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Langford has gone from overhyped to overlooked. That could change in 2026 for the 24-year-old.

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The superstar boy band returns after a four-year hiatus on Friday. The genre it helped turn into a global juggernaut has endured some shifts, and minted new stars.

The NASA Artemis II rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building moving slowly to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)2026-03-20T11:23:43Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) For the second time this year, NASA moved its moon rocket from the hangar out toward the pad Friday in hopes of launching four astronauts on a lunar fly-around next month. If the latest repairs work and everything else goes NASAs way, the Space Launch System could blast off as early as April 1 from Floridas Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II crew went into quarantine this week in Houston.The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket began the slow 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) trek in the middle of the night, transported atop a massive crawler used since the 1960s Apollo era. It was expected to take 12 hours. The trip was held up for several hours by high wind.The three Americans and one Canadian will zip around the moon in their capsule and then come straight home without stopping. Their mission should have been completed by now, but hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines forced two months of delay. While technicians plugged the leaks at the pad, the helium issue could only be fixed in the Vehicle Assembly Building, forcing NASA to roll the rocket back at the end of February. The last time NASA sent astronauts to the moon was during Apollo 17 in 1972. The new Artemis program aims for a two-person landing in 2028.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

A student soldier of the Yatagan School for Unmanned Aerial Systems launches a training target drone during drills in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2026-03-20T11:41:11Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he sent an official delegation to the United States in a bid to move forward suspended negotiations on ending Russias invasion of his country, while a senior Kremlin official indicated Friday that a new round of U.S.-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv will likely take place soon.The trilateral talks, which have yet to produce any breakthrough on key issues, have been on ice while the Iran war has dominated international attention.Zelenskyy is keen to restore momentum to the negotiations and said late Thursday that he had sent representatives to the U.S. for a meeting expected Saturday. The White House did not confirm any meeting.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia wont be present at those talks. He said the time and venue for a new trilateral meeting havent been agreed yet. The pause is temporary, we hope its temporary regarding the continuation of the trilateral format, he said.Western European officials have over the past year repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in negotiations while he tries to press his bigger armys battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. Russian forces hold nearly 20% of Ukraine. The latest conflict in the Middle East that began Feb. 28 with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran has diverted international attention from Ukraines plight. At the same time, Russia is getting a financial windfall from a temporary U.S. waiver on oil sanctions while Ukraine is desperately short of cash and still waiting for a 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) loan promised by the European Union.Kyiv could also get fewer of the advanced air defense missiles it needs to fend off Russian aerial attacks as the Iran war burns through stockpiles.Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv. Ukraine has become one of the worlds leading producers of battle-tested drone interceptors, and Zelenskyy is hoping to provide expertise to Arab Gulf countries targeted by Iranian Shaheds in exchange for air defense missiles.A team of senior Ukrainian officials has visited the Gulf region in recent days.There is an understanding of what new security agreements can be reached with countries in the region, Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Thursday.___Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Washington contributed to this report.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine HANNA ARHIROVA Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. She is based in Kyiv. twitter instagram mailto

