Lady Gaga is bringing Mayhem to Rio de Janeiro this May with a highly anticipated free concert on the iconic Copacabana Beach. Set for May 3, 2025, the concert will be open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis and promises to be a monumental event in the singers career. The concert will also be broadcast live on Multishow and TV Globo starting at 9 p.m. BRT. Fans who cant attend inSource

President Donald Trump speaks at the Governors Working Session in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-02-21T19:37:21Z President Donald Trump sparred with Maines Democratic governor during a meeting of governors at the White House on Friday, with Gov. Janet Mills telling the Republican president, Well see you in court, over his push to deny federal funding to the state over transgender athletes.Trump told the governor he looked forward to it and predicted the end of her political career for opposing his order. Later Friday, the U.S. Department of Education said it was initiating an investigation into the Maine Department of Education over the inclusion of transgender athletes.The confrontation during the meeting came after Mills and Trump had traded barbs over the last 24 hours regarding his push to bar transgender athletes from playing in girls and womens sports. The confrontation in the State Dining Room was an unusual breach of the typically courteous interactions that lawmakers, even of opposing parties, have historically shared at the White House. The back-and-forth came in the middle of the presidents remarks welcoming the nations governors to the White House. As he was speaking about an executive order he signed earlier this month on transgender athletes, he sought out Mills in the room after singling her out a day earlier in remarks to the Republican Governors Association. Is Maine here, the governor of Maine? he asked.Im here, she replied.Are you not going to comply with it? he asked. Im complying with state and federal laws, Mills replied.Trump responded, We are the federal law. He again threatened the states federal funding and said Maine may be a Democratic state but its residents largely agree with him on this issue.Were going to follow the law, she said.Youd better comply, Trump warned. Otherwise, youre not getting any federal funding.Well see you in court, the governor replied.Good, Ill see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one, Trump said. And enjoy your life after governor because I dont think youll be in elected politics. Trump made a similar funding threat Thursday night as he spoke to a group of Republican governors. He said that he heard men are still playing in Maine and that he would pull funding because of it.So were not going to give them any federal funding. None whatsoever, until they clean that up, Trump said.The Maine Principals Association, which governs high school sports in the state, said earlier this month that it would continue to allow transgender female athletes to compete. The associations executive director, Mike Burnham, said it would follow the Maine Human Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on gender identity.The U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights said in a letter sent later Friday to the commissioner of the state Department of Education that it was launching an investigation amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls interscholastic athletics, which it called a violation of federal antidiscrimination law. The U.S. Department of Educations statement said state laws do not override federal antidiscrimination laws. If the state wants to continue to receive federal funds from the education department, it must follow Title IX, said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights with the education department, in a statement.Mills said she would work with the attorney general to defend the state in court, but she predicted that Maine would not be the last state Trump tried to target.I imagine that the outcome of this politically directed investigation is all but predetermined, she said in a statement. She added: But do not be misled: this is not just about who can compete on the athletic field, this is about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.Earlier Friday, Mills and Maines Democratic attorney general, Aaron Frey, pushed back against Trumps comments the night before. Mills said the state will not be intimidated by Trumps threats.If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of Federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides, Mills said in a statement before the confrontation with Trump.Frey said he would defend Maines laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us. The order Trump signed earlier this month gives federal agencies wide latitude to make sure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administrations view, which interprets sex as the gender someone was assigned at birth.The federal government could penalize organizations such as schools or athletic associations that do not comply, possibly by pulling funding such as grants to educational programs. ___Price reported from New York. Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine. Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price is a national political reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto PATRICK WHITTLE Whittle is an Associated Press reporter based in Portland, Maine. He focuses on the environment and oceans. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This image made from video provided by Hawaii News Now shows Gordon Cordeiro in court on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, in Wailuku, Hawaii. (Hawaii News Now via AP)2025-02-22T00:25:59Z HONOLULU (AP) A judge on Friday ordered the release of a Hawaii man who was imprisoned for 30 years for a murder he has long said he didnt commit. New evidence, including DNA test results, would likely change the results of another trial against Gordon Cordeiro, Judge Kirstin Hamman ruled Friday in vacating his convictions and life sentence. There were gasps and cries in the courtroom when Hamman said, And the judgement and sentence is vacated and the defendant is ordered to be released from custody, before a Zoom feed broadcasting the hearing suddenly turned off. In 1994, a man was murdered on Maui during a drug deal robbery. Cordeiro would eventually be found guilty of murder, robbery and attempted murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The Hawaii Innocence Project took up his case and during a hearing earlier this week argued Cordeiro must be released on the grounds of new evidence proving his innocence, ineffectiveness of his previous attorney and prosecutorial misconduct. Maui County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin didnt immediately return a phone message seeking comment after the judge ordered Cordeiros release. Kenneth Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, said he was waiting for Cordeiro, now 51, to be processed and released from custody after the hearing. It was very, very emotional. He cried, we all cried, Lawson said. He believed that he was going to be exonerated ... but having gone through two trials you lose faith in the justice system. To finally hear a judge say Im vacating your convictions, thats when it hit him. According to court documents filed by Cordeiros attorneys, he was wrongfully convicted for the shooting death of Timothy Blaisdell partly because police relied upon four jailhouse informants. They say those informants were motivated by promises of reduced sentences and concocted a fabricated murder-for-hire plot. The plot, they say, claimed Cordeiro tried to arrange the killing of the man who tried to pin the death on Cordeiro due to a previous dispute. Unfortunately for Cordeiro, the States use of incentivized jailhouse informants and their fabricated evidence and testimony about the murder-for-hire plots, was enough to convince a jury of his guilt in his second trial, the Hawaii Innocence Project said in a court filing.The first trial against Cordeiro ended in a hung jury, with only one juror voting to convict him. Cordeiro had several alibi for the day Blaisdell was killed, his attorneys said: The then 22-year-old was at home with his parents and sisters, spending the day building a shelving unit in his familys open-air garage and installing a stereo in his sisters car. He was nowhere near the area known as Skid Row in upcountry Maui where Blaisdell was killed. Blaisdell had gone to Skid Row with a man named Michael Freitas, where Blaisdell planned to buy a pound of marijuana with $800 in cash, according to court documents. Blaisdells body was found at the bottom of a ravine there. Freitas kept changing his story, Cordeiros attorneys said, and shifted the blame onto Cordeiro, a friend he falsely believed had snitched on him in an unrelated drug case. After Cordeiros conviction, new testing on physical evidence from the scene excluded Cordeiro as the source of DNA on Blaisdells body and other crime scene evidence, and found there was a DNA profile of an unidentified person on the inside pockets of Blaisdells jeans, the Hawaii Innocence Project said.Cordeiros attorneys believe Freitas set up Blaisdell to get robbed and was involved in his killing. Freitas died in 2020, Lawson said. The judge agreed that the new DNA evidence and new information about gunshot residue would change the results of a later trial. The police botched this case from the beginning and turned the No. 1 suspect into the states star witness, resulting in a 30-plus-year nightmare and miscarriage of justice for Gordon and his family, Lawson said.

JENNIE is ramping up the excitement for the release of her highly anticipated debut solo album Ruby with the release of a new single, ExtraL, featuring Grammy winner Doechii. The track, which dropped on Friday, February 21, showcases the BLACKPINK stars versatility and confidence, blending bold lyrics with an empowering beat. The catchy chorus of ExtraL sees the two artists declaringSource

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has publicly opposed granting the Menendez Brothers a new trial, a position that has drawn criticism from actor Cooper Koch, who portrayed Erik Menendez in the Netflix series Monsters. The case revolves around Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, Jos and Mary Menendez. The brothers have long maintained thatSource

In this undated and unknown location photo released by the Department of Homeland Security shows Border Patrol Agent David Maland posing with a service dog. (Department of Homeland Security via AP, File)2025-02-22T05:10:55Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A U.S. Border Patrol agent whose killing in Vermont during a traffic stop near the Canadian border has been tied to a cultlike group is scheduled to be buried with full military honors Saturday at a national cemetery. David Maland, 44, died Jan. 20 during the stop on Interstate 91 in Conventry, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of the border with Canada. The driver of the stopped car is accused of opening fire on Maland and other agents, sparking a shootout that left her companion dead. Both belonged to a group called the Zizians that may be linked to six deaths in three states, investigators said. Maland, who went by Chris, is to be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. A native of Minnesota, he served in the Air Force and the State Department before joining the Border Patrol. Chris was a loving son, brother, uncle, fiance and dedicated colleague, his family said in a statement released late Friday. His kind heart and fighting soul made him a warm and inviting person to be around and pillar of strength for his country. We love you, Chris. Youll live in our hearts forever. In the Air Force, Maland was responsible for protecting bases, personnel and property. In 2001, he worked security duty at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11 attacks, his family said.He received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among other honors, according to his obituary. Maland was a K-9 handler at the State Department and at his Border Patrol job in Vermont. He first joined the Border Patrol in Texas. He will be remembered for his courage and commitment to protecting fellow Americans, Minnesota state Rep. Krista Knudsen, Malands cousin, said on the House floor last month. He is also a person who served faithfully with honor and bravery. He always put his service above himself.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second left, meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, third left, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, left, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, second right, at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday Feb. 18, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)2025-02-22T01:30:38Z UNITED NATIONS (AP) The United States has proposed a draft U.N. resolution that stops far short of a competing European-backed statement demanding an immediate withdrawal of all of Moscows forces from Ukraine.Both are timed to the third anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which falls on Monday, when the U.N. General Assembly will vote on the nonbinding resolutions.It sets up a clash between the United States and Europe as the strength of the transatlantic alliance has been called into question over the Trump administrations extraordinary turnaround on Russia, opening negotiations with Moscow after years of isolation as the U.S. looks to broker a rapid end to the war. European leaders were dismayed that their officials and those from Ukraine werent invited to preliminary U.S.-Russia talks this week in Saudi Arabia.The very short U.S. draft resolution offers mourning for the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict and implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told U.N. reporters about the U.S. resolution, Its a good move. Russia also suggested an amendment, seeking to add the phrase including by addressing its root causes so the final line of the U.S. resolution reads, implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. By contrast, the draft resolution from the European Union and Ukraine refers to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and recalls the need to implement all previous assembly resolutions adopted in response to the aggression against Ukraine.It singles out the assemblys demand that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and its demand to immediate halt all hostilities. The General Assembly has become the most important U.N. body dealing with Ukraine because the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed by Russias veto power.There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, but its resolutions are not legally binding unlike Security Council actions. Nonetheless, assembly resolutions are closely watched as a barometer of world opinion.The dueling resolutions come as President Donald Trump has falsely blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for allowing the war to start and describing him as a dictator who better move fast to negotiate an end to the war or risk not having a nation to lead. Zelenskyy responded by saying Trump was living in a Russian-made disinformation space.

