Delegates reacts during a plenary session of Second Part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)2025-08-15T01:06:27Z GENEVA (AP) Talks on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution in Geneva ended without an agreement Friday as the session was adjourned with plans to resume at a later date. Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. They remain deadlocked over whether the treaty should reduce exponential growth of plastic production and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels.Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said despite challenges, despite the disappointment, we have to accept that significant progress was made.This process wont stop, she said, but its too soon to say how long it will take to get a treaty now. The Youth Plastic Action Network was the only organization to speak at the closing meeting Friday. Comments from observers were cut off at the request of the U.S. and Kuwait after 24 hours of meetings and negotiating. The negotiations at the U.N. hub were supposed to be the last round and produce the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans. But just like at the meeting in South Korea last year, theyre leaving without a treaty. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the chair of the negotiating committee, wrote and presented two drafts of treaty text in Geneva based on the views expressed by the nations. The representatives from 184 countries did not agree to use either one as the basis for their negotiations. Valdivieso said Friday morning as the delegates reconvened in the assembly hall that no further action is being proposed at this stage on the latest draft.After a three-hour meeting, he banged a gavel made of recycled plastic bottle tops from a Nairobi landfill. A deeply disappointing outcomeRepresentatives of Norway, Australia, Tuvalu and others nations said they were deeply disappointed to be leaving Geneva without a treaty. Madagascar said the world is expecting action, not reports from us.European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the European Union and its member states had higher expectations for this meeting and while the draft falls short on their demands, its a good basis for another negotiating session. The Earth is not ours only. We are stewards for those who come after us. Let us fulfill that duty, she said.Chinas delegation said the fight against plastic pollution is a long marathon and that this temporary setback is a new starting point to forge consensus. It urged nations to work together to offer future generations a blue planet without plastic pollution. Lots of red linesThe biggest issue of the talks has been whether the treaty should impose caps on producing new plastic or focus instead on things like better design, recycling and reuse. Powerful oil- and gas-producing nations and the plastics industry oppose production limits. They want a treaty focused on better waste management and reuse.Saudi Arabia said both drafts lacked balance, and Saudi and Kuwaiti negotiators said the latest proposal takes other states views more into account. It addressed plastic production, which they consider outside the scope of the treaty. That draft, released early Friday, did not include a limit on plastic production, but recognized that current levels of production and consumption are unsustainable and global action is needed. New language had been added to say these levels exceed current waste management capacities and are projected to increase further, thereby necessitating a coordinated global response to halt and reverse such trends.The objective of the treaty was revamped to state that the accord would be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. It talked about reducing plastic products containing a chemical or chemicals of concern to human health or the environment, as well as reducing of single-use or short-lived plastic products.It was a much better, more ambitious text, though not perfect. But each country came to Geneva with a lot of red lines, said Magnus Heunicke, the Danish environment minister. Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe. To be very clear, a compromise means that we have to bend our red lines, he said.For its part, Iran said its a disappointing moment and faulted nontransparent and non-inclusive processes on unrealistic elements, particularly chemicals. The plastics industry also urged compromise. The Global Partners for Plastics Circularity said in a statement that governments must move past entrenched positions to finalize an agreement reflecting their shared priorities. No consensusFor any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree. India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Vietnam and others have said that consensus is vital to an effective treaty. Some countries want to change the process so decisions may be made by a vote if necessary.Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva, urged delegates in that direction.We are going in circles. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result, he said as Fridays meeting was ending.The International Pollutants Elimination Network said what happened in Geneva showed consensus is dead for the process to move forward. Thursday was the last scheduled day of negotiations, but work on the revised draft continued into Friday. Every year, the world makes more than 400 million tons of new plastic, and that could grow by about 70% by 2040 without policy changes. About 100 countries want to limit production. Many have said its also essential to address toxic chemicals used to make plastics. Science shows what it will take to end pollution and protect human health, said Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Swedens University of Gothenburg who coleads the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. The science supports addressing the full lifecycle of plastics, beginning with extraction and production, and restricting some chemicals to ensure plastics are safer and more sustainable, she added.The science has not changed, she said. It cannot be down negotiated.Environmentalists, waste pickers and Indigenous leaders and many business executives traveled to the talks to make their voices heard. Some used creative tactics, but are leaving disappointed. Indigenous leaders sought a treaty that recognizes their rights and knowledge. Frankie Orona, executive director of the Texas-based Society of Native Nations, said the best option now is to move forward with more negotiations to fight for a treaty that truly safeguards people and the planet.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. JENNIFER McDERMOTT McDermott is a reporter on the Associated Press Climate and Environment team. She focuses on the transition to clean energy. twitter mailto

