lower than in 2023, according to a parliamentary report released Tuesday. That means its no closer to reaching a Defense Ministry target of 203,000 by 2031.Last year, 20,290 people started serving in the German military, or Bundeswehr, an 8% increase, the report said. But of the 18,810 who joined in 2023, more than a quarter 5,100 or 27% of the total left again, most at their own request during the six-month trial period.The German parliaments commissioner for the armed forces, Eva Hgl, said that army life is a hard sell.The biggest problem is boredom, Hgl said. If young people have nothing to do, if there isnt enough equipment and there arent enough trainers, if the rooms arent reasonably clean and orderly, that deters people and it makes the Bundeswehr unattractive.At the other end of the scale, tiny Luxembourg has unique demographic challenges. Of its roughly 630,000 passport holders, only 315,000 are Luxembourgers. The number of people of military service age 18 to 40 is smaller still.Around 1,000 people are enlisted. Thats small compared to some European powers, but bigger per capita than the U.K. armed forces. Recently, Luxembourg where unemployment is low and salaries are high has struggled to find just 200-300 military personnel.Military service comes with many challenges too, not least convincing someone to sign up when they might be sent to the front, and hastily trained conscripts cant replace a professional army. The draft also costs money. Extra staff, accommodation and trainers are needed throughout a conscripts term.___Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This satellite image from NOAA shows a March megastorm building across the United States, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (NOAA via AP)2025-03-14T04:06:54Z A huge storm system crossing the U.S. threatens to unleash tornadoes Friday in the Mississippi Valley, blizzards in the northern Plains and dry, gusty conditions in Texas and Oklahoma that pose an extreme risk of wildfires. The National Weather Service predicted extreme weather across a vast swath of the U.S. with a population exceeding 100 million people. Powerful winds gusting up to 80 mph (130 kph) were forecast from the Canadian line to the Rio Grande border with Mexico. Forecasters say the severe storm threat will continue into the weekend, with a moderate chance of tornadoes and damaging winds pushing farther south Saturday to areas including New Orleans and Birmingham, Alabama. Heavy rain could bring flash flooding to some parts of the East Coast on Sunday. Experts say its not unusual to see such weather extremes in March, when emerging spring warmth and lingering winter cold create big temperature differences for storms to thrive. If theres a time of the year where a storm like this can deliver these coast-to-coast impacts, we are in it, said Benjamin Reppert, a meteorologist at Penn State University. Tornadoes likely amid storm outbreakA regional outbreak of severe storms was expected Friday afternoon with some risk of thunderstorms extending from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. Forecasters said tornadoes, damaging winds and hail up to baseball-size were likely, with the greatest risk in eastern Missouri, much of Illinois and portions of Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. The weather services Storm Prediction Center said 17 million people faced an enhanced to moderate severe storm threat from Des Moines, Iowa, to Jackson, Mississippi.The tornado threat pushes farther south on Saturday into the Gulf Coast states, including New Orleans and other parts of eastern Louisiana and much of Mississippi and Alabama. Blizzards expected in Northern Plains Forecasters warned that heavy snow whipped by powerful winds are likely to make travel treacherous in parts of the Rockies and Northern Plains. Blizzard conditions were possible in the Dakotas and Minnesota.Winter storm warnings issued Thursday lingered into Friday morning in mountainous regions of Arizona and Utah, where more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snowfall was possible. Forecasters warned of poor visibility and icy road conditions, urging motorists to travel with extra food and water in case they became stranded.The winter blast continued after snowfall of up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) blanketed the Sierra Nevada earlier in the week. Dry, gusty conditions bring extreme threat of wildfiresWarm, dry weather and sustained winds of up to 45 mph (72 kph) brought what the weather service called near historic conditions for sparking wildfires Friday to the Southern Plains and parts of the Southwest. Wind gusts exceeding 80 mph (128 kph) were possible. Forecasters shared a bit of advice during a special briefing: For those stuck on the roads, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and watch for fallen trees, power lines and other debris. They said the strong winds would be kicking up plenty of dust and that brownout conditions were possible. This is likely to be the worst dust storm so far this year, said Randall Hergert, a lead forecaster with the weather service in Albuquerque. Forecasters also warned about an extreme risk of fires in parts of northern Texas, much of Oklahoma and southeast Kansas. A broader area where the fire threat was designated as critical stretched from eastern New Mexico into Texas and north to a portion of southern Iowa.The weather service said a potential for dry thunderstorms in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas carry the added risk of fires being started by lightning with minimal rainfall to stop them from spreading.