President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2025-02-22T05:21:54Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) As Ukraine approached the three-year mark of Russias full-scale invasion, the countrys hoped-for path to a favorable and lasting peace was upended in a matter of days by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.Kyiv had benefited from years of staunch support by its allies in the United States and Europe which had provided crucial military and financial support to help defend against Moscows grinding incursions.But when Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week undoing years of U.S. policy to isolate the Russian leader over his aggression it was taken as a signal in Kyiv and other European capitals that their alliance to contain Moscow was fraying.Heres a timeline of events: Wednesday, Feb. 12On their 90-minute call, Trump and Putin agreed to begin negotiations to end the war, a move that was met with jubilation in Russia but which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned would be very dangerous " if Ukraine were excluded from talks. Although Trump spoke to Zelenskyy immediately after the Putin call, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that day that NATO membership for Ukraine, something Kyiv believes would protect the country and Europe from future Russian attacks, was unrealistic. He suggested Ukraine should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back, a perspective that is remarkably close to Moscows. The breakneck speed of Trumps transformation of U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia left many war-weary Ukrainians feeling that they were being left out of the conversation on their future, and fearing that a deal forced by Washington and Moscow would result in lost territory and vulnerability to future Russian aggression. Friday, Feb. 14European leaders had their first chance to meet with members of the new Trump administration at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where they hoped to gain clarity on Trumps approach to the war. But leaders were stunned as senior U.S. officials including Vice President JD Vance lambasted European nations, gave mixed signals on support for Kyiv and suggested Europe would not be at the table for negotiations on Ukraine.During highly anticipated talks between Vance and Zelenskyy in Munich, the Ukrainian leader told Vance that his country needed security guarantees as a precondition for engaging in any talks with Moscow to end the war. Zelenskyy also said hed ordered his ministers not to sign off on a proposed agreement to give the United States access to Ukraines rare earth minerals, a key part of his talks with Vance. Ukrainian officials said the U.S. proposal did not offer any specific security guarantees in return for access to Ukraines vast reserves of critical minerals that are used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. A senior White House official described Zelenskyys refusal as short-sighted. Sunday, Feb. 16On the final day of the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron began rallying European leaders to fortify their support for Ukraine, with his foreign minister announcing an emergency working meeting in Paris to assess the continents next steps. Meanwhile, amid concerns that U.S. support for Kyiv was faltering, a group of European countries was quietly working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to help enforce any future peace settlement with Russia. Tuesday, Feb. 18U.S. and Russian officials met for talks in Saudi Arabias capital, sidestepping Kyiv and its European backers. The two countries agreed to work together to end the war in Ukraine and to improve diplomatic and economic ties, an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy.Yet the three U.S. principals at the meeting in Riyadh Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Trumps special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff maintained that the four-hour discussion was aimed mainly at assessing Russias seriousness about wanting a peace deal.All three said publicly that no specific proposals had been put on the table, and that it remained to be seen if the Russians were willing to negotiate in good faith. They also rejected assertions that either Ukraine or the Europeans were being excluded, noting that although they werent present in Riyadh, Trump, Vance and Rubio had all spoken with both Zelenskyy and European officials who would be involved if and when peace talks actually start. Zelenskyy dismissed the talks, saying they would yield no results in the absence of Ukrainian participation. He postponed a plan to visit Riyadh the next day to avoid any linkage of his trip with the U.S.-Russia meeting.Trump showed little patience for Kyivs objections to being sidelined in Riyadh, and ramped up inflammatory rhetoric that caused anger and alarm in Ukraine and seemed to contradict the assurances that Rubio, Waltz and Witkoff had endeavored to provide. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump made the jarring suggestion that Ukraine itself was responsible for starting the war that has cost tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives, and criticized Zelenksyy for Ukraine delaying elections because of the invasion, in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution. Wednesday, Feb. 19Trumps comments, and a Wednesday post on social media that called Zelenskyy a dictator, led to Zelenskyy saying that some of the presidents claims were disinformation that originated in Russia, and that he would like Trumps team to be more truthful. Trump, Zelenskyy said, is living in a Russian-made disinformation space.As relations between the two leaders eroded, one thing remained on the horizon that some observers thought could serve to lower the temperature on the disagreements between Washington and Kyiv: Trumps special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, arrived in Ukraines capital by train Wednesday morning for discussions with Zelenskyy and other officials. Kellogg has long been Trumps top adviser on defense issues. He was due to speak with Zelenskyy about Trumps efforts to end the war, and the Ukrainian leader had previously said he looked forward to explaining what was happening in Ukraine to Kellogg and accompanying him to see the front line. Thursday, Feb. 20A news conference that was set to follow a meeting between Zelenskyy and Kellogg was abruptly cancelled at the request of the U.S. delegation. Friday, Feb. 21In a complimentary gesture that stood in stark contrast with the tone of the preceding days, Kellogg wrote on X that hed had a long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine.He said hed had positive discussions with the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war and his talented national security team. Still, Trump continued to lay into Zelenskyy, grumbling that a visit to Kyiv last week by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was a wasted trip after the Ukrainian side declined to agree to a U.S. proposal to procure profits on rare earth minerals. At the same time, Waltz, Trumps national security adviser, expressed confidence that Zelenskyy would seal a rare earths deal. Heres the bottom line. President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, Waltz said.Trump, speaking to The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News radio, also dismissed Zelenskyys complaints about not being included in the Saudi talks. He voiced certainty that Putin wanted to strike a deal. He doesnt have to make a deal, Trump said of Putin. Because if he wanted, he would get the whole country.___Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. ___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, right, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-02-22T03:37:27Z WASHINGTON (AP) The White House and Ukraine have made significant progress toward reaching an agreement that would provide the U.S. with access to Ukraines rare earth minerals and tighten the long-term relationship between Kyiv and Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter.The progress in talks comes after President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traded sharp rhetoric this week about their differences over the matter. Zelenskyy said he balked at signing off on a deal that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed during a visit to Kyiv last week, and the Ukrainian leader objected again days later during a meeting in Munich with Vice President JD Vance because the American proposal did not include security guarantees.Trump earlier Friday renewed his criticism of Zelenskyys handling of the three-year war and accused the Ukrainians of wasting Bessents time. But the two sides made significant progress during a three-day visit to Ukraine this week by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trumps special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, according to the person familiar with the ongoing negotiations who was not authorized to comment publicly. While the Ukrainians were rattled by Trump, the still-not-completed agreement came into focus over three days of meetings in Ukraine between Kellogg and Zelenskyy and other top-ranking Ukrainian officials, the person said. In addition to Zelenskyy, the talks included Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Rada speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and others, the person said.As Kellogg returned to Washington on Friday evening, Zelenskyy in his nightly address said the two sides were still working on a draft agreement. It was a notably optimistic tone after Trump earlier in the day in a Fox News Radio interview said Bessents visit to Kyiv had been a wasted trip.Today, Ukrainian and U.S. teams are working on a draft agreement between our governments, Zelenskyy said in his address. This agreement can add value to our relations what matters most is getting the details right to ensure it truly works. I look forward to a just result. Trump said he wanted such a deal earlier this month, and it was initially proposed last fall by Zelenskyy as part of his plan to strengthen Kyivs hand in future negotiations with Moscow.Rare earth elements are a set of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles.Trumps national security adviser also expressed confidence Friday that Zelenskyy would eventually accept a deal letting the U.S. access his countrys rare earth minerals.Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mike Waltz said: Heres the bottom line. President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal. Its not clear whether the White House has offered Ukraine any security guarantees in the emerging deal.Earlier proposals focused on how the U.S. could use Kyivs minerals as compensation for support already given to Ukraine by the Biden administration and as payment for future aid. The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the reported progress.Trump aides Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Waltz met with senior advisers to Russias Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia earlier this week for preliminary talks about ending the war.The U.S. president faced criticism from Zelenskyy for not including Ukraine and other European allies in the talks.Trump, in the radio interview, pushed back against that criticism and once again laced into Zelenskyy. The U.S. president said he didnt think it was important for Zelenskyy to be in the meetings and dismissed Zelenskyy as negotiating with no cards.Earlier this week, Trump warned Zelenskyy that he better move fast to negotiate an end to Russias invasion of Ukraine or risk not having a nation to lead.Trump also said of Putin that the Russian leader wants to make a deal but has options. He doesnt have to make a deal, Trump said. Because if he wanted, he would get the whole country.Trumps harsh words for Zelenskyy drew criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress, where Ukraines defense against Russian aggression has had bipartisan support. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Relatives and friends of Eliya Cohen, 27, gather to watch the TV broadcast of his release by Palestinian militants in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2025-02-22T06:23:32Z RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Hamas is set to free six more Israeli hostages Saturday from the Gaza Strip, but the exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is shadowed by heightened tension between the adversaries that clouds the future of the fragile ceasefire deal. A poster shows Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped to Gaza with her husband and two young sons on Oct. 7, 2023, in Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) A poster shows Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped to Gaza with her husband and two young sons on Oct. 7, 2023, in Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Red Cross ambulances arrived Saturday morning in Gazas southernmost city of Rafah in preparation for the latest release.The exchange is going ahead after a grisly and heart-wrenching dispute this week when Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother of two young boys abducted by militants.The remains that Hamas transferred with her sons bodies on Thursday were later determined to be those of an unidentified Palestinian woman. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for a cruel and malicious violation, while Hamas suggested it had been a mistake. On Friday night, the small militant group believed to have been holding Bibas and her sons -- the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades said it handed over a second body. On Saturday morning, Bibas family said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed the remains were hers. For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that its here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure, the family said.Three other bodies returned Thursday were confirmed as those of Bibas sons and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when all were taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 in Israel and ignited the war. Hamas fighters deploy ahead of handing over four bodies to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Hamas fighters deploy ahead of handing over four bodies to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Palestinians gather as Hamas fighters deploy ahead of handing over four bodies to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Palestinians gather as Hamas fighters deploy ahead of handing over four bodies to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Israel said its tests determined that the hostages had been killed by their captors. Hamas has claimed Lifshitz and the members of the Bibas family were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.The dispute over the bodys identity raised new doubt about the ceasefire deal, which has paused over 15 months of war but is nearing the end of its first phase. Negotiations over a second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, are likely to be even more difficult. Despite the dispute, Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it would go ahead with the release of the six Israeli hostages planned for Saturday. The six are the last living hostages to be freed during the ceasefires first phase.They include Eliya Cohen, 27; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23. All three were abducted from a music festival during the Oct. 7 attack. Tal Shoham, 40, who was taken from the community of Kibbutz Beeri, is also set to be released.Avera Mengistu, 39, and Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, who have been held since crossing into Gaza on their own years ago, are also scheduled to be returned to Israel as part of the deal.On Saturday morning, hundreds of people gathered in a rainy Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip as Hamas prepared to release the hostages. More than 600 Palestinians jailed in Israel will be freed in exchange, the Palestinian prisoners media office said Friday. The prisoners set for release include 50 serving life sentences, 60 with long sentences, 47 who were released under a previous hostage-for-prisoner exchange and 445 prisoners from Gaza arrested since the war began. Hamas has said it will also release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase of the ceasefire. If that plan is carried out, Hamas would retain about 60 hostages, about half of whom are believed to be alive.Hamas has said it wont release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the full backing of the Trump administration, says hes committed to destroying Hamas military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.Trumps proposal to remove about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild it has thrown the ceasefire into further doubt. His idea has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries.Trump said Friday that he was a little surprised by rejections of the proposal by Egypt and Jordan and that he would not impose it. Ill tell you, the way to do it is my plan. I think thats the plan that really works. But Im not forcing it. Im just going to sit back and recommend it, Trump said in a Fox News interview.Israels military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.The offensive destroyed vast areas of Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gazas population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and no way of rebuilding.___Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Lady Justice statue, depicting a seated, blindfolded woman holding a sword, stands outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)2025-02-22T05:00:55Z SAO PAULO (AP) The fate of Brazils former President Jair Bolsonaro is largely in the hands of five people.Within the next three weeks, a panel of five of Brazils 11 Supreme Court justices will decide whether Bolsonaro and 33 others charged by the countrys prosecutor-general of attempting a coup will stand trial.To expedite certain cases, including criminal ones, Brazils top court can use one of its two five-justice panels, both of which are permanent and exclude the chief justice. Changes in each panel usually take place mostly by request or when one of its members becomes chief justice. In Brazil, the chief justice serves for two years.As rapporteur of the cases against Bolsonaro, Justice Alexandre de Moraes was authorized to bring them before the panel he sits on.The 5-judge panel that could decide Bolsonaros future excludes the two justices he appointed: Andr Mendona and Kssio Nunes Marques. They sit on the other panel of the court. Bolsonaros lawyers have said that they want the decision to fall on the full-court, not just on the 5-justice panel. But that decision can only be made by de Moraes, as the rapporteur of the case, or by three of the justices in the panel a majority. If the charges are accepted, that same panel could become the main judicial body to hear Bolsonaros defense, witness testimony and sentencing.Brazils legal experts are split on whether to keep the trial within the 5-justice panel, so it doesnt drag into the 2026 presidential election, or to move for a full-court decision, which would carry greater authority. Luis Henrique Machado, a criminal attorney and professor at the IDP university in Brasilia, says it is virtually impossible that the panel will reject the charges against Bolsonaro, though this does not guarantee a guilty verdict.The former President denies any wrongdoing in all five counts against him and has claimed that he is being politically persecuted.Here are the judges set to decide whether Bolsonaro will be on trial and likely rule on the case: Alexandre de MoraesDe Moraes is the rapporteur of the cases against the former president in the court and also a target of Bolsonaro and his allies. Appointed by former president Michel Temer in 2017, de Moraes is regarded as a conservative member of the court who, unlike his peers, has experience as public security secretary. The 56-year-old justice was also targeted by billionaire Elon Musk, who advocated for nis impeachment for alleged judicial overreach.Crmen LciaLcia, who is also the chairwoman of Brazils top electoral court, was appointed by Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva in 2006 during his first term. Since then, the 70-year-old justice has been considered one of the harshest on the court on criminal cases, including those once aimed at the current president. Lcia has often followed de Moraes in her decisions regarding democratic guardrails. Two years ago, she wrote in one of her rulings that Bolsonaro didnt respect the presidency.Cristiano ZaninZanin is the chairman of the panel. The 49-year-old was Lulas attorney between 2013 and 2023, when he was appointed by the leftist leader to the countrys top court. Zanins work helped overturn Lulas graft conviction at the Supreme Court, allowing him to leave jail and defeat Bolsonaro in the 2022 election. He was a critic of judicial overreach during the sprawling Car Wash corruption probe, which put Lula behind bars for almost one year. Flvio DinoA former federal judge who transitioned to politics before being appointed to Brazils top court, Dino, 56, is the latest justice to take his seat. He was appointed by Lula in 2023 after serving as his justice minister. He was on that job when Bolsonaro supporters trashed government buildings on Jan. 8, 2023, which the countrys prosecutor-general says was part of a plan to return the far-right leader to the presidency. Dino has been a Bolsonaro critic for years.Luiz FuxFux, regarded by his peers as a moderate, was appointed in 2011 by then President Dilma Rousseff. The 71-year-old had a difficult relationship with the Bolsonaro presidency during his time as chief-justice between 2020 and 2022, particularly with respect to matters regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. When he left the position, shortly before the latest presidential election, he said the court was targeted daily by hostile words or undemocratic acts. He often follows de Moraes decisions.___Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america MAURICIO SAVARESE Savarese is a reporter since 2004, with a vast experience covering soccer and politics. English, Espaol, Portugus, some French and a bit of Italian. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Eaton Fire evacuees Ceiba Phillips, 11, right, adjusts his mask as he and his mother, Alyson Granaderos, stand next to what remains of their in-law suite during Ceiba's first visit to their home since the fire in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)2025-02-22T05:09:03Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Ceiba Phillips, 11, couldnt believe what he saw when he returned to his Southern California neighborhood a month after a wildfire reduced it to rubble.The ruins of his best friends house and his beloved school. His house survived, but the backhouse where his grandparents lived and packed him lunch every morning was reduced to ashes and a silver pool of melted aluminum. His favorite cozy diner, Foxs, was decimated.Seeing it in person after seeing it through photos brought shock and tears.Theres not even a word created for it, Ceiba said. Its sad, its heavy, somewhat angry. Why did this have to happen?The Eaton fire that tore through Altadena on Jan. 7 left parents and children alike to deal with the trauma of one of the most destructive fires in California history. As people return to their neighborhoods, many kids are navigating the grief of losing everything that was familiar. Their parents, meanwhile, are learning how to help them cope. Children thrive on routine, and reestablishing one as quickly as possible is key to helping kids cope, said Lori Peek, a sociology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies the impact of natural disasters. Its essential for kids to stay connected with their friends, and for parents to have honest conversations with them about the difficulty of what they are facing. Being honest about our own emotions and opening up, but then being very inviting for children to share what theyre feeling, what theyre grieving, what theyre experiencing, that can be one way to start those really important conversations, Peek said. Its this kind of space that Chiara Angelicola, who works in early childhood education, was trying to create when she organized a Kids Town Hall event for families affected by the fires. Children had the opportunity to share how they felt and participate in art and somatic therapy exercises, which focus on how trauma can affect the body. Ceibas 4-year-old sister, Quoia, went with their mother, Alyson Granaderos, along with more than 100 other kids and parents. A lot of these kids had a lot to say ... and some of it even made the adults uncomfortable, Angelicola said. I think that exercise in learning how to be uncomfortable experiencing certain feelings is very necessary for children because were modeling for them that feelings wont hurt us.Hundreds of therapists and non-profits also have offered their mental health services for free to victims of the fires.A last normal dayCeibas home was one of about six on his street that wasnt destroyed, but it sustained so much smoke damage its not livable right now. On a recent day, the family carefully entered wearing respirator masks and protective equipment. Ceiba looked out his bedroom window and said he didnt care that his house had survived. Id rather have all of Altadena, he said.Ceiba remembers every detail of his last normal day.School let out early due to intense Santa Ana winds that fueled the fires. He and his sister went to Ceibas best friends house. They played on a trampoline, drew comics, and chucked LEGO figurines off the balcony. Ive probably been to his house more than 2,000 times, Ceiba said.That evening, the family received a text message from Ceibas grandma asking if they saw the fire that had broken out nearby. They ran to their window and saw the whole mountainside ablaze.I was on the floor like praying, please protect my house and my family. And you know, moms like, Come on, you got to get up, pack your stuff, Ceiba said.The 11-year-old sprang into action, dumping his clothes and quarters into his bag and packing for his younger sister.They sheltered in their dads office in neighboring Pasadena. Ceiba could barely sleep. By the morning, much of his neighborhood was gone.Finding a rhythm againCeibas days have taken on a rhythm again, even at his new school in Pasadena. When he greeted his mom on a recent afternoon, he shared a fun fact hed learned that day: In 1846, a future president, Abraham Lincoln, had almost joined the ill-fated Donner Party as it set out from Springfield, Illinois, on its infamous journey out West, only to get trapped in Californias Sierra Nevada. Ceiba has decided to play the saxophone in band class, and his state project will be on Michigan, where his mom is from. Granaderos said her son already seems to be adapting.But his conversations with friends now veer into unusual topics for 11-year-olds.The insurance isnt covering us and hows your house? Hows this persons house? Ceiba said, sharing what he and his friends discuss.He wonders what will become of his community. Hes optimistic though.I know Altadena and I know that its going to stick together, Ceiba said. Beauty, sadness and destructionCeiba had clamored right away to go back home after the fire, but Granaderos was hesitant. After the dust settled, she knew that allowing her kids to see and experience what happened was part of the healing process.Youre facing this realization of certain conversations you have to start to have with your kid, right? Granaderos said. Theres beauty in the world, and theres also a lot of sadness and destruction.Quoia burst into tears when the family drove past what was left of The Bunny Museum in Pasadena dedicated to rabbits. She loved seeing the giant inflatable bunnies that loomed over the street corner nearly every day. Ceiba cried along with her.I just couldnt really take it, he said.But not all is lost. Granaderos named both of her children after trees Ceiba, the tree of life, and Quoia after the Sequoia. She planted a sapling of the iconic Sequoia which is extraordinarily resilient to fire, insects and disease in the homes backyard when Quoia was a baby. After the fire, it is still standing.

The logo for the Justice Department is seen before a news conference at the Department of Justice, Aug. 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2025-02-21T22:46:56Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department filed a complaint Friday accusing a federal judge in Washington of misconduct during hearings over President Donald Trumps executive order that calls for banning transgender troops from serving in the U.S. military.The complaint filed by Attorney General Pam Bondis chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, marks an escalation of the Republican administrations criticism of the judiciary, which has been been weighing a slew of legal challenges to the Republican presidents actions. The complaint to the chief judge of Washingtons federal court accuses U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes of inappropriately questioning a government lawyer about his religious beliefs and trying to embarrass the attorney with a rhetorical exercise during an exchange about discrimination. It is seeking an investigation, saying appropriate action should be taken to ensure that future hearings are conducted with the dignity and impartiality the public has a right to expect. A representative from Reyes chambers declined to comment Friday. During the rhetorical exercise, Reyes told the attorney that she changed the rules in her courtroom to bar graduates of the University of Virginia law school from appearing before her because they are all liars and lack integrity. She instructed the government attorney, a graduate of the school, to sit down. In another exchange cited in the complaint, the judge asked the attorney what Jesus would say to telling a group of people that they are so worthless, so worthless that were were not going to allow them into homeless shelters? She continued, Do you think Jesus would be, Sounds right to me? The government lawyer responded, The United States is not going to speculate about what Jesus would have to say about anything. An independent impartial judiciary is fundamental to our system of justice, Mizelle wrote. When judges demonstrate apparent bias or treat counsel disrespectfully, public confidence in the judicial system is undermined. Reyes is known for her stern rebukes of lawyers on both sides. In a different case earlier this month, she verbally rebuked former U.S. Solicitor General Seth Waxman, whos representing eight government watchdogs suing the Trump administration over their firing. She denied an emergency motion and called it beyond comprehension to hold a hearing on a matter rather than resolving it in a five-minute phone call.The Trump administration has been ramping up its criticism of judges over rulings blocking parts of his ambitious agenda rolled out in the first weeks of his administration. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier this month accused judges of acting as activists rather than honest arbiters of the law. Supporters have circulated pictures of judges online, made claims about their families and suggested that the Republican president simply ignore their orders. Reyes, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, indicated that she wont rule before early March on whether to temporarily block the Trump administration from enforcing the order, which plaintiffs attorneys have said illegally discriminates against transgender troops. Her questions and remarks, however, suggested she is deeply skeptical of the administrations reasoning for ordering a policy change. Reyes also lauded the service of several active-duty troops who sued to block the order.If you were in a foxhole, would you care about these individuals gender identity? the judge asked the government attorney, who answered that it would not be a primary concern of mine.Trumps Jan. 27 order claims the sexual identity of transgender service members conflicts with a soldiers commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in ones personal life and is harmful to military readiness. It requires Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to issue a revised policy.Six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military sued to block the Trump administration from enforcing the order. In a court filing, plaintiffs lawyers argued that Trumps order openly expresses hostility and constitutionally impermissible animus toward transgender people.Trumps order also says that use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individuals sex is inconsistent with a government policy to establish high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity. ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto

A woman lays a rosary near candles adorned with pictures of Pope Francis outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic where Pope Francis is battling pneumonia, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-02-22T11:34:24Z ROME (AP) The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope Saturday, as Pope Francis battled pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalized for at least another week.Francis slept well overnight, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a brief early update Saturday.But doctors have warned that the main threat facing the 88-year-old Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the popes medical team said in their first in-depth update on the popes condition.He is not out of danger, said his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone. So like all fragile patients I say they are always on the golden scale: In other words, it takes very little to become unbalanced. Francis, who has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed absolute rest and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Carbone, who along with Francis personal nurse Massimiliano Strappetti organized care for him at the Vatican, acknowledged he had insisted on staying at the Vatican to work, even after he was sick, because of institutional and private commitments. He was cared for by a cardiologist and infectious specialist in addition to his personal medical team before being hospitalized. Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Romes Gemelli hospital, said the biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are currently located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death. Sepsis, with his respiratory problems and his age, would be really difficult to get out of, Alfieri told a press conference Friday at Gemelli. The English say knock on wood, we say touch iron. Everyone touch what they want, he said as he tapped the microphone. But this is the real risk in these cases: that these germs pass to the bloodstream.He knows hes in danger, Alfieri added. And he told us to relay that.Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican for their special Jubilee weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the Vaticans Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the church that precedes ordination to the priesthood.In his place, the Holy Year organizer will celebrate Sundays Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second weekend in a row, Francis was expected to skip his traditional Sunday noon blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it. Beyond that, doctors have said his recovery will take time and that regardless he will still have to live with his chronic respiratory problems back at the Vatican.He has to get over this infection and we all hope he gets over it, said Alfieri. But the fact is, all doors are open.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

This image taken from video released by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, shows the crashed plane of Delta flight 4819 at Toronto Pearson International Airport, in Mississauga, Ontario, on Tuesday, Feb. 18. (Transportation Safety Board of Canada via AP)2025-02-22T11:07:20Z The crash landing of a Delta Air Lines flight in Toronto this week highlighted the potential dangers of flying with a young child sitting on an adults lap. The plane flipped over, which would make holding onto a baby extremely difficult. A Delta Air Lines plane lies upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) A Delta Air Lines plane lies upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Authorities havent said whether the 18-month-old child who was injured in the crash was riding on a parents lap. All 21 people who were hurt were released from the hospital, but young children have died in previous crashes.Despite the recent rash of aviation disasters, airline crashes remain rare, but children could easily get hurt if they are on a parents lap when a plane encounters turbulence. Experts agree its safer for children younger than 2 years old to have their own plane seats and ride in approved car seats when flying, even if families have to pay for an extra ticket. But babies are still allowed to travel in laps, so parents continue doing it despite the risks. A Delta Air Lines plane lies upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) A Delta Air Lines plane lies upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The saddest part is that most families who travel with a lap child think that because its allowed, its safe, said former flight attendant Jan Brown, who had to look a mother in the face after she had just lost her 22-month-old son when their plane crashed and broke into several pieces near Sioux City, Iowa, in 1989. Brown stopped that mother from climbing back into the wreckage of United Flight 232 after it came to rest upside down in a cornfield. I told her what I thought would stop her: that rescue workers would find him. And she just looked up at me and said, You told me to put my baby on the floor. And I did. And hes gone. And so I think that was the moment that I became a child seat advocate, Brown said.Of the four lap children on that plane, three were injured and the womans son was among the 112 people who died. A 6-month-old boy traveling on a parents lap was killed in 2012 when a plane landed hard and overran the end of a runway in Nunavut, Canada. Last year, three infants on laps could have been sucked out of an Alaska Airlines plane after a door plug flew off midflight, but none were sitting close enough to the opening for that to happen. What do experts recommend?The National Transportation Safety Board and its counterpart in Canada, the Transportation Safety Board, have long recommended that young children fly only in approved car seats to protect them. The Federal Aviation Administration also recommends the use of car seats but doesnt require it despite lobbying from advocates. In addition to those safety regulators, the American Academy of Pediatrics and most major airline trade groups and unions support requiring young children to fly in approved car seats.The main crash investigators in the United States and Canada started recommending car seats for children under 2 and specialized restraint systems for older kids until they are taller than 40 inches (102 centimeters) after the deadly crashes in their countries decades ago. Weve all been there at that point in your life when youve got young children. Youre not swimming in money. Youre trying to save nickels and dimes any way you can. And if you can avoid buying an extra seat, its a completely understandable reaction, NTSB member Tom Chapman said. Its just that people dont understand the risk that they are subjecting their child to by not buying that seat and properly restraining them. Not only is it safer for children to ride in their own seats, but its more enjoyable for parents who dont have to hold a squirming baby for hours in the air.Safety advocate and mother Michelle Pratt, who founded Safe in the Seat, said no matter how tempting it is to check that lap child box, families should get everyone a ticket. Your baby could cost less than your checked suitcase. Why not take advantage? Pratt said. What do parents think?Some parents like Clare Ronning arent convinced. After landing in Burbank, California, with her husband and 5-month-old baby Thursday, she said she doesnt see a need for a car seat on a plane.I dont really see the difference, personally, said Ronning, who already has taken her daughter on six flights. It just seems like another money grab.But Meredith Tobitsch never imagined flying without a seat for her 3-year-old daughter and wont do it with her 14-month-old now, either, because of safety and practical concerns.If there was turbulence, your natural reflex would be to let go of your child, said Tobitsch, who lives in Connecticut, adding that her oldest daughter always slept better in her car seat, making the flights much more enjoyable.Obviously, that does add to the cost of air travel for families, but it is a safety thing. At least for us, were fortunate to do that, she said. Why isnt it required?The FAA relies on a study done in the 1990s to justify not requiring families to buy tickets for children younger than 2.The rationale is that if families had to buy those extra tickets, more of them might drive instead of fly. Because driving is riskier than flying, that would mean more kids would die in car crashes than would be saved in planes if car seats and separate tickets were required.Chapman with the NTSB thinks that logic is a stretch and the study should be revisited, particularly since airline tickets are more affordable today.But parent Andrea Arredondo suggested there might be some truth to it, saying she might fly less if she had to buy a ticket and lug along a car seat for her 4-month-old when flying with her family and two older kids.I would be more likely to decrease our plane travel than bring a car seat, Arredondo said, explaining she and her husband already have their hands full traveling with three kids, three car seats that they check, a stroller and play set.___Associated Press writers Jaimie Ding, Michael Casey and Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this report. JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers all the major freight railroads including Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian National and CPKC. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway and has been attending Buffetts Woodstock for Capitalists annual meeting every spring in Omaha, Nebraska, for 19 years. twitter mailto

