Peruvian President Dina Boluarte speaks to the press during a visit by Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia at the government palace in Lima, Peru, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo, File)2025-03-18T04:11:07Z LIMA, Peru (AP) Perus president declared a state of emergency in the capital on Monday and ordered the deployment of soldiers to help police address a surge of violence, amid widespread outcry a day after the killing of a popular singer.President Dina Boluartes government published a decree saying that the state of emergency will last 30 days, and authorities will restrict some rights, including the freedom of assembly and movement. That means the police and the army would be able to detain people without a judicial order.Peru has seen an increase of killings, violent extortion and attacks on public places in recent months. Police reported 459 killings from January 1 to March 16, and 1,909 extorsion reports in January alone. But outrage crested after the killing Sunday of Paul Flores, the 39-year-old lead singer of the cumbia band Armonia 10. In Congress, opposition lawmakers requested a vote of no confidence against Interior Minister Juan Jos Santivez for what they say is a lack of a plan to fight rising violence. The vote is expected to be discussed in the Congress plenary later this week. Flores was shot to death early Sunday when assailants attacked the bus he and bandmates were traveling after a concert in Lima. Cumbia is a Latin music style that people dance to the rhythm of drums, maracas and other instruments.The attack against the popular singer was not the only violent event over the weekend. On Saturday, an object exploded at a restaurant in the capital, injuring at least 11 people.Boluartes government previously decreed a state of emergency in an attempt to stem the violence between September and December.

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00812-xThe US government has begun slashing US$400 million in research grants at Columbia University over pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00357-zA Nature special.

This image taken from NASA video shows the SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Nick Hague, and Russian astronaut Alexander Gorbunov, undocking from the International Space Station on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (NASA via AP)2025-03-18T05:07:58Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) NASAs two stuck astronauts headed back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago.Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station their home since last spring departing aboard a SpaceX capsule alongside two other astronauts. The capsule undocked in the wee hours and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening, weather permitting.The two expected to be gone just a week or so after launching on Boeings new Starliner crew capsule on June 5. So many problems cropped up on the way to the space station that NASA eventually sent Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX, pushing their homecoming into February. Then SpaceX capsule issues added another months delay. Sundays arrival of their relief crew meant Wilmore and Williams could finally leave. NASA cut them loose a little early, given the iffy weather forecast later this week. They checked out with NASAs Nick Hague and Russias Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo. Well miss you, but have a great journey home, NASAs Anne McClain called out from the space station as the capsule pulled away 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the Pacific. Their plight captured the worlds attention, giving new meaning to the phrase stuck at work. While other astronauts had logged longer spaceflights over the decades, none had to deal with so much uncertainty or see the length of their mission expand by so much.Wilmore and Williams quickly transitioned from guests to full-fledged station crew members, conducting experiments, fixing equipment and even spacewalking together. With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts. Both had lived on the orbiting lab before and knew the ropes, and brushed up on their station training before rocketing away. Williams became the stations commander three months into their stay and held the post until earlier this month. Their mission took an unexpected twist in late January when President Donald Trump asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accelerate the astronauts return and blamed the delay on the Biden administration. The replacement crews brand new SpaceX capsule still wasnt ready to fly, so SpaceX subbed it with a used one, hurrying things along by at least a few weeks.Even in the middle of the political storm, Wilmore and Williams continued to maintain an even keel at public appearances from orbit, casting no blame and insisting they supported NASAs decisions from the start. NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing after the shuttle program ended, in order to have two competing U.S. companies for transporting astronauts to and from the space station until its abandoned in 2030 and steered to a fiery reentry. By then, it will have been up there more than three decades; the plan is to replace it with privately run stations so NASA can focus on moon and Mars expeditions. Both retired Navy captains, Wilmore and Williams stressed they didnt mind spending more time in space a prolonged deployment reminiscent of their military days. But they acknowledged it was tough on their families.Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughters senior year of high school; his older daughter is in college. Williams, 59, had to settle for internet calls from space to her mother. Theyll have to wait until theyre off the SpaceX recovery ship and flown to Houston before the long-awaited reunion with their loved ones.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Injured Palestinians wait for treatment at the hospital following Israeli army airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)2025-03-18T03:37:48Z Follow the APs live coverage on the Israels latest operation in Gaza. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking dozens of Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 200 deaths.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israels actions.Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength, Netanyahus office said.The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive. Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the hostages to an unknown fate. In a statement, it called on mediators to hold Israel fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement. In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young boy sat with a bandage around his head as a health worker checked for more injuries, a young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged. Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territorys 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.Nobody wants to fight, Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City. Everyone is still suffering from the previous months, he said. U.S. backs Israel and blames HamasThe White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately or pay a severe price.An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.Israels defense minister, Israel Katz, said the gates of hell will open in Gaza if the hostages arent released. We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals, he said. Explosions could be heard throughout Gaza. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the Health Ministry based at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, said at least 200 people had been killed. The territorys civil defense agency said its crews were having a difficult time carrying out rescue efforts because various areas were being targeted simultaneously. Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalledThe strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages.Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war.This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators, Netanyahus office said early Tuesday.Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza, he said. Gaza already was in a humanitarian crisisThe war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gazas population. The territorys Health Ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.A renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from the fighting. The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of the hostages released by Hamas returned emaciated and malnourished, putting heavy pressure on the government to extend the ceasefire. The released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining hostages, and tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahus announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israels internal security agency, the Shin Bet. Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his governments failures in the Oct. 7 attack and handling of the war. Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefires more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.___Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00707-xThe drop in body temperature that occurs during a torpid state is linked to molecular markers of longer life in mice.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00757-1In the wake of the Trump administrations funding freezes and job cuts, some researchers are planning their next move.

Cranes load a cargo ship at the Panama Canal's Balboa Port in Panama City, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)2025-03-18T04:37:41Z HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs leader has waded into a controversy over a prominent conglomerates decision to sell its Panama Canal port assets to a consortium including American investment bank BlackRock Inc., a deal that has angered Beijing and highlights how escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington can leave the Chinese financial centers business leaders trapped in the middle. Chief Executive John Lee told reporters at a weekly news briefing that CK Hutchison Holdings in-principle agreement to sell its controlling stake in a company operating ports at both ends of the Panama Canal was being discussed extensively and concerns raised about the deal deserve serious attention. He did not specify what the concerns were.(The) government urges foreign governments to provide a fair and just environment for enterprises, he said. We oppose the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international economic and trade relations. Lee avoided a direct mention of U.S. President Donald Trump and also stopped short of criticizing CK Hutchison or tycoon Li Ka-shings family, which owns a controlling stake in the conglomerate. His comments followed a somewhat veiled backlash from Beijing. Since last Thursday, Beijings offices handling Hong Kong affairs have reposted two commentaries by a Beijing-backed local newspaper that blasted the deal. That has raised questions over the sale. One of the newspaper commentaries suggested the deal is a betrayal to all Chinese and disregards national interests. The other described great entrepreneurs as patriots, but suggested that businesspeople who dance with predatory American politicians to reap quick profits were doomed to infamy.The articles signaled Beijings disapproval of the deal, though its actual impact remains unclear. Posting of the articles has been seen as an indirect attack on the conglomerate by Chinese leaders. Trump, who has alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane, hailed the deal, saying his administration would reclaim the Panama Canal. Panama President Jos Ral Mulino accused him of lying. Lee said any business transaction must comply with Hong Kongs laws. The city will handle it according to the law, he said without elaborating. Increasing influence from Beijing is adding to pressure on business leaders in the former British colony, that was returned to Chinese rule in 1997. CK Hutchison did not comment on Lees remarks or the articles. It was due to report its 2024 financial results on Thursday, but said it did not plan a news conference. The company surprised market watchers when it announced March 4 that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and in Hutchison Port Group Holdings to the consortium in a deal valued at nearly $23 billion, including $5 billion in debt. Hutchison said the transaction was purely commercial and unrelated to other developments surrounding the Panama Ports. The deal, if approved, will give the BlackRock consortium control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the Panama Canal. Other ports are in Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan and elsewhere. The transaction requires approval by Panamas government. It does not affect a trust that operates ports in Hong Kong or any other ports in mainland China.Panama says it has full control over the shipping lane and Hutchisons operation of the ports does not amount to Chinese control over the canal. Selling it to a U.S.-based company does not represent any U.S. reclaiming of the canal, it says.The United States built the canal in the early 1900s, seeking a faster way for commercial and military vessels to travel between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by then-President Jimmy Carter. Trump has claimed that Carter foolishly gave the canal away. Some 70% of the sea traffic that crosses the Panama Canal leaves or goes to U.S. ports. KANIS LEUNG Leung covers Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China for The Associated Press. She is based in Hong Kong. twitter