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by Jacob Orledge, North Dakota Monitor This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with the North Dakota Monitor. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. Millions of Americans own the rights to oil and gas underground. When theyre approached by an energy company to lease out those rights, theyre offered a cut of the revenue, called a royalty. Royalties saved our place, said James Horob, a farmer in northwest North Dakota, who used oil royalties to rescue his familys farm from bankruptcy in 2008 and replace equipment that had been auctioned off. Were lucky to have what we got. However, the royalty income that mineral owners like Horob get can depend in part on the state where they live. In North Dakota, estimates show that in recent years companies have been deducting hundreds of millions of dollars annually to help cover the costs incurred once oil and gas leave the ground on their way to being sold. North Dakota officials have not stepped in to help royalty owners, even though the state, in its own leases, has explicitly prohibited oil and gas companies from taking deductions from government royalty payments since 1979, as the North Dakota Monitor and ProPublica reported this month. Its tough to think that there isnt some better solution out there than what we currently have, said Aaron Weber, a Watford City-based attorney who represents mineral owners in North Dakota. In contrast to North Dakota, at least seven oil-and-gas-producing states have taken either legislative or judicial action to restrict the costs that can be deducted from royalty owners checks. Here are the key ways North Dakota differs from these other states when it comes to protecting the interests of royalty owners: The Debate in North DakotaNorth Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong has called the oil and gas industry the No. 1 driver of our economy in the state. The industry contributed $32 billion in oil and gas taxes to state and local governments between 2008 and 2024, according to the Western Dakota Energy Association, which advocates for energy-producing communities. That same study found that more than 50% of all local tax collections are tied to oil and gas. Oil and gas companies owed the states private mineral owners, like Horob, an estimated $4.6 billion in 2023 before deductions, according to North Dakota State University research. Deductions from that royalty income which can vary greatly by company and mineral owner are deeply contentious in the state: Companies say theyre withholding transportation and other expenses that should be shared with royalty owners; the owners say those postproduction deductions, as they are generally known, shouldnt be permitted in most circumstances.The energy industry says the postproduction deductions, which began surging about a decade ago, reflect changes in the oil business. Oil, discovered in the state in 1951, used to be sold primarily at the well site. Now, oil and gas are often sold farther away, and companies incur costs to process and transport the minerals. The companies say this enables them to fetch a better price, benefiting the royalty owner as well. The industry also attributes an increase in deductions to regulations added in 2014 to reduce natural gas flaring, requiring companies to make new investments. A gas flare in Williams County, North Dakota, in June (Sarahbeth Maney/ProPublica) Owen Anderson previously worked for North Dakotas regulatory agencies and helped draft language to prohibit companies from taking deductions from royalty payments owed to the state. Anderson, a law professor who studies the energy industry, called the issue a big, big deal. Armstrong declined to comment. How Courts Have Addressed Oil and Gas RoyaltiesAround the country: State supreme courts in Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and West Virginia have determined oil and gas companies are responsible for the costs that make the commodities marketable. That means there are limits on the expenses that companies can pass on to royalty owners after the minerals leave the ground. Those expenses may include removing impurities, gathering the products in central locations, and transporting the oil and gas to where it will be sold. Still, the costs that companies can deduct from royalties vary by state, depending on how states define when a product is marketable. West Virginia provides royalty owners the most protection from deductions, the result of state Supreme Court of Appeals decisions in 2001 and 2006. In those cases, the court found that companies cannot pass on costs to the owners unless a lease explicitly allows it. This matters because many leases across the country were written before shifts in the industry led to more extensive deductions, so most early leases dont explicitly mention them. The default is, you cannot take deductions unless theyre specifically agreed to, said Tom Huber, the leader of West Virginias royalty owner association. The 2006 court decision basically says if theres ambiguous language, you go on the side of the royalty owner because the company constructed the lease, he said.That decision also determined that deductions cannot be taken unless leases specify which costs can be shared and lay out how the deductions will be calculated. Rulings in 2024 and 2025 confirmed the courts stance.Courts in Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma also have placed limits on what costs can be deducted from royalty payments. Those courts have determined that companies must make the oil and gas marketable before costs can be deducted from royalties. Each state uses different criteria to determine at what point in the process the commodities become marketable. Courts in other oil-and-gas-producing states have taken a legal approach that is more friendly to the industry. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and others have determined that companies can deduct costs incurred between the minerals extraction and when they are sold unless there is lease language to the contrary.That is also true in Pennsylvania. But in 2015, the states attorney general cracked down on a company, Chesapeake Energy, alleged to be taking artificially excessive deductions. The attorney generals lawsuit, prompted by complaints from landowners, was resolved with a $5.3 million settlement for royalty owners and an option to receive royalties moving forward without deductions. The company did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement.In North Dakota: As is the case in Texas, Louisiana and some other states, the North Dakota Supreme Court has sided with companies. In 2009 and 2021, the court ruled that royalties, in most cases, should be based on the value of the oil and gas when the minerals are extracted from the ground. Costs incurred between when the minerals are extracted and when they are sold can be shared proportionately between the oil company and the royalty owner, the court found. Companies can deduct these costs unless a lease clearly specifies otherwise. I hope that the people in North Dakota wake up and realize how much money should be in their pockets instead of industrys pockets. Tom Huber, the leader of West Virginias royalty owner association Josh Swanson, a Fargo-based oil and gas attorney who is involved in multiple pending lawsuits contesting deductions, said hes concerned companies will impose even more excessive deductions unless courts place limits on what the companies can do. Operators are going to continue to be very aggressive in the amounts theyre taking for postproduction costs until a court tells them theyve overstepped and gone over the line, he said. In responses to questions from the North Dakota Monitor and ProPublica, officials from three energy companies that operate in North Dakota said they follow the language in the leases when determining what costs they can deduct from royalty payments. Older leases often dont mention deductions, however. How Lawmakers Have Addressed Oil and Gas RoyaltiesAround the country: Some state legislatures have passed laws that limit postproduction deductions. Laws in Wyoming and Nevada, passed in 1989 and 1991, respectively, prohibit companies from taking deductions for specific expenses incurred soon after extraction, such as gathering the commodities from well sites to get them to central hubs. In Michigan, a law passed in 1999 allows companies to deduct from royalty income only two types of expenses transportation and some gas treatment costs unless a lease explicitly allows for other reasons.The West Virginia Legislature, meanwhile, has helped royalty owners with what it called oppressive leases. Many West Virginia mineral owners receive royalties from flat rate leases signed as long as a century ago that provide owners a few hundred dollars a year instead of a percentage of the revenue. Calling those leases unjust, West Virginia lawmakers passed a measure in 1982 that guarantees owners at least 12.5% of the revenue, effectively overriding the original leases. A 2018 amendment requires that postproduction deductions not be taken from this royalty. West Virginias law ensuring a minimum royalty for those leases is enforced by state regulators, who will grant new drilling permits only if the company files an affidavit promising to adhere to the law.Huber said his states legislative and judicial branches have historically tried to protect landowner and royalty owner rights while encouraging the growing natural gas industry. It sounds like North Dakota doesnt have that, and thats a shame, Huber said. I hope that the people in North Dakota wake up and realize how much money should be in their pockets instead of industrys pockets.In North Dakota: Legislators and state officials have argued that disputes should be settled in the courts. They rejected a measure in 2021 that would have prevented companies from taking deductions unless explicitly allowed in a lease, and another bill in 2023 that would have required oil companies to provide mineral owners with more information about how royalties are calculated. State Sen. Dale Patten, a Republican from Watford City, said the Legislature is ill suited to address concerns related to private contracts and royalty owners should seek relief from the courts. Legal action would be prohibitively expensive for most families, however. North Dakota Sen. Dale Patten, a Republican from Watford City, served as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the legislative session that ended in May. (Kyle Martin for the North Dakota Monitor) Were getting into really complicated issues. And actually in my mind the proper venue to solve that would be in the courts, said Patten, who has served as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. And you deal with it on a company-by-company basis.Public officials have argued that royalty owners should have negotiated language into their leases to prohibit deductions. But leases in many cases were signed decades ago, before this was an issue, and dont mention who should pay for postproduction costs. The leases dont expire unless production stops. And in new lease negotiations, mineral owners are at a disadvantage against companies unless they own a large percentage of the mineral rights in the area. Its really difficult for a private landowner to negotiate a no-deductions lease in North Dakota, Anderson said. Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, which represents the oil industry, warned that regulating or limiting the expenses that companies pass on to owners would discourage oil and gas investment in the state and drive business away. Its one of the most foolish things the state of North Dakota could ever do, is to try and essentially financially punish operators from getting a better price for their commodities by not allowing postproduction costs on some of those things, Ness said in an interview. But Weber, the attorney who represents mineral owners, said its time for the Legislature to get involved and address the concerns. Given that the court has already selected what it is going to do, he said, the only way to fix it is to get it to the Legislature.

Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, gives an update on Tropical Storm Erin at the National Hurricane Center, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)2025-08-15T09:45:08Z SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Tropical Storm Erin was expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides.The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla and Barbuda, St. Martin and St. Barts, Saba and St. Eustatius and St. Maarten.Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) are expected, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches (15 centimeters), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.Forecasters also warned of dangerous swells.The storm was located about 520 miles (835 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 17 mph (28 kph). Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the U.S. and Bermuda. The forecasts for next week still keep the future hurricane safely east of the mainland U.S., he said.Erin is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend.The hurricane center noted there is still uncertainty about what impacts Erin may bring to portions of the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, and Bermuda in the long range. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to affect the U.S. East Coast next week, with waves reaching up to 15 feet (5 meters) along parts of the North Carolina coast that could cause beach erosion, according to Accuweather.Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average, said Alex DaSilva, Accuweathers lead hurricane expert.Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.This years season is once again expected to be unusually busy. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 110 mph (177 kph).

In this illustration provided by Ruairidh Duncan a Janjucetus dullardi is depicted chasing a fish. (Ruairidh Duncan via AP)2025-08-15T03:48:44Z WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Long before whales were majestic, gentle giants, some of their prehistoric ancestors were tiny, weird and feral. A chance discovery of a 25 million-year-old fossil on an Australian beach has allowed paleontologists to identify a rare, entirely new species that could unlock mysteries of whale evolution.Researchers this week officially named Janjucetus dullardi, a cartoonish creature with bulging eyes the size of tennis balls, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Unlike todays whales, the juvenile specimen was small enough to fit in a single bed. Boasting fiendish teeth and a shark-like snout, however, this oddball of the ocean was nasty, mean and built to hunt.It was, lets say, deceptively cute, said Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, and one of the papers authors. It might have looked for all the world like some weird kind of mash-up between a whale, a seal and a Pokmon but they were very much their own thing. Extinct species was an odd branch on the whale family treeThe rare discovery of the partial skull, including ear bones and teeth, was made in 2019 on a fossil-rich stretch of coast along Australias Victoria state. Jan Juc Beach, a cradle for some of the weirdest whales in history, is becoming a hotspot for understanding early whale evolution, Fitzgerald said.Few family trees seem stranger than that of Janjucetus dullardi, only the fourth species ever identified from a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, about 34 to 23 million years ago. That marked the point about halfway through the known history of whales. The tiny predators, thought to have grown to 3 meters (10 feet) in length, were an early branch on the line that led to todays great baleen whales, such as humpbacks, blues and minkes. But the toothy ancestors with powerful jaws would have looked radically different to any modern species. They may have had tiny little nubbins of legs just projecting as stumps from the wall of the body, said Fitzgerald.That mystery will remain tantalizingly unsolved unless a specimen is uncovered with more of its skeleton intact, which would be something of a miracle. Even the partial skull that allowed the initial identification this week was an astonishing discovery.For an amateur paleontologist, a life-long obsession paid offJanjucetus dullardi was named by researchers after an amateur fossil hunter who doesnt mind its looks in the slightest.Its literally been the greatest 24 hours of my life, said Ross Dullard, who discovered the skull while fossil hunting at Jan Juc Beach. After Wednesdays confirmation of the new species, the school principal walked like a rock star onto campus with high fives coming left, right and center, he said.His friends and family are probably just relieved its over.Thats all theyve heard from me for about the last six years, he said.Dullard was on a regular low-tide hunt at Jan Juc the day he spotted something black protruding from a cliff. Poking it dislodged a tooth. He knew enough to recognize it was unlikely to belong to a dog or a seal.I thought, geez, weve got something special here, he said. Dullard sent photos to Museums Victoria, where Fitzgerald saw them and immediately suspected a new species.Ancient whale finds are rare but significantConfirming the find was another matter. This was the first mammalodontid to be identified in Australia since 2006 and only the third on record in the country.Fossils of sufficient quality, with enough of the right details preserved to confirm uniqueness, arent common.Cetaceans represent a fairly miniscule population of all life, Fitzgerald said. Millions of years of erosion, scavengers and ocean currents take their toll on whale skeletons too.Its only the chosen few, the vast minority of all whales that have ever lived and died in the oceans over millions of years, that actually get preserved as fossils, he added.Finds such as Janjucetus dullardi can unlock insights into how prehistoric whales ate, moved, behaved and evolved. Researchers said the discoveries also helped to understand how ancient cetacean species adapted to warmer oceans, as they study how todays marine life might respond to climate change. Meanwhile, Dullard planned to host a fossil party this weekend, featuring cetacean-themed games and whale-shaped treats in jello, to celebrate his nightmare Muppet find, finally confirmed.Thats taken my concentration for six years, he said. Ive had sleepless nights. Ive dreamt about this whale. CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-MCLAY Graham-McLay is an Associated Press reporter covering regional and national stories about New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands by putting them in a global context. She is based in Wellington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