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2026-03-20T11:08:21Z WASHINGTON (AP) Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His departments promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and troops should embrace God, potentially risking the militarys secular mission and hard-won pluralism. Now the defense secretarys Christian rhetoric has taken on new meaning after the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran, an Islamic theocracy. The mullahs are desperate and scrambling, he said at a recent Pentagon press briefing, referring to Irans Shiite Muslim clerics. He later recited Psalm 144, a passage of Scripture that Jews and Christians share: Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. Hegseth has a history of defending the Crusades, the brutal medieval wars that pitted Christians against Muslims. In his 2020 book American Crusade, he wrote that those who enjoy Western civilization should thank a crusader. Two of his tattoos draw from crusader imagery: the Jerusalem Cross and the phrase Deus Vult, or God wills it, which Hegseth has called the rallying cry of Christian knights as they marched to Jerusalem. Matthew D. Taylor, a visiting scholar at Georgetown who studies religious extremism and has been a frequent Hegseth critic, said, The U.S. voluntarily going to war against a Muslim country with the military under the leadership of Pete Hegseth is exactly the kind of scenario that people like me were warning about before the election and throughout his appointment process. Taylor said Hegseths rhetoric and leadership can only inflame and reinforce the fears and deep animosity that the regime in Iran has towards the U.S. When asked whether Hegseth views the war in Iran in religious terms, a Defense Department spokesperson pointed to a recent CBS interview in which Hegseth seemed to confirm as much.Were fighting religious fanatics who seek a nuclear capability in order for some religious Armageddon, Hegseth said of Iranian leaders. But from my perspective, I mean, obviously Im a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith, rely on God.Allegations US military commanders cited biblical prophecies remain unverifiedGenerations of evangelicals have been influenced by their own version of Armageddon and the end of the world, circulated by books like the Left Behind series and The Late Great Planet Earth, or the horror film A Thief in the Night. Some evangelicals espouse prophecies in which warfare involving Israel is key to bringing about the return of Jesus. Christian Zionist pastor John Hagee, head of Christians United for Israel, said of the Iran war, Prophetically, were right on cue. The co-founder of Hegseths denomination, however, does not teach this theology. Pastor Doug Wilson of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches identifies as a postmillennialist, meaning he believes most of the apocalyptic events of the Bible have already happened, paving the way for the gradual Christianization of the world before Christs return. Hegseth has not said the Iran war is part of Christian prophecy. Yet days after the conflict began, claims went viral that U.S. military commanders were telling troops the war fulfilled biblical prophecies around Armageddon and the return of Christ.The Associated Press has not been able to verify these claims, which stem from one source: Mikey Weinstein, the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group. Based on allegations Weinstein said he received from hundreds of troops, 30 Democratic members of Congress asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate.In an interview with the AP, Weinstein declined to provide documentation or the original emails he received from service members. He said troops were afraid of retaliation, so they would not speak to the media, even if their identities remained protected. Three major religion watchdog groups the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League and the Council on American-Islamic Relations said they have not received similar complaints. The Pentagon declined to comment on the allegations. Hegseth wants to reform the military chaplain corpsHegseths church network, the CREC, preaches a patriarchal form of Christianity, where women cannot serve in leadership, and pastors argue that homosexuality should be criminalized. Hegseth last year reposted a video in which a CREC pastor opposed womens right to vote. Wilson, its most prominent leader, identifies as a Christian nationalist and preached at the Pentagon in February at Hegseths invitation. Both Wilson and Hegseth have questioned Muslim immigration to the United States. Wilson argues the country should restrict Muslim immigration in order to remain predominantly Christian. In American Crusade, Hegseth lamented growing Muslim birth rates and that Muhammad was a popular boys name in the U.S. As head of the armed forces, Hegseth has overseen changes that are in line with his conservative Christian worldview, including banning transgender troops, curtailing diversity initiatives and reviewing women in combat roles. Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University, said, The intrusion of Christian nationalist policy, not just Christian nationalist rhetoric that is whats troubling.Hegseth has pledged to reform the militarys chaplain corps, which provides spiritual care to troops of any faith and no faith at all. He scrapped the 2025 U.S. Army Spiritual Fitness Guide and wants to renew chaplains religious focus, which he said in a December video message has been minimized in an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism. Rabbi Laurence Bazer, a retired U.S. Army colonel and chaplain, said it risks making service members feel like outsiders when the language of military leadership draws exclusively from one faith tradition. The U.S. military reflects the full diversity of this countrypeople of every faith step forward to serve, Bazer said in a statement. That diversity is a strength worth protecting. ___AP reporter Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report. AP reporter Peter Smith contributed from Pittsburgh. ___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. TIFFANY STANLEY Stanley is a reporter and editor on The Associated Press Global Religion team. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 20 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04077-2A decade after completing a PhD, your research can begin to lose direction. So consider each opportunity carefully, says Mohamed Ezat.

Nature, Published online: 20 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00822-3Doubling of the cost of a key visa used by graduates to stay in the country between jobs has sparked critique and consternation.