President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)2025-03-18T04:02:07Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is set to hold talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he looks to get buy-in on a U.S. ceasefire proposal that he hopes can create a pathway to ending Russias devastating war on Ukraine.The White House is optimistic that peace is within reach even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains skeptical that Putin is doing much beyond paying lip service to Trump as Russian forces continue to pound his country.The engagement is just the latest turn in dramatically shifting U.S.-Russia relations as Trump has made quickly ending the conflict a top priority, even at the expense of straining ties with longtime American allies who want Putin to pay a price for the invasion.Its a bad situation in Russia, and its a bad situation in Ukraine, Trump told reporters on Monday. Whats happening in Ukraine is not good, but were going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think well be able to do it. In preparation for the Trump-Putin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with Putin in Moscow to discuss the proposal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during talks in Saudi Arabia to agree to the ceasefire framework. The U.S. president said Washington and Moscow have already begun discussing dividing up certain assets between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to end the conflict. Trump, who during his campaign pledged to quickly end the war, has at moments boasted of his relationship with Putin and blamed Ukraine for Russias unprovoked invasion, all while accusing Zelenskyy of unnecessarily prolonging the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.Trump has said that swaps of land and power plants will be part of the conversation with Putin. Witkoff and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that U.S. and Russian officials have discussed the fate of the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine. The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The U.N.s International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europes largest, fueling fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The nuclear power plant is a significant asset, producing nearly a quarter of Ukraines electricity in the year before the war. I can say we are on the 10th yard line of peace, Leavitt said. And weve never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment. And the president, as you know, is determined to get one done.But Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, questioned whether Putin is ready to end the war or will hold out for potential further concessions as Trump grows impatient.After a disastrous Feb. 28 White House meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump temporarily cut off some military intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine. It was restored after the Ukrainians last week signed off on the Trump administrations 30-day ceasefire proposal. The U.S. has been consistently offering in some form preemptive concessions that have been weakening the American and Ukrainian negotiating position, Bowman said. I think theres a real danger here that the administrations approach is boiling down to sticks for Ukraine and carrots for Putin.Zelensky in his nightly video address on Monday made clear he remains doubtful that Putin is ready for peace.Now, almost a week later, its clear to everyone in the world even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war, Zelenskyy said.In his dealings with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump has frequently focused on who has the leverage. Putin has the cards and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly.Trump, who has long shown admiration for Putin, has also made clear hed like to see the U.S.-Russia relationship return to a more normal footing. The president during his recent contentious meeting with Zelenskyy grumbled that Putin went through a hell of a lot with me, a reference to the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in which he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump on Monday again underscored his view that Ukraine is not in a strong negotiating position. He said Russian forces have surrounded Ukrainian troops in Russias Kursk region amplifying an assertion made by Russian officials thats been refuted by Zelenskyy.Ukraines army stunned Russia in August last year by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land. But Ukraines forces are now in retreat and it has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia. Zelenskyy has acknowledged that the Ukrainians are on their back foot but refutes Russian claims that they have encircled his troops in Kursk.Trump suggested that hes taken unspecified action that has kept Russia from slaughtering Ukrainian troops in Kursk.Theyre surrounded by Russian soldiers, and I believe if it wasnt for me they wouldnt be here any longer, Trump said.Leavitt is one of three Trump 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. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00815-8Leopard-spotted rocks are an intriguing signal of microbial life on Mars. Plus, should the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment be retracted more than 50 years on?

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00709-9Fears are rising that infectious diseases such as measles could make a comeback now that the anti-vaccine advocate is in charge of the US public-health system.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00782-0The device, to be tested in more people, could be used as a temporary measure for those waiting for a donor organ.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00779-9Failure to agree on global grants to help low- and middle-income countries to achieve net-zero emissions cannot be the end of the story. An urgent solution is needed.

The body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli army airstrikes is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-18T07:29:53Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) The relative calm of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, when Israel launched dozens of attacks on targets across the Gaza Strip. Palestinian hospital officials say more than 320 people have been killed, including women and children. Israel says the operation is open-ended and expected to expand, raising fears of the 17-month-old war fully reigniting.Heres what to know about how the strikes came about and what might come next. What happened to the ceasefire? The ceasefire agreed to in mid-January was a three-phase plan, the first of which actually ended two weeks ago. Israel balked at entering substantive negotiations over the second phase, which were meant to lead to a long-term ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the return of all hostages taken by Hamas in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war.The ceasefire was supposed to continue as long as talks over the second phase went on, according to the agreement reached after more than a year of negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.During the first phase, Hamas returned 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces also withdrew to buffer zones inside Gaza, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to northern Gaza. No further hostage releases were called for under the agreement until the second phase. Hundreds of aid trucks had been entering daily. But two weeks ago, Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel, electricity and other supplies to the territorys around 2 million people to pressure Hamas to accept a new proposal. The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages the militant groups main bargaining chip in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners a key component of the first phase. Hamas refused the new proposal, accusing Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement. Is the ceasefire over? Unless mediators step in, Israels surprise attack could mean a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly threatened to resume the war, said he ordered the strikes because of Hamas rejection of the new proposal. He said Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israels actions.Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the remaining hostages to an unknown fate. In a statement, it called on mediators to hold Israel fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.The attack came during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. No major fighting has occurred in Gaza since the ceasefire took hold on Jan. 19, but Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military said had entered unauthorized areas, engaged in militant activities or otherwise violated the truce. What is Netanyahus situation? Netanyahu has come under mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israels internal security agency. Families of hostages still held in Gaza expressed concern Tuesday over their loved ones. We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas, the Hostages Families Forum said.But Netanyahu has also faced demands from his hard-line allies not to allow any deal in Gaza that falls short of Hamas destruction. Negotiations with Hamas over a second phase could have brought pressure for compromises over how Gaza will be ruled in the future. Netanyahus critics say his firing of the security agency chief and a string of other dismissals are part of a broader campaign aimed at undermining independent government institutions. They say hes doing this to maintain power while on trial for alleged corruption and facing public pressure to accept his own responsibility for policy failures in the lead-up to Hamas surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. What else is happening?A resumption of fighting in Gaza could have repercussions around the region. Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels denounced the Israeli strikes, saying the Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle indicating a possible resumption of the Houthis strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.The United States launched a new airstrikes over the weekend targeting the Houthis in Yemen in retaliation for its attacks on shipping. At least 53 people were reported killed. ore.U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran would suffer the consequences for any further Houthi attacks, threatening to widen the conflict further. New Gaza violence could also shake the ceasefire that Israel reached with Hezbollah in November, which stopped months of deadly exchanges of fire over the Israeli-Lebanon border. ___Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Lee Keath in Cairo and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto TIA GOLDENBERG Goldenberg is an Associated Press reporter and producer covering Israel and the Palestinian territories. She previously reported on East and West Africa from Nairobi. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00705-zA well-timed atmospheric river dropped enough snow on Greenland for its ice sheet to lose 8% less mass than expected.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00781-1A huge haul of 128 newfound satellites might be a hint of past collisions in the planets orbit, or something else.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08711-xMelting and squeezing pure metals between two sapphires covered in molybdenum disulfide produces diverse two-dimensional metals at the ngstrm thickness limit.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08688-7An analysis of habitat fragmentation using a dataset of more than 4,000 species worldwide shows that fragmentation reduces biodiversity at all scales, and that increases in diversity do not compensate for the loss of diversity.

