Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic front-runner in the New York City mayors race, is fending off attacks that seek to link him to some of the D.S.A.s more controversial stances.

LSU will play the first half of Saturday's game against Clemson without starting safety A.J. Haulcy, who will serve a suspension for a fight last season while playing for Houston.

Taylor Townsend said she's gotten support from players after an on-court confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open and is proud of how she handled it.

The countrys largest pharmacy chain said it needed a C.D.C. panel to recommend the shots before it could offer them nationwide.

After six months of turmoil, the loss of the new director and a round of high-profile resignations marks a new low, some employees said.

Coco Gauff was broken four times and had seven double faults in the first set but still managed to gut out a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over Donna Vekic in the second round of the US Open.

Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs Thursday night against Atlanta to become the fourth Phillies player and 21st major leaguer to accomplish the feat.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that trading Micah Parsons to the Packers for Kenny Clark and two draft picks will help Dallas have future playoff success.

by Tim Golden ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. More than two decades after victims of the 9/11 attacks began trying to hold the government of Saudi Arabia responsible for helping the Qaida terrorists who carried out the plot, a federal judge has ruled that a civil lawsuit against the kingdom can go to trial.The decision on Thursday, by Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, represents a crucial victory for survivors of the attacks and relatives of the 2,977 people who were killed.This is a historic win for the families, said a spokesperson for the families, Brett Eagleson, whose father was killed in the World Trade Center. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is going to be held accountable.A spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, Fahad Nazer, did not respond to requests for comment on the judges ruling.The Saudi kingdom, which has long rejected the plaintiffs claims, could still appeal Daniels decision under special protections that are afforded to foreign governments in federal law, legal experts said. However, they added that the Saudi government might be willing to consider a settlement with the plaintiffs to avoid the scrutiny of a major trial and the expansive discovery of information that it would bring.Already, information uncovered by plaintiffs has rewritten the history of the Sept. 11 plot as it was presented in the years after the attacks by the George W. Bush administration and the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. Most significantly, the plaintiffs evidence has undermined the FBIs conclusion that two Saudi officials in Southern California one a part-time spy, the other a religious official with diplomatic status acted unwittingly when they helped the first Qaida hijackers who arrived in the United States. In an email, the FBI also declined to comment on the judges ruling.It has long been established that in the years before 9/11, some members of the Saudi royal family and some powerful Saudi officials had supported militant Islamist movements and gave money to Islamic charities that in turn helped finance al-Qaida and other extremist groups.However, both the FBI and the CIA emphasized in the aftermath of the attacks that the Saudi royal family was an enemy of al-Qaida and its banished leader, Osama bin Laden, and that senior officials of the government had not assisted the group.The litigation in New York focused on the roles of two lower-level Saudi officials living in the United States. One, Omar al-Bayoumi, was a middle-aged graduate student in San Diego who had long worked for the Saudi civil aviation agency. The other, Fahad al-Thumairy, was a religious official serving in Los Angeles as an imam at a new Saudi-funded mosque and as a diplomat at the Saudi Consulate.The FBI quickly determined that Bayoumi met the first two hijackers near the mosque soon after they flew into Los Angeles in January 2000 and that he helped them rent an apartment in San Diego, open a bank account and buy a car.Bayoumi also introduced the two jihadists who knew no one in the United States, spoke virtually no English and had no experience of living in the West to a group of Muslim men who provided them with crucial support over the months that they lived in the city.Bayoumi moved his family to Birmingham, England, in the summer of 2001. Within days of the attacks, he was detained and questioned by the British police at the FBIs request before being allowed to return to Saudi Arabia.In a search of Bayoumis home, the British authorities turned up documents, notebooks, videotapes and computer files that they shared with the FBI, officials said. But only in the last two years did lawyers for the 9/11 families obtain much of that cache and then only from the British government.From the start, U.S. investigators were skeptical of Bayoumis account. In the end, though, the FBI largely accepted his claims that he met the two Qaida operatives by chance, helped them as he would any compatriots and had no idea of their terrorist plans. Both Bayoumi and the Saudi government insisted repeatedly that he had no ties to Saudi intelligence.Despite the efforts of a small group of FBI agents to pursue the case, it was eventually closed by the bureau. The civil lawsuit nearly died in 2016, when President Barack Obama vetoed legislation to carve out an exception to the sovereign immunity of foreign governments and permit the families to sue the Saudi kingdom. Congress overrode that veto, however, allowing the suit to go forward.President Donald Trump later blocked the families from obtaining classified government documents on the 9/11 investigations, claiming they were state secrets. President Joe Biden later reversed that stance and declassified documents that included reporting confirming that Bayoumi was a part-time agent of the Saudi intelligence service.The evidence that plaintiffs lawyers obtained from the British government has proved even more powerful.It included videotapes in which Bayoumi was filmed touring Washington before the 9/11 attacks with two visiting Saudi religious officials who had extensive ties to militants. In one of the tapes, he filmed the U.S. Capitol, describing its layout and security to an unidentified audience. Lawyers for the plaintiffs suggested that Bayoumi and his companions were casing the target for Qaida plotters; the Saudi government insisted in court that it was a tourist video.In his ruling, Daniels noted that the two sides had different interpretations of almost every piece of evidence. But he endorsed the plaintiffs views of several key exhibits, including a diagram of an airplane found in one of Bayoumis notebooks. Citing aviation experts, the plaintiffs lawyers said the drawing and the calculations beside it showed how a plane might hit an object on the ground. The Saudis lawyers suggested that Bayoumi had drawn it while helping his son with homework. Daniels said the plaintiffs evidence created a high probability as to Bayoumi and Thumairys roles in the hijackers plans, and the related role of their employer, the Saudi government. In many instances, he added, it even appeared that Bayoumi actively injected himself into the hijackers illicit activities.Eagleson, the families spokesperson, noted that during the long pretrial litigation, the plaintiffs had been allowed to pursue only limited discovery about Bayoumi, Thumairy and a handful of other Saudis.We did all of this with our hands tied behind our backs, he said, and even with the FBI pushing back and President Trump invoking state secrets, we created an overwhelming picture of Saudi Arabias role in supporting the 9/11 hijackers.