This photo provided by Woven by Toyota shows the square at the center of the apartment complexes of Woven City in Susono city, Shizuoka Prefecture on Feb. 2025. (Woven by Toyota via AP)2025-02-22T11:14:31Z SUSONO, Japan (AP) Woven City near Mount Fuji is where Japanese automaker Toyota plans to test everyday living with robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous zero-emissions transportation.Daisuke Toyoda, an executive in charge of the project from the automakers founding family, stressed its not a smart city. Were making a test course for mobility so thats a little bit different. Were not a real estate developer, he said Saturday during a tour of the facility, where the first phase of construction was completed.The Associated Press was the first foreign media to get a preview of the $10 billion Woven City. The first phase spans 47,000 square meters (506,000 square feet), roughly the size of about five baseball fields. When completed, it will be 294,000 square meters (3.1 million square feet). Built on the grounds of a shuttered Toyota Motor Corp. auto plant, its meant to be a place where researchers and startups come together to share ideas, according to Toyoda. Ambitious plans for futuristic cities have sputtered or are unfinished, including one proposed by Googles parent company Alphabet in Toronto; Neom in Saudi Arabia; a project near San Francisco, spearheaded by a former Goldman Sachs trader, and Masdar City next to Abu Dhabis airport. Woven Citys construction began in 2021. All the buildings are connected by underground passageways, where autonomous vehicles will scuttle around collecting garbage and making deliveries. No one is living there yet. The first residents will total just 100 people.Called weavers, theyre workers at Toyota and partner companies, including instant noodle maker Nissin and Daikin, which manufactures air-conditioners. Coffee maker UCC was serving hot drinks from an autonomous-drive bus, parked in a square surrounded by still-empty apartment complexes. The citys name honors Toyotas beginnings as a maker of automatic textile looms. Sakichi Toyoda, Daisuke Toyodas great-great-grandfather, just wanted to make life easier for his mother, who toiled on a manual loom. There was little talk of using electric vehicles, an area where Toyota has lagged. While Tesla and Byd emerged as big EV players, Toyota has been pushing hydrogen, the energy of choice in Woven City.Toyota officials acknowledged it doesnt expect to make money from Woven City, at least not for years. Keisuke Konishi, auto analyst at Quick Corporate Valuation Research Center, believes Toyota wants to work on robotic rides to rival Googles Waymo even if it means building an entire complex.Toyota has the money to do all that, he said. ___Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yurikageyama YURI KAGEYAMA Kageyama covers Japan news for The Associated Press. Her topics include social issues, the environment, businesses, entertainment and technology. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump give a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)2025-02-22T12:36:47Z Preparations are underway for a face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin, Russias deputy foreign minister said Saturday, marking a dramatic shift away from Western isolation of Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Speaking to Russian state media, Sergei Ryabkov said a possible Putin-Trump summit could involve broad talks on global issues, not just the war in Ukraine.The question is about starting to move towards normalizing relations between our countries, finding ways to resolve the most acute and potentially very, very dangerous situations, of which there are many, Ukraine among them, he said.But he said efforts to organize such a meeting are at an early stage, and that making it happen will require the most intensive preparatory work.Ryabkov added that U.S. and Russian envoys could meet within the next two weeks, to pave the way for further talks between senior officials. Russian and U.S. representatives on Tuesday agreed to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties, according to the two countries top diplomats, at a high-level meeting in Saudi Arabia that marked an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy under President Trump. After the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the AP that the the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow; to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks; and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation. He stressed, however, that the talks which were attended by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and other senior Russian and U.S. officials marked the beginning of a conversation, and more work needs to be done. Lavrov, for his part, hailed the meeting as very useful. No Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting, which came as the beleaguered country is slowly but steadily losing ground against more numerous Russian troops, nearly three years after Moscow launched an all-out invasion of its smaller neighbor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would not accept any outcome from the talks since Kyiv didnt take part, and he postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia scheduled for last Wednesday. European allies have also expressed concerns that they are being sidelined.

President Donald Trump arrivals at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute summit in Miami Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)2025-02-22T13:49:33Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is moving with light speed and brute force to break the existing order and reshape America at home and abroad. He likes the ring of calling himself king.No one can absorb it all. By the time you try to process one big thing he covets Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal and Gaza; he turns away from historic alliancesand Ukraine; fires many thousands of federal workers, then brings some right back; raises doubts whether he will obey laws he doesnt like; orders an about-face in the missions of department after department; declares there are only two genders, which federal documents will henceforth call sexes; announces heavy tariffs, suspends them, then imposes some three more big things have happened.Trumps core supporters are thrilled with what they see. Those who dont like him watch in horror. The nation is far from any consensus on what makes America great and what may make it sink. Whats undeniable is that Trump has ushered in the sharpest change of direction for the country at least since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Great Depression. But the long-term implications of Trumps national reset, and by extension his own legacy, cannot yet be determined. Make American Great Again figure Steve Bannon calls all this action muzzle velocity firing every way at once to confuse the enemy. The barrage has left a variety of foreign leaders and many public servants picking figurative buckshot out of their backsides. Paul Light, an expert on the workings of government and the civil service, reaches for another analogy: Its the never-ending volcano. It just doesnt stop, and its hot.Says Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service: Were essentially playing Russian roulette and they just added a bunch more bullets to the chamber.Or is it instead a controlled burn, as Kevin Roberts, an architect of the Heritage Foundations Project 2025, puts it? A controlled burn destroys the dangerous deadwood so that the whole forest can flourish, he asserts. Project 2025 offered Trump a preelection blueprint for some of what is happening now. Some 75,000 federal workers accepted the new administrations deferred resignation proposal in exchange for financial incentives, and tens of thousands more have been laid off or are in line to be, out of a civilian federal workforce of about 2.4 million, excluding postal workers.Democrats, the minority in Congress, and the broader political opposition are mulling which fights are worth fighting and which are not, out of so many to choose from. Democrats, said one of them, Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, are not going to engage in the outrage Olympics.At the moment, polls suggest slightly less than half of U.S. adults like the Republican presidents handling of his job, a tick better than Democrat Joe Bidens approval when he left office in January. That sentiment could shift for the better or worse in an hour, after the next big things. He brings Russia in from the coldIn his first month, Trump performed a pirouette in foreign policy, disavowing the age-old commitment to defend fellow NATO members if they are attacked, reaching out to Russia and suspending most U.S. foreign aid. Washington, Ukraines steadfast and potent wartime supporter for three years, has suddenly become its scold.At home, Trumps explosion of executive orders and marching orders reaches beyond the workings of government and into the culture. Corporate boardrooms as well as government itself are shedding their diversity, equity and inclusion programs in alignment with the nascent new order, though a judge on Friday largely blocked Trumps mandate. Institutions are also being pressed to abandon any recognition of or accommodations for transgender people, at risk of losing federal money if they dont.How much all of this sticks will largely depend on courts, which appear to be the only check on Trumps expansive use of executive power. The Republican-controlled Congress has been compliant as Trump pursues his ends by executive action instead of legislation. Trump has issued about a squillion executive orders, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said a while back. Im still trying to read them.Longtime Republican articles of faith such as support for free trade and strong U.S.-led security guarantees against foreign adversaries have been lost in the din, if not discarded. Long live the kingRepublicans have historically preached the virtues of letting state and local governments make decisions about their communities without the federal government calling the shots. But the Trump administration did just that this past week, halting New York Citys new commuter tolls for driving into Manhattan. Trump was quick to take credit. Long live the king, he posted in all-caps, meaning himself. The White House circulated an image of him wearing a crown.In the civil service upheaval, a blanket staff reduction, largely of thousands of newer employees with fewer job protections, has been combined with the targeted firing of senior officials deemed disloyal to Trump or otherwise an impediment. Multitudes of nonpolitical public servants, normally left in place when new presidents come in, are out.Senior officials responsible for keeping agencies honest and accountable were among those purged. Nearly 20 departmental inspectors general were fired late one night without the legally required 30 days notice. Trump also dismissed the head of the Office of Government Ethics, an agency that protects government whistleblowers; the Supreme Court on Friday temporarily kept the official on the job.Trump terminated a dozen federal career prosecutors who had worked on criminal cases brought against him, striking at the heart of what he calls the deep state. We are in a dangerous placeCongress, which holds the power of the purse, is letting the president exercise it instead, so far leaving federal judges to decide when to rein him in. The early result has been massive cuts or freezes in grants and other spending that Congress approved in law, but Trump is stopping on his own, if courts let him.The last month has been entirely distinctive in American history, said Cal Jillson, a constitutional and presidential scholar at Southern Methodist University. We have never had an American president who moved this decisively in the face of the law and the Constitution. We are in a dangerous place. Jillson and other historians say such tumult in the machinery of government has only come in reaction to dire emergencies: states leaving the union before the Civil War, FDRs New Deal thrust in the depths of the Great Depression, Lyndon Johnsons Great Society burst of programs when taking office after John Kennedys assassination.No catastrophes of such magnitude greeted Trump. Illegal border crossings that had surged during the Biden administration, for example, subsided before Biden left office. Even so, Trump let loose in all the ways he telegraphed, and in most cases promised, in the campaign.To Trump and Elon Musk, though, a challenge to democracy comes not from their efforts to upend the bureaucracy but from the bureaucracy itself the unelected officials who resist the agenda of a duly elected president.Theres a vast federal bureaucracy that is implacably opposed to the the president and the Cabinet, Musk told Hannity on Fox News Channel this past week in an interview joined by Trump. Musk, the Tesla, SpaceX and X titan, is leading Trumps scouring of the civil service.If the will of the president is not implemented and the president is representative of the people, that means the will of the people is not being implemented, Musk said. And that means we dont live in a democracy. We live in a bureaucracy.Chaos is a feature, not a bugLight, author of several dozen books on the workings of government, said times like these can yield positive results. Every once in a while you have to scrub down the operation. But this chaos, he said, is both intentional and corrosive, exposing the country to the inadequacy of a hollowed-out civil service when the next crisis comes, whether its a pandemic, a hurricane, a war or a massive IT attack.Thats Trumps basic MO keep people jumping, he said. Trump really doesnt know anything except breaking things.Some polls done this month carry warning signs for Trump as he pursues his audacious course. More than half of adults in a Washington Post/Ipsos survey (57%) said he has exceeded his authority since taking office. More than half in a CNN/SSRS poll (55%) said he hasnt paid attention to the most pressing problems.In essence, though, this is a half-and-half country that Trump is responsible for leading the whole of. For vast numbers of Americans, he can do no wrong, or no right, depending which side you are on.___Associated Press polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux contributed to this report.

Welcome back to the Abstract!Its hard to keep up with all the news about all the giant gassy orbiters out there. Im speaking, of course, about hot Jupiters, a class of planets that takes the concept of inhospitable to dazzling and creative new levels, and which had an epic news week.Then, what did scientists find in cores taken from deep-sea trenches? The answer might surprise you. Next, mice administer first aid. Last, fish can see you for who you really are (though yummy treats will certainly not be refused).Hot Jupiters Are So Hot Right Now (and at All Other Times)Seidel, Julia et al. Vertical structure of an exoplanets atmospheric jet stream. Nature.Hot Jupiters are the low-hanging fruit of exoplanet discoveries. As the name implies, they are Jupiter-sized worlds that orbit extremely close to their stars, a proximity that makes themyou guessed ithot.Given that they are both giant in scale and have short years lasting only hours or days, hot Jupiters are the easiest exoplanets to spot, which is why our catalog of distant worlds is packed with them. In fact, a study came out just this week that identified seven new ones.But while its not all that novel to discover these worlds (which is kind of amazing in itself), scientists have now peered deep into the atmosphere of the hot Jupiter WASP-121, nicknamed Tylos, which is about 850 light years from Earth. Its the first time several distinct atmospheric layers and processes have been observed on an exoplanet.Ultra-hot Jupiters, an extreme class of planets not found in our solar system, provide a unique window into atmospheric processes, said researchers led by Julia Seidel of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Here we show a dramatic shift in atmospheric circulation in an ultra-hot Jupiter including the first vertical characterization of a high-altitude, super-rotational atmospheric jet stream.Tylos is slightly bigger than Jupiter, but it is so close to its star that its year lasts only 30 hours. As a consequence, it is tidally locked, meaning that one side is always facing the star, and the other always faces away. The star-lit side is about 2,300C (4,200F) which is, as advertised, quite hot. Using the ESOs Very Large Telescope, the researchers spotted the aforementioned equatorial jet stream and saw flows of hot gas moving from the hot day side to the cooler night sidewhich is still pretty hot at around 700C (1,340F).The weather report on Tylos is permanently fatal with a chance of titanium rain, according to a third study that came out this week (thats a hot Jupiter hat-trick). Taken together, the research represents a new emerging era of exoplanet observations in which astronomers can peek under the hood of these distant atmospheres and start to get a real vertical cross-section of otherworldly skies.Down the line, this will lead to better characterizations of the atmospheres of potentially habitable exoplanets, which could contain detectable signs of alien life. But for now, on this late winter weekend, let's be satisfied with warming ourselves into certain oblivion in the bellies of hot Jupiters.From the Hadal to the GraveHovikoski, Jussi et al. Bioturbation in the hadal zone. Nature Communications.To cool off, we shall now dive straight into the deepest parts of the ocean, the hadal zone, where strange things are inherently afoot. Scientists took sediment cores from seafloors at depths of over 4.6 miles in the Japan Trench which is, in my opinion, asking for trouble. But in this case, the results revealed an activity that you might not expect to find in one of the most inhospitable places on Earthfarming.I should just say, the farmers are probably invertebrates, like sea cucumbers or bivalves, that cultivate microbes that help break down organic matter for them. Still, a basic form of agrichnial farming is preserved in trace fossils, like burrows, the team found in the cores.Trace fossils of burrows in the cores. Image: Hovikoski, Jussi et alThe hadal zone, >6km deep, remains one of the least understood ecosystems on Earth, said researchers led by Jussi Hovikoski of the Geological Survey of Finland. The cores open a rare window into this otherworldly region and reveal slender spiral, lobate and deeply penetrating straight and ramifying burrow systemsinterpreted to include burrows of microbe farming and chemosymbiotic invertebrates.The study also gets points for its title, Bioturbation in the hadal zone, which sounds like an early aughts prog rock album. \m/Somebody Call an EMT! (Emergency Mouse Technician)Sun, Wenjian et al. Reviving-like prosocial behavior in response to unconscious or dead conspecifics in rodents. Science.Humans produce a lot of selfish psychos, if you hadnt noticed, but one nice thing about our species is we generally share a prosocial instinct to help people during a medical crisis. As it turns out, were not alone in this behavior, according to a new study that monitored the reactions of mice to ailing, unconscious, or dead conspecifics.Anecdotal observations across several species in the wild, including nonhuman primates, dolphins, and elephants have reported intriguing behaviors of animals toward unresponsive conspecifics that have collapsed because of sickness, injury, or death, said researchers led by Wenjian Sun of the University of Southern California. These animalsdisplay various behavioral responses, including touching, grooming, nudging, and sometimes even more intense physical actions, such as striking, toward the collapsed peers. Some of these actions toward incapacitated conspecifics are reminiscent of human emergency responses, especially those involving sensory stimulation.To bring these anecdotal reports in an experimental setting, the team videotaped mice responding to cagemates that had been anesthetized into unconsciousness, as well as their reactions to dead mice. The r mice interacted with unconscious cage-mates about ten times as much as with an active partner, and may have even performed basic versions of first aid.Our results suggest that the actions of mouth/ tongue biting and tongue pulling may have rescue-like effects, reminiscent of human first aid efforts in reviving unconscious individuals with physical stimulation and airway maintenance, the researchers said.The consequences of the behaviors, such as improved airway opening or clearance and expedited recovery, are clearly beneficial to the recipient, they added, though they also cautioned that it is challenging to determine the motivational needs behind these distinctive reviving-like behaviors.Mouse resuscitation efforts. Image: Sun, Wenjian et al.Familiarity played a strong role in the experiment's outcome; mice heaped much more attention on dead or unconscious cage-mates that they knew well compared to strangers. At the risk of anthropomorphizing, its kind of sad to think about these mice being confronted with their passed-out or dead friends, but the silver lining is an empirical validation of widespread prosocial behaviors.Im also going to assume it means that the Disney franchise The Rescuers, starring mice humanitarians, is a documentary.The Adventures of Left Hump and FriendsTomasek, Malan and Soller, Katinka et al. Wild fish use visual cues to recognize individual divers. Biology Letters.The next time you go for an ocean swim, why not introduce yourself to some neighboring fish? They might learn to recognize you as an individual and start following you around, especially if you give them something nice to eat. Thats the conclusion of a new study that found fish can tell individual divers apart based on visual cuesand that they rapidly learn which divers are generous with treats (in this case: shrimp).Researchers Malan Tomasek and Katinka Soller conducted several dives at the STARESO research station in Corsica, France. Soller was the designated shrimp dispenser, and the wild fish volunteers rapidly learned to distinguish her visually from Tomasek, the shrimp miser.Tomasek with fish volunteer. Image: Malan TomasekTwo species voluntarily took part in our experiments: saddled sea bream O. melanura and black sea bream S. cantharus, said the researchers. Of specific individuals, the saddled bream (Bernie) was first identified at dive 5 of the training, four black bream at dives 12 (Left Hump), 15 (Kasi), 19 (Alfi), 21 (Julius) and the last black bream (Geraldine) on the first session of experiment 1. Note that this marks the moment from which we were able to reliably identify them (i.e. identify with absolute certainty at each apparition from one dive to the next) but that they most likely appeared several days prior to this.First of all, fantastic names. Im already shipping Julius and Geraldine as a celebrity fish couple called Juladine. Left Hump will officiate the wedding. But setting aside the fish fanfic, the team demonstrated that the fish learned to visually tell the researchers apart, leading to a clear preference for following Soller.The fact that wild bream can discriminate between divers adds scientific evidence to the numerous accounts suggesting differentiated relationships between fish and specific humans, the team said. Our study thus encourages a reappraisal of the methodological avenues to study cognitive abilities of wild fish under natural conditions.It also demonstrates a potential difficulty when conducting such experiments that could be disturbed by fish following specific experimenters, the researchers said, concluding with an implied wink: Researchers might not always want to be followed all around by fish, but if they do, they will not be disappointed.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