As a committed Democrat, I approach elections with an instinct to support our partys nominee. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, offers a bold vision that in many ways resonates with many progressives, including myself.His platform tackles systemic inequities head-on. His focus on the cost-of-living crisis is admirable. Yet, despite my alignment with parts of his agenda, I find myself troubled by Mamdanis ties to Uganda- a nation with a brutal record of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. His ownership of property there and his recent wedding at a family estate in Uganda raise serious questions about his commitment to the values he champions. Related Zohran Mamdani pledged millions to trans health care if elected NYC mayor. He just won a key victory. Let me be clear: Im not endorsing Mamdanis opponents, whether Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa or Eric Adams. My concern lies with Mamdanis personal choices, specifically his financial and cultural connections to Uganda, where laws permit the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality.Born in Uganda, Mamdani owns four acres of land and a high-security compound where he celebrated his wedding in June. For a candidate who has spoken passionately about queer liberation, this feels like a jarring contradiction. How can someone advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in New York while maintaining ties to a country that criminalizes queer existence? Its also ironic because Mamdanis wedding was surrounded by armed guards, despite the fact that Mamdani has supported the defund the police movement back home in New York. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today This isnt about doubting Mamdanis intentions. His policy plans for marginalized communities in New York are commendable. But good intentions dont erase the dissonance of profiting from property in a nation that violates basic human rights. If Mamdani is serious about his principles, he should sell his Ugandan property, publicly reject further personal investment there, and commit to withholding tourism dollars until the country repeals its discriminatory laws.As former Gov. Cuomo said, silence can be a form of violence. Mamdanis failure to act risks undermining his credibility as a progressive leader. As a Democrat, I want to back our nominee, but other aspects of Mamdanis record give me pause. His association with the phrase globalize the intifada and long-standing support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel dating back to his college years contrast starkly with his apparent reluctance to apply similar scrutiny to his own ties to Uganda. If he champions divestment in one context, why not in another where human rights abuses are undeniable? Leadership demands moral clarity, especially when advocating for vulnerable people. Mamdanis platform offers much to admire his focus on economic justice initiatives is bold and necessary. But his refusal to address his Ugandan connections risks alienating those of us who see hypocrisy as a betrayal of trust.Divesting from Uganda and publicly disavowing its anti-LGBTQ+ policies would demonstrate that his commitment to justice extends beyond rhetoric. I want to believe in Zohran Mamdani. His vision for a more equitable New York aligns with many of my values. But until he reconciles his personal ties with his public stance by cutting financial and cultural connections to a nation that persecutes the communities he claims to champion I struggle to fully support him.New York deserves a mayor whose actions match their words. Mamdani has the opportunity to prove hes that leader by taking a stand. The choice is his.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective (BBRTC), an award-winning Black Queer-led grassroots theatre organization, is thrilled to announce Denim & Diamonds: A Southern Takeover, a one-night-only fundraising concert and gala held on September 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM at The Listening Room in Nashville, TN. Taking place on International Black Theatre Day, this dynamic, music-filled [...]The post Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective Celebrates National Black Theatre Day with Star-Studded Fundraising Gala first appeared on GLAAD.

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Spending your first night in a new home is a little like camping: a really fun adventure, but also a bit disorienting and maybe not as comfortable as youd hoped. But successful moves come down to good planning, and a well-planned open me first box will make the first night (and next morning)feel homier.Another smart plan for your first night? Reliable internet. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet makes it easy to get set up as soon as you walk in the door.READ MORE...

Washington Metropolitan Police investigate near the U.S. Capitol, Oct. 19, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-08-15T12:53:38Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration WASHINGTON (AP) The nations capital challenged President Donald Trumps takeover of its police department in court on Friday, hours after his administration stepped up its crackdown on policing by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department, with all the powers of a police chief. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a new lawsuit that Trump is going far beyond his power under the law. Schwalb asked a judge to find that control of the department remains in district hands and sought an emergency restraining order. The administrations unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it, Schwalb said. The lawsuit comes after Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday night that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police. The Metropolitan Police Department must receive approval from Commissioner Cole before issuing any orders, Bondi said. It was unclear where the move left the citys current police chief, Pamela Smith, who works for the mayor. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back, writing on social media that there is no statute that conveys the Districts personnel authority to a federal official.Justice Department and White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the districts lawsuit Friday morning. Chief had agreed to share immigration informationSchwalb had said late Thursday that Bondis directive was unlawful, arguing it could not be followed by the citys police force. He wrote in a memo to Smith that members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor, setting up the legal clash between the heavily Democratic district and the Republican administration.Bondis directive came even after Smith had told MPD officers hours earlier to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody, such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chiefs directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of sanctuary policies, which generally limit cooperation by local law enforcement with federal immigration officers. Bondi said she was rescinding that order as well as other MPD policies limiting inquires into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now receive approval from Cole, the attorney general said.The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authorities to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the U.S. illegally.It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the citys homicide rate ranks below those of several other major U.S. cities and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the administration has portrayed. Residents are seeing a significant show of forceA population already tense from days of ramp-up has begun seeing more significant shows of force across the city. National Guard troops watched over some of the worlds most renowned landmarks and Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station. Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampments to where was often unclear. Department of Homeland Security police stood outside Nationals Park during a game Thursday between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. DEA agents patrolled The Wharf, a popular nightlife area, while Secret Service officers were seen in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.Bowser, walking a tightrope between the Republican White House and the constituency of her largely Democratic city, was out of town Thursday for a family commitment in Marthas Vineyard but would be back Friday, her office said. The uptick in visibility of federal forces around the city, including in many high-traffic areas, has been striking to residents going about their lives. Trump has the power to take over federal law enforcement for 30 days before his actions must be reviewed by Congress, though he has said hell re-evaluate as that deadline approaches.Officers set up a checkpoint in one of D.C.s popular nightlife areas, drawing protests. Troops were stationed outside the Union Station transportation hub as the 800 Guard members who have been activated by Trump started in on missions that include monument security, community safety patrols and beautification efforts, the Pentagon said. Troops will assist law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control, National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said.National Guard troops are a semi-regular presence in D.C., typically being used during mass public events like the annual July 4 celebration. They have regularly been used in the past for crowd control in and around Metro stations. LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court and legal affairs for The Associated Press. Shes won multiple journalism awards in a career thats spanned two decades. twitter mailto ASHRAF KHALIL Khalil writes about local issues in Washington, D.C., for The Associated Press and covers the social safety net around the country. twitter instagram mailto ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer covers the Justice Department and federal courts. She joined The AP in 2013 and is based in Washington. twitter