This U.S. Army image provided by the U.S. Dept. of Defense shows Medal of Honor winner US Army Major General Charles Calvin Rogers. (U.S. Army via AP)2025-03-18T01:15:07Z The Pentagon said Monday that internet pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were mistakenly taken down but staunchly defended its overall campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers DEI. A Defense Department webpage honoring Black Medal of Honor recipient Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers was taken down last week. The department actually temporarily changed the web address to insert deimedal-of-honor, which then led to a 404 - Page not found message, according to a screenshot captured by the Internet Archive on March 15. A U.S. official said the website was mistakenly taken down during an automated removal process. But its not the only one. Thousands of pages honoring contributions by women and minority groups have been taken down in efforts to delete material promoting diversity, equity and inclusion a step that Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended at a briefing Monday. I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, is frankly, incorrect, Parnell said. Our shared purpose and unity are our strength. And I say this as somebody who led a combat platoon in Afghanistan that was probably the most diverse platoon that you could possibly imagine. But it isnt resonating that way with veterans or communities who honor those groups and raises questions as to whether the administrations fixation on getting rid of images that highlight the contributions of women, minorities and members of the LGBTQ community will ultimately backfire and hurt recruiting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have already removed the only female four-star officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and removed its Black Chairman, Gen. CQ Brown Jr. The full throttled attack on Black leadership, dismantling of civil rights protections, imposition of unjust anti-DEI regulations, and unprecedented historical erasure across the Department of Defense is a clear sign of a new Jim Crow being propagated by our Commander in Chief, said Richard Brookshire, co-CEO of the Black Veterans Project, a nonprofit advocating for the elimination of racial inequities among uniformed service members. Rogers, a native of Fire Creek, West Virginia, was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1970 by then-President Richard Nixon, becoming the highest-ranking Black service member to receive the countrys greatest military honor. He was wounded three times while serving in Vietnam. Rogers joined the U.S. Army in 1951, six months before the racial desegregation of the U.S. military.He remained outspoken throughout his life about the discrimination Black service members faced. In a 1975 interview with the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia, Rogers described how difficult it was for them to rise into leadership positions and said the struggle for equal treatment in the military wasnt over. We still have and will have what the Department of Defense describes as institutional racism, he said. The story of Rogers web page removal was first reported by The Guardian. It was back online Monday night.Another page that was removed featured the World War II Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, U.S. Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge said Monday.According to the Army, the 4,000 men who made up the unit were mostly American-born children of Japanese immigrants, known as Nisei soldiers. Their losses were so great the whole unit had to be replaced nearly 3.5 times, according to the Army. In total, about 14,000 men served, ultimately earning 9,486 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor and an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations.But their story was removed in accordance with a Presidential Executive Order and guidance from the Secretary of Defense when the service took down a website celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. The Army is tirelessly working through content on that site and articles related to the 442nd Infantry Regiment and Nisei Soldiers will be republished to better align with current guidance, Surridge said in a statement. The Army remains committed to sharing the stories of our Soldiers, their units, and their sacrifice. The mostly Japanese American segregated unit was highly decorated despite facing prejudice after Japans attack on Pearl Harbor. After the removal of the 442nd page was reported by the Honolulu Advertiser and other media outlets, the U.S. Armys website prominently displayed a page with a spotlight label Monday featuring the units history.After Japans Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were viewed with suspicion and initially prevented from enlisting for military service. Nearly 110,000 were sent to internment camps. Congress presented 442nd members and other Japanese American veterans of World War II its highest civilian honor the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. The erasure of the 442nd content also drew congressional ire. Democrat Hawaii Rep. Ed Case wrote Friday in a letter asking for the pages to be restored that it is clear that the Army is intentionally removing these websites based solely on race without any consideration of or respect for historical context.The Japanese American Citizens League also denounced the decision, calling it an attempt to erase the legacy of thousands of soldiers who gave everything for a country that doubted them.Bill Wright, whose father was an officer in the 442nd, said the pages removal is just one example of whats happening across Department of Defense websites reflective of current politics. We dont have any control over that except at the ballot box, he said, adding that it wont deter him and others from continuing to educate people about the unit.Mark Matsunaga, a former Honolulu journalist whose Japanese American father and uncles served in World War II, said he was grateful to see the 442nds webpage restored, but that one act doesnt solve the larger problem. Theyre still eliminating all kinds of content photos, articles, social media posts that all help Americans to understand how diverse their military is, he said. Clearly this is part of an attempt to whitewash history. 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

Policemen watch as vehicles are torched during communal clashes sparked by protests demanding removal of the tomb of 17th-century Muslim Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in Nagpur, India, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-03-18T09:00:13Z NEW DELHI (AP) Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of a western Indian city on Tuesday, a day after sectarian clashes were sparked by Hindu nationalist groups who want to demolish the tomb of a 17th-century Muslim Mughal ruler.Clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Maharashtra states Nagpur city broke out on Monday during a protest led by Hindu nationalist groups demanding the demolition of the tomb of Aurangzeb, a Muslim Mughal ruler who has been dead for more than 300 years.Lawmaker Chandrashekhar Bawankule said at least 34 police personnel and five other people were injured and several houses and vehicles were damaged during the violence. Senior police office Ravinder Singal said at least 50 people have been arrested so far.Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtras top elected official, said the violence began after rumors were spread that things containing religious content were burnt by the protesters, referring to the Quran. Aurangzebs tomb is in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar city, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Nagpur. The city was earlier called Aurangabad, after the Mughal ruler. Aurangzeb is a loathed figure among Indias Hindu nationalists, who accuse him of persecuting Hindus during his rule in the 17th century, even though some historians say such stories are exaggerated.As tensions between Hindus and Muslims have mounted under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scorn for Aurangzeb has grown. Modi has made references to Aurangzeb in the past, accusing him of persecuting Hindus. Such remarks have led to anxieties among the countrys significant Muslim minority who in recent years have been at the receiving end of violence from Hindu nationalists, emboldened by a prime minister who has mostly stayed mum on such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.Tensions over the Mughal ruler have intensified in India after the release of Bollywood movie Chhaava, an action film based on a Hindu warrior who fought against Aurangzeb. The film has been lambasted by some movie critics for feeding into a divisive narrative that risks exacerbating religious rifts in the country. While there have long been tensions between Indias majority Hindu community and Muslims, rights groups say that attacks against minorities have become more brazen under Modi. They also accuse Modi of discriminatory policies towards the countrys Muslims.Modis ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party denies this.Hindu extremists have also targeted Muslim places of worship across the country and laid claim to several famous mosques, arguing they are built on the ruins of prominent temples. Many such cases are pending in courts.Last year, Modi delivered on a longstanding demand from Hindu nationalists and millions of Hindus when he opened a controversial temple on the site of a razed mosque in northern Indias Ayodhya city. The 16th-century Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 by Hindu mobs who believe Ram, one of Hinduisms most revered deity, was born at the exact spot. SHEIKH SAALIQ Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00797-7Why failing to control defunct satellites leaves everyone at risk from their impacts.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00821-wJapan needs a fresh approach to innovation

Part of a file, dated Nov. 24, 1963, quoting FBI director J. Edgar Hoover as he talks about the death of Lee Harvey Oswald, is photographed in Washington, Oct. 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)2025-03-18T12:05:13Z DALLAS (AP) President Donald Trump says files related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy will be released Tuesday without any redactions, making good on a promise he made during his campaign.Trump told reporters Monday that his administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though its not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public.We have a tremendous amount of paper. Youve got a lot of reading, Trump said while at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.He also said he doesnt believe anything will be redacted from the files. I said, Just dont redact. You cant redact, he said.Many who have studied whats been released so far by the government say the public shouldnt anticipate any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it. Here are some things to know: Trumps orderShortly after he was sworn into office, Trump ordered the release of the remaining classified files related to the assassination, which has spawned countless conspiracy theories.He directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release the records. The order also aimed to declassify the remaining federal records related to the 1968 assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.After signing the order, Trump handed the pen to an aide and directed that it be given to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump administrations top health official. Hes the nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy. The younger Kennedy, whose anti-vaccine activism has alienated him from much of his family, has said he isnt convinced that a lone gunman was solely responsible for his uncles the assassination. Nov. 22, 1963When Air Force One carrying JFK and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas, they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they went to Texas for a political fence-mending trip.But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, who had positioned himself from a snipers perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didnt quell a web of alternative theories over the decades.The JFK files In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million pages of records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files continued to be released during President Joe Bidens administration, some remain unseen.Researchers have estimated that 3,000 files or so havent been released, either in whole or in part. And last month, the FBI said that it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination. The agency said then that it was working to transfer the records to the National Archives to be included in the declassification process.There are still some documents in the JFK collection that researchers dont believe the president will be able to release. Around 500 documents, including tax returns, werent subject to the 2017 disclosure requirement. Whats been learnedSome of the documents already released have offered details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, including CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas.One CIA memo describes how Oswald phoned the Soviet embassy while in Mexico City to ask for a visa to visit the Soviet Union. He also visited the Cuban embassy, apparently interested in a travel visa that would permit him to visit Cuba and wait there for a Soviet visa. On Oct. 3, more than a month before the assassination, he drove back into the United States through a crossing point at the Texas border.Another memo, dated the day after Kennedys assassination, says that according to an intercepted phone call in Mexico City, Oswald communicated with a KGB officer while at the Soviet embassy that September.The releases have also contributed to the understanding of that time period during the Cold War, researchers said. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00790-0National agencies too often use spurious reasons to deny researchers unfettered access to resources that are key to understanding past and future climate change.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00792-ySpaceX and other companies plan to launch tens of thousands of satellites, which could mar astronomical observations and pollute the atmosphere.