The request came after President Trump and several of his top aides had attacked Mr. Abrego Garcia as a threat, even though federal judges have ruled that he is not a danger to the public.

A network of hospitals and cancer centers dedicated to early phase trials of novel treatments will no longer receive federal funding.

The department gave Denver Public Schools 10 days to ban transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

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A drivers license renewal, a box of specialty candy, even early Christmas presents all are caught up in the confusion caused by a new Trump administration customs rule.

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A move to force employers to pay into benefits for their employees has left people worrying that small businesses will close and jobs will be lost.

Legislation aimed at curtailing mail-order abortions in Texas cleared a decisive hurdle, part of a broader push by abortion opponents to limit the procedure even in states where it is legal.

The court voted not to revisit a fight over billions in frozen funds, but simultaneously revised an earlier order to give nonprofits that sued a narrow path forward in the case.

The plans involve sending in hundreds of homeland security officers and using a naval base as a staging area.

Mr. Shchedrin drew on Russian literature for stage works and was an eager experimenter, inspired by folk tales, religious mysticism and melodrama.

The TV Analytics market has emerged as a critical tool for broadcasters, advertisers, and content creators in the modern entertainment ecosystem. With the increasing demand for personalized content, understanding viewer behavior has become crucial for enhancing engagement and optimizing ad revenues. TV analytics solutions provide actionable insights by tracking viewership patterns,...