Enaam Al Majdoub uses water collected from a distribution point to bathe her 3-year-old granddaughter, Jourieh, while her son Zaki uses some of the water for cooking in their family tent in Gaza City on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-08-15T12:16:37Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) After waking early to stand in line for an hour under the August heat, Rana Odeh returns to her tent with her jug of murky water. She wipes the sweat from her brow and strategizes how much to portion out to her two small children. From its color alone, she knows full well its likely contaminated.Thirst supersedes the fear of illness.She fills small bottles for her son and daughter and pours a sip into a teacup for herself. Whats left she adds to a jerrycan for later.We are forced to give it to our children because we have no alternative, Odeh, who was driven from her home in Khan Younis, said of the water. It causes diseases for us and our children. Such scenes have become the grim routine in Muwasi, a sprawling displacement camp in central Gaza where hundreds of thousands endure scorching summer heat. Sweat-soaked and dust-covered, parents and children chase down water trucks that come every two or three days, filling bottles, canisters and buckets and then hauling them home, sometimes on donkey-drawn carts. A Palestinian girl drinks water from a jerrycan after collecting it from a water distribution point during a hot summer day with temperatures reaching 36 C (97 F) in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) A Palestinian girl drinks water from a jerrycan after collecting it from a water distribution point during a hot summer day with temperatures reaching 36 C (97 F) in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Each drop is rationed for drinking, cooking, cleaning or washing. Some reuse what they can and save a couple of cloudy inches in their jerrycans for whatever tomorrow brings or doesnt. When water fails to arrive, Odeh said, she and her son fill bottles from the sea.Over the 22 months since Israel launched its offensive, Gazas water access has been progressively strained. Limits on fuel imports and electricity have hampered the operation of desalination plants while infrastructure bottlenecks and pipeline damage choked delivery to a dribble. Gazas aquifers became polluted by sewage and the wreckage of bombed buildings. Wells are mostly inaccessible or destroyed, aid groups and the local utility say. Meanwhile, the water crisis has helped fuel the rampant spread of disease, on top of Gazas rising starvation. UNRWA the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that its health centers now see an average 10,300 patients a week with infectious diseases, mostly diarrhea from contaminated water. Efforts to ease the water shortage are in motion, but for many the prospect is still overshadowed by the risk of what may unfold before new supply comes.And the thirst is only growing as a heat wave bears down, with humidity and temperatures in Gaza soaring on Friday to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).Searing heat and sullied waterMahmoud al-Dibs, a father displaced from Gaza City to Muwasi, dumped water over his head from a flimsy plastic bag one of the vessels used to carry water in the camps.Outside the tents it is hot and inside the tents it is hot, so we are forced to drink this water wherever we go, he said.Al-Dibs was among many who told The Associated Press they knowingly drink non-potable water. The few people still possessing rooftop tanks cant muster enough water to clean them, so what flows from their taps is yellow and unsafe, said Bushra Khalidi, an official with Oxfam, an aid group working in Gaza.Before the war, the coastal enclaves more than 2 million residents got their water from a patchwork of sources. Some was piped in by Mekorot, Israels national water utility. Some came from desalination plants. Some was pulled from high-saline wells, and some imported in bottles. Every source has been jeopardized. In the summer heat, Palestinian children carry jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) In the summer heat, Palestinian children carry jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Palestinians are relying more heavily on groundwater, which today makes up more than half of Gazas supply. The well water has historically been brackish, but still serviceable for cleaning, bathing, or farming, according to Palestinian water officials and aid groups.Now people have to drink it. The effects of drinking unclean water dont always appear right away, said Mark Zeitoun, director general of the Geneva Water Hub, a policy institute. Untreated sewage mixes with drinking water, and you drink that or wash your food with it, then youre drinking microbes and can get dysentery, Zeitoun said. If youre forced to drink salty, brackish water, it just does your kidneys in, and then youre on dialysis for decades.Deliveries average less than three liters (12.5 cups) per person per day a fraction of the 15-liter (3.3-gallon) minimum humanitarian groups say is needed for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene. In February, acute watery diarrhea accounted for less than 20% of reported illnesses in Gaza. By July, it had surged to 44%, raising the risk of severe dehydration, according to UNICEF, the U.N. childrens agency. System breakdownEarly in the war, residents said deliveries from Israels water company Mekorot were curtailed a claim that Israel has denied. Airstrikes destroyed some of the transmission pipelines as well as one of Gazas three desalination plants.Bombardment and advancing troops damaged or cut off wells to the point that today only 137 of Gazas 392 wells are accessible, according to UNICEF. Water quality from some wells has deteriorated, fouled by sewage, the rubble of shattered buildings and the residue of spent munitions.Fuel shortages have strained the system, slowing pumps at wells and the trucks that carry water. The remaining two desalination plants have operated far below capacity or ground to a halt at times, aid groups and officials say. In recent weeks, Israel has taken some steps to reverse the damage. It delivers water via two of Mekorots three pipelines into Gaza and reconnected one of the desalination plants to Israels electricity grid, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told The Associated Press. Enaam Al Majdoub uses water collected from a distribution point to bathe her 3-year-old granddaughter, Jourieh, while her son Zaki uses some of the water for cooking in their family tent in Gaza City on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Enaam Al Majdoub uses water collected from a distribution point to bathe her 3-year-old granddaughter, Jourieh, while her son Zaki uses some of the water for cooking in their family tent in Gaza City on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Still, the plants put out far less than before the war, Monther Shoblaq, head of Gazas Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, told AP. That has forced him to make impossible choices. The utility prioritizes getting water to hospitals and to people. But that means sometimes withholding water needed for sewage treatment, which can trigger neighborhood backups and heighten health risks.Water hasnt sparked the same global outrage as limits on food entering Gaza. But Shoblaq warned of a direct line between the crisis and potential loss of life.Its obvious that you can survive for some days without food, but not without water, he said.Supplys futureWater access is steadying after Israels steps. Aid workers have grown hopeful that the situation wont get worse and could improve.Southern Gaza could get more relief from a United Arab Emirates-funded desalination plant just across the border in Egypt. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, said it has allowed equipment into the enclave to build a pipeline from the plant and deliveries could start in a few weeks.The plant wouldnt depend on Israel for power, but since Israel holds the crossings, it will control the entry of water into Gaza for the foreseeable future. In the summer heat, a Palestinian boy carries jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) In the summer heat, a Palestinian boy carries jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More But aid groups warn that access to water and other aid could be disrupted again by Israels plans to launch a new offensive on some of the last areas outside its military control. Those areas include Gaza City and Muwasi, where much of Gazas population is now located. In Muwasis tent camps, people line up for the sporadic arrivals of water trucks. Hosni Shaheen, whose family was also displaced from Khan Younis, already sees the water he drinks as a last resort.It causes stomach cramps for adults and children, without exception, he said. You dont feel safe when your children drink it.___Metz reported from Jerusalem. Alon Berstein contributed reporting from Kerem Shalom, Israel. ___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAM METZ Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press. mailto