A French bulldog plays with a toy during breed group judging at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Monday, May 13, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, file)2025-03-18T11:51:09Z NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. still has a major case of French bulldog fever, but a very different breed is staunchly chasing dog lovers hearts, according to American Kennel Club statistics released Wednesday. For the third year in a row, the comical, controversial Frenchie tops the clubs annual rundown of the nations most prevalent purebred dogs. Frenchies are followed by Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles and some other longtime faves. (Rounding out the top 10: dachshunds, beagles, Rottweilers, bulldogs and German shorthaired pointers.)Yet keep an eye on the cane corso. The powerful, protective breed vaulted from nearly 50th to 14th in the rankings in just a decade.Popularity is seen as a mixed blessing among dog breeders and as an outright scourge by their critics. Some animal welfare activists say the AKC rankings drive fads that fuel puppy mills. The AKC says the list documents, not promotes, dog-ownership trends, and the nonprofit club notes that it conducts thousands of breeder and pet store inspections per year. Amid the arguments, theres no disputing that there are plenty of lovable dogs in the nations animal shelters. Heres a look at the trends and what they mean. The Frenchie phenomenonThe AKC ranking reflects purebreds, mostly puppies, that were added last year to the nations oldest dog registry. Nearly 74,500 were Frenchies. Thats down from 98,500 in 2023 and 108,000 in 2022, but the AKC isnt saying that the wave has crested. Registration is voluntary, and spokesperson Brandi Hunter Munden notes that the numbers can fluctuate year-to-year. The small, pointy-eared bulldog breed with a big personality is still way ahead of the once-dominant Lab, which logged 58,500 new registrations last year. French bulldogs have existed in the U.S. since at least the 19th century, but theyve been on a tear in the 21st, fueled partly by celebrity owners and social media. They are fabulous companions, the AKCs Gina DiNardo said. Frenchie folk praise the dogs modest grooming and exercise needs, generally confident and friendly demeanor and, of course, those smushy mugs that fans find irresistible but critics call irresponsible. There can be health problems associated with squished faces and other features, and both detractors and devotees lament that the breed has become too hyped for its own good, attracting unprincipled breeders, unprepared owners and sometimes violent thieves.The can-do cane corsoIf a Frenchie is sometimes described as a clown in the cloak of a philosopher, a cane corso is a protector with no use for a cloak. Big, strong and athletic, the cane corso (pronounced KAH'-neh KOHR'-so) served as a Roman war dog and later a farmers helper, boar hunter and household guardian.Todays cane corsi (the proper plural) are prized as loyal, rather august companions and adept dog-sports competitors. But breeders worry that social media is spreading misconceptions about the dogs, which they say are not suitable for everyone.Breeder Vickie Venzen insists that would-be puppy buyers visit her Maryland home, where she introduces them first to an outgoing, easygoing corso and explains that such a temperament isnt standard for the breed. Then she will bring out a corso with a classic and desirable demeanor: likely to greet an invited visitor peacefully, but without tail-wagging effusiveness. After its greeting, the dog may walk off and watch with cool vigilance.Next comes one of her hard dogs: one thats a bit too quick to display its protective instincts.The point is to show the spectrum of corsi temperaments and make clear that theyre neither lapdogs that just look tough nor rough-and-tumble creatures that can be left outside to guard. Theyre very sensitive to their families, Venzen said.Theyre very good dogs, and theyre very versatile, and they can be taught a lot, said Venzen, who was delighted to learn recently that a dog she bred mastered paddleboarding. But you cant be so foolish as to think you can put it in any situation and the dog will understand. New dogs The newest breed to be counted, the Lancashire heeler, came in at 189th out of AKCs 201 recognized breeds last year. The next-newest, the bracco Italiano, sprang last year from 152nd to 132nd, and some longtime aficionados already are concerned about its trajectory, said owner Deb Pereira of North Stonington, Connecticut. She stresses that the substantial, handsome and sociable hunting dogs need a good deal of physical and mental exercise. Quite a few still hunt; Pereiras bracco, Elvira, is an agility champion, and her daily walks cover about four miles (6.5 kilometers). Few dogsThe five rarest AKC-recognized breeds are the sloughi, the Norwegian lundehund, the grand basset griffon Venden, the Bergamasco sheepdog and, at 201st, the English foxhound. Doodle doingsTo date, the AKC hasnt recognized any sheepadoodles, Havapoos, borgis or other designer hybrids. The club said it has gotten some inquiries, but no doodle or other designer breed fanciers have formally begun the often yearslong process of seeking recognition. And about the everydogs ...Theres no census of everyday mixed-breed dogs in the U.S., but the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates the country has about 90 million dogs purebreds, designer mixes and others.After animal shelters cleared out during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and then filled to overflowing, last years data from advocacy groups Shelter Animals Count and Best Friends Animal Society differ as to whether dog arrivals and adoptions rose or fell and by how much. Thats not inexplicable, as the two groups count different sets of organizations. But both emphasize that purebreds and mixed-breeds come up for adoption. Really, if you find it in your heart to rescue or adopt a pet, thats the way to go, Best Friends Animal Society CEO Julie Castle said.

A mallard spreads his wings in the sun at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-03-18T13:17:42Z WASHINGTON (AP) Bird flu has devastated poultry and dairy farms, and sent the price of eggs soaring in the United States since it was first detected in North America in late 2021. But what has been the toll on wild birds? More than 170 species of North American wild birds including ducks, geese, gulls, owls, eagles and others have been infected with bird flu. Take precautions around sick or dead wild birds, experts recommend. But you can keep your bird feeder up. Despite the spread in birds and other wild animals, scientists say the threat to the general population is currently low. Which wild birds can get bird flu?More than 12,000 individual birds have tested positive since the virus began spreading, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. The count is a gross underestimate because most dead birds are never taken to a lab for testing, said Bryan Richards at the U.S. Geological Surveys National Wildlife Health Center in in Madison, Wisconsin. Dabbling ducks, such as mallards and blue-winged teal, can carry the virus with few symptoms because these viruses co-evolved in waterfowl, said Richards. But ducks can also shed the virus in their feces or saliva, sometimes infecting other birds or mammals like foxes. Birds without natural immunity that migrate or roost together in large flocks, such as geese, are most likely to die in large numbers. A recent bird flu outbreak among migratory eared grebes in Utah killed between 15,000 and 25,000 birds near Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said in early February. Seabirds, which tend to roost in large numbers, are also highly impacted.Songbirds such as Northern cardinals, blue jays or chickadees the kind of birds that might visit bird feeders can also become infected and die, but their populations appear to fare better since they dont gather closely in large groups where the virus could spread, said Michael J. Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy. What are bird flu symptoms in wild birds?Symptoms vary, but may include lack of coordination, inability to fly and respiratory distress. If people see a wild bird acting weird, the best thing they can do is call their local wildlife rehabilitator and avoid handling it directly, said Dr. Dana Franzen-Klein, a veterinarian and medical director at the University of Minnesotas Raptor Center. If you must handle an infected bird, its best to wear gloves and a mask as a precaution.Is it safe to have a backyard bird feeder?Experts say bird feeders are generally safe and arent a notable source of spreading bird flu. But if you also keep backyard chickens, Parr of the American Bird Conservancy recommends taking the bird feeder down to prevent possible transmission to poultry. Birdfeeders and nesting boxes should also be cleaned regularly. The risk of spread to people from bird feeders is very, very low, he said. How is the bird flu outbreak affecting endangered bird species? In the case of critically endangered California condors, scientists organized a vaccination program after some birds became infected. But thats not a realistic option for most wild bird species. Instead, experts recommend giving wild birds the best chance by taking other steps to protect habitats and reduce various risks that species face, such as exposure to pesticides or lead ammo.Bald eagles, which are federally protected but no longer endangered, are scavengers that will eat dead animals. That first year, we lost a lot of eagles likely from bald eagles eating infected ducks or bringing them to their nests, said Richards. Scientists also documented an unusually high number of eagle chicks that didnt survive into adulthood during the first breeding season after the virus appeared in North America, likely because the chicks got the virus or sick parents werent able to adequately feed and care for them.But over time, the number of confirmed infections in eagles nationwide has declined from 427 in 2022 to 48 last year. That may mean that eagles that survived the first year now have some acquired immunity, said Franzen-Klein. This past migration season, researchers counted a record number of bald eagles migrating through northern Minnesota. There are good signs of hope that eagles in the region are rebounding, she said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. CHRISTINA LARSON Larson is a science writer on The Associated Press Global Health & Science team. She has reported on the environment from five continents. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This article was primarily reported using public records requests. We are making it available to all readers as a public service. FOIA reporting can be expensive, please consider subscribing to 404 Media to support this work. Or send us a one time donation via our tip jar here.Using the Freedom of Information Act, 404 Media has obtained several memos that government agencies were required to create by President Trump in order to comply with his Defending Women executive order. The memos explain exactly how different agencies are seeking to purge the notion that trans people exist.Many of the changes laid out in the memos had been previously reported by 404 Media and other news outlets. But the fact that we got anything back from FOIA at all indicates that it will likely be possible to get information about what the administration is doing by using public records requests. FOIA may indeed be a way to bring transparency and some semblance of accountability to an administration that has gutted the federal workforce and has attempted to evade public records laws, especially when those FOIAs are filed with non-DOGE agencies. In the first month of Trumps administration, we have filed dozens of requests across many different agencies, including DOGE. We also led a training about how to do this yourself, which you can watch here. We will continue to report on the documents that we get as we get them.The Office of Personnel Management required all federal agencies to submit a memo to the email address defendingwomen@opm.gov on February 7 that included a.) a complete list of actions taken in response to this guidance and Defending Women; and b.) any agency plans to fully comply with this guidance and Defending Women. 404 Media has obtained these memos from both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor. Muckrock user Russel Neiss obtained memos from the American Battle Monuments Commission and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. 404 Media has pending requests with 24 other agencies.The EPAs memo was sent to the defendingwomen@opm.gov inbox but was also sent directly to Amanda Scales, a former HR executive for Elon Musks xAI company who is now chief of staff for the Office of Personnel Management, which functions more or less as the HR department for the federal government.Both the EPA and Department of Labor memos have a series of bullet points that explain what the agencies did to comply with the executive order.For the EPA, these included, for example: Ensure that intimate spaces designated for women, girls, or females (or for men, boys, or males) are designated by biological sex and not gender identity, and Cancel any trainings that inculcate or promote gender ideology or have done so in the past.The Department of Labor, meanwhile, Removed requests for gender and substitute requests for sex in agency forms, and Reviewed all agency programs, contracts, and grants, and identified for possible termination those that promote or inculcate gender ideology. Additionally, all references to the word gender were modified sex; to men or women; males or females; or boys or girls as appropriate.The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights removed the universal bathroom signs at headquarters, and the American Battle Monuments Commission revised its internal policies, documents, and forms to replace gender with sex.DOL memoEPA MemoWe also obtained a mass email that the EPA sent to its employees instructing them to remove pronouns from their email signatures and informing them that the agency prohibits Employee Resource Groups that promote unlawful DEIA initiatives.The full memos are available here:Department of LaborEnvironmental Protection AgencyU.S. Commission on Civil RightsAmerican Battle Monuments CommissionA federal judge has ruled that DOGE itself must release records under federal records laws, but the case is still being litigated.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00771-3Memorable tripartite phrases in titles make studies more likely to be read and cited.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00788-8Satellites connect people around the world but they also interfere with astronomers views of the cosmos. There are ways to reduce these tensions.