People gather to collect water in Khartoum, Sudan, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File)2025-03-14T05:01:36Z JERUSALEM (AP) The U.S. and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for resettling Palestinians uprooted from the Gaza Strip under President Donald Trumps proposed postwar plan, American and Israeli officials say.The contacts with Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland reflect the determination by the U.S. and Israel to press ahead with a plan that has been widely condemned and raised serious legal and moral issues. Because all three places are poor, and in some cases wracked by violence, the proposal also casts doubt on Trumps stated goal of resettling Gazas Palestinians in a beautiful area.Officials from Sudan said they have rejected overtures from the U.S., while officials from Somalia and Somaliland told The Associated Press that they were not aware of any contacts. The family of Fatima Al-Absi share Iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of Ramadan in their damaged apartment in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) The family of Fatima Al-Absi share Iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of Ramadan in their damaged apartment in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Under Trumps plan, Gazas more than 2 million people would be permanently sent elsewhere. He has proposed the U.S. would take ownership of the territory, oversee a lengthy cleanup process and develop it as a real estate project. The idea of a mass transfer of Palestinians was once considered a fantasy of Israels ultranationalist fringe. But since Trump presented the idea at a White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed it as a bold vision. Palestinians in Gaza have rejected the proposal and dismiss Israeli claims that the departures would be voluntary. Arab nations have expressed vehement opposition and offered an alternative reconstruction plan that would leave the Palestinians in place. Rights groups have said forcing or pressuring the Palestinians to leave could be a potential war crime.Still, the White House says Trump stands by his vision. President Donald Trump meets with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a secret diplomatic initiative, U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed the contacts with Somalia and Somaliland, while the Americans confirmed Sudan as well. They said it was unclear how much progress the efforts made or at what level the discussions took place. Separate outreach from the U.S. and Israel to the three potential destinations began last month, days after Trump floated the Gaza plan alongside Netanyahu, according to the U.S. officials, who said that Israel was taking the lead in the discussions.Israel and the U.S. have a variety of incentives financial, diplomatic and security to offer these potential partners. It is a formula that Trump used five years ago when he brokered the Abraham Accords a series of mutually beneficial diplomatic accords between Israel and four Arab countries. The White House declined to comment on the outreach efforts. The offices of Netanyahu and Ron Dermer, the Israeli Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant who has been leading Israels postwar planning, also had no comment. But Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a longtime advocate of what he calls voluntary emigration of Palestinians, said this week that Israel is working to identify countries to take in Palestinians. He also said Israel is preparing a very large emigration department within its Defense Ministry. Here is a closer look at the places the officials say have been approached.SudanThe North African country was among the four Abraham Accord nations that agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.As part of the deal, the U.S. removed Sudan from its list of state supporters of terrorism, a move that gave the country access to international loans and global legitimacy. But relations with Israel never took off as Sudan plunged into civil war between government forces and the RSF paramilitary group.The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the U.N. and rights groups. The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, and then-President Joe Bidens administration in January said the RSF and its proxies were committing genocide. The U.S. and Israel would be hard-pressed to persuade Palestinians to leave Gaza, particularly to such a troubled country. But they could offer incentives to the Khartoum government, including debt relief, weapons, technology and diplomatic support. A woman and child relax next to a mural of Somaliland's flag, in Hargeisa, Somaliland, a semi-autonomous breakaway region of Somalia, on Feb. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File) A woman and child relax next to a mural of Somaliland's flag, in Hargeisa, Somaliland, a semi-autonomous breakaway region of Somalia, on Feb. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People gather to collect water in Khartoum, Sudan, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File) People gather to collect water in Khartoum, Sudan, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Two Sudanese officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter, confirmed that the Trump administration has approached the military-led government about accepting Palestinians. One of them said the contacts began even before Trumps inauguration with offers of military assistance against the RSF, assistance with postwar reconstruction and other incentives.Both officials said the Sudanese government rejected the idea. This suggestion was immediately rebuffed, said one official. No one opened this matter again.Military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan told an Arab leaders summit last week in Cairo that his country categorically rejects any plan that aims to transfer the brotherly Palestinians from their land under whatever justification or name. SomalilandSomaliland, a territory of over 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, seceded from Somalia over 30 years ago, but it is not internationally recognized as an independent state. Somalia considers Somaliland part of its territory.Somalilands new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has made international recognition a priority.An American official involved in the efforts confirmed that the U.S. was having a quiet conversation with Somaliland about a range of areas where they can be helpful to the U.S. in exchange for recognition.The possibility of U.S. recognition could provide an incentive for Abdullahi to back away from the territorys solidarity with the Palestinians.The United Arab Emirates, another Abraham Accord country that has developed strong ties with Israel, once had a military base in Somaliland and maintains commercial interests there, including a port. The territorys strategic location, in the Gulf of Aden waterway near Yemen, home to the Houthi rebel group, could also make it a valuable ally.Over the years, Somaliland has been lauded for its relatively stable political environment, contrasting sharply with Somalias ongoing struggles amid deadly attacks by al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. Since 1991, Somaliland has maintained its own government, currency and security structures. Still, it has one of the lowest income levels in the world.An official in Somaliland, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said his government has not been approached and is not in talks about taking in Palestinians. Palestinians hang decorations next to their destroyed homes in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Palestinians hang decorations next to their destroyed homes in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More SomaliaSomalia has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinians, often hosting peaceful protests on its streets in support of them. The country joined the recent Arab summit that rejected Trumps plan and seems like an unlikely destination for Palestinians, even if they did agree to move.Sambu Chepkorir, a lawyer and conflict researcher in Nairobi, Kenya, said it is difficult to understand why Somalia would want to host Palestinians given the countrys strong support for Palestinian self-rule.The realignments keep changing, and so maybe there is a hidden agenda in why Somalia, Chepkorir said.A Somali official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the country had not been approached about taking in Palestinians from Gaza and there had been no discussions about it.___Lee reported from Washington, and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, and Sam Mednick in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is on the Columbia University campus in New York at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, file)2025-03-14T06:23:58Z NEW YORK (AP) Handcuffed and shackled, Mahmoud Khalil was rushed from New York to Louisiana last weekend in a manner that left the outspoken Columbia University graduate student feeling like he was being kidnapped, his lawyers wrote in an updated lawsuit seeking his immediate release.The lawyers described in detail what happened to the Palestinian activist as he was flown to Louisiana by agents he said never identified themselves. Once there, he was left to sleep in a bunker with no pillow or blanket as top U.S. officials cheered the effort to deport a man his lawyers say sometimes became the public face of student protests on Columbias campus against Israels military actions in Gaza.The filing late Thursday in Manhattan federal court was the result of a federal judges Wednesday order that they finally be allowed to speak with Khalil. The lawyers said his treatment by federal authorities from Saturday, when he was first arrested, to Monday reminded Khalil of when he left Syria shortly after the forced disappearance of his friends there during a period of arbitrary detention in 2013. Throughout this process, Mr. Khalil felt as though he was being kidnapped, the lawyers wrote of his treatment.Earlier this week, President Donald Trump heralded Khalils arrest as the first of many to come, vowing on social media to deport students he said engage in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity. In court papers, lawyers for the Justice Department said Kahlil was detained under a law allowing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to remove someone from the country if