Georgia Tech is finalizing a deal to hire Troy coach Scott Cross to be the school's next men's basketball head coach, sources told ESPN.

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Pedro Snchez, Spains prime minister, said the nations renewable energy system has softened the financial fallout from the war in Iran. The story is more complex.

The Trump administration made the move in exchange for Belaruss freeing of 250 political prisoners, part of a rapprochement between the two countries.

LOS ANGELESCrediting the singer for sharing her unique expertise,actor Ryan Gosling told reporters Friday the story of how he prepared for his role in Project Hail Mary by consulting Katy Perry. Katy was a tremendous help on setI couldnt have played Dr. Ryland Grace without her, said the 45-year-old actor, who confirmed that the singer and Blue Origin astronaut served as the films official aerospace consultant, training with Gosling for weeks to help him learn to properly hold a daisy and sing What A Wonderful World. My performance of a man adrift in space wouldnt have been nearly as believable if Katy hadnt been there to answer all my questions. I had so many, and she was so knowledgeable and so patient the whole time. She really helped me get inside the mind of a space explorer. At press time, Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller confirmed that if it werent for Perry, they wouldnt have known to add Lauren Snchez and Gayle King into the background of the spacecraft for accuracy.The post Ryan Gosling Recalls Preparing For Project Hail Mary By Consulting Katy Perry appeared first on The Onion.

The post Trump Adds Name To Kennedy Center Again appeared first on The Onion.

The post Youth Hockey Banquet Spent Convincing Heavyset Teammate To Eat Copious Amounts Of Butter Squares appeared first on The Onion.

WASHINGTONIn a promise to address the pain Americans were feeling at the pump as his war with Iran approached its fourth week, President Donald Trump threatened Friday to launch airstrikes against U.S. gas stations if they did not lower their prices. These terrible places must stop overcharging Americans every time they put fuel in their car, or I will have no choice but to unleash a massive bombing campaign against them, Trump said during a White House press briefing, stating that he had already asked the U.S. Navy to send aircraft carriers to regions where American gas stations operate. Someone told me the price of unleaded gasoline in our country has risen 32% in the past month. Can you believe that? So I have instructed our intelligence community to provide me with a list of targets among the QuikTrips, 7-Elevens, and Kum & Gos, and Caseys General Stores responsible for this outrageous situation, and if they do not comply immediately, they will face total destruction. The president went on to criticize gas stations for raising prices at a time when the nation was engaged in a major military operation overseas, saying there would be no war profiteering on his watch.The post Trump Threatens Airstrikes On U.S. Gas Stations appeared first on The Onion.

Gas prices are soaring, with the price of crude oil rising above $119 per barrel at one point Thursday. The Onion shares tips for saving money at the pump.Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle, such as airbags, doors, and bumpers.Driving in reverse uses less gas, probably.Limit braking to weekends.Make a tank of gas stretch the whole week by cutting it with lentils.Live in one of the three walkable U.S. cities.Alternate which kid goes to school each day.Remember, a gurney rolling downhill is more fuel efficient than an ambulance, and faster too.Consider switching from a gas-guzzler to a more efficient, environmentally friendly country.Buy and store as much gas as you can right now before all those other selfish assholes start hoarding it.The post Tips For Saving On Gas appeared first on The Onion.

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When did you feel like you had a grown-up home? Maybe its when you get rid of your parents hand-me-down couch, or your first time living alone after years of having roommates. That was the case for Maya, who just moved from a roommate share in San Francisco to her own apartment in New York. Maya wanted to lean into her solo space by making her new bedroom feel extra lush and special.My bedroom is where I like to read, relax, and reset, Maya says.READ MORE...