Palestinians Ali Marouf and his mother Aisha cook on fire on the roof of their destroyed house by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-03-18T14:26:52Z The wave of Israeli strikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday was the culmination of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus efforts to get out of the ceasefire with Hamas that he agreed to in January.Since the start of the war, Netanyahu has faced dueling, possibly incompatible pressures: Families of the hostages want him to cut a deal with Hamas to free them, while his far-right coalition partners want to continue the war with the aim of annihilating the militant group. On Tuesday, he appeared to cast his lot with the latter and U.S. President Donald Trumps administration has backed Netanyahus decision to unilaterally walk away from the ceasefire it took credit for brokering.Both Israel and the United States blame the renewed hostilities on Hamas refusal to release more hostages before negotiations on ending the war proceed which was not part of the ceasefire agreement. Israel has accused Hamas of preparing for new attacks, without providing evidence. The militant group has denied those allegations. Hamas which has yet to respond militarily to the Israeli strikes has spent weeks calling for serious talks on the ceasefire agreements second phase, which calls for the release of the remaining living hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.Those talks were supposed to begin in early February. Now they may never happen. What did the ceasefire agreement say?The agreement reached in January, under pressure from the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump one, called for a phased ceasefire aimed at freeing all the hostages abducted in Hamas Oct 7, 2023, attack and ending the war it caused.Under the first phase, which ran from Jan. 19 to March 1, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in return for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, including senior militants serving life sentences for deadly attacks. Israeli forces pulled back to a buffer zone, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to what remained of their homes, and there was a surge of humanitarian aid. Each side accused the other of violations, and Israeli strikes killed dozens of Palestinians the military accused of engaging in militant activities or entering no-go zones. But the truce held.Still, the second phase was always seen as far more difficult. Through months of negotiations, Netanyahu had repeatedly cast doubt on it, insisting Israel was committed to returning all the hostages and destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities two war goals that many believe are irreconcilable.In a TV interview last June, Netanyahu cast doubt on the possibility of a lasting ceasefire before Hamas is destroyed. We are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. Im not willing to give up on that, he said.On Jan. 18, the eve of the ceasefire, he said we reserve the right to return to war if necessary with the backing of the United States. Why did Netanyahu back out of the ceasefire?Agreeing to a permanent ceasefire would almost certainly plunge Netanyahu into a political crisis that could end his nearly uninterrupted 15-year rule.Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to leave the coalition if Netanyahu progressed to Phase 2 instead of restarting the offensive. Opposition parties have promised to support him in any agreement that brings back hostages, but his coalition would still be severely weakened, making early elections likely.By resuming the fighting, Netanyahu ensured Smotrichs continued support. After the strikes, the Israeli leader regained another far-right partner, Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose party had bolted in January over the ceasefire but returned to the coalition Tuesday.Beyond the political jockeying, Netanyahus stated goal of annihilating Hamas would have almost certainly eluded him had he stuck with the ceasefire agreement.Hamas survived 15 months of Israeli bombardment and ground operations that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and destroyed much of Gaza. When the truce took hold, the militant group immediately reasserted its rule. Theres no agreement on who should govern Gaza after the war, and even if the Western-backed Palestinian Authority were granted nominal control, Hamas would have strong influence on the ground and could rebuild its military capabilities.For many Israelis, especially Netanyahus hawkish base and far-right allies, that would look like defeat. It would add to the criticism he already faces over security failures surrounding the Oct. 7 attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. How did Netanyahu end the truce? After the first phase ended, Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to what he described as a new U.S. proposal in which Hamas would release half the remaining hostages in return for a seven-week extension of the truce and a vague promise to launch negotiations over a lasting ceasefire.Hamas refused, pointing out that the new proposal was different from the one they had agreed to in January and again called for the immediate launch of talks on Phase 2. It even offered to return an America-Israeli and the bodies of four other hostages to get the talks back on track, an offer dismissed as psychological warfare by Israel. Trumps Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas was claiming flexibility in public while making entirely impractical demands.In an attempt to impose the new arrangement on Hamas, Israel halted the import of all food, fuel and other humanitarian aid to Gaza. It later cut off electricity, affecting a vital desalination plant. Israel also said it would not withdraw from a strategic corridor on Gazas border with Egypt, as stipulated in the agreement.In recent days, Israel stepped up strikes across Gaza, targeting people it said were planting explosives or engaging in other militant activities. On Tuesday, at around 2 a.m., it launched one of the deadliest waves of strikes since the start of the war.What has Trump said about the ceasefire?Trump took credit for brokering the ceasefire in January, but since then has appeared to sour on it. He has warned that all hell will break loose if Hamas does not immediately release the hostages, while saying thats a decision for Israel to make.Trump has also proposed that Gazas roughly 2 million Palestinians be permanently relocated so the U.S. can take ownership of Gaza and develop it as a tourist destination. Netanyahu has embraced the plan, which has been universally condemned by Palestinians, Arab countries and human rights experts, who say it would violate international law.The White House said it was consulted ahead of Tuesdays strikes and supported Israels decision. ___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani waits on a pitch in the sixth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)2025-03-18T14:31:51Z TOKYO (AP) Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a little extra zip on his fastball. Shohei Ohtani even admitted to some nerves.There was little doubt this was no ordinary baseball game.But the Japanese players who were playing in front of their home country at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night handled any jitters they had quite well, delivering in clutch moments as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in Major League Baseballs season opener.I was actually pretty nervous, Ohtani said through an interpreter. Its been a while since I was nervous, but today, definitely felt it.Ohtani finished with two hits in the Dodgers win, including a single in the fifth and a double in the ninth. Both hard-hit balls brought roars from the roughly 42,000 fans at a packed Tokyo Dome and were instrumental in helping the Dodgers get off to a good start this season. I dont think Ive ever seen Shohei nervous, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. One thing I did notice is how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. That was something very telling.Yamamoto pitched five quality innings to earn the win, giving up just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out four. The right-handers fastball touched 98 mph and consistently sat in the 96-97 range, which is a few ticks higher than last year. It was the first time Yamamoto had been on the mound in a regular season game since his fantastic performance in Game 2 of the World Series, and the results carried over to the Tokyo Dome What I experienced in October, I learned a lot of things, Yamamoto said through a translator. What I should and what I shouldnt do in certain situations. Based on that, I feel more confident.Yamamoto said he wasnt trying to overthrow on his fastball. Instead, he said better mechanics have allowed him to throw a little harder. Roberts said theres no reason the 26-year-old cant compete for the NL Cy Young award if he pitches like he did against the Cubs and stays healthy. Great outing, I thought he commanded the baseball really well tonight, Roberts said. The fastball was as good as weve seen. Competed really well. There was some soft contact in there and he just navigated the game really well.Even in a losing effort, Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga was fantastic through four scoreless innings, giving up no hits while walking four. The Imanaga vs. Yamamoto matchup was the first all-Japanese starting pitching duel on opening day in MLB history.Imanaga and Yamamoto did a really good job handling the nerves of the start of the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. Imanaga said he was pleased with his outing, even if the final result wasnt what he wanted. The lefty retired Ohtani twice, once on a groundout and another time on a lineout. He said the experience from Tuesdays game should serve him well throughout the season.One of the lessons regarding the fastball was it felt really good, Imanaga said through an interpreter. Once I go back to the US obviously theres differences in humidity, environment and how far the ball goes but bottom line if I can throw the fastball I did today all the time and have confidence in it, Ill be good. The only Japanese player who had a quiet night was Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki, who finished 0 for 4 at the plate. With a runner on second in the eighth inning, he hit the ball fairly hard, but Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was there to snag the line drive.Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki will make his MLB debut on Wednesday night when the teams meet against at the Tokyo Dome for the finale of the two-game set. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB DAVID BRANDT Brandt is an Associated Press sports writer based in Phoenix. He covers a wide variety of sports including the NBA, NFL and MLB. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00823-8AI demands a different approach to education