he has reasonable grounds to believe their presence or activities would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.Trump and Rubio were added as defendants in the civil lawsuit seeking to free Khalil.The government attorneys asked a judge to toss out the lawsuit or transfer it to New Jersey or Louisiana, saying jurisdiction belongs in the locations where Khalil has been held since his detention. According to the lawsuit, Khalil repeatedly asked to speak to a lawyer after the U.S. permanent resident with no criminal history was snatched by federal agents as he and his wife were returning to Columbias residential housing, where they lived, after dinner at a friends home.Confronted by agents for the Department of Homeland Security, Khalil briefly telephoned his lawyer before he was taken to FBI headquarters in lower Manhattan, the lawsuit said.It was there that Khalil saw an agent approach another agent and say, the White House is requesting an update, the lawyers wrote.At some point early Sunday, Khalil was taken, handcuffed and shackled, to the Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a privately-run facility where he spent the night in a cold waiting room for processing, his request for a blanket denied, the lawsuit said.When he reached the front of the line for processing, he was told his processing would not occur after all because he was being transported by immigration authorities, it said. Put in a van, Khalil noticed that one of the agents received a text message instructing that Khalil was not to use his phone, the lawsuit said.At 2:45 p.m. Sunday, he was put on an American Airlines flight from Kennedy International Airport to Dallas, where he was put on a second flight to Alexandria, Louisiana. He arrived at 1 a.m. Monday and a police car took him to the Louisiana Detention Facility in Jena, Louisiana, it said.At the facility, he now worries about his pregnant wife and is also very concerned about missing the birth of his first child, the lawsuit said.In April, Khalil was to begin a job and receive health benefits that the couple was counting on to cover costs related to the birth and care of the child, it added.It is very important to Mr. Khalil to be able to continue his protected political speech, advocating and protesting for the rights of Palestinians both domestically and abroad, the lawsuit said, noting that Khalil was planning to speak on a panel at the upcoming premiere in Copenhagen, Denmark, of a documentary in which he is featured. At a hearing Wednesday, Khalils attorneys said they had not been allowed any attorney-client-protected communications with Khalil since his arrest and had been told they could speak to him in 10 days. Judge Jesse M. Furman ordered that at least one conversation be permitted on Wednesday and Thursday.

2025-03-14T07:17:13Z TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Representatives of China, Russia and Iran called Friday for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue.The talks are the latest attempt to broach the matter and come after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Irans supreme leader in an attempt to jumpstart talks. The letter, which hasnt been published, was offered as Trump levied new sanctions on Iran as part of his maximum pressure campaign that holds out the possibility of military action while emphasizing he still believed a new deal could be reached. The three nations who met Friday morning emphasized the necessity of terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions, Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu read from a joint statement, flanked by Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Irans Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The three countries reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect remains the only viable and practical option in this regard, Ma read. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to meet with the representatives later in the day.Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has mocked Trump, saying he wasnt interested in talks with a bullying government, although Iranian officials have offered conflicting signals over the possibility of negotiations. Trump sent a letter to Khamenei in 2019 with no apparent effect on rising tensions. China and Russia are both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with France and Britain, that took part in the original 2015 Iran nuclear deal preliminary framework agreement alongside Germany and the European Union. Trump withdrew America from the accord in 2018, setting in motion years of attacks and tensions in the wider Middle East. China and Russia have particularly close relations with Iran through energy deals and Iran has provided Russia with bomb-carrying drones in its war against Ukraine. They are also seen as sharing a joint interest in diminishing the role of the U.S. and other liberal democracies in determining world events in favor of their own highly authoritarian systems. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60%, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Irans program put its stockpile at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds) as it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity.While Iran has maintained it wont negotiate under duress, its economy has been savaged by the U.S. sanctions. Protests over womens rights, the economy and Irans theocracy in recent years have shaken its government.China has sought to become more involved in Middle Eastern affairs and a year ago hosted talks leading to the full restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. ___Associated Press journalist Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters as Republicans work to pass an interim spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies funded through September, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-03-14T04:05:07Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate finds itself on Friday in a familiar position, working to avoid a partial government shutdown with just hours to spare as Democrats confront two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no and letting a funding lapse ensue.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration about the options before them, but late Thursday made clear he will not allow a government shutdown. His move gives Democrats room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to come up for a vote as soon as Friday.A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward. While the CR still is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse, Schumer said.Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so theyve resorted to passing short-term extensions instead. The legislation before the Senate marks the third such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over. The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion. The Republican-led House passed the spending bill on Tuesday and then adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and others used their floor time Thursday to make the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Democrats.Democrats need to decide if theyre going to support funding legislation that came over from the House, or if theyre going to shut down the government, Thune said when opening the chamber. Progressive groups urged Democratic lawmakers to insist on the 30-day extension and oppose the spending bill, saying business as usual must not continue while Trump and ally Elon Musk dismantle critical agencies and programs.But Schumer said Trump would seize more power during a shutdown, because it would give the administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired.A shutdown would give Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state and the country, Schumer said.Democrats have been critical of the funding levels in the bill. They note that both defense and non-defense spending is lower than what was agreed to nearly two years ago when Congress passed legislation lifting the debt ceiling in return for spending restraints. But they are even more worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. Many Democrats are referring to the measure as a blank check for Trump.Spending bills typically come with specific funding directives for key programs, but hundreds of those directives fall away under the continuing resolution passed by the House. So the administration will have more leeway to decide where the money goes.For example, a Democratic memo said the bill would allow the administration to steer money away from combating fentanyl and instead use it on mass deportation initiatives. At the Army Corps of Engineers, funding levels for more than 1,000 projects to enhance commerce, flood control and healthy ecosystems would be determined by the administration rather than Congress.Democrats also object to the treatment of the District of Columbia, as the bill effectively repeals its current year budget and forces it to go back to the prior years levels, even though the district raises most of its own money. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the district would have to cut spending by $1.1 billion over just a few months. Democrats also object to clawing back $20 billion in special IRS funding, on top of the $20 billion rescission approved the year before. The changes essentially cut in half the funding boost that Congress intended to give the agency through legislation passed by Democrats during Joe Bidens presidency.The spending bill before the Senate is separate from the GOP effort to extend tax cuts for individuals passed in Trumps first term and to pay for those with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.That second package will be developed in the months ahead, but it was clearly part of the political calculus Democrats were considering as they argued against the six-month extension. Both efforts are designed to help the well-off at the expense of other Americans, they said. Youre looking at a one-two punch, a very bad CR, then a reconciliation bill coming down, which will be the final kick in the teeth for the American people, said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the Democratic arguments were hypocritical because they were essentially calling for shutting down the government to protect the government.Democrats are fighting to withhold the paychecks of air traffic controllers, our troops, federal custodial staff, Cotton said. They cant be serious.