President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the State Dining Room of the White House, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2026-03-20T13:04:27Z WASHINGTON (AP) The White House said on Friday that Congress should preempt state AI laws that it views as too burdensome, laying out a broad framework for how it wants Congress to address concerns about artificial intelligence without curbing growth or innovation in the sector. The legislative blueprint outlines a half-dozen guiding principles for lawmakers, focusing on protecting children, preventing electricity costs from surging, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship and educating Americans on using the technology.The announcement comes as state governments have forged ahead on their own regulations for AI while civil liberties and consumer rights groups lobby for more regulations on the powerful technology. But the industry and the White House have pushed back, arguing that a patchwork of rules would hurt growth. Trump signed an executive order in December to block states from crafting their own regulations. The Trump Administration is committed to winning the AI race to usher in a new era of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people, the White House said Friday in announcing its framework. Achieving these goals requires a commonsense national policy framework that both enables American industry to innovate and thrive and ensures that all Americans benefit from this technological revolution. Four states Colorado, California, Utah and Texas have already passed laws that set some rules for AI across the private sector, but the White House is calling for strong federal leadership to make sure the public can trust how artificial intelligence is being used in their lives. The state-level laws include limiting collection of certain personal information and requiring more transparency from companies. As backlash against data centers has increased along with rising power prices, the White House had previously stepped up pressure on AI companies and the power sector to do more to address the issue -- including having AI companies sign voluntary pledges earlier this month to build their own power generation plants. The framework recommends against wading into the legal fights between artists and creators and the technology companies that have ingested huge amounts of copyrighted works to build AI systems that can generate new text, images and sound.The Trump administration believes that training of AI models on copyrighted material does not violate copyright laws, according to the document, but acknowledges arguments to the contrary exist and therefore supports allowing the Courts to resolve this issue.There are dozens of lawsuits pending from writers and publishers, visual artists, music record labels and others. Judges have largely sided with AI developers in allowing for the fair use of copyrighted works to create something new, but some have questioned how the materials were obtained. A federal judge in September approved a $1.5 billion settlement between artificial intelligence company Anthropic and authors who allege nearly half a million books had been illegally pirated to train its chatbot.OBrien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. SEUNG MIN KIM Kim covers the White House for The Associated Press. She joined the AP in 2022 and is based in Washington. Kim is also a political analyst for CNN. twitter mailto MATT OBRIEN OBrien covers the business of technology and artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. mailto