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00822-9Global cooperation is crucial for DeepSeek and broader AI research

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he leaves after a luncheon with the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-03-18T14:52:41Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a federal judge who tried to stop his deportation plans should be impeached, escalating his conflict with a judiciary thats been one of the few restraints on his administrations aggressive plans. Trump has routinely criticized judges, especially as they limit his efforts to expand presidential power and impose his sweeping agenda on the federal government. But his call for impeachment a rare step that is usually taken only in cases of grave ethical or criminal misconduct represents an intensifying clash between the judicial and executive branches.The Republican president described U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg in Washington, as an unelected troublemaker and agitator in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform. Boasberg recently issued an order blocking deportation flights under wartime authorities from an 18th century law that Trump invoked to carry out his plans. HE DIDNT WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY, Trump wrote on Tuesday. Im just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 has been used only three times before in U.S. history, all during congressionally declared wars. Trump issued a proclamation that the law was newly in effect due to what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. His administration is paying El Salvador to imprison alleged members of the gang. Boasberg, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, convened a hearing on Monday to discuss what he called possible defiance of his order after two deportation flights continued to El Salvador despite his verbal order that they be turned around to the U.S. Trump administration lawyers defended their actions, saying Boasbergs written order wasnt explicit, while an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union said I think were getting very close to a constitutional crisis.The Constitution gives the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a slim majority, the power to impeach a judge with a simple majority vote. But, like a presidential impeachment, any removal requires a vote from a two-thirds majority from the Senate.The presidents latest social media post aligns him more with allies like Elon Musk, who has made similar demands.What we are seeing is an attempt by one branch of government to intimidate another branch from performing its constitutional duty. It is a direct threat to judicial independence, Marin Levy, a Duke University law professor who specializes in the federal courts, said in an email.Only one day earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, I have not heard the president talk about impeaching judges.Just 15 judges have been impeached in the nations history, according to the U.S. courts governing body, and just eight have been removed. The last judicial impeachment was in 2010. G. Thomas Porteous Jr. of New Orleans was impeached on charges he accepted bribes and then lied about it. He was convicted by the Senate and removed from office in December 2010.Calls to impeach judges have been rising as Trumps sweeping agenda faces pushback in the courts, and at least two members of Congress have said online they plan to introduce articles of impeachment against Boasberg. House Republicans already have filed articles of impeachment against two other judges, Amir Ali and Paul Engelmayer, over rulings theyve made in Trump-related lawsuits.____Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Mark Sherman contributed to this report. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto

Military personnel search for Sudiksha Konanki, a university student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Monday, March. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Francesco Spotorno, File)2025-03-18T14:03:17Z SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) The parents of a U.S. college student who vanished almost two weeks ago in the resort town of Punta Cana have asked authorities to declare her legally dead.In a letter to Dominican police dated Monday, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki state that after an extensive search, local authorities believe that Sudiksha, a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh, drowned.Initiating this process will allow our family to begin the grieving process and address matters related to her absence, they wrote. While no declaration can truly ease our grief, we trust that this step will bring some closure and enable us to honor her memory.A police official not authorized to speak about the case confirmed Tuesday that authorities received the letter.Sudiksha Konanki and five female friends had traveled to the Caribbean nation on March 3 for spring break. Police said she disappeared at a beach by her hotel before dawn on March 6. Authorities have interviewed people who were with Konanki before she vanished, including Joshua Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud University in Minnesota. Riibe has been detained by Dominican police and is believed to be the last person to see Konanki. He has not been named as a suspect.He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon following a request from his attorney that he be released. According to the transcript of an interview with prosecutors, reported by Dominican media as well as NBC and Telemundo, Riibe told police he was drinking with Konanki on the beach and they were kissing in the ocean when they got caught in a current. Riibe said he was a former lifeguard and helped bring her ashore.He told investigators he vomited upon reaching the beach and that Konanki said she was going to fetch her things. When he looked up, she was gone. He said he was later surprised to hear of her disappearance.In their letter, the Konankis wrote that the individual last seen with their daughter is cooperating and that no evidence of foul play has been found.Sudiksha Konanki was born in India and later became a U.S. permanent resident.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00824-7US disruptions to science could transform global research landscape

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08837-yAuthor Correction: Endocytosis in the axon initial segment maintains neuronal polarity

Relatives of hostage held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, stand by the Israe-Gaza border fence, calling for their release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2025-03-18T16:16:17Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) When a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began two months ago, Herut Nimrodi knew it would take time before her son was released from captivity in Gaza. The 20-year-old soldier was meant to be part of the second phase of the deal winding down the war.But with Israels surprise bombardment of Gaza, she fears he might not come home at all.I really wanted to believe that there is still a chance to reach a second stage without renewing this war. But it feels like my building of hope has collapsed, and I have no idea what to do next, Nimrodi said Tuesday. Herut Nimrodi poses for a portrait with a poster of her son, Tamir Nimrodi, an Israeli soldier who was abducted and brought to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at a rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) Herut Nimrodi poses for a portrait with a poster of her son, Tamir Nimrodi, an Israeli soldier who was abducted and brought to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at a rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Einav Zangauker, mother Matan, who is held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and other relatives of hostages attempt to approach the Gaza border, escorted by Israeli soldiers, calling for their release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Einav Zangauker, mother Matan, who is held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and other relatives of hostages attempt to approach the Gaza border, escorted by Israeli soldiers, calling for their release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan, who is held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, tries to pass a barbed wire to approach the Gaza border, calling for his release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts him at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan, who is held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, tries to pass a barbed wire to approach the Gaza border, calling for his release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts him at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Nearly 60 families have relatives still held in Gaza. About two dozen hostages are believed to be alive.During the ceasefires first phase, which began in January, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But since that phase ended early this month, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward.Israels renewed airstrikes threaten to end the fragile deal.Nimrodis son, Tamir, was abducted from his army base when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage. Shes had no sign of life. He hasnt been declared dead by Israel.Its so sad that this is the only solution that they could find, she said, lamenting the governments decision. The strikes early Tuesday killed more than 400 people and shattered a relative calm along with hopes of ending the war that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the airstrikes because of lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials called the operation open-ended.The return to fighting could deepen the painful debate in Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages.Netanyahu and his hardline governing partners believe renewing the war will put pressure on Hamas to free them and move Israel closer to its goal of destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. An Israeli tank maneuvers on the border with northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) An Israeli tank maneuvers on the border with northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT.- Palestinians hold the hands of their relative who was killed in an Israeli army airstrike, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Karem Hanna) EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT.- Palestinians hold the hands of their relative who was killed in an Israeli army airstrike, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Karem Hanna) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT.- A man carries the body of a child to the Al-Ahli hospital following multiple overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT.- A man carries the body of a child to the Al-Ahli hospital following multiple overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More But most hostage families, and large parts of the Israeli public, believe such goals are unrealistic. They say time is running out, particularly after the recent releases of emaciated-looking hostages who later described harsh conditions in captivity.Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire and exposing the hostages to an unknown fate.Families of hostages called on supporters to protest with them outside Israels parliament Tuesday.Some families who already know their relatives in Gaza are dead called the governments decision unacceptable. This is not only a disaster in every way, shape or form on how the hostages keep suffering, being chained to walls, starved, abused, but also the death toll that keeps rising on the Gazan side, Udi Goren said.His cousin Tal Haimi was killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Goren said the international community must pressure Hamas, Israel and the mediators the United States, Egypt and Qatar to end the war.Returning to fighting? Did you listen to a word of what we, the returnees released in the last deal, have been saying to you? former hostage Omer Wenkert wrote on Instagram. Israels calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and saying the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Israels calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and saying the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Israels calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and saying the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Israels calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and saying the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Israeli hostages, from left to right, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem and Omer Wenkert, are told to show Hamas issued certificates by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohamamd Abu Samra) Israeli hostages, from left to right, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem and Omer Wenkert, are told to show Hamas issued certificates by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohamamd Abu Samra) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Romi Gonen, right, and her mother Merav hold each other near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel after Romi was released from captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza, Jan. 19, 2025. (Israeli Army via AP, File) Romi Gonen, right, and her mother Merav hold each other near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel after Romi was released from captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza, Jan. 19, 2025. (Israeli Army via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Romi Gonen, among the first hostages to be freed in the ceasefires first phase, said she would never forget what it felt like in captivity to hear the bombs after previous ceasefire talks collapsed and realize she wouldnt be freed any time soon.I beg you, the people of Israel, we must continue to fight for them, she said on Instagram.Sylvia Cunio, whose two sons are held hostage, accused Israels leaders of not having a heart.It isnt right to continue the fighting. I want my children back home already. If he wants to kill me, the prime minister, let him do that already because I wont get through this, she said on local radio. Nimrodi said shes worried the airstrikes might not only harm her son and the other hostages but also make their living conditions worse.The last time she saw Tamir, he was a funny teenager who rode horses and loved learning about geology and astronomy, she said. The two had a similar humor and used to talk about everything.While shes terrified of whats to come, she said she wont stop fighting to see him again.Please, keep strong, survive, she said, addressing him. So theres a chance for us to meet once more. Relatives of hostage held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sit by the Israe-Gaza border fence, escorted by Israeli soldiers, calling for their release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Relatives of hostage held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sit by the Israe-Gaza border fence, escorted by Israeli soldiers, calling for their release and expressing concerns that the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel contributed.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the AP correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. Mednick formerly covered West & Central Africa and South Sudan. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a ceremony to raise the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag at the State Department, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-03-18T15:46:02Z MEXICO CITY (AP) FBI Director Kash Patel applauded Mexican authorities Tuesday for the arrest and handover of one of the FBIs Ten Most Wanted suspects, an alleged gang leader from El Salvador.Francisco Javier Romn Bardales is allegedly a senior leader of the Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 gang. He was arrested Monday in the mountains of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz by soldiers and federal agents.This is a major victory both for our law enforcement partners and for a safer America, Patel wrote.Mexicos security chief Omar Garca Harfuch applauded the arrest Monday, which his agency said was the result of international cooperation. The agency referred to his handover as a deportation to the United States.Romn Bardales faces charges related to violent crime, drug distribution and extortion in the Eastern District of New York. The Mara Salvatrucha was one of eight Latin American criminal organizations declared foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government last month.FBI Director Kash Patel said via X Tuesday that Roman Bardales was being transported within the U.S. He thanked Mexican authorities for their support. The arrest and swift handover came just weeks after Mexico handed over 29 drug cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985.Mexico has also stepped up operations against the Sinaloa cartel, a main trafficker of fentanyl to the United States. President Claudia Sheinbaum has worked to show U.S. President Donald Trump that Mexico is a reliable partner on security and immigration. The results have so far kept most of Trumps tariffs at bay.The Trump administration sent two other top members of MS-13 to El Salvador over the weekend, along with hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00805-wPlans to broadcast TV to villages in India to improve literacy rates, and camels that have settled in the Nevada desert, in our weekly dip into Natures archive.