Washers and dryers are displayed at a retail store in Vernon Hills, Ill., Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)2025-08-15T12:42:07Z NEW YORK (AP) Shoppers stepped up their spending in July, particularly at the nations auto dealerships.Retail sales rose 0.5% last month, a slowdown from a revised 0.9% in June, according to the Commerce Departments report released Friday.The increases followed two consecutive months of spending declines a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May.Excluding auto sales, which have been volatile since President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on many foreign-made cares. retail sales rose 0.3%.Auto sales rose 1.6%. They appear to have returned roughly to normalized spending after a surge in March and April as Americans attempted to get ahead of Trumps 25% duty on imported cars and parts and then a slump after that, according to Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.Business at clothing stores was up 0.7% while at electronics stores, sales were down 0.6%. Online retailers saw a 0.8% increase. ANNE DINNOCENZIO DInnocenzio writes about retail, trends, the consumer economy and hourly workers for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

The Trump administration has busied itself in the past six months by abandoning prosecutions and investigations into corporations at an unprecedented rate. According to a new report from Public Citizena nonprofit government watchdogthe Trump administration has dropped one third of all pending enforcement actions against tech companies. Those same companies collectively spent $1.2 billion on political contributions since 2024, most of it going to Republicans. Some of it went to Trump directly.According to the report, Trumps White House has withdrawn or halted enforcement actions against 165 different companies, a quarter of those are tech firms. The administration halted nine of the investigations outright, including a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) investigation into Metas alleged misuse of customer financial data. It dismissed or withdrew an additional 38 enforcement actions against big tech, including 13 charges against the crypto exchange Binance for operating as an unlicensed securities exchange.Everyone with eyes knows that Big Tech has gotten cozy with Trump during his second administration. Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos were at his inauguration. Elon Musk spent millions to help Trump get elected and Trump rewarded him by giving him direct control of much of the government by allowing him to spearhead DOGE.In a way I think the cumulative picture is the most shocking thing, because it reveals a clear pattern of these corporations going to great lengths to both ingratiate themselves with and enmesh themselves within the administration, and Trumps agencies rewarding those corporations by treating them as if the laws do not apply to them, Rick Claypool, a research director at Public Citizens Presidents Office and the author of the report, told 404 Media.Musk has been one of the big winners. The Department of Labor halted an investigation into Tesla and the Department of Justice dismissed a civil rights case against SpaceX. All it cost him was an estimated $352 million in political spending.Claypool said that corporate enforcement plummeted during the first administration, and he knew it would happen again during the second term. But this massive retreat from enforcement and dropping categories of cases involving corporate misconduct is something Ive never seen before, he said. Many of these cases being dropped now originated in the first Trump administration. They were, correctly in my view, pursuing crypto scams.One of the more shocking cases involved crypto billionaire Justin Sun. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against Sun for manipulating the market in 2023. After Trumps election, he purchased $75 million worth of tokens from Trumps crypto currency company as well as $18.6 million of $TRUMP meme coins. After the inauguration, the SEC sent a letter to the Federal Judge overseeing the case asking for a stay. The Judge granted it.For Claypool, the signal dropping enforcement against Big Tech sends to the public (and more importantly to corporations) is simple. Its not illegal if a tech company does it, he said, paraphrasing President Richard Nixons famous off-the-cuff remark about his crimes during the Frost/ Nixon interviews.The big winners are instances when the industry wins policy that serves as pretext for a retreat from whole categories of enforcement, he said. This is crypto corporations winning the total retreat of the SEC, fintech corporations winning the near-complete shutdown of the CFPB, andcoming soonthe retreat from FTC enforcement against AI corporations signaled in the admins AI Action Plan.Claypool said that this kind of massive retreat from corporate enforcement will have long term effects on society. It distorts the incentives. It gives companies that are willing to risk pushing the limits of the law an unfair advantage over law abiding companies, he said. Members of the public are so much more at risk of falling prey to a whole range of scams, privacy invasions, and manipulations. At a societal level, it puts us at much greater risk for the next corporate catastrophe.The years leading up to the 2008 Financial Crisis coincided with an unprecedented increase in what Claypool called questionably legal so-called innovations such as credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations on subprime mortgages.Were seeing a similar kind of innovation happen in the tech space where billionaires use crypto and AI to spin value out of thin air and curry favor with the Trump administration to avoid the consequences of hurting normal people. Its only a matter of time before something terrible, on a grand scale, happens again.In many ways, whats happening now is the culmination of years of lax enforcement against corporate lawbreakers. Democratic and Republican administrations for decades have been far too open to striking deals with corporate offenders to help them avoid the full consequences of accountability, Claypool said. So now we have this class of corporations and executives that believes it is entitled to escape the consequences of their misconduct. They dont believe the laws should protect consumers and the public, and they dont seem to mind risking widespread harms and violations if it means they might grab another billion. And the apparently corrupt way its going now, with dropped enforcement seeming to be a reward for insiders and donors, risks leading to a full retreat from federal authority to protect the public from corporate lawbreaking.