Mehmet Oz speaks during a campaign rally in Pennsburg, Pa., Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)2025-03-14T04:05:56Z WASHINGTON (AP) Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trumps pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Friday morning. The 64-year-old was a respected heart surgeon who turned into a popular TV pitchman. Now he has his sights on overseeing health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. Republicans, who have coalesced around Trumps nominees for the health agencies, are likely to ask Oz about his plans for Medicare and Medicaid, including the Trump administrations focus on eliminating fraud from the $1 trillion programs. Democrats, meanwhile, will question Ozs tax filings, which they say show he has used a tax code loophole to underpay taxes by thousands of dollars on Medicare, the program hell oversee. They will also grill Oz on any cuts he would make to the health insurance coverage as well as comments on his TV show supporting privatized Medicare. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has done an extensive review of Ozs finances, spokesman Christopher Krepich said in a statement about Ozs taxes. He added that the office has indicated any potential conflicts have been resolved and he is in compliance with the law. Oz has hawked everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on his former TV series, The Dr. Oz Show, which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune. Ozs net worth is between $98 million and $332 million, according to an analysis of the disclosure, which lists asset values in ranges but does not give precise dollar figures. His most recent disclosure shows he also holds millions of dollars worth of shares in health insurance, fertility, pharmaceutical and vitamin companies. He has promised to divest from dozens of companies that would pose conflicts for him as the CMS administrator. In the job, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S. because he can make decisions about who and what are covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Ozs hearing comes as the Trump administration seeks to finalize leadership posts for the nations top health agencies. On Thursday, Senate committees voted to advance the nominations of Marty Makary, poised to lead the Food and Drug Administration, and Jay Bhattacharya, set to helm the National Institutes for Health, for a full Senate vote. The nomination of Dave Weldon to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was abruptly withdrawn Thursday. Those men have all leaned into Robert F. Kennedy Jr. s call to Make America Healthy Again, a controversial effort to redesign the nations food supply, reject vaccine mandates and cast doubt on some long-established scientific research. Americans need better research on healthy lifestyle choices from unbiased scientists, Oz wrote late last year in a social media post praising Kennedys nomination to be the nations health secretary. This isnt Ozs first time testifying before senators. In 2014, several senators scolded him during a hearing about the questionable weight loss products he hawked on his television show. ___AP Health Writer Tom Murphy contributed to this report from Indianapolis. AMANDA SEITZ Seitz is an Associated Press reporter covering federal health care policy. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani, left, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, center, and Roki Sasaki, right, pose for photographs during the official Press conference Friday, March 14, 2025, in Tokyo, as the Dodgers play their MLB opening games against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome next week. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2025-03-14T09:02:19Z TOKYO (AP) Its only two games to start the Major League Baseball season the World Series-champion Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome.For the record, the MLB regular season consists of almost 2,500 games.But its much more for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was born in Japan. And for Shohei Ohtani and the four other Japanese players competing at home for the Dodgers and Cubs.Then theres MLB, which opens its regular season for the second straight year in the Asian market. A year ago it was Seoul, South Korea, where the Dodgers and San Diego Padres split two games. It was also where the betting scandal broke around Ohtanis interpreter.Its hard to tell if this is the golden age for Japanese players in the United States, Ohtani said Friday, speaking through an interpreter, as both teams trained at the Tokyo Dome. I know theres been a lot of Japanese players that came before me, Ohtani added. But having five (Japanese players) is a big deal. Its truly a big deal.Asked what he was most looking forward to, Ohtani replied: Eating good food, getting over the jetlag, and just being able to enjoy playing the game. Roberts back in JapanIts a homecoming for Roberts, who was born on Japans southern island of Okinawa to a Japanese mother and an American father. Hes expecting relatives to attend from Okinawa, where last year he was honored by officials there.For me its personal because I get to represent my moms side of the family, Roberts said. I have a lot of relatives and family that can watch this baseball game watch a Dodgers game at night instead of having to watch us in the morning.The time difference between Japan and the American east coast is 13 hours, and Japan is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles.Japan is Dodgers country, swept away by Ohtani, the World Series title, and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. They are expected to be the Dodgers starters against the Cubs I think our mission was accomplished painting the counry of Japan in Dodgers blue, Roberts said.Yamamoto and Ohtani talked about the joy of being home, as did Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki, the likely DH. Imanaga is expected to start against Yamamoto in the first game.I hope my teammates are really enjoying Japan right now, Ohtani said. But also I hope the fans get to see my teammates enjoying Japan.Ohtani says pitching on trackOhtani was reminded that he has not thrown a bullpen session in several weeks as he hopes to return to pitching after missing out last season following elbow surgery.I want to prioritize the hitting aspect as were getting into the season, to give a little breather mentally and physically to the pitching side of thing, he said. This is according to plan and Im pleased with how things have been going. Sasaki with something to proveFor Sasaki, its different. The 23-year-old signed with the Dodgers two months ago and needs to prove himself, though many feel hes a cant-miss prospect.I literally was in Japan until a couple of months ago, he said through an interpreter. For me its more about being able to pitch in a different uniform on a differnt team and make sure I do perform at my best.Sasaki met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday in his office and gave him an autographed Dodgers cap. He was accompanied by Dodgers owner Mark Walter.Im truly happy that the Dodgers are opening the season in Japan, Japanese media reported Ishiba as saying.Cubs party with Imanaga and SuzukiCubs manager Craig Counsell talked about a party thrown Thursday by Imanaga and Suzuki to welcome the other Cubs to Japan. For most its the first visit. What impressed Counsell was a large tuna that was carved up in a ceremony at the party. Sashimi and sushi for all.We had tuna cut open, Counsell said. Some of the players participated in that, which was scary for a second with players with knives in their hands. But other than that it was great.Counsell said the trip to Japan was about kizuna, which is the Japanese word for bonding. Hes obviously been schooled by his Japanese players.That started for our team last night with the great party and being able to be together, Counsell said.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb STEPHEN WADE Wade has written about sports and the politics of sports around the globe for The Associated Press. He has covered nine Olympics and five soccer World Cups and has been based for AP in Madrid, London, Beijing, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, before moving to Tokyo. twitter mailto