A sign on the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency is photographed Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-03-18T17:49:27Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research office and could fire more than 1,000 scientists and other employees who help provide the scientific foundation for rules safeguarding human health and ecosystems from environmental pollutants.As many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists 75% of the research programs staff could be laid off, according to documents reviewed by Democratic staff on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.The planned layoffs, cast by the Trump administration as part of a broader push to shrink the size of the federal government and make it more efficient, were assailed by critics as a massive dismantling of the EPAs longstanding mission to protect public health and the environment.The plans were first reported by The New York Times. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has said he wants to eliminate 65% of the agencys budget, a huge spending cut that would require major staffing reductions for jobs such as monitoring air and water quality, responding to natural disasters and lead abatement, among many other agency functions. The EPA has also issued guidance directing that spending items greater than $50,000 require approval from billionaire Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. The Office of Research and Development EPAs main science arm currently has 1,540 positions, excluding special government employees and public health officers, according to the memo. A majority of staff ranging from 50% to 75% will not be retained,' the memo said. The plan calls for dissolving the research office and reassigning remaining staff to other parts of the agency to provide increased oversight and align with administration priorities, the memo says. EPA officials have presented the plan to the White House for review. Molly Vaseliou, an EPA spokeswoman, said the agency is taking exciting steps as we enter the next phase of organizational improvements, but said changes had not been finalized.We are committed to enhancing our ability to deliver clean air, water and land for all Americans, she said, adding, While no decisions have been made yet, we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to increase efficiency and ensure the EPA is as up to date and effective as ever.California Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the science committee, said in a statement that the agencys research office was created by Congress and eliminating it is illegal.Every decision the EPA makes must be in furtherance of protecting human health and the environment, and that just cant happen if you gut EPA science, Lofgren said.EPA cannot meet its legal obligation to use the best available science without (the Office of Research and Development) and thats the point,' she added. President Donald Trump and his adviser, Musk , are putting their polluter buddies bottom lines over the health and safety of Americans, Lofgren said. In his first term, Trump and his cronies politicized and distorted science,' she said. Now, this is their attempt to kill it for good.Ticora Jones, chief science officer at the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, said Trumps EPA yet again is putting polluters over people.She called on Congress to stand up and demand that EPA keep its scientists on the beat so that we all can get the clean air and clean water we need and deserve. MATTHEW DALY Daly covers climate, environment and energy policy for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

This image made from video by NASA shows Russian astronaut Alexei Ovchinin, left, Butch Wilmore, center, and Suni Williams wait to greet newly arrived astronauts after the SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (NASA via AP)2025-03-18T16:45:52Z Marcia Dunn, AP reporter: Almost all roads to space begin here in Cape Canaveral.Haya Panjwani, AP correspondent: Thats Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press space writer. Shes following Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return home from the International Space Station. AP AUDIO: Behind the story of the return of stuck NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams On this episode of The Story Behind the AP Story, AP correspondent Haya Panjwani speaks with space writer Marcia Dunn. PANJWANI: Im Haya Panjwani. On this episode of The Story Behind the AP Story, were unpacking how the two astronauts got stuck up there in the first place and what theyve done in the last few months at the station.DUNN: So Butch and Suni became the first people, the first astronauts, to strap into a Boeing Starliner capsule and be launched into space. This was last June, June 5th, 2024. They launched aboard the Starliner on what was supposed to be an eight-day trip to the space station and back. Here we are, more than nine months later. This eight-day mission has turned into a nine-month marathon for them. So, Butch and Suni strap in on June 5th. Launch goes off great from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Im there watching, watching the rocket fly. They get to orbit safely. All is well, except the next day, as theyre going into dock with the International Space Station as planned, the thrusters start to fail. Helium is leaking. There had been some helium leaks prior to liftoff, but nobody thought it would morph into something bigger and worse. These two are test pilots. Sunis a helicopter pilot by trade. Butch is a fighter pilot, combat pilot, both military skill people. They temporarily had to take control to try to get the thrusters back in business so that they could make a fully automated docking at the space station. They got docked to the space station, and months started rolling by. Were now into the summer of 2024. Because engineers on the ground could just not exactly figure out what had happened. Well, what went wrong with the Starliner? Why did all these thrusters malfunction? Whats the deal with all the helium leaking out of it? Now, they were safe at the space station, right? And they didnt need the Starliner at this point, but to come home. And because NASA was worried that it could be dangerous for them to get aboard this craft with these troubles, they kept them up there while they kept investigating the situation here on the ground. This dragged on for months. And finally, NASA told Boeing, thats it. Done. You know, you bring that capsule back empty. Well see if it survives entry and it lands OK. But, Butch and Suni, were sorry, but youre gonna have to be up there until next year. SpaceX was now the designated taxi service for Butch and Suni.There are only three ways to get Americans back from the space station. SpaceX, the Russians, right, because they have their capsules coming and going, and also, what should have been Starliner. The next SpaceX crew to go up, was launched in September. There should have been four people for astronauts on that flight. They knocked two people off the flight so that there were two empty seats on the SpaceX Dragon capsule for the return leg of Butch and Suni. Well, then they cant leave until the replacements get there. Right? Because NASA always likes a crew handover between two crews to sort of, like, show them the ropes. And it just makes it an easier transition for everybody. So then they were told, hopefully youll be home by the end of March. This month, the end of March. They switched capsules in the end. The brand new capsule that was taking so long to get ready is going to be used by other people on the later this spring. A private crew. They hurried up. Friday night, this past Friday night, finally the replacements lifted off. We know that the crew, the space station crew, was up and watching via monitors and everything. And Im sure there was a lot of hooting and hollering and a lot of smiles. PANJWANI: Butch and Suni were chosen specifically for this mission. DUNN: Both of them have been on military deployments. Right? So these are not your run of the mill scientists who or maybe a little more touchy feely. These two are like, you know, kick the tires. You know, fly boy, fly girl kind of people. But I have to say, Ive never seen two people who seem so upbeat. They look on the positive side. Butch has his wife. They have two daughters, ones college age. His youngest is a senior in high school, so hes missed most of her senior year of high school. And Sunis husband, they have two Labrador retrievers, right. Thats their babies. And she has an elderly mother who is and has been quite worried about all this going through all of this and this.They told reporters recently that being in space has got its challenges. No, they didnt know that this was going to obviously take so long, but theyve been busy doing experiments. They got to do a spacewalk together. Suni set a world record for most spacewalking time by any woman ever, with her latest spacewalk up there. They get to talk with their families almost every day with an internet phone. They got video hookups, but its not the same as being there. And they have told us repeatedly that its much harder on their families. Their families are down here on earth waiting and waiting and waiting. And while theyre busy, you know, theyre distracted with their mission. Theyre laser focused on their mission. These two are particularly upbeat, positive, optimistic people. Butch in particular is quite a religious man. And he is an elder in his Baptist church back home in Houston, and hes even done, I understand, some, put in some calls to some of his older church members to try to give them a pep talk, right? Right. He has said hes used his faith a lot to get him through this and that theres a reason for everything, and thats what hes trying to instill in his daughters as they deal with this as well, that, you know, persevere. This will make you stronger. PANJWANI: Now when they come back to Earth, whats next?DUNN: NASA wants to have an overlap of at least a few days between the crew thats recently launched, the replacements and Butch and Suni, and they will come back with two others. Right. The two people, people who launched in September with two empty seats, theyre coming back with them. And so they want a couple of spillover days so that the people who have been up there all this time can show them the ropes.Then they will undock in the SpaceX Dragon capsule thats been up there since September and splash down off the Florida coast, and then they will be directly taken to Houston. You know, they have had astronauts up there as long as a year. Theyll be treated the same, you know. And of course, any astronaut coming back after six months is not allowed to drive for a certain amount of period because, you know, youre wobbly when you get back. Your muscles are weak. Your bones are weak. Yes, youve been exercising two hours every day. But you know, some people do better than others coming back, right? And so they dont want you behind a wheel. They dont want you doing anything that could endanger you accidentally. Between the two of them, of course, theyve been asked, what cant... what do you miss? What cant you wait to to do besides hug your families when you get back? And Suni cant wait to take her dogs for a walk and jump in the ocean, she told us recently. And Butch cant wait to get back to face to face ministering of his flock back home at his church in Houston. PANJWANI: Launch audio courtesy of NASA.This has been the story behind the AP story. For more on APs space coverage, visit APNews.com. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00789-7Attacks on vaccines and the cancellation of research into what causes vaccine hesitancy puts people in harms way.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08873-8Structures and mechanism of human mitochondrial pyruvate carrier