A trans student-athlete is suing a private California university and two college athletic associations after her volleyball scholarship was revoked, claiming that both her race and gender identity were turned against her.According to the suit reported on by LGBTQ Nation sibling site OutSports, Emma Morquecho, 33,emigrated from Mexico in her 20s and played competitive volleyball in Arizona, including with the North American Gay Volleyball Association. She was encouraged by a coach in her church to apply for sports scholarships to pay for college. Related Trump administration sues California over trans athletes Morquecho sent a letter of interest in 2022 to Westcliff University, a private, for-profit university in Irvine, California. Her correspondence with the schools womens volleyball coach indicated that shes transgender.In July 2023, Westcliff offered Morquecho a womens volleyball scholarship for the coming 2023-2024 school year. She planned to join a masters program with the College of Education beginning in the fall semester. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today That summer, Morquecho quit her job in Phoenix and moved to California. Soon after she arrived, however, Morquecho confronted obstacles to play.After being admitted as a student in July, Morquecho received a letter from the university stating that her eligibility to join the volleyball team was awaiting a decision by CAL PAC, the regional college sports association. Until then, she had to sit out of play.Weeks later, the head coach of Westcliff womens volleyball team, the same one who recruited Morquecho from Arizona, informed her via email that she wasnt eligible to join the team and that Westcliff had revoked her scholarship. Morquechos suit argues that Westcliff, CAL PAC, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) jointly decided to deny Morquechos eligibility and scholarship because she is a transgender woman, despite recruiting her to the school.At the time Morquechos scholarship was revoked, NAIA had no policy barring trans student-athlete participation in college sports. In 2024, however, the association formally banned trans women from playing womens sports.Her attorneys believe Morquechos race had a role in the decision, as well. The Latino community is often first to be targeted under practices of irrational discrimination, and this case falls within that pattern, said Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund thats representing Morquecho in her suit.Discrimination, based on stereotype and false assumption, against trans athletes must end, especially in California, where so many of those harmed will be members of the states largest racial/ethnic community.The lawsuit claims that the organizations actions violate Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments of the federal civil rights law, which prohibits sex discrimination by educational institutions that receive federal funding. Westcliff, CAL PAC, and the NAIA all receive federal dollars. As well, the lawsuit claims violations under Californias Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation, and other protected classes.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, asks the court for a permanent injunction of the NAIA policy denying trans athletes eligibility and Westcliffs and CAL PACs enforcement of it. The suit also calls for the restoration of Morquechos athletic eligibility and scholarship.By taking a stand, Im not just fighting for myself. Im speaking for every trans person who has been silenced, Morquecho said in an announcement of the suit.I hope my voice empowers others in our community to know their stories and their rights matter.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

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DAYTON, OHIn a tragic turn to what loved ones had expected to be a joyous day, family sources confirmed Tuesday that area woman Sandra McDowells career had died in childbirth.We did everything we could to preserve the mothers job prospects, but sadly, she just lost too much employability for her career to survive, said obstetrician Heather Parlon, adding that McDowells husband broke down outside the delivery room when he learned that hed be raising his child in a single-income household. Her marketing career was so young and full of promise. She was just an entry-level assistant content manager, for heavens sake, with so many good years of moving up the corporate ladder ahead of her. And now shes lying completely jobless on a hospital bed, and all those promotions and wage increases and corner offices she dreamed of are gone, just like that. It breaks your heart to see a career cut short before it could fully blossom in this world.McDowells husband reportedly chose to honor her careers memory by naming their daughter Chief Content Strategist.The post Womans Career Dies In Childbirth appeared first on The Onion.

Specialist Anthony Matesic works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2025-08-15T05:13:10Z NEW YORK (AP) U.S. stocks are hanging around their record levels on Friday as Wall Street heads toward the finish of another winning week. The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged, a day after nudging to its latest all-time high, and is on track to close its fourth winning week in the last five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 141 points, or 0.3%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was slipping by 0.1%. Stocks have been hitting records as expectations build on Wall Street that the Federal Reserve will deliver a cut to interest rates at its next meeting in September. Lower rates can boost investment prices and the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to borrow to buy houses, cars or equipment, but they also risk worsening inflation.A disappointing report about inflation at the U.S. wholesale level made traders pare back bets on Thursday for coming cuts to interest rates, but theyre still overwhelmingly expecting them. Such anticipation has sent Treasury yields notably lower in the bond market, and they were holding there following a mixed set of updates on the economy on Friday. One said shoppers boosted their spending at U.S. retailers last month, as economists expected, while another said that manufacturing in New York state unexpectedly grew. A third said industrial production across the country shrank last month, when economists were looking for modest growth. Another report is set to arrive later in the morning, showing how U.S. consumers are feeling about inflation and the economy. Stay up to date with similar stories by signing up to our WhatsApp channel. On Wall Street, UnitedHealth Group jumped 10.3% after famed investor Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway said it bought nearly 5 million shares of the insurer during the spring, valued at $1.57 billion. Buffett is known for trying to buy good stocks at affordable prices, and UnitedHealths halved for the year by the end of July because of a run of struggles. Berkshire Hathaways own stock added 0.2%. On the losing end of Wall Street was Applied Materials, which fell 12.5% even though it reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The focus was on the companys forecast for a drop in revenue during the current quarter. Its products help manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays, and CEO Gary Dickerson pointed to a dynamic macroeconomic and policy environment, which is creating increased uncertainty and lower visibility in the near term, including for our China business.Sandisk fell 4.9% despite reporting a profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts expectations. Investors focused instead on the data storage companys forecast for profit in the current quarter, which came up short of Wall Streets. In stock markets abroad, Japans Nikkei 225 jumped 1.7% after the government said its economy grew at a better-than-expected pace in the latest quarter.Stock indexes rose 0.8% in Shanghai but fell 1% in Hong Kong after data showed Chinas economy may have slowed in July under pressure from uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trumps tariffs. Chinese economic activity slowed across the board in July, with retail sales, fixed asset investment, and value added of industry growth all reaching the lowest levels of the year. After a strong start, several months of cooling momentum suggest that the economy may need further policy support, ING Economics said in a market commentary.European stock indexes were mixed ahead of a meeting later in the day between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which could dictate where the war in Ukraine is heading. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was holding at 4.29%, where it was late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, eased to 3.72% from 3.74%. ___AP Writer Teresa Cerojano contributed.