Subscribe nowOver the last year, Walmart, Meta, Target and many other companies have run away from their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.Robert Netzly, CEO and Founder of Inspire Investing, is thrilled.He told Uncloseted Media that his company, which specializes in biblically responsible investing, is growing like a weed. Netzlys company guides Christian investors on how to select companies that are in line with his version of the Christian way. Companies are dinged if they support things like pornography, abortion, or what they refer to as LGBT Activism. If your company celebrates Pride Month, hangs a rainbow flag in its lobby, or scores well on the Human Rights Campaigns Corporate Equality Index, youre gonna get a wrist slap on Inspires Impact scorecard, which has given Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) the lowest score possible of -100 and Starbucks (SBUX) and Bank of America (BAC) poor scores of -72.Netzly says his companythe worlds largest faith-based ETF providerhas been influential in pushing Meta, Walmart and others to leave DEI behind to have them stay out of what he calls social issues.Ahead of an upcoming Uncloseted Media investigation into the world of biblically responsible investing, heres our interview with Netzly.Support LGBTQ-focused accountability journalism.Watch the full interview above or read the transcript here:Spencer Macnaughton: Hello everyone. Today I'm here with Robert Netzly, the founder and CEO of Inspire Investing. It's a lead organization in the world of biblically responsible investing. Robert, thanks so much for chatting with me and Uncloseted Media today.Robert Netzly: It's my pleasure.SM: For me, I had never even heard the concept of biblically responsible investing. For those who are watching this and have no clue what it is, can you explain it?RN: Sure. Yeah, so investing in a biblically responsible way, right? So we're essentially trying to put capital with companies that align with traditional biblical values, faith, family, freedom, pro-life issues, things of that nature. So that includes screening companies out of a portfolio. So if a company is selling pornography or making abortion drugs, we don't want to invest in those companies. So instead of a company that has human trafficking in the supply chain, we're looking for one that is a blessing to the people that interact with that business. So we make low-cost ETFs primarily and people can buy those on the New York Stock Exchange all over the world.SM: Describe your primary clientele.RN: As you would imagine, Christian investors from all over the world. Although we do have a large number of non-Christian people who just share certain conservative, biblical values.SM: And tell me a little bit more about Inspire Investing.RN: We're the world's largest provider of faith-based ETFs. It's been an amazing journey. We really see God at work. We believe strongly that God is on the move with his people, opening their eyes to this huge opportunity to align his money with his values for his glory and our joy. And so our vision is really to see every Christian investing for the glory of God. We're at 3.2 billion dollars under management now, it's astounding to me. We've been named in the top three fastest-growing investment firms in the nation several times. And it's all very humbling because of this massive movement going [on] where people are able to align their money and their faith in a very meaningful way.SM: Talk to me a little bit more about that. Is it a movement? Is it really growing as a whole, this industry, biblically responsible investing?RN: Yeah. So I'm here. I'm at a conference right now. Hopefully you don't hear too much background noise, but there are 2,700 Christian financial advisors at this conference in Orlando. It's been growing by several hundred each year, represented by many of the major firms that you see in Wall Street. The momentum is certainly just white-hot. And again, our success is a testament not to our genius or anything like that but really to the grace of God and what he is doing. He really is opening people's eyes and minds to this huge problem that right now they're making money on things and supporting things that are deeply antithetical to their values.SM: You say it's God's plan, right? And I'm thinking if I were religious, it would be kind of bang for your buck because if you get into financial advising, you're able to have kind of the ideology of God or Christianity penetrate all institutions because you can focus on tech companies or healthcare. Is that something that you think about a lot?RN: There's not one dollar in this world where Jesus doesn't say That's mine, not one soul that Jesus doesn't say That's mine, not one bit of ground that Jesus doesn't say That's mine. I'm a blood-bought believer by Jesus Christ, and he's my Lord and Savior. All that I do is to then glorify him. And so trying to work that out in my day-to-day profession is certainly a passion and something that, again, is a growing awareness in the investment world.SM: Obviously, we're an LGBTQ-focused publication, right? So if I go to Inspireinsight.org and I look up companies, for example, I looked up Apple. I noticed that they have, I think, the worst score. They have a negative 100, which is the worst, I think.RN: Yes, the worst. Yes.SM: And the reasons that are listed there are abortion activism, exploitation, pornography, and then LGBT activism. So explain what that means. Why are they getting wrist slapped?RN: Apple's not getting dinged because Tim Cook is openly gay, right? Where we find a problem is when a company takes sides in a social issue, so Apple and others have taken great pains to advance the LGBT message over and against the message of people with traditional faith-based values. So anecdotally, we've heard from Christian employees at Apple and other companies where they don't feel safe bringing their whole self to work because they know the company has taken a stance on defining definitions of gender or marriage and family. But what about this Christian person who believes that marriage between a man and a woman, their faith teaches them that there are two genders? And that's problematic. So we don't want companies to discriminate against LGBT people. We don't want companies to discriminate against faith-based people. And too many companies have crossed the line between just providing a safe and tolerant workplace to really picking sides in what should be a social issue. So that's where we see that category, LGBT activism. It's that pushing of an agenda that we find unfair and unethical.Photo courtesy: Inspire InvestingSM: And some of the reasons I looked at the reason why Apple was dinged for LGBT activism and a big factor I believe was that they had an above-average employer rating on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. And that gave them scores that they just gave benefits to LGBTQ employees. They did things like celebrate Pride Month. They might have donated to an LGBTQ-focused charity. Why does that get people dinged in the eyes of God?RN: Right. Well, things you just described there, with the exception of the Gay Pride parade, are not a problem. We want companies, yes, to provide health benefits to their LGBT employees. That's obvious. There's many things in the Corporate Equality Index from the HRC score that are just, frankly, required legal mandates. You have to do certain things. And they're good things like health benefits, retirement benefits, like non-discrimination in hiring practices. Now, you mentioned Gay Pride parade. Has Apple sponsored a Focus on the Family Parade? I don't think they would do that, right? So that's an example of taking sides in an issue.SM: Just to be clear, though, Focus on the Family is an organization that supported conversion therapy before, which some folks would equate to a human rights abuse, right?RN: And the HRC is an organization that has encouraged hate-filled messages towards people of faith. So this is my point. This is not a workplace discussion. And the HRC is an activist group, and they are free to do what they want to do. If I'm Apple, and I'm going to support a Gay Pride parade. Okay. Well, then our position is, are you also going to support the Promise Keepers rally,1 or the traditional marriage, or the other side? It's not fair to say, We're going to support this parade over here to celebrate these relationships and this view of really what's a social opinion regarding sexuality and relationships and gender. And we're decidedly not going to do that over here. And that's why you find people who, again, don't feel safe coming to work. I worked at Wells Fargo, I experienced that myself when I walked into a Wells Fargo branch, and they had a Christmas poster that was explicitly LGBT-themed, they can do that. But they've got to understand what the impact that has [on] me, the birth of my Savior. And they're combining that with an ideology and practices that my faith teaches directly against.SM: Take me inside your mind, how does that impact you emotionally? Like, is it really tough when you walk in and see that Pride Christmas tree? Like, take me inside your mind when you walk into Wells Fargo and see that Pride Christmas tree.RN: That is my God. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior, taking a Christmas celebration and mixing a message in that is antithetical to the scriptural message. It is incredibly disrespectful, at the very least, to those who hold a Christian faith. And it would be the same thing if you walked into a business and you saw a big poster that said God Hates Gays, or something ridiculous like that. So where companies have just lost the plot, with saying, Look, we want to support our employees, but then they got hyper-focused on this particular group. And they start doing things that are alienating all these other employees. So now you're seeing companies like Walmart and all these others rolling back their DEI programs and realizing, look, weve just got to get back to common sense.SM: A lot of people would say you're a smart, articulate man in a suit here, right? That it's not a both sides issue. It's a matter of human rights and gay and trans people having rights and being able to live their life equally, just like everyone else is. And a lot of people would take major issue with you dinging people for LGBT activism, for places that are trying to make the world more equitable for folks who have had a history of oppression and discrimination in this country, particularly. What would you say to those people who are heavily critical of you from that perspective?RN: I respect that viewpoint and it's easy to see the perspective. I would also say that as a Christian, there's been no group of people persecuted more than us. Whether Apple gives to a Pride parade or not, or puts their finger on the scale to tip the balance towards one way or another. That's not causing anybody's rights to be infringed. Except, in this case, as I mentioned earlier, it is infringing upon the rights of those who have traditional viewpoints and faith-based viewpoints. When you're talking about a company that is comprised of thousands of people with various viewpoints, we can't take sides in a social issue. Particularly in something so deeply important and impactful as marriage, sexuality, relationships, gender. These are sensitive issues that companies should not be involved in.Subscribe nowSM: I think people would say thats human rights, though, that people just deserve the same rights that you would have to marry your wife, I should have to marry my boyfriend, if I so choose. No?RN: And Apple shouldn't be a part of that. And I just go back to my previous argument of if Apple really wanted to support a Gay Pride parade, well then I would say, you also need to support the other viewpoint there. Right? Where's the Focus on the Family? Where's the Million Man March? Where is the Promise Keeper's rally? Where are these other things?SM: Because that group supports conversion therapy, and the other one supports LGBTQ rights.RN: Yeah, and I would say the LGBTQ rights group supports child grooming.I mean, if you're going to take extreme examples. What you just said, the conversion therapy example, is an extreme example; you can't deny that there are those in the LGBT group that are taking very direct aim at indoctrinating children to embrace a sexual identity. If I'm Apple, I have no place taking sides in those social issues. And if I do choose to take a side in that social issue, I need to be willing to suffer the consequences as they may be. Such as $22.4 trillion of faith-based capital not investing in your stock. Such as legal risk and lawsuits, like you saw with Bud Light and Target, right? So those are the things that we're just saying, look, I think the wisest thing for a corporation is to stay neutral and to stay out of it. If you choose to take sides, then you're going to have investors like me, like others, speak up and there's going to be consequences.SM: I think the grooming narrative and LGBTQ, if you look at the data, there is a disproportionate number of pastors and folks in the church committing things like pedophilia and incest significantly higher than the LGBTQ community.RN: And they should be locked up. Exactly. It's immoral.SM: I'll just be honest, person to person [with] you, it really frustrates me when people create this grooming narrative around the LGBTQ community. When you look at the data, let's look at the pastors, let's look at the priests, let's look at the people where the numbers are significantly higher in the evangelical space.RN: And we should, there are people in the LGBTQ community who do bad things, not because they're LGBT, but there are peopleSM: But you're comparing a Pride Month to conversion therapy, not an LGBTQ person to conversion therapy.RN: Im just saying Apple shouldn't sponsor Pride parades. And if they do, then they should sponsor the Focus on the Family parade. If they're not willing to support both sides of the viewpoint, my point is they should stay out of it. So I'm not advocating for [them] to give to Focus on the Family, I'm saying they should stay out of it. And that's the logic, that's the common sense.SM: Obviously DEI is all over the news right now, right?RN: Right.SM: And with biblically responsible investing, this feels like the opposite of DEI in a way. Is that a fair way to frame it?RN: There's certainly large swaths of contradiction between those two things. In theory, DEI shouldn't necessarily be all that contentious. But when they've been hardened to represent one side of the equation, so in this case, a very kind of extreme leftist viewpoint on diversity, equity, and inclusion, that's when it becomes a problem. You look at extreme cases where Christians have been fired for just saying they didn't want to celebrate gay Pride Month2. So DEI has become synonymous with taking sides and particularly a leftist side and alienating and even oppressing those who have different viewpoints. Some people call it reverse discrimination; call it what you will, but that's what [it has become] in practice. And so I applaud these companies who are rolling back their DEI initiatives. So we need to just kind of rethink that and just get back to common sense business and keep the politics and the ideology in the appropriate sphere, not in the workplace. And I think we'll all be better off for that.SM: And you guys have kind of been influential in some of these recent rollbacks of DEI. In a recent blog post, after Meta announced that they were pulling away from DEI, you wrote that Meta's decision to end its censorship and divisive DEI policies represents a watershed moment for free expression, corporate responsibility, and faith-based investing. You went on to write that you are both honored and humbled to share how Inspire Investing shareholder engagement efforts were instrumental in speaking biblical truth to corporate power and contributed to steering Meta toward a more inclusive, free, and God-glorifying society. That sounds huge for your company based on your mission. How did you impact this decision that was, you know, globally known?RN: We had been engaged with Meta for about eight months, possibly a little more, with a shareholder resolution centered on censorship. They had famously, infamously, deplatformed many pro-life groups. And so we wanted to push back on that so we filed a shareholder resolution, as investors we can do that. Filed this resolution, engaged with them over a number of meetings. Meta did not want this resolution to go to the vote with their annual meeting with their shareholders. But that's where it was. The SEC allowed it to go forward. And so we had this ongoing thing, right? So this resolution was going to be coming to Meta shareholders. Along that timeframe, you know, some things had changed. Obviously, Trump had something to do with that. I don't know if it was Trump or really just the tide change that ended up with Trump in the White House, right? Chicken before the egg, not exactly sure. But they can see the writing on the wall. You had Bud Light's disastrous blow-up, Target's disastrous blow-up. Disney's had big troubles. And so companies are starting to take notice. We had some initial resistance from Meta. And then over time [it] seemed like they realized, the people on the phone we were talking to, their senior legal executives and diversity DEI executives, whatever their personal viewpoints may or may not have been, I think they realized the corporation can't fight the tide on these things. They scheduled a meeting with us again, one of these follow up meetings. But that ended up being the day after Zuckerberg made his video announcement of all the changes that they're doing with censorship. And so the day after, we end up having this meeting that had been scheduled for weeks with Meta's executives, or an executive team, talking about how they had [made] these different changes, Can we remove this resolution? So yeah, I applaud them for listening. I applaud them for engaging with us and I applaud them for making a good decision. And yeah, I'm honored and humbled that we had some small part to play in that and hopefully others as we go along.SM:And one of the headlines that came out, LGBTQ-themed headlines, was that you can nowsay that LGBTQ people are mentally ill. Was that something you were happy with?RN: That's the first time I've heard of it. I mean, that certainly wasn't part of our resolution, that we somehow wanted to call LGBT people mentally ill. That was not part of our thought processSM: You didnt see that? That was like national news right after. That was all over the place.RN: I don't know, man. I'm running a business. SM: Yeah, yeah. RN: But you know, the thing about censorship and the thing about free speech, if you want to put it that way, is that people have the freedom to say things that we disagree with. Right. And it might be harmful, you know, it might hurt. Certainly there are limits. You don't want to incite violence. Do we really want to live in a society where we have moral police all over our social media?SM: How has the Trump effect impacted Inspire Investing and the biblically responsible investing movement?RN: Trump is a very extreme character. I'll grant you that. How that's affected us is that people are, I think, paying attention. So if somebody was sort of going about their life, not really caring about what they're invested in, or the values that are being supported, or what companies were doing, now everybody knows about ESG and DEI and corporate initiatives. These previously very benign, esoteric financial conversations have become front and center of Main Street. And when people look under the hood of their portfolios, just like me, when I popped the hood of my portfolio and s[aw] abortion drug manufacturers in there, that affects me. You want to align your investments with values that you support. And we're seeing people of faith and many others do the same thing. They want to see their personal values reflected in their shareholder rights. 22.4 trillion dollars in this country in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs that are owned by church members. That's about half or so of the retirement assets in this country, just to kind of give you an idea, that's a lot of capital. So when that pool of capital wakes up and says, Hey, I want to align my investments with my values, that starts making a big, big change. And I think we're just seeing the very, very beginning of that.SM: You think it's going to explode?RN: We're growing like a weed. And not just us, but many others. So it really is just the beginning innings I think of the faith-based investment movement.SM: Are there other big companies that you think you might have been influential with, in terms of them pulling away from DEI?RN: Walmart would be up there. We had the same similar story there with Walmart. We've been in conversations with a number of [companies], you know? Tractor Supply, John Deere, kind of on down the list. Robbie Starbuck is a part of our coalition that we work as a group of partners. I think they are wise to consider that there are people with very different viewpoints on things like DEI, the role of sponsoring gay Prides in a workplace, things like that. There are very different opinions and so that company has a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to do whats in their best interest from a financial perspective, that's a legal obligation. In an environment where Bud Light loses immense brand value and suffers irreparable harm for their shareholders because they chose to do a particular marketing initiative. They need to take that into consideration, whether you're pro-LGBT or pro-traditional marriage. Corporations need to hear from both sides. They need to hear those contingencies and make wise decisions that are in the best interest of their shareholders.SM: Tell me more about what you see over the next few years. What do you imagine will happen with Inspire Investing? What are you hoping to see happen with your company?RN: We're seeking to be faithful to steward really the influence and the momentum that God has given us in our business. There are a lot of Christians out there who still have yet to really learn the details of what's in their portfolio and how they can invest [in] different ways. So I think more and more of that will happen and companies are realizing that there's more than just one side to this debate. I think they'd lost the plot and thought that, just the extreme left side of the issue of DEI was all investors cared about. But now that the grassroots are getting involved, they're saying, well actually, maybe more of a balanced approach would be wiser for us to take.Uncloseted Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our investigative journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SM: And I guess where I disagree with you is those different viewpoints, if they infringe on human and civil rights, as they would in those rooms with gay and LGBTQ issues, that's, I think, where it's tricky for me, if I'm being completely honest.RN: Sure. Yeah. And the definition of a human right. We're going to disagree on that. And that's where we need viewpoint diversity. And we need to have substantive debates. And these are big, important questions. Frankly, that are probably better served by religion, spiritual accountability, those things, rather than businesses.SM: Why did you come on an LGBTQ journalistic organization, just out of curiosity? Why did you say yes?RN: Well, I'm honest when I say I love my neighbors in the LGBTQ community. Obviously we have differences of opinions. I've spoken with many people in the community where they've never actually interacted or had a conversation with a devout Christian. That's where I appreciate you having me on this show. This is an example of what should be happening. These things we discuss should be happening inside companies, instead of everybody just having guests on to agree with 100% of what you say. That's not really exciting, it's not really interesting, probably not super beneficial moving the ball forward. So the same thing happens in a boardroom.SM: Robert, CEO and founder of Inspire [Investing]. Thank you so much for coming on and speaking with Uncloseted. I'm really grateful for your time.RN: Thank you, Spencer. Thank you for having me on. Appreciate it.If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media1The Promise Keepers are a Christian organization with the goal of Christian Dominionism. Their founder has said multiple times that homosexuality is an abomination of God. When referring to transgender people, their chairman has said that Christian men are sick and tired of the evil.2There have been several instances of employees suing their employers for religious discrimination after being fired, allegedly for disagreeing with the companies policies around Pride Month and LGBTQ sensitivity training. However, multiple of these suits have not been successful.

Detectives with the Louisville Metro Crime Scene unit examines a scene of a deadly shooting outside a motor vehicle office in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)2025-02-22T14:13:24Z LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Witnesses described a chaotic scene in which three people were shot and killed outside of a Kentucky drivers license office, including one man shot multiple times by masked assailants. The Jefferson County Coroners Office issued a statement late Friday identifying the victims from earlier in the day as ranging in age from 18 to 33 years old. Officers who responded around noon Friday found one man dead at the scene and two wounded women, who later died after being taken to a hospital, according to Louisville Metro Police Department. The coroners statement said that the man, 18-year-old Leslye M. Harbin Jr., died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene, while the two women, 33-year-old Antwanette Chillers and 29-year-old Raysa Pacios Valdes, each died of a gunshot wound at a hospital. Authorities have not said whether the victims knew each other or knew whoever was responsible for the shooting. Witnesses said the chaos unfolded at the busy office, which had a line out the door. Jalen Eddings told WHAS-TV that he had gone to the office but went back to his car to wait out the long line when the shooting unfolded nearby. He said two masked men shot the man multiple times, including as he lay on the ground, before they ran off. He said he didnt see them fire at the women. Like I was just in shock, I couldnt believe it, it was like something off of a movie, Eddings said. Numerous police responded to the shooting at a state Driver Licensing Office on the southern outskirts of Louisville. Police evidence markers were set on the ground around an area about 20 feet (about six meters) from the entrance to the building Friday afternoon. Police Maj. Donald Boeckman said Friday that the shooter left in a vehicle. Boeckman did not have a description of the vehicle and said investigators were still reviewing surveillance video. The police department didnt immediately respond to an email Saturday morning asking for updates on the search for suspects. Its absolutely a tragedy, and Im surprised there wasnt more people injured, Boeckman said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear posted a statement on social media calling the shooting a senseless act of violence.The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which operates the license office, said in a news release that security at the office locked down the building quickly after the shooting and that none of its employees were harmed. Another witness, Ali Raza, told WHAS that he was inside the office when he suddenly heard a lot of shots and the people were screaming. He said that a security guard inside worked quickly by telling them to get on the ground. He told us to go back and get on the ground. He saved us basically, he said.