This undated photo provided by Johanny Sanchez shows Sanchez, right, and her husband Franco Caraballo, who was sent over the weekend to El Salvador accused by the Trump administration of belonging to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. (Johanny Sanchez via AP)2025-03-18T18:10:17Z MIAMI (AP) Franco Caraballo called his wife Friday night, crying and panicked. Hours earlier, the 26-year-old barber and dozens of other Venezuelan migrants held at a federal detention facility in Texas were dressed in white clothes, handcuffed and taken onto a plane. He had no idea where he was going.Twenty-four hours later, Caraballos name disappeared from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements online detainee locator.On Monday, his wife, Johanny Snchez, learned Caraballo was among the more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants flown over the weekend to El Salvador, where they are now held in a maximum-security prison after being accused by the Trump administration of belonging to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.Snchez insists her husband isnt a gang member. She struggles even to find logic in the accusation. The weekend flightsFlights by U.S. immigration authorities set off a frantic scramble among terrified families after hundreds of immigrants vanished from ICEs online locator.Some turned up at that prison in El Salvador, a massive complex where visitors, recreation and education are not allowed. The U.S. has paid El Salvadors government $6 million to hold the prisoners, many of them Venezuelan. The Venezuelan government rarely accepts deportees from the U.S. But many families have no idea where to find their loved ones.I dont know anything about my son, said Xiomara Vizcaya, a 46-year-old Venezuelan. In this 2024 photo provided by Xiomara Vizcaya., Ali David Navas Vizcaya poses in front of his grandmothers house in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. (Xiomara Vizcaya via AP) In this 2024 photo provided by Xiomara Vizcaya., Ali David Navas Vizcaya poses in front of his grandmothers house in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. (Xiomara Vizcaya via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Ali David Navas Vizcaya had been in U.S. detention since early 2024, when he arrived from Mexico at a U.S. border crossing where he had an appointment to talk to immigration officers. He called her late Friday night and said he thought he was being deported to Venezuela or Mexico. His name is no longer in ICEs system.Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have left their homeland since 2013, when its oil-dependent economy collapsed. Most initially went to other Latin American countries but more headed to the U.S. after COVID-19 restrictions lifted during the Biden administration. On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced he had invoked an 18th century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows the U.S. to deport noncitizens without any legal recourse, including rights to appear before an immigration or federal court judge. Many conservative have cheered the deportations and the Trump administration for taking a hard line to deal with immigration.The Trump administration says it is using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members, saying the gang was invading the U.S., though it has not provided any evidence to back up gang-membership claims. U.S. officials acknowledged in a court filing Monday that many people sent to El Salvador do not have criminal records, though they insisted all are suspected gang members.The lack of a criminal record does not indicate they pose a limited threat, said a sworn declaration included in the filing, adding that along with their suspected gang membership the lack of specific information about each individual actually highlights the risk they pose. This undated photo provided by Johanny Sanchez shows Sanchez, left, and her husband Franco Caraballo, who was sent over the weekend to El Salvador accused by the Trump administration of belonging to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. (Johanny Sanchez via AP) This undated photo provided by Johanny Sanchez shows Sanchez, left, and her husband Franco Caraballo, who was sent over the weekend to El Salvador accused by the Trump administration of belonging to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. (Johanny Sanchez via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More We followed the lawOn Feb. 3, Caraballo went to an ICE office in Dallas office for another mandatory check-in with the agents handling his asylum request. He had been coming regularly to the office for months.What gang member, his wife asked, would walk into a federal law enforcement office during a Trump administration crackdown that has left immigrants across the country terrified they would be deported?We followed the law like we were told to. We never missed any meetings with authorities, said Snchez, who remains in the U.S. trying to secure her husbands release. Snchez said her husband, who she married in 2024 in Texas, has had no run-ins with the law in the U.S. She also showed The Associated Press a Venezuelan government document showing he has a clean criminal record there.Snchez believes he was wrongly accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua because of a tattoo in the shape of a clock marking the birthday of his daughter from a previous relationship. He has lots of tattoos but thats not a reason to discriminate against him, she said.Snchez said she and her husband left Venezuela in 2023 with barely $200 and spent the next three months sleeping in plazas, eating out of trash cans and relying on the goodwill of fellow migrants as they journeyed north.She thought the sacrifice would be worth it. Her husband had been working as a barber since the age of 13 and in the United States he was hopeful he could find a new start, escaping the poverty wages and toxic politics of Nicolas Maduros ironfisted rule in Venezuela. Venezuela respondsThe Venezuelan government has blasted the transfers, calling them kidnappings and urging people to protest Tuesday in the capital, Caracas, to demand that detainees in El Salvador be sent to their homeland.Jorge Rodriguez, Maduros chief negotiator with the U.S., urged Venezuelans living in the U.S. to return to home.The American dream, he said, had turned into a Salvadoran nightmare.Snchez agrees. She wants to leave the U.S. once she finds her husband.We fled Venezuela for a better future. We never imagined things would be worse.___Associated Press journalists Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, and Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis contributed to this report. JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto GISELA SALOMON Salomon is a Miami-based reporter who covers Latin America and immigration affairs for The Associated Press.Salomon es una periodista que desde Miami cubre asuntos latinoamericanos y de inmigracion. twitter mailto

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responds to questions from reporters during a meeting with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey at the Pentagon, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)2025-03-18T18:10:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) Roughly 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs will be cut in the Defense Department, but fewer than 21,000 workers who took a voluntary resignation plan are leaving in the coming months, a senior defense official told reporters Tuesday.To reach the goal of a 5% to 8% cut in a civilian workforce of more than 900,000, the official said the department aims to slash about 6,000 positions a month by simply not replacing workers who routinely leave. A key concern is that service members may then be tapped to fill those civilian jobs. But the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide personnel details, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to ensure the cuts dont hurt military readiness. The cuts are part of the broader effort by the Department of Government Efficiency Service, including billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk, to slash the federal workforce and dismantle U.S. agencies. LOLITA C. BALDOR Baldor has covered the Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005. She has reported from all over the world including warzones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00825-6First glimpse of the colour of mammals who lived alongside dinosaurs. Plus, what anti-vaccine rhetoric in the US government will mean for the countrys health and, in a world first, a man has survived with a titanium heart for 100 days.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08715-7Spin space group theory is applied to identify more than 200 collinear magnets with unconventional magnons; high-throughput calculations with spinorbit coupling find that most of these unconventional magnets are dictated by the Heisenberg exchange interaction.