Jessie Holmes (15), of Alabama, mushes down Fourth Street during the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman, File)2025-03-14T11:19:54Z JERUSALEM (AP) Hamas said Friday it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual-national hostages who died in captivity.Hamas did not immediately specify when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur, and other countries party to the agreement did not immediately confirm the Hamas statement.The statement comes as talks continue in Doha to try to broker the next stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the first phase of which ended two weeks ago.In a separate statement, Hamas official Husam Badran reaffirmed what he said was Hamas commitment to fully implementing the ceasefire agreement in all its phases, warning that any Israeli deviation from the terms would return negotiations to square one.Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire. Hamas wants to start negotiations on the ceasefires more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington is photographed early in the morning, May 14, 2013. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)2025-03-14T11:04:50Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is set to visit the Justice Department on Friday to rally support for his administrations tough-on-crime agenda, an appearance expected to double as a victory lap after he emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions that were dismissed after his election win last fall.Im going to set out my vision, the Republican president said Thursday about the purpose for a visit the White House is billing as historic. The venue selection for the speech underscores Trumps keen interest in the department and desire to exert influence over it following criminal investigations that shadowed his first four years in office and subsequent campaign. The visit, the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade, brings him into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by installing loyalists and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions. Although theres some precedent for presidents to speak to the Justice Department workforce from the buildings ceremonial Great Hall, Trumps trip two months into his second term is particularly striking. Thats because of his unique status as a onetime criminal defendant indicted by the agency he is now poised to address and because his remarks are likely to feature an airing of grievances over his exposure to the criminal justice system including an FBI search in 2022 of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for classified documents. Trumps visit also comes at a time when Attorney General Pam Bondi has asserted that the department needs to be depoliticized even as critics assert agency leadership is injecting politics into the decision-making process. President Trump will visit the Department of Justice to give remarks on restoring law and order, removing violent criminals from our communities, and ending the weaponization of justice against Americans for their political leanings, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. The relationship between presidents and Justice Department leaders has waxed and waned over the decades depending on the personalities of the officeholders and the sensitivity of the investigations that have dominated the day. The dynamic between President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and his attorney general, Merrick Garland, was known to be fraught in part because of special counsel investigations that Garland oversaw into Bidens mishandling of classified information and into the firearms and tax affairs of his son Hunter.When it comes to setting its agenda, the Justice Department historically takes a cue from the White House but looks to maintain its independence on individual criminal investigations.Trump has upended such norms. He encouraged specific investigations during his first term and tried to engineer the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 campaign. He also endured difficult relationships with his first two handpicked attorneys general Jeff Sessions was fired immediately after the 2018 midterm election, and William Barr resigned weeks after publicly disputing Trumps bogus claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Arriving for a second term in January fresh off a landmark Supreme Court opinion that reaffirmed a presidents unshakable control of the Justice Department, Trump has appeared determined to clear from his path any potential obstacles, including by appointing Bondi a former Florida attorney general who was part of Trumps defense team at his first impeachment trial and Kash Patel, another close ally, to serve as his FBI director.At her January confirmation hearing, Bondi appeared to endorse Trumps false claims of mass voter fraud in 2020 by refusing to answer directly whether Trump had lost to Biden. She also echoed his position that he had been unfairly targeted by the Justice Department despite the wealth of evidence prosecutors say they amassed. She regularly praises him in Fox News Channel appearances and proudly noted that she had removed portraits of Biden, Garland and Vice President Kamala Harris from a Justice Department wall upon arriving. We all adore Donald Trump, and we want to protect him and fight for his agenda. And the people of America overwhelmingly elected him for his agenda, Bondi said in a recent Fox interview with Trumps daughter-in-law Lara Trump.Even before Bondi had been confirmed, the Justice Department fired department employees who served on special counsel Jack Smiths team, which charged Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020 election and with hoarding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Both cases were dismissed last November in line with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting sitting presidents. Officials also demanded from the FBI lists of thousands of employees who worked on investigations into the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, when a mob of Trumps supporters stormed the building in an effort to halt the certification of the electoral vote, and fired prosecutors who had participated in the cases. And theyve ordered the dismissal of a criminal case against New York Mayor Eric Adams by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrats ability to partner in the Republican administrations fight against illegal immigration.Leavitt is one of three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.___Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.___Follow the APs coverage of President Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department and the special counsel cases against former President Donald Trump. twitter mailto ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto

A homeless woman smokes fentanyl in a park June 28, 2024, in downtown Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)2025-03-14T12:04:19Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate was preparing Friday to give final approval to a bill that could result in harsher prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers as both Republicans and Democrats seek to show they can act to rein in distribution of the deadly drug.The bill has already passed the House and has picked up Democratic support in the Senate, showing many in the party are eager to clamp down on fentanyl distribution following an election in which Republican Donald Trump harped on the problem. House Republicans passed a similar bill in 2023 with dozens of Democrats joining in support, but it languished in the Democratic-held Senate. Critics say the proposal repeats the mistakes of the so-called war on drugs, which imprisoned millions of people addicted to drugs, particularly Black Americans.Now, with Republicans in control of the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune has prioritized the legislation, making it one of the early bills to send to Trump for his signature. The president has indicated he will sign it. Thune said this week the legislation gives law enforcement a critical tool to go after the criminals bringing this poison into our country and selling it on our streets. Called the HALT Fentanyl Act, the bill would permanently place all copycat versions of fentanyl alterations of the drug that are often sold by traffickers on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations list of most dangerous drugs, known as Schedule 1. The drugs had already been temporarily placed on the list since 2018, but that designation was set to expire at the end of the month. The move would mean an increase in criminal convictions for distributing fentanyl-related substances, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The legislation also seeks to make it easier to research the drugs.The bill passed the House last month with 98 Democrats and every Republican except Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky in support. In the Senate, a majority of Democrats have supported the push to bring it to final passage. Law enforcement groups have also supported the bill. This is bipartisan because, frankly, fentanyl is a bipartisan problem, said Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who has sponsored the bill.Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have found agreement on trying to halt the flow of fentanyl into the United States, where it is blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths every year. Trump has said that halting the illicit flow of fentanyl is one of the top goals of his on-again-off-again tariff threats against Mexico, Canada and China.But some progressive Democrats said the bill was missing an opportunity to tackle root causes of addiction or to focus on stopping the drug from entering the U.S.Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement that support for the bill was enabling a political stunt at the expense of real solutions.The bill will do little to actually solve the fentanyl crisis but will make it harder to research addiction and overdose reversal medication, disrupt communities and families by incarcerating rather than treating addiction, and divert resources from methods that work to disrupt the flow of fentanyl in the United States to strategies from the outdated War-on-Drugs solutions that do not work, Markey added.The average prison sentence for those convicted of trafficking fentanyl-related drugs was seven years and three months in 2023, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Almost 60% of those convicted were Black, 23% were Hispanic and 16% were white. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Jessie Holmes (15), of Alabama, mushes down Fourth Street during the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman, File)2025-03-14T11:07:04Z NOME, Alaska (AP) Jessie Holmes, a former reality television star, won the longest-ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday.Holmes was first to the finish line in the Gold Rush town of Nome, on the Bering Sea coast. The race began March 3 in Fairbanks after a lack of snow forced changes to the route and starting point.That made the normally 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) race a staggering 1,129 miles (1,817 kilometers) across the Alaska wilderness. Holmes finished in 10 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes and 41 seconds.Its hard to put into words, but its a magical feeling, Holmes said shortly after crossing the finish line. Its not about this moment now. Its about all those moments along the trail.Holmes, who was competing for the eighth time, previously finished in the top 10 five times, including third last year and in 2022. In his first Iditarod, in 2018, his seventh-place finish earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Born and raised in Alabama, Holmes left at age 18 and worked as a carpenter in Montana for three years. He arrived in Alaska in 2004 and found adventure running dogs on a remote location of the Yukon River.Its been a truly amazing 10 days and I soaked in every part of it the lows, the highs, the in-betweens. ... Im really proud of these dogs and I love them. And they did it. They deserve all the credit, Holmes said.Holmes now lives in Nenana, where he works as a carpenter and lives a subsistence lifestyle. From 2015 through 2023, he was a cast member of Life Below Zero, a National Geographic program that documents the struggles of Alaskans living in remote parts of the state. Besides the lack of snow north of the Alaska Range that forced the change of starting point to Fairbanks, race organizers also had to make changes to the ceremonial start in Anchorage.With snow trucked in to cover streets in the states largest city, the usual parade route there was shortened from 11 miles to under 2 miles (from about 18 kilometers to under 3.2 kilometers), and the number of dogs was reduced. Only 33 mushers started in Fairbanks, tied with 2023 for the smallest field ever. The drop in participants has raised concerns about the viability of the race, which has had to contend with inflation, climate change and pressure from animal rights groups.One dog died in this years Iditarod: a pregnant female on the team of musher Daniel Klein, who under race rules scratched due to the death.Nearly a third of the mushers quit early, including eight who scratched and two who were withdrawn for not being competitive.