The Squishmallows booth sells toys modeled after Warren Buffett, pictured, and Charlie Munger in the exhibit hall for the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)2025-02-22T13:59:12Z OMAHA, Neb. (AP) In his annual letter to shareholders Saturday, Warren Buffett celebrated the successes of Berkshire Hathaways companies last year and in the 60 years since he took over a struggling New England textile company and began converting it into a massive conglomerate.Buffett opened the letter by acknowledging that he has occasionally made mistakes over the years without offering many specific examples, but he assured shareholders that the man he has chosen to one day succeed him as CEO, Greg Abel, isnt one of them. He wrote that Abel will be ready to act whenever he spots significant investment opportunities.We are impartial in our choice of equity vehicles, investing in either variety based upon where we can best deploy your (and my familys) savings. Often, nothing looks compelling; very infrequently we find ourselves knee-deep in opportunities. Greg has vividly shown his ability to act at such times, Buffett wrote. And Abel will have plenty of resources to work with given that Berkshire now holds $334.201 billion cash after selling off much of its Apple and Bank of America stock in the past year and continuing to generate money from all its subsidiaries that include Geico insurance, BNSF railroad, a collection of major utilities and an assortment of major manufacturers and well-known retail businesses that include brands like Dairy Queen and Sees Candy. Thats almost double the $167.6 billion cash Berkshire held a year ago. Buffett did find a few things to use some of that cash on last year by spending $3.9 billion to acquire the rest of its utility business from the estate of a former partner and another $2.6 billion to buy the rest of the Pilot truck stop chain. Buffett said he also increased Berkshires investment in five major Japanese conglomerates. Berkshire has now spent $13.8 billion over the past six years on those Japanese investments that are now worth $23.5 billion. But while Buffett has struggled to find major acquisitions in recent years he affirmed that he has no plans to offer a dividend. In what might be a nod to the 94-year-old Buffetts age, the legendary investor announced that this years shareholder meeting in May that routinely attracts tens of thousands of people will be shorter. Buffett and Berkshires two vice chairmen will only answer questions from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. several hours less than usual. Buffett also acknowledged using a cane these days to avoid falling flat on my face.Buffett hardly reflected on his long tenure as CEO in the letter unlike 10 years ago when he and his longtime investing partner Charlie Munger, who died in 2023, issued separate reflections on the company. Buffett cited the fact that Berkshire paid zero income tax in the decade before he took over in 1965 as a sure sign the investment was a mistake, but over time the amount Berkshire pays to the IRS has grown along with the conglomerate to hit $26.8 billion last year far more in corporate income tax than the U.S. government had ever received from any company even the American tech titans that commanded market values in the trillions. Buffett began buying Berkshire stock for $7.60 a share in 1962. The stock grew to be the worlds most expensive shares because of Buffetts remarkable success in building Berkshire and his aversion for splitting the stock. Berkshires Class A shares closed at $718,750 apiece on Friday, but the company does have a more affordable Class B stock that sells for $478.74.Buffett did promise that shareholders will have a chance to buy a special 60th anniversary book filled with untold stories and lessons from the companys history at the annual meeting. JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers all the major freight railroads including Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian National and CPKC. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway and has been attending Buffetts Woodstock for Capitalists annual meeting every spring in Omaha, Nebraska, for 19 years. twitter mailto

Dr. Grover Smith, right, works out with exercise scientist Dr. Irv Rubenstein, left, at STEPS Fitness, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)2025-02-22T14:53:49Z You know you should develop a regular exercise routine, but you lack motivation. Promises to yourself are quickly broken, and you never establish enough of the workout habit to experience any rewards.Exercising as you age is important. Its not only good for physical health to help prevent falls or enable you to do basic tasks exercise is also superb for the mind.If you want to be cognitively active, it is so important to be physically active, explained Dr. Amy Eyler, a professor of public health at Washington University in St. Louis. There is a such a strong connection between these two behaviors.Why make exercise part of my routine?First, regular exercise helps maintain bone density and muscle strength. It also lowers the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.For older people, regular exercise helps maintain strength and balance and allows them to live independently. Research also suggests the immune system may get a bump from physical activity.There is also a psychological component. Successfully completing a daily exercise can improve ones mood and sense of self-satisfaction. This article is part of APs Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well. How to get startedGetting into the habit of doing regular physical activity can be difficult for some. The motivation to get moving is different for everyone.Initially youll need external motivation I want to be able to play with my grandkids or keep driving the car until you see results and the motivation shifts to internal, Eyler said.When you set a goal, you should ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 100, how confident am I that I can do this? Eyler explained. It has to be over the 90% level of confidence or youre not going to do it. Lots of people set these goal too high and then fail. Build to your goals.Just walk whenever you can, Eyler said. You can walk for 10 minutes pretty much anywhere indoors, at work, at home.And, if youre trying to encourage others, look for positive reasons rather than nagging. Telling someone they will be more independent if they take their blood pressure medicine is better than take your blood pressure medicine, she said.Here are some tips about how to start and how to stay with it from three gym rats between the ages of 77 and 86. All got started late and have stayed with it. All three work out with Dr. Irv Rubenstein, an exercise scientist who runs STEPS Fitness in Nashville, Tennessee.I always hated gym classKathryn Dettwiller, 77, got pushed into exercising 34 years ago by her husband.I always hated gym class, she said. I always hated getting down on the floor.She works out in a gym twice a week with a trainer, which she said gives her added discipline and motivation.The external has become internal because I realize I need it, she said. She cautioned beginners to expect some setbacks minor injuries and not to be discouraged.Try it as soon as your body starts playing out on you, she said. Its like a game of Whack-A-Mole. One time your leg hurts, the next time its your back. It added structure to his lifeRick Bolsom, 82, enjoys the structure of having a trainer. In his case, his wife got him started almost two decades ago and hes into a three-times-a-week routine.I kept doing it because I had a sense of feeling better, he said. The key to me was probably doing it with a trainer. The structure really helped me to continue with it. Now its just become part of my life.I couldnt imagine quitting it, he added. I work out as vigorously as I did 15, 18 years ago. It turned out to be the smart thing to do.Bolsom also added in the social aspect to training in a gym or studio.I retired a few years ago. You do miss the connectivity with people. Flattery will get you everywhereDr. Grover Smith, a retired radiologist, is 86 and still going strong. He attributes this partly to training regularly in a gym three times a week, a habit he didnt start until he was 74 and well into retirement. He was coaxed to go after several visits to his cardiologist.He said he went after the fourth time his cardiologist suggested it, although he was not having any specific heart problems. His plan was to go once to appease the cardiologist and that would be it. That was more than a decade ago.Medicine was basically my life and it was very time consuming, Smith said. It was sometimes seven days a week and I didnt have time for a lot of other things.Hes not only fit, but now he also gets flattered.He tells the story about a recent visit to a doctor who, after looking at his charts, told him: Dr. Smith, you look 15 years younger than your age.Smith laughed as he added the punchline.I would have told her to get her eyes examined except shes an ophthalmologist, he quipped. 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 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

2025-02-22T17:46:18Z YORK, Pa. (AP) A hospital official says a gunman has been killed after shots were fired at a hospital in central Pennsylvania. The extend of injuries were unclear. Officials at UPMC Memorial in York said that no patients were injured and that the gunman is dead. The extent of any other injuries was unclear.Law enforcement is on premises and is managing the situation, the hospital said.

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2025-02-22T17:46:42Z CAIRO (AP) A cholera outbreak in a Sudanese city killed nearly 60 people and sickened about 1,300 others over the last three days, health authorities said Saturday.The outbreak in the southern city of Kosti was blamed mainly on contaminated drinking water after the citys water plant stopped due to an attack by a notorious paramilitary group, the health ministry said. The group has been fighting the countrys military for about two years. The ministry said in a statement the disease killed 58 people and sickened 1,293 others between Thursday and Saturday.

FILE-- The tapestry depicting late Pope John Paul I, hanging from the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, is unveiled during the beatification ceremony led by Pope Francis at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-02-20T13:33:37Z ROME (AP) The pope looms so large in everyday Italian life that there are lots of expressions that make light of even a dark event like his death.A pope dies, they make another, goes one, suggesting how life goes on.Every death of a pope starts another, indicating a rare occurrence. But the one most frequently heard when a pope is actually sick is perhaps the darkest: The pope is fine until hes dead.That ones been making the rounds as Pope Francis nears a week in Romes Gemelli hospital, battling pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection. While the Vatican has been providing twice-daily updates on his condition and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said they joked around as usual during her visit Wednesday, all kinds of reports true and not abound about Francis health.Theyve taken on a life of their own in an age of chat groups, conspiracy theories and internet memes not to mention the perennial Roman fixation on the pope and who might succeed him.The Conclave effectIt doesnt help that the Oscar-nominated movie Conclave is in theaters and has made everyone an expert in the arcane rules and spectacular drama involved in a papal election. Or that Francis recently extended the term of the dean of the College of Cardinals rather than find someone new to fill a key job during the next papal transition. Or that at 88, he is one of the oldest popes ever.Francis still has a ways to go to outlive Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903 at 93. But hes on track to equal or surpass Pope Gregory XII, perhaps best known for being the most recent pope to resign until Pope Benedict XVI did so in 2013. Gregory was 88 when he stepped down in 1415 to end the Western Schism, according to online resource Catholic Hierarchy. Francis has frequently said he, too, would consider resigning if his health made him unable to continue, though more recently he said a popes job is for life. Vatican correspondents are usually preparing for upcoming papal trips at this time of year, but none are confirmed so far. Instead, between medical updates, they are preparing stories looking back at his life, just in case.I think the dictum of A pope is fine until hes dead is always true, said Giovanni Maria Vian, former editor of the Vatican newspaper LOsservatore Romano, who knows about how Vatican information is managed. Its a very Roman way of speaking that represents, on the one hand, the traditional skepticism of Romans and Italians, but on the other hand, an informational opacity.The Vatican hasnt allowed any member of Francis medical team to appear on camera or give detailed updates on his health, and no photos of him have been released since his Feb. 14 hospitalization. A papal video fuels rumorsBut to understand how entwined the pope is in Italian life, one only needs to consider another tradition religiously observed by Italians: the annual Sanremo song festival, a weeklong series on RAI television in which viewers vote for their favorite rising vocalists who perform nightly in the kitschy, sometimes bawdy contest.When it aired last week, it made even more headlines than usual because Francis already sick with bronchitis but not yet in the hospital appeared on opening night in a pre-taped video, a publicity coup for Sanremo and a first for the papacy. When popular Italian blog Dagospia subsequently claimed the video had been made nearly a year earlier for another event, near-hysteria broke out among Vatican watchers. The apparent deception suggested that Francis latest illness was much worse than it seemed, and raised questions about the solidity of the papacy if an old video had been released without his knowledge.As it turns out, Dagospia was wrong. The video was legit, recent and recorded for Sanremo. But it was true that Francis bronchitis was indeed much worse. By weeks end, he was hospitalized with a lung infection that turned into pneumonia.The episode though underscored the truism that the papacy is a matter of general public knowledge, interest and debate here, and that speculating about the popes current health and who might be next is a national pastime. Im certainly very, very worried, said Maurizio Di Folco, who was being treated Tuesday at the same hospital. I wish him a speedy recovery and were praying for him deeply. A very good pope. A great pope! We hope hell be with us for a long time to come. Francis conservative critics weigh inBut elsewhere, Francis right-wing critics are circulating alarmist - and wholly uncorroborated - stories about his condition. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a Francis nemesis who was excommunicated for schism last year, revived his conspiracy about the legitimacy of Francis 2013 election, calling for the CIA to investigate what he claims was a Deep State plot to elect him.Francis knows this dynamic well.Some wanted me dead, he told Slovakian Jesuit priests in 2021, referring to what he learned while he was hospitalized that year for intestinal surgery. I know there were even meetings among priests who thought the pope was in worse shape than what was being said. They were preparing the conclave. Its considered poor taste to discuss publicly whos up or down in the papal stakes of a future conclave, much less to start plotting one. But privately, Rome is abuzz with such conversations. Taxi drivers chat about it with passengers, doctors with patients, butchers with customers.For now, Francis is holding on. Thursdays bulletin said his overall clinical condition was improving slightly and that his heart was working well. He had breakfast sitting up in an armchair and was working with aides.There is a greater measure of transparency, but even that is not complete, said Christopher Bellitto, a church history professor at Kean University in New Jersey. Surely everyone with aging parents and grandparents said, thats pneumonia before the Vatican did.___Visual journalist Silvia Stellacci contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

FILE-- The tapestry depicting late Pope John Paul I, hanging from the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, is unveiled during the beatification ceremony led by Pope Francis at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-02-22T17:49:27Z ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A shooting at a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico early Saturday morning left one airman dead and another wounded, authorities said, adding that it was not an act of terrorism or an attack by an outsider.Officials at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque said security forces responded to a shooting near one of the entrances to the base at about 2 a.m. One airman died at the scene, and the other was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to a hand and later discharged, authorities said in a statement.The Air Force released few other details and did not immediately say whether someone was in custody or if there was a search for a suspect. A spokesperson declined to say whether the shooter or shooters also were airmen.The names of the airmen who were shot were not immediately released.FBI investigators were at the scene being helped by Albuquerque police, a city police spokesperson said.

FILE-- The tapestry depicting late Pope John Paul I, hanging from the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, is unveiled during the beatification ceremony led by Pope Francis at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-02-22T18:35:38Z PARIS (AP) A knife attack Saturday in eastern France left one dead and at least two injured, the national anti-terrorism prosecutors office said.A 37-year-old Algerian man was arrested, the prosecutors office said. The attack occurred in the French city of Mulhouse near Germany and Switzerland. The anti-terrorism prosecutors office said that its handling the investigation.French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the perpetrator an Islamic extremist, and said the government has complete determination to respond to the attack.France has been on high alert for extremist threats.Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was heading to the scene of the attack Saturday night.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for an EU summit at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Nicolas Tucat, Pool Photo via AP)2025-02-22T16:08:00Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Hungary will be the one to decide whether Ukraine is able to achieve its hopes of joining the European Union in the future, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn said Saturday in an escalation of his adversarial posture toward Hungarys war-ravaged neighbor. Speaking at an annual State of the Nation address in Budapest to a closed circle of party members and supporters, Orbn described Ukraine as a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries, and predicted that, following a cessation of Moscows war, it would resume that role despite its ambitions to join the Western military alliance. He added that whether Ukraine can one day join the 27-member EU will be decided by the Hungarians.Against the will of Hungary and the Hungarians, Ukraine will never be a member of the European Union, Orbn said. Ukraines accession would destroy Hungarian farmers, and not only them, but the entire Hungarian national economy. Unanimity is required among leaders of all EU countries for accepting new members. Orbn, considered the Kremlins closest partner among EU leaders, has been the blocs primary impediment in its efforts to assist Ukraine in the countrys struggle to defend against Russias full-scale invasion. He has frequently criticized, and threatened to veto, EU sanctions against Russia over its aggression, but has ultimately always voted for them. While Hungary, an EU and NATO member, has taken in Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict, it has also stood in the way of EU financial assistance to Kyiv and pushed for deeper economic and energy cooperation with Moscow despite the war. Seeming to question Ukraines statehood, Orbn said Saturday that the war Russia launched nearly three years ago was not even about Ukraine, but about the territory called Ukraine which until now has been a buffer zone between NATO and Russia being placed under the auspices of NATO. Ukraine, or what remains of it, will again become a buffer zone, Orbn said. It will not become a NATO member. Those comments mirrored recent statements by members of U.S. President Donald Trumps administration, who have suggested Ukraine should abandon its hopes of joining NATO as a guarantor of its future security against potential Russian attacks. Orbn, a Trump ally, has applauded the U.S. administrations actions to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, claiming, with no evidence, that the agency was used to fund liberal causes in Hungary aimed at toppling his government. He has promised a reckoning for nongovernmental organizations, media outlets and rights groups that have benefited from funding by USAID, saying they would be eliminated in Hungary and face legal consequences.On Saturday, Orbn doubled down on his earlier crackdowns on civil society and LGBTQ+ people, saying his government would send a commissioner to the United States to collect data on Hungarian entities that had received USAID funding. We must urgently create the constitutional and legal conditions, so that we do not have to sit idly by as pseudo-civil public organizations serve foreign interests and organize political actions before our eyes, Orbn said. He also announced that he would recommend that the Hungarian Constitution which his party unilaterally authored in 2011 be amended to say that a person is either a man or a woman, and hinted that his right-wing populist government would take steps to prohibit the annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade in Budapest this summer. I suggest we go on a counterattack here, Orbn said. I advise Pride organizers not to bother with the preparation of this years parade ... Waste of money and time. JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto

This image from a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report released on Jan. 14, 2025 shows a crash test of a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck in Adelanto, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2024. (NHTSA via AP)2025-02-22T17:07:54Z NEW YORK (AP) Elon Musks cost-cutting team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that oversees Tesla and has launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his companys cars.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has cut a modest amount of positions, according to a statement from the agency. Musk has accused NHTSA of holding back progress on self-driving technology with its investigations and recalls.Asked about whether the cuts would impact any probes into Tesla, the agency referred to its statement that says it will enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment.The job cuts at NHTSA enacted by Musks advisory group on shrinking the federal government, the Department of Government Efficiency, was earlier reported by The Washington Post.In addition to investigations into Teslas partially automated vehicles, NHTSA has mandated that Tesla and other automakers using self-driving technology report crash data on vehicles, a requirement that Tesla has criticized and that watchdogs fear could be eliminated. The staff reductions have come through a combination of firings, buyouts and layoffs. The agency noted in its statement that the Biden administration had expanded its payroll, suggesting the smaller staff was sufficient to carry out its mission.Even with these modest efficiencies, NHTSA is still considerably larger today than it was four years ago, the statement said. We have retained positions critical to the mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs due to road traffic crashes. BERNARD CONDON Condon is an Associated Press investigative reporter covering breaking news. He has written about the Maui fire, the Afghanistan withdrawal, gun laws, Chinese loans in Africa and Trumps business. twitter facebook mailto

Friedrich Merz, CDU Federal Chairman and Union candidate for Chancellor, speaks at the joint CSU and CDU campaign closing for the Bundestag elections, in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)2025-02-22T16:56:26Z BERLIN (AP) The contenders in Germanys election made their final appeals to voters Saturday, with opposition leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz vowing to revive the stagnant economy and defend Europes interests in the face of a confrontational U.S. administration. Chancellor OIaf Scholz, meanwhile, insisted that he still hopes for an improbable last-minute comeback.Germans are electing a new parliament Sunday after a campaign focused on the state of Europes biggest economy and calls to curb migration, while uncertainty has grown rapidly about the future of Ukraine and the strength of Europes alliance with the United States. It appears to have done little to shift parties position in polls. They have consistently shown the center-right opposition, main challenger Merzs Union bloc, in the lead. Its ahead of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, which is on course for the strongest result for a far-right party since World War II, but has no other party willing to go into government with it. Scholzs center-left Social Democrats have shown little sign of coming back from a large poll deficit after the chancellors three-party coalition collapsed in November following a long-running argument about how to revitalize the economy. That led to the election being held seven months ahead of schedule. At a closing rally in a Munich beer hall, Merz told supporters that three years in opposition are enough. Germany is a traditional leader of the 27-nation EU and the blocs most populous member, but like fellow heavyweight France has been consumed in recent months by domestic instability. Merz said that with me, Germany will have a strong voice in the European Union again.Europe must be a player and not ask maybe to get a seat at a side table, he said. No, we must sit at the main table; and we must safeguard our interests against Russia, against China, and if necessary also with respect to America. Anyone who shows up there as a dwarf is treated as a dwarf and sent home as a dwarf, Merz added. He said, however, that we will only gain respect in this European Union again if ... we finally overcome our countrys economic weakness. He said that was overwhelmingly homemade.Merz also underscored his calls for a tougher stance on migration, which created friction in recent weeks. Last month, he brought a nonbinding motion calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germanys borders to parliament. The motion was approved thanks to votes from Alternative for Germany, or AfD a first in postwar Germany that prompted opponents to accuse Merz of breaking a taboo. He rejects the criticism.We will under no circumstances discuss any talks, never mind negotiations or a participation in government, with AfD, Merz said Saturday.At an event in Potsdam, which he represents in parliament, Scholz again cast doubt on Merzs reliability and portrayed his party as the strongest bulwark against AfD playing any role. Anyone who wants to be sure this doesnt happen must ensure that there are strong Social Democrats and that they can provide the next chancellor, Merz said. On the sidelines of an earlier event in Potsdam, Scholz said that he was convinced that, this time, many people will only make their decision at the polling station.I dont believe in miracles, but in an election victory, he said, German news agency dpa reported.If Merz does win, its unclear whether he will be able to put together a two-party coalition or need a third partner, a more awkward prospect.If we govern, we need few partners and not an endless number of them, senior conservative ally Markus Sder said in Munich.