Kristen Neville, left, and Michael Burt cry and embrace each other at the doors of the Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)2025-08-29T05:05:25Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As the families of the two Catholic school students fatally shot while celebrating Mass at a Minneapolis church continue to wrestle with their grief, the father of the 8-year-old boy killed tearfully urged the community to remember his son for his love of family, fishing and cooking.Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life, Jesse Merkel said Thursday.Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were killed and more than a dozen of their schoolmates were wounded Wednesday when a shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired 116 rifle rounds through the churchs stained-glass windows. Surveillance video captured the attack during the first week of classes at the Annunciation Catholic School and showed the shooter never entered the church and could not see the children while firing, said Minneapolis police Chief Brian OHara. Harpers parents said they want to see their daughters memory bring about changes when it comes to gun violence and mental health issues.Change is possible, and it is necessary so that Harpers story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin said in a statement. Fifteen children between the ages of 6 and 15 were injured, along with three parishioners in their 80s, according to city officials. Only one person a child was in critical condition.OHara said Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and died by suicide. Authorities try to determine a motiveActing U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said videos and writings the shooter left behind show that Westman expressed hate towards almost every group imaginable.Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said. They found more writings from the shooter, but no additional firearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church Westman once attended. Westman had a deranged fascination with mass killings, OHara said. FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the attack was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology, citing the shooters statements against multiple religions and calls for violence against President Donald Trump.Westman, who once attended the school and whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances. One read: I know this is wrong, but I cant seem to stop myself.What appears to be a suicide note to family contains a confession of long-held plans to carry out a shooting and talk of being deeply depressed.Videos of weapons and ammunitionOn a YouTube channel, videos that police say may have been posted by the shooter show weapons and ammunition scrawled with kill Donald Trump and Where is your God? along with the names of past mass shooters. The now-deleted videos also show the person filming the video pointing to two windows in what appears to be a drawing of the church. The person then stabs it with a long knife.There also were hundreds of pages written in Cyrillic, a centuries-old script still used in Slavic countries. In one, Westman wrote, When will it end? Lily Kletter, who graduated from Annunciation, recalled that Westman joined her class at some point in middle school and once hid in the bathroom to avoid going to Mass.I remember they had a crazy distaste for school, especially Annunciation, which I always thought was pretty interesting because their mom was on the parish board, she said.Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at our transgender community. Westmans gender identity wasnt clear. In 2020, a judge approved a petition, signed by Westmans mother, asking for a name change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification. No criminal recordThere were no past arrests or anything in the shooters background that would have prevented Westman from being able to legally purchase a firearm, investigators said Thursday.In response to a request for any records of police contact with the shooter in the last decade, the Eagan Police Department sent two documents, both heavily redacted. The first from 2018 is listed as a mental health call and welfare check for a child with parents Mary Grace Westman and James Westman. The case was listed as closed and the narrative was redacted after the officer wrote she responded to the womans address.A second report from 2016 involving a criminal complaint was entirely redacted. Police chief says officers rescued children who hidThe police chief said the first officer ran into the church four minutes after the initial 911 call and that more officers rendered first aid and rescued some of the children.Tess Rada said her 8-year-old daughter hasnt said much about the shooting so she doesnt know exactly what she saw. Loud noises and sirens have bothered her since the attack, Rada said.One of the children killed was her daughters friend.Its kind of impossible, Rada said to wrap your head around how to tell an 8-year-old that her friend has been killed.___Lauer reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Giovanna DellOrto in Minneapolis; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; Hallie Golden in Seattle; and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. STEVE KARNOWSKI Karnowski covers politics and government from Minnesota for The Associated Press. He also covers the ongoing fallout from the murder of George Floyd, courts and the environment, among other topics. twitter mailto