The tiny city of Ypsilanti, Michigan, is worried about being a target for drone strikes thanks to a planned datacenter that the University of Michigan is building to support nuclear weapons research According to Douglas Winters, the citys attorney, the University and Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL) have put a big bulls eye target on this entire township [] I believe its the truth.Winters delivered a report to the towns Board of Trustees about the proposed datacenter during a public meeting on Tuesday. Los Alamos, which produces the nuclear weapons, is a high value target, he said. He pointed to Americas war in Iran as proof that the datacenter would be a target, noting that Irans drones had disabled AWS servers in the Middle East. This is not a commercial datacenter. A Los Alamos datacenter is going to be the brains of the operation for nuclear modeling, nuclear weaponry.The university and LANL first announced their plan to build a $1.25 billion datacenter in 2024. The university picked nearby Ypsilantipopulation of about 20,000as the location for the datacenter and residents have been fighting it ever since. Concerns from the community are typical for people fighting against a datacenter: water, rising electricity bills, pollution, and noise.Unique to the Ypsilanti datacenter fight, however, is its role in the production of nuclear weapons. The datacenter would service LANL, the birthplace of the atomic bomb and home to Americas nuclear weapons scientists. In January, LANL confirmed that the datacenter would, indeed, be used in nuclear weapons research.To hear the university tell it, the datacenter will be one of the most advanced computing systems in the world. We were told at the very beginning by U of Ms Vice President of public relations [] that they were going to build, in his words, the biggest, baddest, fastest computers in the world, Winters said at the public meeting. That, in of itself, is what makes these datacenters high value targets [] these data centers constitute power. Artificial intelligence is power. Supercomputers are power. And when something becomes that important, it becomes a target. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 404 Media (@404mediaco)Winters questioned the American militarys ability to protect targets from the threat of drone attacks on its own soil. The drone capability is not a joke, folks, he said. The United States and Israel, in spite of all their high technology theyre bringing to bear in their war on Iran, theyve actually had to request that Ukraine send their top advisors to help them understand how to best detect and destroy these drone attacks.He also questioned U of Ms values. Following a demand from the White House, the university eliminated its DEI programs in 2025. In February, again at the behest of the federal government, it announced the end of the PhD Project which helped people from underrepresented backgrounds get PhDs. You have a situation now where the University of Michigan [] has cut a deal with the Department of War under Trump, Winters said. Thats what the University of Michigan has turned into by basically selling their soul to the Department of War.Jay Coghlan, the executive director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, told 404 Media, That LANL datacenter is going to be the brains for nuclear modeling and nuclear weaponry. Ultimately that's what its all about. Beware, a recent study found that in war games artificial intelligence went to escalation and nuclear war 95 percent of the time.According to Coghlan, the construction of the datacenter followed a familiar pattern. The Lab has colonized brown people for eight decades here just like its now trying to do in Ypsilanti (New Mexico is 50 percent Hispanic and 12 percent Native American). But what the brown people in Ypsilanti have that they dont have here is lots of water, he told 404 Media.Another topic of discussion at the Tuesday meeting was how to stop the construction of the datacenter. Winters and others explained that its been difficult to get the university, county, and other government powers to engage with them. Interested parties plead ignorance or recuse themselves because of financial involvement with U of M. Theyve acted like The Godfather, making you an offer that you cant refuse, Winters said.Trustee Karen Lovejoy Roe questioned why LANL wanted to build a datacenter 1,500 miles away from its home. Why dont you do that datacenter where you're going to build the plutonium pits? Ones in South Carolina, ones in New Mexico. Tell me why? Roe said during the meeting. They thought that we would be an easy target [] that were just a bunch of poor brown and black and dumb hillbillies.But the Township isnt completely powerless. U of M is totally above the law, but is DTE? Sarah, an Ypsilanti resident said during public comments. DTE is the local power company. Datacenters are electricity hungry buildings and DTE will need to build substations to service LANLs supercomputers.What if we had a moratorium on substations until we learned about the harmonics of the electricity and how thats impacted by datacenters? Sarah said. Having a moratorium on heavy construction on the roads, you know, heavy construction equipment on the roads leading to the datacenter site [] its going to be scary and hard to stand up to the University of Michigan. Its true: theyre very powerful and we just need to be creative and we need to be strong and we need to block them at every step of the way.Holly, another resident, suggested another plan of attack. U of Ms vulnerability is in their reputation, Holly said. We need to continue to make them look as bad as possible.

Nature, Published online: 20 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00936-8Engineered tissue could eventually be used for children born with gaps in their alimentary canal, or for adults whose muscles have been damaged by cancer.

As the Giannis trade watch enters another offseason, a rare ownership structure and financial turmoil have left opposing teams wondering: Who's in charge here?

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The administration had spent months investigating the Ivy League school. The two sides had been in talks to negotiate a settlement.

The Justice Department is examining whether President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has ties to drug traffickers.

Warplanes and attack helicopters are hunting and killing Irans fast-attack watercraft in contested sea lanes, Gen. Dan Caine said.

The K-pop supergroups first show in over three years will stream live on Netflix at 7 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. The New York Times will cover it live from Seoul.

From Fordham to Bay Ridge to Hollis, Muslim businesses get ready for Eid al-Fitr, the exultant celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

MILPITAS, CAAfter gradually resigning himself to an evening entirely devoid of physical intimacy, local man Seth Martin observed Friday that his third date with Hinge match Laura Parker was apparently just going to be watching Amlie without any hugs or kisses. Were an hour into the movie and Laura hasnt so much as held my hand or pecked me on the cheek, Martin told reporters, noting that Parker had sat down at the other end of the couch in which he was sitting. Ive tried making eye contact with her at multiple points, but her eyes are firmly glued to the screen. Its like she doesnt even notice Im here. I thought that during the movies more emotional moments, like when Amlie returned that guys box to him, Laura would come over to my side of the couch and maybe rest her head on my shoulder, but no dice. I guess Im just going to be watching Amlie skip stones or whatever until its time for me to leave. At press time, Martin had reportedly let himself out of Parkers apartment after she fell asleep during Amlies love scene with romantic interest Nino Quincampoix.The post Third Date Apparently Just Going To Be Watching Amlie Without Any Hugs Or Kisses appeared first on The Onion.