Elon Musk hold a chainsaw as he arrives to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-02-22T23:21:12Z NEW YORK (AP) Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have little more than 48 hours to explain what they accomplished over the last week as part of billionaire Elon Musks crusade to slash what he describes as waste everywhere in the federal government. Musk, who serves as President Donald Trumps cost-cutting chief, teased the extraordinary request on his social media network on Saturday.Consistent with President @realDonaldTrumps instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week, Musk posted on X, which he owns. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.Shortly afterward, federal employees received a three-line email with this instruction: Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager. The deadline to respond is Monday at 11:59 p.m. Thousands of government employees have already been forced out of the federal workforce either by being fired or offered a buyout during the first month of Trumps administration as the White House and Musks so-called Department of Government Efficiency fire both new and career workers, tell agency leaders to plan for large-scale reductions in force and freeze trillions of dollars in federal grant funds. There is no official figure available for the total firings or layoffs so far, but The Associated Press has tallied hundreds of thousands of workers who are being affected. Many work outside of Washington. The cuts include thousands at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Parks Service, among others. AFGE President Everett Kelley quickly condemned the ultimatum as an example of Trump and Musks utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people. It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life, Kelley said. AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.Musk on Friday celebrated his new role at a gathering of conservatives by waving a giant chainsaw in the air. He called it the chainsaw for bureaucracy and said, Waste is pretty much everywhere in the federal government.McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson at the Office of Personnel Management, confirmed Musks directive and said that individual agencies would determine any next steps.What happens if an employee is on leave or vacation? Again, she said individual agencies would determine how to proceed. ___Associated Press writer Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.

Mikey Madison arrives at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)2025-02-22T05:00:11Z Sean Bakers Anora won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in what could be a preview of next Sundays Oscars: The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarchs son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner.The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television.Host Aidy Bryant called it Hollywoods third or fourth biggest night.In accepting the directing prize, Baker spoke passionately about the difficulty of making independent films in an industry that is no longer able to fund riskier films. He said indies are in danger of becoming calling card films movies made only as a means to get hired for bigger projects. The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable, Baker said to enthusiastic applause. We shouldnt be barely getting by.Anoras best film competition included Jane Schoenbruns psychological horror I Saw the TV Glow, RaMell Ross adaptation of Colson Whiteheads Nickel Boys, Greg Kwedars incarceration drama Sing Sing and Coralie Fargeats body horror The Substance. This year had several other possible Oscar winners celebrating. Kieran Culkin, considered an Oscar favorite, won the supporting performance award for A Real Pain. His director, co-star and writer Jesse Eisenberg won best screenplay for the film about two cousins embarking on a Holocaust tour in Poland. Culkin was not there to accept he also missed his BAFTA win last weekend to tend to a family member but other Oscar nominees like Madison and Demi Moore were.Madison won the top acting prize over Moore at the BAFTAs last weekend, as well, and stopped Saturday to pet Moores dog Pilaf on the way to the stage. Acting categories for the Spirit Awards are gender neutral and include 10 spots each, meaning Madison and Moore were up against Oscar nominees like Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice). The documentary prize went to No Other Land, the lauded film by a Palestinian-Israeli collective about the destruction of a village in the West Bank which doesnt have distribution. Its also a strong Oscar contender in a competitive category. The filmmakers were not in attendance to accept the award.Flow, the wordless animated Latvian cat film, won best international film. At the Oscars, its competing in the international film category and animation. While the Spirit Award winners dont always sync up with the academy, they can often reflect a growing consensus as in the Everything Everywhere All At Once year. The awards limit eligibility to productions with budgets of $30 million or less, meaning more expensive Oscar nominees like Wicked and Dune: Part Two were not in the running.Sean Wang accepted best first feature and best first screenplay prizes for Ddi. He said it was special to be sharing the stage with one of his stars, Joan Chen, who was also nominated for the same award 25 years ago for Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl. The Netflix phenomenon Baby Reindeer also picked up several prizes, for actors Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning and Nava Mau.Mau, who is trans, spoke about the importance of actors sticking together as we move into this next chapter.We dont know what is going to happen, but we do know our power, Mau said. We are the people and our labor is everything.Other television winners included Shgun, for best new scripted series, and How to Die Alone, for best ensemble.How to Die Alone creator and star Natasha Rothwell was emotional while accepting the ensemble prize. The show was recently canceled after its first season.Rothwell said it was a show about the need to feel seen, to be valued just as you are.For Black stories, visibility isnt a privilege: It is a necessity, Rothwell said. We deserve to take up space, to be complex, to be hilarious and to be fully human. The generally lighthearted show took a moment to acknowledge the impact of the wildfires on Los Angeles. Bryant made a plea to anyone watching the show, in the audience or on the YouTube livestream, to help rebuild L.A. She pointed to a QR code that appeared on the livestream to make donations to the Film Independent Emergency Filmmaker Relief Fund, providing grants to alumni impacted by the wildfires. The show also paid tribute to longtime Film Independent president Josh Welsh, who died earlier this year at age 62. Welsh had colon cancer. Bryant said in her opening that it had been a great year for film and a bad year for human life. The Saturday Night Live alum kicked off the event ribbing some of the nominees, like Emma Stone. Emma was a producer on four nominated projects tonight, Bryant said. But even more importantly, her hair is short now. Stone also featured prominently in Eisenbergs speech, when he picked up the best screenplay prize for A Real Pain. Since they met on the set of Zombieland in 2009, he said, shes been supportive of his writing despite being the most famous person I know and produced both of his films.I think of her not as my producer, but as a fairy godmother, like Im riding the coattails for her goodwill, Eisenberg said.The camera cut to Stone, teary and moved, in the audience. She and her husband Dave McCarys production company Fruit Tree also produced Julio Torres Problemista and Fantasmas and Schoenbruns I Saw the TV Glow.I Saw the TV Glow went into the show tied with Anora with six nominations. It left with only one, for producer Sarah Winshall. LINDSEY BAHR Bahr has been a film writer and critic for The Associated Press since 2014. twitter instagram mailto

The U.S. Department of Agriculture building is seen in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)2025-02-22T16:43:39Z WASHINGTON (AP) A federal scholarship aimed at boosting students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities has been put on hold. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which provided recipients with full tuition and fees for students studying agriculture, food or natural resource sciences at one of 19 universities, known as the 1890 land grant institutions. Its not clear exactly when the program was suspended, but some members of Congress first issued statements criticizing the suspension of the program on Thursday. The 1890 Scholars Program has been suspended pending further review, the Department of Agriculture said in a post on the programs website.The suspension coincides with a funding freeze President Donald Trumps administration instituted. Administration officials had said the pause was necessary to review whether spending aligned with Trumps executive orders on issues like climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. A spokesperson for the department said Saturday in an email to The Associated Press that every scholar over 300 regardless of matriculation date, was retained to finish their studies and complete their work with the Department. The spokesperson added that Secretary Brooke Rollins will review the scholarship program, its mission and its metrics to ensure taxpayer resources are used efficiently. The funding freeze has been challenged in court, with a temporary hold on the executive action already in place. The affected universities include Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T and Tuskegee University in Alabama, among others.The scholarship program dates to 1992, but 1890 in the title refers to the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which established historically Black colleges and universities. Eligibility rules include being a U.S. citizen with a GPA of 3.0 or better, along with acceptance to one of the 19 1890 land grant universities. Eligible students must also study agriculture or related fields and demonstrate leadership and community service, according to the departments site. In October, the department said it had set aside $19.2 million for the program. In fiscal year 2024, 94 students were awarded scholarships, the department said.

President Donald Trump dances as he speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-02-22T21:32:12Z OXON HILL, Md. (AP) President Donald Trump said Saturday that nobodys ever seen anything like his administrations sweeping effort to fire thousands of federal employees and shrink the size of government, congratulating himself for dominating Washington and sending bureaucrats packing. Addressing an adoring crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference just outside the nations capital, Trump promised, Were going to forge a new and lasting political majority that will drive American politics for generations to come. The president argues that voters gave him a mandate to overhaul government while cracking down on the U.S.-Mexico border and extending tax cuts that were the signature policy of his first administration. Trump clicked easily back into campaign mode during his hour-plus speech, predicting that the GOP will continue to win and defy history, which has shown that a presidents party typically struggles during midterm elections. He insisted of Republicans, I dont think weve been at this level, maybe ever. Nobodys ever seen anything like this, Trump said, likening his new administrations opening month to being on a roll through the first four holes of a round of golf which he said gives him confidence for the fifth hole. Trump has empowered Elon Musk to help carry out the firings, and the billionaire suggested Saturday that more might be coming. Consistent with President @realDonaldTrumps instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week, Musk posted on X, which he owns. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.Later, an HR email was sent to federal workers across numerous agencies titled What did you do last week and asking that recipients reply with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager. It cautioned against sending classified information, and gave a deadline of Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Trump also said during the speech that hed carry out harsher immigration policies. But those efforts have so far largely been overshadowed by his administrations mass federal firings. He announced that one entity with a workforce that had been significantly reduced, the U.S. Agency for International Development, would have its Washington office taken over by Customs and Border Protection officials. The agencys name has been removed from its former building, he said. The president also repeated his previous promises to scrutinize the countrys gold depository at Fort Knox. Would anybody like to join us? he asked to cheers from the crowd at the suggestion that administration forces might converge on the complex. We want to see if the gold is still there.But Trump also devoted large chunks of his address to reliving last years presidential race, jeering at former President Joe Biden and mispronouncing the first name of former Vice President Kamala Harris his Election Day opponent gleefully proclaiming, I havent said that name in a while. He went on to use an expletive to describe Bidens handling of border security, despite noting that evangelical conservatives have urged him not to use foul language.Trump had kinder words for Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying I happen to like him, while saying, weve been treated very unfairly by China and many other countries. On the sidelines of the conference, Trump met with conservative Polish President Andrzej Duda amid rising tensions in Europe over Russias war in Ukraine. After he took the stage, Trump saluted Duda and another atendee, Argentine President Javier Milei. Trump called Duda a fantastic man and a great friend of mine and said you must be doing something right, hanging out with Trump. He noted that Milei was a MAGA guy, too, Make Argentina Great Again. Poland is a longtime ally of Ukraine. Trump upended recent U.S. policy by dispatching top foreign policy advisers to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials that were aimed at ending fighting in Ukraine. Those meetings did not include Ukrainian or European officials, which has alarmed U.S. allies. Trump is meeting on Monday at the White House with French President Emmanuel Macron and Thursday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump also has begun a public tiff with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom the U.S. president called a dictator while falsely suggesting that Ukraine started the war though on Friday Trump acknowledged that Russia attacked its neighbor.Trump told the CPAC crowd, Im dealing with President Zelenskyy. Im dealing with President Putin and added of fighting in Ukraine, It affects Europe. It doesnt really affect us.Zelenskyy has said Trump is living in a Russian-made disinformation space.For much of the time since Russia invaded in February 2022, the United States, under Biden, pledged that Ukraine would play in any major effort to end the fighting, vowing nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Trumps administration has dispensed with that notion, as the Republican president has accelerated his push to find an endgame to the war. I think were pretty close to a deal, and we better be close to a deal, Trump said Saturday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently told reporters that Trump and his team were focused on negotiations to end the war and the President is very confident we can get it done this week, though such a tight timeline seems difficult. 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.Later, Trump hosted a formal dinner at the White House for governors from around the country who were in Washington for a meeting of the National Governors Association. Trump said Republicans and Democrats can always call him and joked that he might address Democratic concerns first. Let us all recommit ourselves to strengthening America and making it something even more special than it has been, Trump said. And were going to be one united nation, and maybe together, this is going to be easier if we start uniting. The president, who wore a tuxedo and bow tie, was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, who had her own tuxedo but no tie. Trump told those gathered that his wife helped organize the event. She worked very hard on making sure everything was beautiful, he said to applause. Trump also said hed give a tour of the Lincoln Bedroom after the meal to anyone who wished to see it. I think maybe its like the most important room in the whole country, he said. The most important bedroom definitely. ___Weissert reported from Washington. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Gomez Licon writes about national politics for The Associated Press. She is based in Florida. twitter mailto

This image provided by the U.S. Air Force shows Lt. Gen. Dan Caine. (U.S. Air Force via AP)2025-02-22T20:37:18Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps choice to be the top U.S. military officer, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, endeared himself to the commander in chief through his military call sign, Razin, during a meeting in Iraq years ago. Officials who have served with Caine described him Saturday as measured and apolitical.Trump said Friday night that Caine was his pick as the next Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, making the announcement in the same social media post in which he fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., who had held that job for 16 months after a career as a history-making fighter pilot.Browns ouster followed soon by that of other military leaders came as Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are pushing out officers who have supported diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks. The new Republican administration says it is focused on a lethal fighting force. Caine retired in December. It was not immediately clear what it would take to recall him to active-duty service so he could go through Senate confirmation.Caine does not meet the positions prerequisites, such as being a combatant commander or service chief, as laid out in a 1986 law that does allow a president to waive those requirements. I know hes nontraditional, but thats kind of what this administration looks for, said Chris Miller, who served as Trumps last acting secretary of defense in his first term. Caine definitely knows how the Pentagon works, Miller told The Associated Press. Caine has experience, too, in the National Guard and has worked in the private sector. Hes spent time as a citizen-soldier. The guys been out, done other things. He brings a perspective that is not traditional for a chairman, which I think will be a breath of fresh air, Miller said. Trumps relationship with Caine dates to his first administration. They met during a trip to Iraq, as Trump recounted during a 2019 speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, where he spoke again on Saturday. Trump said he asked Caine why it would take two more years to end the fight against the Islamic State group. Caine told him it could be as little as a week, if he did it his way. Were only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria, Trump said Caine told him. But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over from the base that youre right on, right now, sir. They wont know what the hell hit them. A question after Browns firing was whether Trump was seeking a loyalist as chairman of the Joint Chiefs chairman. Trump praised Caine and condemned the current military leadership at an unrelated appearance in Miami this past week.General Razin Caine was hes some general. Hes a real general, not a television general, Trump said Wednesday, two days before his Truth Social post.We have the greatest military in the world, but we dont have the greatest top, top leadership. Thats why Afghanistan was such a horrible situation and so embarrassing and so many other things, Trump added. But when we want to, with proper leadership, theres nobody even close to us. Trump has previously suggested that Caine is a political supporter. In a CPAC speech last year, Trump recalled meeting Caine in 2018 in Iraq when he was visiting troops. He said, Ill kill for you sir, Trump said. Then he puts on a Make America Great Again hat. But Caine has been steadfastly apolitical, a military officer who had served with him and remains close to him said Saturday. Gen. Caine doesnt have a MAGA hat. Hes never put one on, said the official, who was not authorized to talk to the media on the record and spoke on condition of anonymity.Miller, the former acting defense secretary, served at the Pentagon when Caine led the militarys Special Access Program Central Office, which oversees what classified information on weapons programs is shared with foreign governments. That position is one of the most difficult places to work in the whole department because of all of the congressional interest. You have to be really, really adept to handle all of the constituencies, Miller said. Caine, like Brown, flew F-16 fighter jets. Last month, Caine completed an assignment for the CIA, and during an in-depth Jan. 27 episode of The Afterburn Podcast spoke at length about his life and career.I grew up as the son of a fighter pilot. This was our family business, he said. Both he and his father, who started his military career flying F-4 Phantoms, ultimately flew the F-16.In the podcast, Caine had a message for young people looking to serve, or those already flying: Cherish it, Caine said. And remember that while flying airplanes in the military at least is epically cool, its about something deeper, he said. Its about serving our country. Its about being willing to protect and defend this nation. ___AP National Political Writer Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report. TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto

Law enforcement officers detain migrants in the area in Coral Gables, Fla., Jan. 28, 2025. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP File)2025-02-23T05:13:19Z ATLANTA (AP) Republican state lawmakers seeking to aid President Donald Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration are threatening local officials who resist with lawsuits, fines and even potential jail time. Lawmakers in more than 20 states this year have filed legislation targeting so-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. Some of those states already ban sanctuary policies but are now proposing to punish mayors, council members and other government officials who violate the prohibition.The goal is to provide teeth to those who are being aggrieved by local governments and local officials who are not abiding by Georgia immigration law, said Republican state Sen. Blake Tillery, whose legislation would allow lawsuits against anyone who implements sanctuary policies. His bill recently passed the Senate and is now in the House. Opponents have raised concerns that the legislation could lead local police and sheriffs to detain immigrants for longer than they are supposed to under federal law out of fear of getting sued. Were threatening our local law enforcement who are doing the best job they can to keep our communities safe, said Georgia state Sen. Nikki Merritt, a Democrat.The state proposals come as the Trump administration also has begun taking legal action against governments that have adopted policies inhibiting arrests and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Department of Justice has sued Illinois, Chicago and Cook County, alleging they are violating federal law by not cooperating with immigration authorities. Using lawsuits to enforce anti-sanctuary lawsA Georgia law enacted last year already mandates that local law enforcement cooperate with federal authorities to identify and detain immigrants in the U.S. illegally, or else lose state funding and face misdemeanor charges. The legislation recently passed by the state Senate doubles down by letting people sue local governments, officials and employees for violating the ban. Immigrants and advocates in Georgia say the legislation, if passed, could stoke fear in communities already worried about ICE officials arresting loved ones in homes, churches or schools.This all relates to Donald Trumps war on immigrants and local people trying to garner favor with him through legislation that doesnt solve any problems, said Charles Kuck, an Atlanta immigration attorney who opposes the legislation. Mike Mitchell, deputy executive director of the Georgia Sheriffs Association, said the organization has a neutral position on the bill but noted sheriffs already are following immigration law. Louisiana passed a law last year requiring law enforcement agencies to use best efforts to enforce federal immigration law. Earlier this month, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sued the sheriffs office in New Orleans, alleging it is violating the state ban on sanctuary immigration policies.The Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office declines ICE requests to hold detainees for extra time except when they face murder, rape, kidnapping, treason or robbery charges, according to a 2013 policy put in place under a consent judgment in federal court. The attorney generals lawsuit seeks to end that federal court order. The sheriffs office also restricts the information it shares with ICE and prevents federal immigration agents from entering its facilities without court authorization or interviewing detainees without legal counsel. The sheriffs office said in an emailed statement that it remains in full compliance with all applicable state laws and valid court orders related to ICE detainers. Imposing fines and jail time An anti-sanctuary measure was the first item signed into law by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden of South Dakota after he took over for former Gov. Kristi Noem, who was picked by Trump to be homeland security secretary. The law bans state and local policies that limit communication with federal officials about peoples immigration status, however it contains no penalties.Other states have gone further. A sweeping immigration law signed recently by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis requires the attorney general to take legal action against local governments that adopt policies refusing to comply with federal requests to detain immigrants in the country illegally. Local officials who willfully violate a ban on such sanctuary policies can face fines up to $5,000.Tennessee law already denies state economic development funds to local governments that violate a ban on sanctuary policies. A law signed recently by Gov. Bill Lee enhances that by subjecting local officials who vote for such policies to felony charges punishable by up to six years in prison. Legislative attorneys have said such penalties could be unconstitutional due to protections afforded elected officials while carrying out their duties. Legislation that passed the Wyoming House and is now pending in the Senate would not only bar local governments from adopting immigration sanctuary policies but also block citizens from proposing them through initiative petitions. The measure contains steep penalties. The governor could withhold state funds from counties, cities and towns that adopt such policies. Local officials who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities could face felony charges punishable by 5-10 years in prison and a fine up to $20,000. Republican state Rep. Joel Guggenmos acknowledged there are no sanctuary jurisdictions in Wyoming but told colleagues during a committee hearing that he was sponsoring the legislation as a preemptive measure. As I look at other states, this is becoming a problem, Guggenmos said. New Hampshire lawmakers have advanced two separate bills targeting sanctuary policies. A Senate version would allow the state attorney general to sue local governments that prohibit the enforcement of federal immigration laws and seek fines equal to 25% of their state funding. A House version omits the fine but includes more detailed directives for local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. ___Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press reporter Jack Brook contributed from New Orleans.___Kramon and Brook are corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. CHARLOTTE KRAMON Kramon covers government and politics from Atlanta. She is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto DAVID A. LIEB Lieb covers issues and trends in state governments across the U.S. Hes reported about government and politics for The Associated Press for 30 years. twitter mailto