South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors, in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 12, 2025. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-08-29T03:02:17Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The wife of South Koreas jailed ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former prime minister were indicted Friday as part of investigations into his administration and his attempt to overcome opposition by declaring martial law.Yoon set off South Koreas most serious political crisis in decades when he attempted to overcome an opposition-dominated legislature that blocked his agenda by abruptly declaring martial law. His decree lasted only hours but triggered months of turmoil that paralyzed politics, disrupted foreign policy and rattled the economy.Yoon was impeached, then removed from office in April and rearrested last month after his conservative party lost a special election to choose his successor. The new government has appointed three special prosecutors to investigate both the period of martial law and suspicions of corruption that dogged Yoon through his term in office. Stay up to date with similar stories by signing up to our WhatsApp channel. Yoons wife, ex-prime minister becomes the latest figures to be indictedA team led by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki said it charged Yoons wife, Kim Keon Hee, with violating financial market and political funding laws and receiving bribes, about two weeks after she was arrested.A separate team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk said former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was charged with abetting Yoons imposition of martial law, which investigators say amounted to a rebellion, as well as falsifying and destroying official documents, and lying under oath.Dozens of people have been arrested or investigated over Yoons martial law debacle, corruption allegations involving his wife, and other controversies from his three years in office, including an alleged cover-up of a marines drowning death during a 2023 flood rescue operation. Key suspects include former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who has been accused of planning martial law with Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly in an unsuccessful attempt to block lawmakers from voting to lift it. More than 60 people were separately indicted for rioting at a Seoul court which issued the warrant for Yoons first arrest in January. Assistant special prosecutor Park Ji-young told a televised briefing that Han was the highest official who could have blocked Yoons attempt to impose martial law. Park said Han still played an active role in Yoons martial law declaration by trying to get Yoons decree passed through a Cabinet Council meeting as a way to give procedural legitimacy to it.Han has maintained he conveyed to Yoon that he opposed his martial law plan.Chos team earlier requested the Seoul Central District Court to issue a warrant to arrest Han. But the court on Wednesday dismissed that request, saying it determined that there were little chances that Han would flee or destroy evidence. Yoon and his wife are the first ex-presidential couple jailed togetherWhile Yoons self-inflicted downfall extended a long streak of South Korean presidencies ending badly, he and Kim are the first former presidential couple to be jailed together over criminal allegations.Nearly every former South Korean president, or their family members and aides, have been mired in scandals near the end of their terms or after they left office, but Kim is the first former South Korean first lady who was arrested and indicted. The last two presidents elected from earlier iterations of Yoons party Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-back were both sentenced to lengthy prison terms over corruption charges before being pardoned and released.Yoons surprising but poorly-planned martial law imposition came amid an intense standoff with the liberals, but many critics have speculated Yoons move was mainly likely an attempt to frustrate then an opposition-led push to open an independent investigation into his wifes allegations.Kim and Yoon are suspected of exerting undue influence on the conservative People Power Party to nominate a favored candidate in a 2022 legislative by-election, allegedly at the request of election broker Myung Tae-kyun. Myung is accused of conducting free opinion surveys for Yoon that used manipulated data, possibly helping him win the partys presidential primaries before his election as president in March 2022. Before her arrest, Kim apologized for causing public concern but also hinted she would deny the allegations against her, portraying herself as someone insignificant. In a statement released through her lawyers on Friday, Kim didnt make specific comments about her charges, but said the media was reporting suspicions as though they were confirmed fact and that she plans to quietly attend the trials.Han, who was appointed prime minister, the countrys No. 2 post, by Yoon, was South Koreas acting leader after Yoon was impeached in mid-December. After Yoon was formally dismissed as president in a Constitutional Court decision, Han was supposed to continue to head the caretaker government until the June presidential election, but resigned to run for the election. He withdrew from the race after failing to win the People Power Partys nomination. KIM TONG-HYUNG Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Koreas nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Koreas economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children. twitter mailto HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