An Iranian woman, without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, walks in downtown Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)2025-03-14T09:01:02Z GENEVA (AP) Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance and the public to inform on women refusing to wear the countrys mandatory headscarf in public, even as hard-liners push for harsher penalties for those protesting the law, a United Nations report released Friday found.The findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran come after it determined last year that the countrys theocracy was responsible for the physical violence that led to the death of Mahsa Amini. Her death led to nationwide protests against the countrys mandatory hijab laws and the public disobedience against them that continues even today, despite the threat of violent arrest and imprisonment. Two and a half years after the protests began in September 2022, women and girls in Iran continue to face systematic discrimination, in law and in practice, that permeates all aspects of their lives, particularly with respect to the enforcement of the mandatory hijab, the report said. The state is increasingly reliant on state-sponsored vigilantism in an apparent effort to enlist businesses and private individuals in hijab compliance, portraying it as a civic responsibility. Irans mission to the U.N. in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the findings of the 20-page report. Drones, surveillance cameras monitor womenIn it, U.N. investigators outline how Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance. Among the efforts include Iranian officials deploying aerial drone surveillance to monitor women in public places. At Tehrans Amirkabir University, authorities installed facial recognition software at its entrance gate to also find women not wearing the hijab, it said. Surveillance cameras on Irans major roadways also are believed to be involved in searching for uncovered women. U.N. investigators said they obtained the Nazer mobile phone app offered by Iranian police, which allows the public to report on uncovered women in vehicles, including ambulances, buses, metro cars and taxis. Users may add the location, date, time and the license plate number of the vehicle in which the alleged mandatory hijab infraction occurred, which then flags the vehicle online, alerting the police, the report said. It then triggers a text message (in real-time) to the registered owner of the vehicle, warning them that they had been found in violation of the mandatory hijab laws, and that their vehicles would be impounded for ignoring these warnings.Those text messages have led to dangerous situations. In July 2024, police officers shot and paralyzed a woman who activists say had received such a message and was fleeing a checkpoint near the Caspian Sea. Tensions remain after 2022 death of Mahsa AminiAminis death sparked months of protests and a security crackdown that killed more than 500 people and led to the detention of more than 22,000. After the mass demonstrations, police dialed down enforcement of hijab laws, but it ramped up again in April 2024 under what authorities called the Noor or Light Plan. At least 618 women have been arrested under the Noor Plan, the U.N. investigators said, citing a local human rights activist group in Iran. Meanwhile, Iran executed at least 938 people last year, a threefold increase from 2021, the U.N. said. While many were convicted of drug charges, the report said the executions indicate a nexus with the overall repression of dissent in this period. As Iran continues its crackdown over the hijab, it also faces an economic crisis over U.S. sanctions due to its rapidly advancing nuclear program. While U.S. President Donald Trump has called for new negotiations, Iran has yet to respond to a letter he sent to its 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Social unrest, coupled with the economic woes, remain a concern for Irans theocracy. ___Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 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 JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a senate inquiry on the so-called war on drugs during his administration at the Philippine Senate Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)2025-03-14T08:56:40Z THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to make his first appearance before judges of the International Criminal Court on Friday, days after his stunning arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to the deadly war on drugs he oversaw while in office.The 79-year-old Duterte, the first Asian former leader arrested on an ICC warrant, will be read his rights and formally informed of the charges of crimes against humanity that the courts prosecutors filed against him after a lengthy investigation.Estimates of the death toll during Dutertes presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported up to the 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.The court will also seek to set a date for a key pre-trial hearing likely months from now at which judges will assess whether there is enough evidence to proceed to a full trial, which could take years. If Duterte is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Duterte was arrested Tuesday amid chaotic scenes in the Philippine capital after returning from a visit to Hong Kong. He was swiftly put on a chartered jet and flown to the Netherlands. After a series of medical checks on arrival, he was taken to the courts detention center, located behind the high brick walls of a Dutch prison complex close to the North Sea coastline. Prosecutors accuse him of involvement as an indirect co-perpetrator in multiple murders, amounting to a crime against humanity for allegedly overseeing killings from November 2011 until March 2019, first while he was mayor of the southern city of Davao and later as president of the Philippines. Duterte will not be required to formally enter a plea at Fridays hearing.According to the prosecution request for his arrest, as Davao mayor Duterte issued orders to police and other hitmen who formed so-called Davao Death Squads or DDS. He told them that their mission was to kill criminals, including drug dealers, and provided clearance for specific DDS killings, prosecutors allege, adding that he recruited, paid and rewarded the killers and provided them with the necessary weapons and resources, and promised to shield them from prosecution.The document seeking an ICC warrant for Duterte said that prosecutors built their case using evidence including witness testimony, speeches by Duterte himself, government documents and video footage.Human rights groups and victims families have hailed Dutertes arrest as a historic triumph against state impunity, while the former presidents supporters have slammed what they call the governments surrender of a rival to a court whose jurisdiction they dispute.We are happy and we feel relieved, said 55-year-old Melinda Abion Lafuente, mother of 22-year-old Angelo Lafuente, who she said was tortured and killed in 2016.Dutertes appearance before the ICC is a testament to the courage and determination of the victims, their families, and Filipino activists and journalists to pursue justice no matter how long it takes, said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Other leaders facing ICC arrest warrants, like Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, should take note that even those who seem untouchable today can end up in The Hague. Dutertes legal team said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s administration should not have allowed the global court to take custody of the former leader because the Philippines is no longer a party to the ICC.Our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen even a former president at that to foreign powers, Vice President Sara Duterte, the ex-presidents daughter and a political rival of the current president, said Tuesday before her father was flown out of Manila.Judges who approved Dutertes arrest warrant said the court has jurisdiction because the crimes alleged in the warrant were committed before Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the court in 2019.___Joe Gomez, Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-14T14:17:03Z WASHINGTON (AP) More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trumps campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students.The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after issuing a memo warning Americas schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over race-based preferences in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life.Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. We will not yield on this commitment.Most of the new inquiries are focused on colleges partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world. Department officials said that the group limits eligibility based on race and that colleges that partner with it are engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs. The group of 45 colleges facing scrutiny over ties to the PhD Project include major public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A message sent to the PhD Project was not immediately returned.Six other colleges are being investigated for awarding impermissible race-based scholarships, the department said, and another is accused of running a program that segregates students on the basis of race. Those seven are: Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, the New England College of Optometry, the University of Alabama, the University of Minnesota, the University of South Florida and the University of Tulsa School of Medicine. The department did not say which of the seven was being investigated for allegations of segregation.The Feb. 14 memo from Trumps Republican administration was a sweeping expansion of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that barred colleges from using race as a factor in admissions.