Louise Sabina, 39, poses for a photo Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 in a Goma, eastern Congo school where she and her 10 children found shelter after her soldier husband was sent to Rumangabo for mixing and integration into the M23 rebel forces. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)2025-02-23T05:15:24Z GOMA, Congo (AP) The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured eastern Congos major city of Goma have targeted relatives of fleeing Congolese soldiers, the families say, with the troops wives chased from military barracks and left stranded in the city while some of their children are allegedly being forced to join the rebellion.As the M23 rebels swept into Goma in late January, they moved into military camps in and around the city, which had hosted hundreds of military families, and quickly emptied them of their relatives, the women said.M23 is the most potent of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in Congos mineral-rich east. In a major escalation of their yearslong fighting with government forces, the rebels captured Goma and Bukavu, the regions biggest cities, in fighting that has forced thousands of soldiers to either flee or surrender while at least 2,000 people have been killed. After being forced to leave military camps in Goma, many families of fleeing Congolese soldiers are sheltering in temporary settlements, including schools where their belongings lie around and where several families are cramped in some classrooms. At the shelters, they spoke to The Associated Press about their new life of hardship and uncertainty. All that Francine Kayenga and her three children managed to save as they were chased out of the Mubambiro military base in Masisi territory were some clothes and a mat. Her husband died recently in the conflict.I cry every night, said a distraught Kayenga, who is heavily pregnant. If I didnt have my children, I would have ended my life. Military families stuck in the middle of a rebellionUnlike in 2012 when M23 first captured Goma and withdrew after days as international pressure grew, their rebellion this time is different in various ways. The group has spoken of unseating the government of Congolese President Flix Tshisekedi. They are attempting to gain more ground despite calls for a ceasefire and they have been bolstered with around 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda.M23 leaders have also promised to cleanse the cities of alleged bad governance and insecurity.Albertine Malongi, whose husband is among Congolese soldiers killed in the conflict, said that her 19-year-old son fled Goma amid news that the rebels were forcefully conscripting people in their fight against government forces.They want all the older boys, especially the sons of soldiers, to join their army, said Malongi, 33.The AP couldnt independently verify news of the forced conscription. However, the U.N. human rights office has reported cases of child and forced recruitment as well as summary execution of children by the rebels in areas they control, particularly in Bukavu, the South Kivu provincial capital. We call on Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected, the U.N. rights office has said. Nowhere to goM23 has continued their fighting with Congolese forces in a push to expand to other parts of eastern Congo while asserting their control in Goma and Bukavu. They have spoken of quickly reopening schools, raising fears among the families about where next they would settle when studies resume in the classrooms hosting them.We dont know where were going to live, where were going to go (because) our houses had been burned (and) we dont know if our husbands are still alive, said Mwamini Tusawe, 37, at Furaha Primary School.At both that school and Rutoboko Secondary School, among the temporary settlements, children play around the school premises as their mothers are settling into a new life.Several women were also seen selling what they could from their belongings to get money for their familys next meal.Peace and safety also continue to elude them, with M23 rebels often appearing in search of the soldiers.Lucie Mapasa, who lost her husband in the conflict, recalled the horror of the M23s last visit to the shelter. They pointed a gun at me demanding to know where my husband was, Mapasa said. I showed them my children and explained that their father was dead. Inside the classrooms are wall paintings and pictures of learning materials. But education seems to be their lowest priority as many are fast running out of food.Weve sold everything just to eat, said Louise Sabina, a 39-year-old mother of 10. One day, there will be nothing left, and we will starve.___ Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.

People pass between chairs set up outside Beirut's City Sportive stadium, a day ahead of the funeral procession of Hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)2025-02-23T05:20:33Z BEIRUT (AP) Tens of thousands of people gathered in Beirut early Sunday to attend the funeral of Hezbollahs former leader, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.Hassan Nasrallah was killed when Israels air force dropped more than 80 bombs on the militant groups main operations room. His death was a major blow for the Iran-backed group that the late leader transformed into a potent force in the Middle East. Nasrallah was the groups leader for more than 30 years and one of its founders. He enjoyed wide influence among Iran-backed groups in the region and was widely respected in the so-called Iran-led axis of resistance that included Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian factions.Officials from around the region including Irans parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were expected to attend the funeral at the Lebanese capitals main sports stadium. Lebanese officials including the parliament speaker and representatives of the president and prime minister were expected to attend the funeral believed to be Lebanons largest in two decades. Senior Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush told reporters Saturday that about 800 personalities from 65 countries will be attending the funeral in addition to thousands of individuals and activists who came from around the world. Come from every home, village and city so that we tell the enemy that this resistance will stay and is ready in the field, Daamoush said, referring to Israel. Nasrallah will be laid to rest later Sunday in Beirut while his cousin and successor Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb a few days later, will be laid to rest in his hometown in southern Lebanon. The two had temporarily been buried in secret locations. Hezbollah earlier this month announced plans for their official funerals. Hezbollah has been calling on its supporters to attend the funeral in large numbers in what appears to be a move to show that the group remains powerful after suffering major blows during a 14-month war with Israel that left many of its senior political and military officials dead.Another blow for Hezbollah was the fall in early December of the Assad familys five-decade rule in Syria that was a strong ally of the Lebanese group and a main route for the flow of weapons and money from Iran.As part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal that ended the war with Israel on Nov. 27, Hezbollah is not supposed to have an armed presence along the border with Israel. Hezbollahs rivals have been calling on the group to lay down its weapons all over Lebanon and become a political faction.Hezbollah has prepared for the funeral by setting up the stadium to host tens of thousands of people while giant screens were placed along the airport road outside the stadium for people who wont get a space inside to watch the funeral. Tight security measures have been taken, including the closure of major roads in the area of the funeral. Lebanese army and police forces were placed on alert and the army has banned the use of drones in Beirut and its suburbs during the day. Flights to and from Beiruts Rafik Hariri International Airport will stop for four hours starting at noon. Hezbollah has given a title to the funeral: We are committed to the covenant. ABBY SEWELL Sewell is the Associated Press news director for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. She joined the AP in 2022 but has been based in the region since 2016, reporting and guiding coverage on some of its most significant news stories. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Andrii Rubliuk, a senior sergeant with a Ukrainian intelligence unit who lost both arms and a leg in combat, holds a rifle during military training near Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-02-23T05:04:01Z DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) The Ukrainian intelligence soldier doesnt know how long his clinical death lasted after an explosive detonated beneath him.All Andrii Rubliuk remembers is overwhelming cold, darkness and fear. When he regained consciousness in his shattered body missing both arms and his left leg excruciating pain engulfed him, and hallucinations clouded his mind.Its an experience you wouldnt wish on anyone, the now 38-year-old says. Two years later, Rubliuk is again dressed in military fatigues, his missing limbs replaced by prosthetics hooks in place of fingers, one leg firmly planted on an artificial limb. From the moment of the explosion, Rubliuk knew his life had changed forever. But one thing was certain he vowed to return to the battlefield.Fighting with arms and legs is something anyone can do. Fighting without them thats a challenge, he says. But only those who take on challenges and fight through them are truly alive. Many Ukrainian brigades have at least one, and often several, amputee soldiers still on active duty men who returned to combat out of a sense of duty amid the grim outlook for their country. They are among Ukraines 380,000 war wounded, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Some 46,000 soldiers have been killed during the three-year war, and tens of thousands are missing and in captivity. On the front line Russia is expending huge amounts of weaponry and human life to make small but steady territorial gains to the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine it controls. Meanwhile Ukraine, outnumbered and outgunned, faces challenges not only on the battlefield but also in diplomacy, as its once strongest ally the U.S. enters talks with Russia, raising fears that Ukraine and its European partners will be sidelined.It is this dire situation that has driven wounded soldiers back to the front, where little has changed since they first left their civilian lives to defend their families from an invading neighbor. For them, lying in a hospital bed was unbearable compared to standing alongside their brothers-in-arms to defend Ukraine. But they all agree on one thing when the war ends, they wont spend another day in uniform; joining the army was never their first choice.Rubliuk rejoined the special forces last spring as a senior sergeant in the Artan intelligence unit, training new soldiers and monitoring enemy drones. His rehabilitation began in late 2022, but he believes it never truly ends. Every new day is part of my rehabilitation, he says. His new body, he adds, is a balance between self-acceptance and continuous recovery.A comrade who was with Rubliuk when the explosion happened and suffered minor injuries, remembers the moment vividly. I thought he was dead, said the soldier who did not give his name in compliance with special forces rules. At that moment, Rubliuks life hung in the balance. He was transported to a nearby hospital, suffered cardiac arrest and eventually was resuscitated, said Dr. Anton Yakovenko, a military surgeon who treated him. After months in hospital wards and rehabilitation centers in Philadelphia and Florida, Rubliuk has returned to take on a role near the front line where, like others who have done so, his knowledge and experience are the greatest weapon. Being back in uniform is like returning homeMaksym Vysotskyi had just completed a drone mission in November 2023 when he took a detour after heavy rains turned the battlefield into a swamp and stepped on a land mine. The explosion was instantaneous. When he looked down at his left leg, all he saw was bone.I quickly accepted the fact that my leg was gone. Whats the point of mourning? Crying and worrying wont bring it back, the 42-year-old says.By May, he was back in uniform, describing the feeling as returning home.You need to come out of this not as someone broken by the war and written off, but as someone they tried to break, but couldnt, he says. You came back, proved you could still do something, and youll step away only when you decide to. Vysotskyi now commands a team operating explosives-laden drones on nighttime missions. He assesses risk and makes strategic decisions but rarely goes on combat missions. Despite his injury, he has never regretted enlisting.Everyone must walk their own path, and there will be challenges along the way. You can try to escape your fate, but it will always catch up with you, he says. Thats why I never had regrets. A combat medic who became a war psychologistTwo and a half years ago, when Capt. Oleksandr Puzikov called his wife to tell her his left arm had been severed, she thought he was joking.I will never forget that day, says Iryna Puzikova, her voice trembling. When I walked into the ICU, his first words were, You wont leave me, right?She stayed by his side, traveling from hospital to hospital as he recovered and learned to live with a full-arm amputation.When he decided to return to the military, she wasnt surprised. I never doubted for a moment that it could be any different, she says.Before his injury, Puzikov, now 40, was a combat medic. After returning to service, he retrained as a psychologist, helping soldiers cope with the mental toll of three years of war.As long as the war continues, I wont leave Ill help in any way I can, he says.Yet, his own struggle continues. He suffers from phantom limb pain. It feels as if his missing hand is clenched in a fist, the pain so sharp it cuts like a knife. He hopes another surgery might finally relieve it.A proper prosthetic remains out of reach due to bureaucratic delays and poor-quality options. Like many other amputees struggling to find a good arm prosthesis, he continues his military duties without one.Life after warAfter he lost his right arm in battle, Oleksandr Zhalinskyi transitioned from an infantry soldier to a navigator-driver and chose not to use a prosthetic. Its only good for fishing, jokes the 34-year-old of a hobby he still enjoys.In his current role, he evaluates missions and finds the safest evacuation routes.At first, I did not like this job. When I returned to service, I was ready to go back to the infantry, Zhalinskyi says. But over time, I accepted this new role.When an artillery strike hit his position in the fall of 2023, severing his arm, the pain was unbearable. He pushed himself up, scanning for comrades; he was the only one who survived. He tried three times to tighten a tourniquet, but it wouldnt hold. With communications destroyed and no way to call for help, he had only one option move toward the evacuation point, forcing himself to stay conscious with every step.It felt like I was walking forever. Dark thoughts crept in, but he reminded himself of his five godchildren he had to survive. Soldiers from a neighboring unit spotted him, stabilized him, and got him to safety. From that moment, there was no doubt once he recovered, he would return to the fight.But once he sheds his uniform, he has a plan. Before the invasion, he dreamed of opening a pub in his hometown. That dream remains except hes changed its name. Now, he plans to call it Amputated Conscience.___Associated Press journalist Volodymyr Yurchuk contributed from Kyiv, Ukraine. HANNA ARHIROVA Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. 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Candles are seen near pictures of Pope Francis outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-02-23T07:31:02Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis, in critical condition with a complicated lung infection, rested well during a peaceful night following a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions, the Vatican said Sunday.Vatican spokesman Matteo Brunis one-line statement didnt mention if Francis was up or eating breakfast. The night passed quietly, the pope rested.The brief update came after doctors said the 88-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, was in critical condition. On Saturday morning, he suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection.The pope received high flows of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.The Saturday statement also said that the pontiff continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. Doctors said the prognosis was reserved.Doctors have said Francis condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease. The main threat facing the pope is sepsisThey have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the popes medical team said in their first in-depth update on the popes condition.Saturdays blood tests showed that he had developed a low platelet count, a condition called platelopenia or thrombocytopenia. Platelets are cell-like fragments that circulate in the blood that help form blood clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal. Low platelet counts can be caused by a number of things, including side effects from medicines or infections, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Francis, who has chronic lung disease and is prone to bronchitis in winter, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed absolute rest and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Vatican hierarchy tamps down speculation Francis might resignMeanwhile, the Vatican hierarchy went on the defensive to tamp down rumors and speculation that Francis might decide to resign. There is no provision in canon law for what to do if a pope becomes incapacitated. Francis has said that he has written a letter of resignation that would be invoked if he were medically incapable of making such a decision. The pope remains fully conscious, alert, eating and working.The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave a rare interview to Corriere della Sera to respond to speculation and rumors about a possible resignation. It came after the Vatican issued an unusual and official denial of an Italian media report that said Parolin and the popes chief canonist had visited Francis in the hospital in secret. Given the canonical requirements to make a resignation legitimate, the implications of such a meeting were significant, but the Vatican flat-out denied that any such meeting occurred. Parolin said such speculation seemed useless when what really mattered was the health of Francis, his recovery and return to the Vatican.On the other hand, I think it is quite normal that in these situations uncontrolled rumors can spread or some misplaced comment is uttered. It is certainly not the first time it has happened, Parolin was quoted as saying. However, I dont think there is any particular movement, and so far I havent heard anything like that. Holy Year celebrations continue without popeDeacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican for their special Holy Year weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the Vaticans Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the church that precedes ordination to the priesthood.In his place, the Holy Year organizer was to celebrate Sundays Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second consecutive weekend, Francis is skipping his traditional Sunday noon blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it. Look, even though hes not (physically) here, we know hes here, said Luis Arnaldo Lpez Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico, who was at the Vatican on Saturday for the Jubilee celebration. Hes recovering, but hes in our hearts and is accompanying us, because our prayers and his go together. ___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

2025-02-23T06:19:32Z An Afghan womens radio station will resume broadcasts after the Taliban suspended its operations, citing unauthorized provision of content to an overseas TV channel and improperly using its license.Radio Begum launched on International Womens Day in March 2021, five months before the Taliban seized power amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops.The stations content is produced entirely by Afghan women. Its sister satellite channel, Begum TV, operates from France and broadcasts programs that cover the Afghan school curriculum from seventh to 12th grade. The Taliban have banned education for women and girls in the country beyond grade six.In a statement issued Saturday night, the Talibans Information and Culture Ministry said Radio Begum had repeatedly requested to restart operations and that the suspension was lifted after the station made commitments to authorities. The station pledged to conduct broadcasts in accordance with the principles of journalism and the regulations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and to avoid any violations in the future, it added. The ministry did not elaborate what those principles and regulations were. Radio Begum was not immediately available for comment.Since their takeover, the Taliban have excluded women from education, many kinds of work, and public spaces. Journalists, especially women, have lost their jobs as the Taliban tighten their grip on the media. In the 2024 press freedom index from Reporters without Borders, Afghanistan ranks 178 out of 180 countries. The year before that it ranked 152.The Information Ministry did not initially identify the TV channel it alleged Radio Begum had been working with. But the Saturday statement mentioned collaboration with foreign sanctioned media outlets.

CDU top candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz talks to supporters at the main election campaign event of the Christian Democratic Union ahead of the German federal Bundestag elections on Sunday, in Oberhausen, Germany, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)2025-02-23T05:00:26Z BERLIN (AP) German voters are choosing a new government in an election Sunday dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation of Europes biggest economy, pressure to curb migration and growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europes alliance with the United States. The center-right opposition is favored to win, while polls point to the strongest result for a far-right party since World War II.Germany is the most populous country in the 27-nation European Union and a leading member of NATO. It has been Ukraines biggest second-weapons supplier, after the U.S. It will be central to shaping the continents response to the challenges of the coming years, including the Trump administrations confrontational foreign and trade policy. What are Germans voting for?More than 59 million people in the nation of 84 million are eligible to elect the 630 members of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, who will take their seats under the glass dome of Berlins landmark Reichstag building.Germanys electoral system rarely produces absolute majorities, and no party looks anywhere near one this time. Its expected that two or more parties will form a coalition, following potentially difficult negotiations that will take weeks or even months before the Bundestag elects the next chancellor. This election is taking place seven months before it was originally planned after center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholzs coalition collapsed in November, three years into a term that was increasingly marred by infighting. Theres widespread discontent and not much enthusiasm for any of the candidates. Who could take charge?Center-right opposition leader Friedrich Merzs Union bloc has consistently led polls, with 28-32% support in the most recent surveys, and Merz is favored to replace Scholz. Scholzs Social Democrats have been polling between 14-16%, which would be their worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election.The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has been running in second place with around 20% of the vote well above its previous best of 12.6% in a national election, from 2017 and has fielded its first candidate for chancellor in Alice Weidel. But other parties say they wont work with it, a stance often known as the firewall.The environmentalist Greens also are running for the top job, with outgoing Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, but have been polling a little behind Scholzs party.Merz has pledged stability instead of chaos after Scholzs three-party coalition collapsed following long-running internal arguments, including over how to revitalize the economy.But its unclear whether the conservative leader, if he wins, will be able to put together a stable government that does much better. Merz hopes for a two-party coalition, but may end up needing a third partner to form a government. The realistic candidates to join a Merz government are Scholzs Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats who were the smallest partner in Scholzs collapsed government and may not manage to stay in parliament. The Free Democrats and another small party are hovering are hovering at around 5% of the vote, the threshold to qualify for seats in parliament. If they do, there may be no majority for a two-party coalition. What are the main issues?The contenders have made contrasting proposals to turn around the German economy, which has shrunk for the past two years and hasnt managed real growth in much longer. Thats going to be a central job for the new government.Migration moved to the forefront of the campaign in the past month following deadly attacks committed by immigrants. Merz vowed to bar people from entering the country without proper papers and to step up deportations if he is elected chancellor. He then brought a nonbinding motion calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germanys borders. Parliament approved it by a narrow majority thanks to AfD votes a first in postwar Germany. Rivals made Merzs attitude toward AfD, which generated protests, an issue. Scholz accused Merz of irresponsible gambling and breaking a taboo. Merz has rejected those accusations, saying that he didnt and wont work with AfD. He has repeatedly and categorically said since that his party will never do so. Mainstream parties have vowed to keep up support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. And after the Scholz government reached a NATO target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense, the next administration will have to find a way to keep that going and likely expand it, in the face of U.S. demands once a special 100 billion-euro ($105 billion) fund to modernize the military is used up in 2027.