In this undated photo provided by the Merkel family, Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in a school shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, poses for a picture. (Merkel Family via AP)2025-08-28T22:10:35Z The parents of the two schoolchildren fatally shot in a Minneapolis church spoke out for the first time on Thursday afternoon, with some imploring the shaken community to address the root causes of shootings that target schools.Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed on Wednesday morning when a shooter opened fire at a Mass that hundreds of students at Annunciation Catholic School attended.City officials increased to 15 the number of injured children, who are ages 6 to 15. Three parishioners in their 80s also were injured. Only one person a child was in critical condition. A call to actionIn a statement released Thursday, Moyskis parents described Harper as a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old who was adored by her younger sister.As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain, the statement read.The 10-year-olds parents said that they were focused on healing in the wake of the shooting, but added that they hoped Harpers memory would fuel action that might prevent shootings going forward.No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain, Harpers parents wrote. We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country. Remembered by his life, not deathFletcher Merkels father, Jesse Merkel, tearfully read a statement on Thursday outside of the church where his son was killed, saying the eight-year-old loved his family and friends and enjoyed fishing, cooking and playing any sport.Because of the shooters actions, Merkel said, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming. Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life, Merkel said. A note pad with notes is displayed at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) A note pad with notes is displayed at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A sign stands amid flowers at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) A sign stands amid flowers at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Even as Merkel mourned the loss of his son, he said he was thankful for the swift and heroic actions of adults and students inside the church without whom this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more.Acts of heroismMinneapolis doctors and law enforcement echoed Merkels sentiment throughout the day on Thursday, describing the grueling escape children and teachers endured, as well as the heroic rescue efforts that saved countless lives.When one of the students who was injured during the shooting went in for a CT scan on Wednesday, she was visibly distressed.Without hesitation, a nurse at the hospital who was not assigned to respond to the mass casualty event sat with the young girl throughout the procedure even though safety protocols stipulate that medical staff should clear the room to prevent radiation exposure.The nurse put a little lead on, stayed there and held her hand and held her hair while she went through scanners so she didnt have to go through alone, Dr. Jon Gayken, one of the head trauma surgeons at Hennepin County Medical Center, said.Several medical first responders many of whom were stationed just blocks away from the church have children enrolled at the Catholic school, officials announced on Thursday. Those are the types of things we witnessed yesterday, Gayken said.Despite the unimaginable tragedy of the day, Gayken said, there were far less casualties than there could have been. Children follow active shooter training Marty Scheerer, the chief of Hennepin County Emergency Medical Services, credited unrecognized heroes, like the children and teachers in the church who followed their active shooter safety trainings, despite the chaotic and incessant hail of gunfire.Children protecting other children often laid on the floor and covered each other up while teachers ushered kids to safety.That was key, Scheerer said.The first police officer entered the church without hesitation just minutes after the 911 call reported the shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara said. Parishioners told OHara that it was the first time that the children and others there had any sense that they might be safe and survive.When officers entered the church, they encountered children that had blood on them from not because they were injured, but because of blood pressure from other kids, OHara said at a separate news conference later in the day. Theres going to be countless lessons of bravery, from young children all the way up to elders, OHara said. In this undated photo provided by the Merkel family, Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in a school shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, poses for a picture. (Merkel Family via AP) In this undated photo provided by the Merkel family, Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in a school shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, poses for a picture. (Merkel Family via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In this undated photo provided by the Moyski family, Harper Moyski, who was killed in a school shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, smiles for a photo. (Moyski Family via the AP) In this undated photo provided by the Moyski family, Harper Moyski, who was killed in a school shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, smiles for a photo. (Moyski Family via the AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. SAFIYAH RIDDLE Riddle covers the Alabama statehouse with a focus on law enforcement. She is based in Montgomery, Alabama. mailto

Members of the Louisiana National Guard patrol at Union Station, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-08-29T04:04:08Z President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, New York, Seattle, Baltimore, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, to fight what he says is runaway crime. Yet data shows most violent crime in those places and around the country has declined in recent years.Homicides through the first six months of 2025 were down significantly compared to the same period in 2024, continuing a post-pandemic trend across the U.S. Trump, who has already taken federal control of police in Washington, D.C., has maligned the six Democratic-run cities that all are in states that opposed him in 2024. But he hasnt threatened sending in the Guard to any major cities in Republican-leaning states.John Roman, a data expert who directs the Center on Public Safety & Justice at the University of Chicago, acknowledged violence in some urban neighborhoods has persisted for generations. But he said theres no U.S. city where there is really a crisis.Were at a remarkable moment in crime in the United States, he said.Public sees things differently Trump might be tapping somewhat into public perception when he describes cities such as Chicago as a killing field. The vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a major problem in large cities, according to a survey released this week by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, though there is much less support, 32%, for federal control of police. The public was reminded this week that shootings remain a frequent event in the U.S. In Minneapolis, which has seen homicides and most other crime fall, a shooter killed two children attending a Catholic school Mass Wednesday and wounded 17 a day after three people died in separate shootings elsewhere in the city. Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel. Still, over time, the picture is encouraging, according to numbers from AH Datalytics, which tracks crimes across the country using law enforcement data for its Real-Time Crime Index. Aggravated assaults which includes nonfatal shootings through June were down in Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Baltimore and San Francisco and were virtually unchanged in New York. Reports of rape were up in New York and Chicago during the first half of the year, but down in the other cities, including a 51% drop in San Francisco. The crime index also showed that property crimes, such as theft, burglary and motor vehicle theft, were mostly down in those six cities in the first six months of 2025. Theft crimes rose from 2020 to 2024 in four of the six cities analyzed by AP. Cities defend safety strategiesTrump exaggerated and misstated facts about crime in Washington when his administration took over the D.C. police department and flooded the capital with federal agents and the National Guard. He referred to Baltimore, 40 miles (64.3 kilometers) away, as a hellhole during a Cabinet meeting and has said he might send in the troops.Im not walking in Baltimore right now, Trump said.Yet Baltimore has shown drops in major crime, according to the crime index. Homicides and rapes were down 25% or more in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Homicides were down for three consecutive years through 2024 and were 35% lower when compared to 2018. Deploying the National Guard for municipal policing purposes is not sustainable, scalable, constitutional, or respectful, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said on social media site X.Baltimore has found ways to reduce violence by offering mentorship, social services and job opportunities to young people likely to commit crimes, said Michael Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing at Arizona State University and a former police chief in Florida.That approach has resulted in more significant reductions in shootings and homicides than any other strategy Ive seen in the over 50 years Ive been in the field, Scott said. Tales of different citiesTrump doesnt seem to disparage big cities in states that favor Republicans. Charlotte, North Carolina, had 105 homicides in 2024 compared to 88 in 2023. The rate of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people more than doubled there from 2020 through 2024. Indianapolis had a homicide rate of 19 per every 100,000 residents in 2024 more than four times higher than New Yorks.Amy Holt, 48, who recently moved to Charlotte from a gated community in northern Virginia, said someone tried to steal her husbands car in their new city. She also found bullets on the ground while walking with dogs. Theres no discussion about sending the National Guard to Charlotte. Holt believes most cities should be trusted to be in charge of public safety, adding that troops in uniforms would be alarming and scary.Democratic elected officials in cities targeted by Trump have publicly rejected suggestions that their residents need the National Guard. Crime is at its lowest point in decades, visitors are coming back, and San Francisco is on the rise, Mayor Daniel Lurie said. Experts question just how effective the National Guard would be and where troops would be deployed in cities.Its going to make residents think: Things must be much worse than I realize to have the military in my neighborhood. Whats going on? Scott said. Its more likely to generate undue fear and apprehension than it will lead to perceptions of reassurance and safety.___White reported from Detroit and Keller reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. AP video journalist Erik Verduzco in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report. CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER Keller works with reporters and editors to find stories in data and documents and contributes context to spot and breaking news stories for The Associated Press. mailto