A team of researchers at Columbia University, funded in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, have developed machines that can grow by consuming other machines.Video of the experiment shows tubular robots that move by extending their shafts to inch along the ground. As the tubes gather, they connect and form into more complex shapes like triangles and tetrahedrons. With each piece consumed, the whole moves faster and with more elegance.AI systems need bodies to move beyond current limitations. Physical embodiment brings the AI into the messy, constraint-rich real worldand thats where true generalization has to happen, Phillipe Martin Wyder, lead researcher on the project, told 404 Media.The researchers said the experiment was done with a view towards developing a body for AI. The idea is to give artificial intelligence a form that can grow, heal, and change similar to a biological body. They published their research in Science Advances under the title Robot metabolism: Toward machines that can grow by consuming other machines.For the experiment, the researchers designed what they called truss links: a simple, expandable, and contractible, bar-shaped robot module with two free-form magnetic connectors on each end. Each truss link is almost a foot long when fully contracted and weighs more than half a pound. When the Links move individually they look like plastic worms inching across the ground, but their motion becomes more fluid and interesting as they gather to each other, forming complex shapes that allow them to move faster.Right now, the truss links are controlled by a human on a keyboard and not artificial intelligence. Its not AI-controlled yet, but thats partially the point: this architecture is a step towards future AI-controlled self-assembling physical systems, Wyder said.Wyder and his team controlled the truss links remotely and ran the robots through several obstacle courses. Some of the motions of the machines were preprogrammed with specially designed loops with names like ratchet crawl and tetrahedron topple that the researchers could activate with the push of a button. Theres no autonomous AI running in the loop yet, but thats the direction were heading, he said.Image via Columbia University.Wyder said that giving AI a body was in its very early stages. Miniaturization is also on the tablemore links, smaller size, finer resolution, he said. But I dont believe a single platform will suit every task. Deep-sea robots, Mars colony builders, assistive home systemstheyll need different form factors. The deeper idea here is the metabolic principle, not just the physical design.Human consciousness happens at the point where the mind and body interact. A person is not just the thoughts in their head, but also how they react to their environment with their body. All that stimuli shapes our thoughts. Wyder and his team are seeking to, eventually, recreate this phenomenon for AI. The research is exciting, but its also very new and theres no way to know how itll play out in the long term.This need not be a world where AIs are stuck in human-like bodies. He pointed to previous research out of Sweden that used a swarm of robots to form furniture on demand. If such a system were to break, we should not expect the average person to be able to replace the part. But what if the system could order a replacement part and repair itself?For this vision to become a reality, we must build robot systems that are intelligent in a way that allows them to keep track of their changing morphology, Wyder said. When the idea of modular robots first surfaced in the late 80s this was unthinkable, but I believe that our recent progress in machine learning could allow for intelligent, modular self-assembling machines.He also acknowledged there are dangers here. With our current robots, the worst-case risk is probably a pinched finger. But yes, autonomy plus embodiment demands careful consideration of all the risks. Most robots today still struggle with navigation and manipulation. Theyre far from being autonomous agents in the wild, but rather need our care, he said.Wyder also said that he doesnt consider the ethics of this work as an optional part of the research. Malicious use of robotics is a broader concern and not unique to this platform. Like any powerful technologynuclear, biotech, AIgovernance matters, he said. I dont think this class of robot poses near-term risks, but that doesnt mean ethical foresight is optional. We have to think about it so we can get it right.The researchers will build on this work and that one direction is teaching robots how to exploit environmental factors. Imagine a climber choosing which rocks to grabrobots need that same affordance awareness, he said. Were working on how robots can reason about their environment and use it to drive reconfiguration or mobility.Along with the paper, the researchers have a GitHub and Zenodo that contain the CAD and mesh files, firmware, software, and simulation code for the truss links. Anyone, if they so desired, could build their own bundle of robot-devouring-robots.

The former transportation secretary and one of Americas most famous queer parents, Pete Buttigieg, criticized Donald Trump as not being pro-family after he promised free in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments to all Americans that want it, all Americans that need it, but then recently said that there are no plans to make that a reality.Truly being pro-family means ensuring access and cost of care including IVF never stands in the way of someone choosing to start or grow their family, Buttigieg posted to X. Trump breaking his promise about something as important as this might not be surprising, but it is cruel. Related Trump declares himself the fertilization president in bizarre Womens History Month speech Truly being pro-family means ensuring access and cost of care including IVF never stands in the way of someone choosing to start or grow their family. Trump breaking his promise about something as important as this might not be surprising, but it is cruel. pic.twitter.com/N7pJD1tLIn Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 14, 2025Buttigieg was referring to a campaign promise Trump made in August 2024 that under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment. Were going to be mandating that the insurance company pay. IVF can cost tens of thousands of dollars per round, so this was a promise that many people who need access to IVF to build their families took seriously. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Trump made this promise in response to public sentiment that the Republican Party opposes IVF, in part because the Alabama Supreme Court effectively banned the procedure last year as a result of a Republican anti-choice law, and Senate Republicans blocked a bill protecting access to the procedure. IVF requires many fertilized zygotes to be created in order to have a decent chance at a pregnancy, and many of those fertilized zygotes dont implant, are frozen indefinitely, or are later destroyed. Many conservatives believe that those fertilized zygotes are individual human beings with rights. Trump went so far as to call himself the father of IVF during the 2024 campaign to distance himself from the more anti-IVF elements of his party. In February, Trump signed an executive order that he claimed would be expanding access to IVF, which offered far less than the full coverage he promised during his campaign. But even that executive order was described as not having any meaningful impact on access to fertility treatments by reproductive health advocates. That order created a policy council that was supposed to submit recommendations [about] aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment in 90 days, which would have been in May. If such a council exists and has put together those recommendations, they have not been publicly discussed.Earlier this month, the White House said that it has no plans to mandate insurance companies cover IVF, and that was the report that Buttigieg was responding to.LGBTQ+ people often rely on IVF to build their families. Buttigieg and his husband, author Chasten Buttigieg, have two kids through adoption.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

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