___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.447 words COLLIN BINKLEY Binkley covers the U.S. Education Department and federal education policy for The Associated Press, along with a wide range of issues from K-12 through higher education. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at a civilian hospital following a Russian drone attack in Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)2025-03-14T11:05:22Z Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, asking him to convey Moscows thoughts to Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.Putin asked Witkoff late Thursday to give additional messages to U.S. President Donald Trump, Peskov told reporters, after the Russian leader said at a news conference that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed.Trump said the U.S. held very good and productive discussions with Putin the day before. In a post on his Truth Social site Friday morning, Trump said that there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end, adding that Ukrainian troops are surrounded by the Russian military. Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russias full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the truce proposal. Russias army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin likely will be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire while he feels he has an advantage. The Russian army, backed by North Korean troops, are now close to completely driving Ukrainian forces from their foothold in Russias Kursk border region in what would be a major setback for Kyiv. A possible phone call between Putin and Trump to settle outstanding ceasefire issues could be arranged after Witkoff delivers the messages in Washington, Peskov said. There is an understanding on both sides that such a call is needed, Peskov said. There are certainly some grounds for cautious optimism, Peskov said of the ceasefire proposal. A lot still needs to be done, but the president has shown solidarity with President Trumps position.U.S. officials have said Washington was set to discuss technical issues related to a possible ceasefire next week. Given the range of issues on the table, and the sharp differences between what Moscow and Kyiv want, it could potentially take weeks or months for the guns to fall silent. Trump vowed during his election campaign to settle the war in 24 hours, but in January he changed that timeframe, voicing hope that peace could be negotiated in six months.Putins apparently amicable tone toward the White House reflects the remarkable shift in U.S. relations with Russia and Ukraine since Trump returned to office in January. Former President Joe Biden had sought to isolate Putin.Trump has threatened both Russia and Ukraine with punitive measures if they dont engage with his peace efforts.Trump briefly cut off critical military aid and intelligence sharing in an apparent effort to push Kyiv to enter talks on ending the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a tense meeting at the White House on Feb. 28 in which Trump questioned whether Ukraine wanted to halt the war.Trump has raised the possibility of tightening sanctions on Russia, though his administration has also repeatedly embraced Kremlin positions on the conflict, including indicating that Ukraines hopes of joining NATO are unlikely to be realized and that it probably will not get back the land that Russias army occupies, which amounts to nearly 20% of the country. Meanwhile, Russian air defenses downed four Ukrainian drones attacking the Russian capital early Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. One damaged the roof of an apartment building a few kilometers (miles) from the Kremlin. Several other buildings were lightly damaged by drone fragments, but there were no injuries, according to emergency officials.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

A shaft of light shines into a bedroom in Belle, W.Va., on Nov. 11, 2013. (Craig Cunningham/The Daily Mail via AP, File)2025-03-14T14:03:01Z Chances are, if youre reading this, you got some sleep last night. But are you feeling rested?Experts say its an important question to consider. Most of us spend a third of our lives sleeping, but you may need more or less than eight hours a night. Heres what sleep scientists and doctors say about how much you really need and whether your gender plays a role.Sleep quality over quantitySleep is still a mystery, despite how critical it is for our health.The reasons arent entirely clear, but its an essential thing that we all do, said Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist at Stanford University. Something remarkable happens when you sleep. Its the most natural form of self-care that we have.Most of the population gets between seven to nine hours and that particular category has the lowest association with health problems, said Molly Atwood, a behavioral sleep medicine clinician at Johns Hopkins. Once people either dip into less than six hours of sleep or get more than nine hours on average, the risk of health problems inches up, Atwood said, but everybody is different. When youre trying to figure out how much sleep you need, its important to think about the quality of it, Pelayo said: What you really want to do is wake up feeling refreshed thats what its about.If somebody tells me that they sleep many hours but they wake up tired, something is wrong, Pelayo said. You shouldnt leave your favorite restaurant feeling hungry. How much sleep we need changesThe amount of sleep we need changes throughout our lives. Newborns need the most somewhere between 14 to 17 hours. Definitely when were babies and children, because we are growing so rapidly, we do need a lot more sleep, Atwood said.The National Sleep Foundation recommends most adults between 26 and 64 get between seven to nine hours of sleep. People who are 65 and older can get slightly less, and young adults between ages 16 and 25 can get slightly more. Humans cycle through sleep stages roughly every 90 minutes. In the first portion of the night, Atwood said that more of the cycle is slow wave sleep, or deep sleep, which is essential to repairing and restoring the body. Its also when growth hormone is released. In the latter hours of the night, more of the sleep cycle is spent in rapid-eye movement sleep, or dream sleep, which is important for learning and memory consolidation, or the process in which short-term memory gets turned into long-term memory. Kids get more deep sleep, with about 50% of the night in that realm, she said. That drops at adolescence, Atwood said, because our body doesnt need the same kind of repair and restoration.Something else interesting happens around puberty: Gender-based differences in sleep start to crop up. Do women need more sleep than men?Research doesnt show that women need more sleep but women do get slightly more sleep on average than men, Atwood said.It starts at a young age. Though they have the same sleep needs, teenage girls seem to get less sleep than teenage boys, Pelayo said. Additionally, teenage girls tend to complain of insomnia more frequently.When women become first-time mothers, they often care for newborns throughout the night more frequently, which means less sleep, said Allison Harvey, a clinical psychologist and professor who studies sleep at UC Berkeley.Hormones may also impact womens sleep quantity and quality during pregnancy and menopause.With menopause in particular, women can develop deterioration in their sleep with an increased number and duration of nighttime awakenings, said Dr. Mithri Junna, a Mayo Clinic neurologist who specializes in sleep. Atwood said women may also need more sleep right before their menstrual cycle.There are definitely times that your bodys telling you that you need more sleep, she said. Its important to listen.When to seek help sleepingYoull know if youre not getting enough sleep if youre feeling grumpy, irritable and inattentive. Long-term, those minor symptoms can become serious problems even deadly.If youre not getting enough sleep or you have untreated insomnia or sleep apnea, your risk of depression increases, Atwood said. Your risk of cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure, risk of heart attack and stroke increases. Your immune system is compromised. Youre at greater risk for Alzheimers. If youre getting the recommended amount of sleep every night but still waking up feeling tired, you might consider going to your primary care physician. They can rule out other health conditions that may affect your sleep, Atwood said. But if problems persist, seeking out a sleep specialist could be helpful.___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. DEVNA BOSE Bose is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Jackson, Mississippi. She covers hospitals, rural health access and disparities, public health funding and other topics that broadly intersect with the health of communities. twitter mailto