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Chuck Norris attends the premiere for "The Expendables 2" in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 2012. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)2026-03-20T14:17:01Z Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in Walker, Texas Ranger and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents has died at 86.Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a sudden passing. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace, the family said in a statement posted to social media.Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He became a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honor. Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do. I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance high, he told The Associated Press in 1982. I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea. After he was honorably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donnie and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting. From one studio to anotherNorris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie The Wrecking Crew, which included a fight with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship sometimes, as sparring partners led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie Return of the Dragon, in which Lee fights and kills Norris character in Romes Colosseum.He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as Missing in Action, The Delta Force and Sidekicks.I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for, Norris said in 1982.In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TVs Walker, Texas Ranger. The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.Its not violence for violences sake, with no moral structure, Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. You try to portray the proper meaning of what its about fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. Its entertaining for the whole family.Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie Dodgeball. He only on occasion has taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012s The Expendables 2 and the 2024 sci-fi action movie Agent Recon. Chuck Norris: the man, the meme, the legendIt was around the time of Dodgeball that his toughman image became the stuff of legend, literally: Chuck Norris Facts went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun -- and won, and, They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt. Rushmore, but the granite wasnt tough enough for his beard.Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book, which combined his favorites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by. He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical fiction and more. To some who know little of my martial arts or film careers but perhaps grew up with Walker, Texas Ranger, it seems that I have become a somewhat mythical superhero icon, Norris wrote in the forward to the fact book. I am flattered and humbled.That book raised money for a nonprofit he founded with President George H.W. Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids. The intentionally outlandish statements featured in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, when Norris endorsed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and shot an ad playing on the Chuck Norris facts.President Donald Trumps supporters later promoted Trump Facts in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chiefs decision to seize Venezuelas sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a Chuck Norris Moment, and its initial effect on oil prices a Chuck Norris Premium. Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years he even went skydiving with Bush for the former presidents 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him the in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.Norris has five surviving children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s one-night stand revealed in his autobiography.Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.I dont age. I level up, he wrote.