FILE -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands ahead of a bilateral meeting at Chequers, near Aylesbury, England, Thursday Jan. 9, 2025. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-02-23T05:02:13Z LONDON (AP) The leaders of France and Britain are making tag-team visits to Washington this week as Europe attempts to persuade President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal in the three-year-old war with Russia.There is an element of good cop, bad cop in efforts by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to salvage American support for Kyiv.Starmer, reluctant to openly confront Trump, speaks of being a bridge between Europe and the U.S. administration. Macron has more strongly criticized Trumps recent statements that echo Russias narrative and American moves to negotiate with Moscow while sidelining Ukraine.Both leaders stress Ukraines voice and sovereignty must be at the center of any peace talks.The French president warned Trump against appearing weak in the face of President Putin.Its not you, its not your trademark, its not in your interest, said Macron, who is due at the White House on Monday, the third anniversary of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Starmer is set to follow on Thursday. Double-track diplomacyThe trips come after Macron called a crisis meeting of European leaders in Paris last week to discuss the continents next steps and after Trump on Friday claimed Macron and Starmer havent done anything over the past three years to end the war.The centrist French leader, known for his bold diplomatic moves, says hell seek to persuade Trump that American and European interests are the same, telling him: If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.Starmer, a cautious center-left politician, has avoided directly contradicting Trump or criticizing his actions. The U.K. joined the U.S. in refusing to sign a joint declaration at an Artificial Intelligence summit hosted by Macron in Paris this month in what was seen as an attempt to curry favor with Washington. But the prime minister has reaffirmed Britains support for Ukraine, rejecting Trumps assertion that Zelenskyy is a dictator and the presidents suggestion that Kyiv started the war, which erupted when Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022.Starmer spoke to Zelenskyy on Saturday, expressing the U.K.s ironclad support for Ukraine and commitment to securing a just and enduring peace. He said he would stress safeguarding Ukraines sovereignty when he speaks to Trump in Washington.Some historians say the idea that Britain can be a transatlantic bridge is built on shaky foundations.The special relationship has always been more important from the British end, said Oxford University history professor Margaret MacMillan. When it comes right down to it, great powers tend to do what suits them.She said the bottom line for Macron and Starmer is they want the U.S. to stay involved in Europe. Whether they can achieve that is another matter. Overcoming U.S. reluctanceMacron and Starmer will say in Washington that Ukraine must be at the table for negotiations on its future. They hope to get U.S. support for an emerging plan to have Europe deploy troops in a reassurance force to help guarantee Ukraines future security. Starmer has stressed that the plan will only work if there is a U.S. backstop, likely in the form of American air power, to deter Russia from attacking again.Trump may well be skeptical. He has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that dont pull their weight.Both Macron and Starmer appear ready to answer Trumps call to boost defense spending. France spends just over 2% of its gross domestic product on the military, and Macron said last week that Europeans must increase our war effort.Britain spends 2.3% of gross domestic product on defense, and Starmer has said that will rise to 2.5%. He may put a date for reaching that target during his Washington trip.Jamie Shea, a retired senior NATO official, said Starmer should try to appeal to Trumps keen sense of his place in history.The main argument Starmer can put will be to say, Mr. President this is going to be your peace agreement. You did it and for better or worse you will be associated with it forever. And do you want to risk a failure? Shea said. Talking trade and tariffsTrade and an effort to avoid U.S.-imposed tariffs will also be on the agenda for both Macron and Starmer.Trump has ordered reciprocal import taxes on Americas trading partners, slapped 10% tariffs on China; effectively raised U.S. taxes on foreign steel and aluminum; and threatened, then delayed for 30 days, 25% taxes on goods from Canada and Mexico.U.K. officials hope Britains departure from the European Union a move Trump has praised and relatively balanced trade with the U.S. will help it avoid harsh tariffs.Starmer also wants to raise U.K. opposition to Trumps suggestion that Palestinians be deported from Gaza so the U.S. can take over the territory. And he will seek to allay U.S. concerns about a U.K. agreement to cede to Mauritius the Chagos Islands, an Indian Ocean archipelago thats home to a strategic U.S. military base.If all else fails, Britain can deploy ceremonial soft power of royalty. The Daily Telegraph reported that Starmer will present Trump with an invitation from King Charles III for a state visit replete with royal pomp and pageantry. ___Corbet reported from Paris. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter

A man waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners sits on the ground and uses his mobile phone Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, after receiving news that Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)2025-02-23T09:21:59Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday he has instructed the military to prepare to remain in some of the occupied West Banks urban refugee camps for the coming year.The comments by Katz come as Israel is intensifying an offensive in the Palestinian territory and as the ceasefire that paused the Gaza war is holding.The military said Sunday it was expanding the raid in the West Bank to other areas and was sending tanks to Jenin, a militant stronghold.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris accepts the chairman's award during the 56th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)2025-02-22T05:02:40Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us, Harris said after receiving the NAACPs Chairmans Award. The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people.The 56th annual Image Awards kicked off Saturday at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area.Harris, defeated by Trump in last years presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the states attorney general. In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trumps actions since entering the Oval Office, although Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Harris spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and Americas future.Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask What do we do now? Harris said. But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power. We organize, mobilize. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path.Other winners of the Chairmans prize have included former President Barack Obama, the late Rep. John Lewis and the late actor Ruby Dee. Awards recognize LA residents impacted by wildfiresImage Awards host Deon Cole honored residents of the nearby Altadena neighborhood who were affected by a recent Los Angeles-area wildfire. Cole then shifted tone and brightened the mood with a comedic prayer for Kanye Wests wife to find more clothes after her barely-there Grammys look and for Shannon Sharpe to finally size up his T-shirts.The opening act was a lead-up to the evenings first award: Queen Latifah as best actress in a drama series, for her role in The Equalizer. The ceremony took place in Pasadena, just south of the Altadena area, and video of last months fire devastation played before actor Morris Chestnut took the stage.Homes were lost, stores destroyed, countless lives shattered and over two dozens souls gone forever, said Chestnut, a Los Angeles native who referenced impacted areas such as Altadena, the Pacific Palisades and Malibu. He said 22 Altadena residents attended the show, panning towards them as many in the audience stood up and applauded.But what was not lost is the spirit of our community, Chestnut said. NAACP Hall of FameHarris was honored during the ceremony along with the Wayans family Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. whose impact on film, TV, sketch and stand-up comedy has shaped Hollywood on and off screen, were each being recognized. Some of their credits include the sketch comedy series In Living Color, created by Keenan Ivory Wayans in 1990, and Damon Wayans starring role in the 1995 comedy Major Payne.Keenan Ivory Wayans also directed the 2000 slasher spoof Scary Movie, written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans, who also wrote and starred in White Chicks in 2004. Father-son duo Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. currently co-star in the CBS sitcom Poppas House.Damon Wayans Jr. has acted in two of the most critically acclaimed comedies in recent years: Happy Endings and New Girl. Kim Wayans, a comedian, actor and director, also received praise for her work in the 2011 drama Pariah.Poppas House was nominated for an NAACP Award, as were Damon Wayons and Damon Wayons Jr. for their acting on the show. Marlon Wayans guest appearance on Peacocks Bel-Air was also up for an award. Entertainer of the yearThe top nominees for the coveted honor included Kendrick Lamar, Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe. Lamar won over the masses for his rap battle with Drake, leading to chart-topping dis tracks including Not Like Us, which won him five Grammys. He headlined the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month.Erivo, who made her presence felt in her Oscar-nominated performance in Wicked, will be the host of the upcoming Tony Awards.Sharpe, an NFL Hall of Famer, became an influential voice in media with his podcast Club Shay Shay and Nightcap, with Chad Ochocinco Johnson.Hart showed off his comedic talents during The Roast of Tom Brady and starred in Lift and Borderlands. Palmer starred in the buddy comedy One of Them Days, which debuted No. 1 at the box office last month. She won an Emmy for her hosting efforts on NBCs Password. Other honoreesDave Chappelle was to be honored with the presidents award for his thought-provoking humor, according to Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO.Chappelle will be the first comedian to receive the honor. Past recipients include Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Usher, Rihanna and John Legend.DJ D-Nice was to honor music legend the late Quincy Jones, and Grammy winner Ledisi was set to perform alongside the Adam Blackstone Band. JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. Landrum is an entertainment reporter based in Los Angeles. He reports on television, film and music for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto

Sunlight filtering through a window illuminates the statue of Catholic Saint Giuliana Falconieri during a mass for the Jubilee of Deacons in St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, that was supposed to be presided over by Pope Francis who was admitted over a week ago at Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic and is in critical condition. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-02-23T10:36:05Z VATICAN CITY (AP) While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes totally incapacitated.As a result, even though Pope Francis remains hospitalized in critical condition with a complex lung infection, he is still pope and very much in charge. The Vatican said Sunday that Francis rested during a peaceful night after he had a prolonged respiratory crisis a day earlier that required high flows of oxygen to help him breathe.Still, Francis hospital stay is raising obvious questions about whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVIs footsteps and resign if he becomes unable to lead. On Monday, Francis hospital stay will hit the 10-day mark, equaling the length of his 2021 hospital stay for surgery to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon. His age and prolonged illness has revived interest about how papal power is exercised in the Holy See, how it is transferred and under what circumstances. Heres how it works: The role of the pope The pope is the successor of the Apostle Peter, the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and the pastor of the universal Catholic Church on Earth, according to the churchs in-house canon law.Nothing has changed in his status, role or power since Francis was elected the 266th pope on March 13, 2013. That status is by theological design. The Vatican CuriaFrancis may be in charge, but he already delegates the day-to-day running of the Vatican and church to a team of officials who operate whether he is in the Apostolic Palace or not, and whether he is conscious or not.Chief among them is the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In a sign that Francis hospitalization foresaw no change to the governance of the church, Parolin was in Burkina Faso when Francis entered the hospital on Feb. 14. Parolin is now back at the Vatican.Other Vatican functions are proceeding normally, including the Vaticans 2025 Holy Year celebrations.On Sunday, for example, Archbishop Rino Fisichella celebrated a Jubilee Mass in St. Peters Basilica that Francis was supposed to have celebrated. Fisichella offered a special prayer for Francis from the altar before delivering the homily the pope had prepared.What happens when a pope gets sick?Canon law does have provisions for when a bishop gets sick and cant run his diocese, but none for a pope. Canon 412 says a diocese can be declared impeded if its bishop due to captivity, banishment, exile, or incapacity cannot fulfil his pastoral functions. In such cases, the day-to-day running of the diocese shifts to an auxiliary bishop, a vicar general or someone else.Even though Francis is the bishop of Rome, no explicit provision exists for the pope if he similarly becomes impeded. Canon 335 declares simply that when the Holy See is vacant or entirely impeded, nothing can be altered in the governance of the church. But it doesnt say what it means for the Holy See to be entirely impeded or what provisions might come into play if it ever were. In 2021, a team of canon lawyers set out to propose norms to fill that legislative gap. They created a canonical crowd-sourcing initiative to craft a new church law regulating the office of a retired pope as well as norms to apply when a pope is unable to govern, either temporarily or permanently.The proposed norms explain that, with medical advancements, its entirely likely that at some point a pope will be alive but unable to govern. It argues that the church must provide for the declaration of a totally impeded see and the transfer of power for the sake of its own unity.Under the proposed norms, the governance of the universal church would pass to the College of Cardinals. In the case of a temporary impediment, they would name a commission to govern, with periodical medical checks every six months to determine the status of the pope. What about the letters? Francis confirmed in 2022 that shortly after he was elected pope he wrote a letter of resignation, to be invoked if he became medically incapacitated. He said he gave it to the then-secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and said he assumed Bertone had delivered it to Parolins office when he retired.The text is not public, and the conditions Francis contemplated for a resignation are unknown. It is also not known if such a letter would be canonically valid. Canon law requires a papal resignation to be freely and properly manifested as was the case when Benedict announced his resignation in 2013.In 1965, Pope Paul VI wrote letters to the dean of the College of Cardinals hypothesizing that if he were to become seriously ill, the dean and other cardinals should accept his resignation. The letter was never invoked, since Paul lived another 13 years and died on the job. What happens when a pope dies or resigns?The only time papal power changes hands is when a pope dies or resigns. At that time, a whole series of rites and rituals comes into play governing the interregnum the period between the end of one pontificate and the election of a new pope.During that period, known as the sede vacante, or empty See, the camerlengo, or chamberlain, runs the administration and finances of the Holy See. He certifies the popes death, seals the papal apartments and prepares for the popes burial before a conclave to elect a new pope. The position is currently held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the head of the Vaticans laity office.The camerlengo has no role or duties if the pope is merely sick or otherwise incapacitated.Likewise, the dean of the College of Cardinals, who would preside at a papal funeral and organize the conclave, has no additional role if the pope is merely sick. That position is currently held by Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91.Earlier this month, Francis decided to keep Re on the job even after his five-year term expired, rather than make way for someone new. He also extended the term of the vice-dean, Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 81.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

President Bill Clinton laughs as he tightly draws his arms to his sides when U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich asks the members of the audience to raise their hands if they felt they had job security, during a meeting at the Sunnyvale Community Center, Sept. 10, 1993, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite, File)2025-02-23T12:24:36Z DENVER (AP) A new administration swept into Washington and announced plans to shake it up, using corporate know-how and new technology to streamline the federal bureaucracy.It offered millions of government employees buyouts and slashed costs to balance the budget.It might sound like the controversial cost-cutting push led by billionaire Elon Musk under the auspices of Republican President Donald Trump. But the biggest effort to overhaul the federal government in modern history actually was 30 years ago under a Democratic administration. It was then-President Bill Clintons Reinventing Government initiative, under the control of his vice president, Al Gore.Musk himself has recently tried to associate himself with the Clinton effort: What @DOGE is doing is similar to Clinton/Gore Dem policies of the 1990s, he posted on his social platform X, using his acronym for the effort in charge of the cuts, the Department of Government Efficiency. But the Reinventing Government project was nearly the opposite of the abrupt, chaotic Musk effort, say those who ran it or watched it unfold. It was authorized by bipartisan congressional legislation, worked slowly over several years to identify inefficiencies and involved federal workers in re-envisioning their jobs. There was a tremendous effort put into understanding what should happen and what should change, said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, which seeks to improve the federal workforce. What is happening now is actually taking us backwards. As part of Musks effort, the Trump administration has fired thousands of federal workers without warning. It offered government employees a deferred resignation program that wasnt authorized by Congress and gutted agencies without similar legislative authorization, though sometimes judges intervened. The technology mogul and worlds richest person has pledged to save trillions of taxpayer dollars by cutting costs. Those familiar with the Clinton-era Reinventing Government push say it holds lessons for both how to remake the federal bureaucracy and the comparatively meager savings that can be achieved from such an effort.We did it without a constitutional crisis, said Elaine Kamarck, who ran Reinventing Government as a senior Gore adviser in the 1990s. Unlike these people, we didnt think there were vast trillions in efficiencies. ... Their mandate is only to cut. Our was: Works better, costs less.Kamarck said the initiative grew to a 400-person staff recruited from existing workers within the federal agencies. They set about making the government more efficient and focused on customer service, introducing private sector-style metrics such as performance standards for workers.The Reinventing Government team also pushed the workforce to embrace a brand new technology the internet. Many governmental web sites and programs, including the electronic filing of income taxes, date back to the Reinventing Government initiative.Gore appeared on the David Letterman late night television show and smashed a government ash tray with a hammer to symbolize his crusade to eliminate waste. The government ended up giving out hammer awards to employees who came up with ways to cut red tape and improve service, recalled Don Kettl, an emeritus professor of public policy at the University of Maryland. Liberating employees and seeing employees as a better part of the system was a big piece of it, Kettl recalled. One important difference is the Trump administration sees federal employees as the bad guys, and the Clinton administration saw federal employees as good guys.The Clinton administration also worked with Congress to authorize $25,000 buyouts for federal workers and ended up eliminating what Kamarck said were more than 400,000 federal positions between 1993 and 2000 through a combination of voluntary departures, attrition and a relatively small number of layoffs.Kettl said the job cuts didnt save money because the government had to turn around and hire contractors to perform the tasks of workers who left something he worries will happen again if Musk and Trump continue to slash the federal workforce. Chris Edwards, who edits DownsizingGovernment.org at the conservative Cato Institute in Washington, said buyouts symbolize the important difference between the Clinton effort, which he called moderately successful, and the current DOGE campaign the involvement of Congress. The Republicans who control Congress today have let Musk move ahead with his changes without them, even though the Constitution states that the legislative branch approves spending and federal law prohibits the president from cutting programs Congress has authorized without its permission. Clinton was the last president to successfully seek that permission, with Congress accepting $3.6 billion in cuts he proposed. Trump and Musk have made only vague promises about submitting cuts to Congress. Without its involvement, any savings will be fleeting, Edwards said: None of these changes DOGE wants to make will be permanent, he said.Few Republicans have suggested greater involvement by Congress.It requires speaking out. It requires saying, That violates the law, that violates the authorities of the executive, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.Kamarck estimated the total savings of Reinventing Government at $146 billion a considerable amount, but still only a tiny sliver of the federal budget. She contrasted the slow, deliberative and collaborative approach her team took with Musks breakneck pace, led by a team of young outsiders he has brought in to slash agencies and their workforce.The reason Reinventing Government moved slowly, Kamarck said, was that it didnt want to interfere with the myriad crucial roles of government while restructuring it. Musk seems to have few such concerns, she fears.The stakes in federal government failure are really, really high in a way theyre not in the private sector, Kamarck said. We really worried about screwing things up, and I dont think these guys are worried enough about screwing things up, and itll be their undoing.

An American flag is suspended from a charred bunny sculpture at the Bunny Museum, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire in January, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)2025-02-23T02:54:52Z SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from Januarys devastating wildfires, which he said could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.Newsom sent a letter Friday asking for support from lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the House Appropriations Committee chair. Los Angeles is one of the most economically productive places on the globe, but it can only rebound and flourish with support from the federal government as it recovers from this unprecedented disaster, Newsom wrote.Estimates of the total economic loss from the firestorm have been estimated to surpass $250 billion with real estate losses from the Palisades and Eaton fires predicted to potentially top $30 billion, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis. More than 16,200 structures were destroyed as flames ripped through Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Pasadena and Altadena. Newsom vowed that the funding would be used to rebuild homes, infrastructure, businesses, schools, churches and health care facilities, while supporting the needs of people affected by the devastation. Make no mistake, Los Angeles will use this money wisely, Newsom wrote.His largest request is for an additional $16.8 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, mostly intended for the rebuilding of property and infrastructure, with $5 billion earmarked for debris cleanup. Newsom also asked for $9.9 billion from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for grants to fire victims, homeowners, businesses and renters, as well as $5.29 billion from the Small Business Administration for homeowner and business loans. Newsom thanked President Donald Trump for support for fast-tracking debris removal. The letter did not mention recent threats by the Trump administration that federal aid could come with strings attached. We are eternally grateful, Newsom said. Trump has been a frequent critic of Newsom and Californias water policies. Ric Grenell, a Trump ally serving as his envoy for special missions, said Friday that there will be conditions to any federal aid for the state. He said one of the possible conditions being discussed was defunding the California Coastal Commission, which regulates coastal development and protects public beach access. Trump has criticized the agency as overly restrictive, bureaucratic and a hindrance to timely rebuilding efforts.

Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi speaks during a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)2025-02-23T09:41:21Z KINSHASA, Congo (AP) Congos president says he is going to launch a unity government, as violence spreads across the countrys east and pressure mounts over his handling of the crisis.On Saturday, in some of his first statements since Rwandan-backed rebels captured major cities in eastern Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi, told a meeting of the Sacred Union of the Nation ruling coalition not to be distracted by internal quarrels.I lost the battle and not the war. I must reach out to everyone including the opposition. There will be a government of national unity, said Tshisekedi. He didnt give more details on what that would entail or when it would happen.M23 rebels the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control and influence in eastern Congo have swept through the region seizing key cities, killing some 3,000 people. In a lightning three-week offensive, the M23 took control of eastern Congos main city Goma and seized the second largest city, Bukavu. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congos capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles away. Rwanda has accused Congo of enlisting ethnic Hutu fighters responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda of minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus. M23 says its fighting to protect Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination and wants to transform Congo from a failed state to a modern one. Analysts have called those pretexts for Rwandas involvement.On Saturday, Tshisekedi paid tribute to soldiers who were killed and vowed to prop up the army.