Election workers Heidi McGettigan, left, Margaret Wohlford, center, and David Jensen, unload a bag of ballots brought in a from a polling precinct to the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters office in Sacramento, Calif., June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)2026-03-20T10:29:33Z There will be just one Election Day for this falls midterm elections Nov. 3. But voters in 14 states who cast their votes by mail will be given a grace period ranging from a day later to several weeks in which their ballots can be received and counted.Whether that extra time should be allowed is at the heart of a case that will be argued Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court. If the court strikes down those grace periods, it will leave those states and their voters scrambling to adjust with only a few months before absentee ballots are sent out for this falls midterm elections.The implications could extend well beyond the 14 states that give a grace period for regular ballots, depending on how the court ultimately rules. A total of 29 states allow for the late arrival of military and overseas ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Voting Rights Lab. In a filing with the court, a group of state and big-city election officials cited the risks of confusion and disenfranchisement if mail ballot grace periods were ended suddenly in states where voters have counted on them for years. Stuart Holmes, director of elections for the Washington Secretary of States office, said 127,000 ballots were received after Election Day in 2024, so voters should expect about that many ballots to be rejected if Mississippi loses the case. Washington has the longest grace period of any state, 21 days after Election Day. If the ruling is that a ballot is invalid even if its postmarked by Election Day, it might as well have never been received, he said.Theres no way to resolve that issue, Holmes said. Theres no second chance.Election Day is E lection DayThe practice of counting ballots after Election Day has been a target of President Donald Trump since he sought to STOP THE COUNT after the 2020 election. He and his allies argue it delays results and leads to suspicions about the vote tallies. Its part of Trumps broader attack on most mail balloting, which he has said breeds fraud despite findings to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states.The Republican National Committee and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi brought the lawsuit against Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, a Republican, arguing that federal Election Day statutes envision a single day for casting ballots. Grace periods for receiving mail ballots also in place in the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories violate federal law, they argue. Election Day is Election Day for a reason, Ohio state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, a Republican, said during debate over her states ban on the practice last year. Allowing ballots to be delivered days after the election does nothing but hurt the integrity and credibility of our elections.In briefs supporting Mississippi, voting rights groups, local election officials and organizations representing military and overseas voters defend the right of states to write their own voting rules. The Constitution gives states the authority to set the times, places and manner of elections. Supporters of ballot grace periods told the court that upholding the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision to strike down Mississippis law would threaten to create chaos and confusion in this years midterm elections. State legislatures have recognized this issue and set election deadlines that balance the interests of canvassing speed and ballot security depending on the specific needs of each individual state, a group of local election officials and local governments told the court. The groups said eliminating grace periods could affect ballot verification activities, provisional ballot processing, and the processing of military and overseas ballots that often happens after Election Day. Some states already are modifying their lawsAll 50 states require ballots to be cast or postmarked on or before Election Day. The 14 states with grace periods for regular ballots accept and count mailed ballots for periods ranging from a single day after the election in Texas to 21 days afterward in Washington state. Mississippis disputed grace period is five days.A November 2025 Brookings Institution study found that mail voting was a practical, secure way to expand voter access, with about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots. It was an option used by about 30% of voters across the U.S. during the 2024 presidential election.With the Mississippi case looming, some states have begun to act on their own.Four states Ohio, Kansas, North Dakota and Utah eliminated grace periods last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and Voting Rights Lab. A fifth, Minnesota, shortened its ballot deadline from the close of polls on Election Day to 5 p.m. In signing Ohios law, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine who had vowed he wouldnt sign any more election restrictions championed by fellow Republicans said the Mississippi lawsuit forced his hand. I believe that this four-day grace period is reasonable, and I think for many reasons it makes a lot of sense, he said at the time, noting that he would prefer to veto the legislation. But DeWine said a ruling against Mississippi would jeopardize similar laws in other states, including Ohio, and leave inadequate time to adjust.For Adriane Mohlenkamp, Ohios previous grace period provided extra comfort over concerns that circumstances outside her control would prevent her ballot from counting.I live in a rural part of the state and sometimes our mail has to go to a larger city and then come back, said Mohlenkamp, 48, a stay-at-home mom and volunteer in Athens who is not affiliated with either major party. It gave me a safe feeling, because, even if I do my due diligence and return it in enough time, I cant always anticipate what it does when it leaves my hands.States grapple with postmark uncertaintyKaty Owens Hubler, elections program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures, said that in some large states, it can be difficult to distribute all mailed ballots and have them returned within the allotted timeframe.She said the postmark issue has become trickier for states after recent changes to mail processing at the U.S. Postal Service.An updated agency policy, enacted in December, said postmarks might not indicate the first day the Postal Service receives the mail, but rather the day it was handled at one of its processing centers. Those centers can be farther away from some communities because of consolidations, a group of U.S. senators told the postmaster earlier this year.In response to potential Postal Service processing delays, some states have proposed extending their ballot deadlines California by three days, Virginia by five hours and Kansas by an hour, depending on the county, according to the NCSL. Owens Hubler said informing voters of any changes resulting from the Supreme Courts ruling in the Mississippi case will need to happen quickly.Its not ideal to do it in a big election year like this year, she said. Voters do adapt, but if there is a change from a postmarked-by to a received-by date, that needs to be communicated and signaled well in advance. JULIE CARR SMYTH Smyth covers government and politics from Columbus, Ohio, for The Associated Press. She was part of the AP team honored as a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A woman shares Jehovah's Witnesses' literature with a passerby in downtown Pittsburgh on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Smith, File)2026-03-20T13:55:39Z Leaders of Jehovahs Witnesses are modifying their prohibition on receiving blood transfusions on religious grounds, now allowing members to decide whether to allow their own blood to be drawn and stored in advance for such things as a scheduled surgery with a risk of significant blood loss.But the organization is retaining its wider prohibition against receiving transfusions of others blood a procedure routinely used with patients after accidents, violence or other blood loss. This long-held prohibition is one of the most distinctive and controversial teachings of the movement, which is headquartered in New York state and well-known for its assertive public proselytizing.The Governing Body of Jehovahs Witnesses announced what it called a clarification of its teaching on Friday, saying it came after extensive prayer and consideration. Each Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be used in all medical and surgical care, Governing Body member Gerrit Lsch said in a video statement posted Friday on the denominations website. This includes whether to allow his own blood to be removed, stored, and then given back to him. What does this mean? Some Christians may decide that they would allow their blood to be stored and then be given back to them, others may object. Jehovahs Witnesses, who emerged in 19th century America, share many Christian beliefs but diverge from most other churches on key theological issues, such as the nature of Jesus and biblical prophecy. They are almost alone in their beliefs about blood transfusions. Jehovahs Witnesses reported a U.S. membership of 1.3 million in 2025, with a worldwide membership of 9.2 million in more than 200 countries and territories. Ex-members react to policy shiftNews of the imminent policy change leaked out in recent days on Reddit and other social media forums for former Jehovahs Witnesses. Some ex-members who are critical of the religious organizations policies and assert it is insular and authoritarian say the policy shift has some value but is inadequate. Many commenters questioned why the ban on transfusions wasnt lifted entirely for one of the same reasons cited by Lsch regarding the use of ones own blood, that the Bible doesnt comment on it. I dont think it goes far enough, but its a significant change, said Mitch Melin of Washington state, a former member who has worked to bring awareness to what he calls the darker side of the organization. The longstanding blood policy has led to senseless loss of life, he said.Melin said those who defy such a policy could be shunned by the church.Theyre softening this to a conscience matter when it involves your own blood, he said in an email. From my perspective, it doesnt go far enough. If one of Jehovahs Witnesses faces a medical emergency with significant blood loss, or if a child requires multiple transfusions to treat certain types of cancers, this policy change does not grant them complete freedom of conscience to accept potentially life-saving interventions involving donated blood.He also noted that in a worldwide church, many members live in countries that lack access to providers who could store their own blood. Using a patients own blood for medical treatmentAutologous blood is blood donated by a patient who can receive it back if a transfusion is needed during or after surgery. Medical experts say the blood can be taken from 6 weeks to 5 days before surgery. Its thrown away if its not needed during or after surgery. It can be done at some hospitals or blood banks.Donating ones own blood can make a person anemic or have a lower blood count, experts warn. But theres a lower risk of having a reaction because your body recognizes your own blood, and theres no risk of contracting infectious disease from a different donor.Jehovahs Witnesses historic teachings on blood transfusions stem from biblical passages requiring believers to abstain ... from blood, which they interpret as applying not just to food but to transfusions. While they teach that many detailed dietary laws in the Old Testament portion of the Bible no longer apply, they say this prohibition on partaking of blood is upheld as a universal principle for believers in other Bible passages. The organization has parsed the implications of this teaching in the past. It has previously determined, for example, that medical procedures that temporarily remove blood but quickly return it to the body such as kidney dialysis, in which blood is filtered of impurities are acceptable. But they had distinguished that from removing blood and storing it for an extended period before returning it.In 2000, an official publication, The Watchtower, stated: Hence, we do not donate blood, nor do we store for transfusion our blood. That practice conflicts with Gods law. Lsch did not detail what prompted the change in the organizations stance. He did refer to the increasing types of medical interventions available, although blood transfusions have long been used. He said that the Bible does not comment on the use of a persons own blood in medical and surgical care. In a press statement, the Jehovahs Witnesses emphasized that their core belief regarding the sanctity of blood remains unchanged. They said many medical providers have been respecting members health-care directives.___AP medicine and science reporter Laura Ungar contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss getting stories from Twitter, the metaverse, and the new game Marathon.EMANUEL: I think Im addicted to Twitter again.We havent written a ton about the war with Iran but Ive been following the news closely because Im checking if there are important stories for us to do there, and because I cant help but watch the disaster unfold even if its making me incredibly anxious.