Arnold James tries to keep his feet as a strong gust nearly blows him over as makes his way on foot to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Aug. 29, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)2025-08-29T04:01:26Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina crashed into the Gulf Coast, New Orleans is set to commemorate the anniversary Friday with memorials, performances and a parade to honor those who were affected.Katrina, which was a Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall in southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005, remains the costliest U.S. storm on record, with damage estimated at upward of $200 billion when adjusted for inflation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. About 1,400 people died in five states. The failure of the federal levee system inundated about 80% of the city in floodwaters that took weeks to drain. Thousands of people clung to rooftops to survive or waited for evacuation in the sweltering, under-provisioned Superdome stadium.Survivors and city leaders are set to gather in the Lower Ninth Ward, a predominantly Black community where a levee breach led to devastating flooding that was exacerbated by a delayed government response. The event, sponsored by Katrina Commemoration Inc. and Hip Hop Caucus, will feature prayers and prominent local artists like Dawn Richard and Mia X. Organizers say it is also intended to draw attention to the sinking citys poor infrastructure, gentrification and vulnerability to climate change. Thousands of attendees are expected to join a brass band parade known as a second line. The beloved New Orleans tradition has its roots in African American jazz funerals, in which grieving family members march with the deceased alongside a band and trailed by a second line of dancing friends and bystanders. A parade has been staged on every Katrina anniversary since local artists organized it in 2006 to help neighbors heal and unite the community. Second line allows everybody to come together, said the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, president of Hip Hop Caucus. Were still here, and despite the storm, people have been strong and very powerful and have come together each and every year to continue to be there for one another. Other commemorations include a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial for dozens of unidentified storm victims and a minute of silence, to be observed at 11:20 a.m. There are also museum exhibitions, documentary screenings and city-organized discussions Saturday on the future of New Orleans culture, infrastructure and ongoing recovery. City leaders are pushing for the anniversary to become a state holiday. Katrinas impact still felt The citys population, nearly half a million before Katrina, is now 384,000 after displaced New Orleanians scattered across the nation. Many ended up in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston. In the aftermath, the levee system was rebuilt, public schools were privatized, most public housing projects were demolished and a hospital was shuttered. About 134,000 housing units were damaged by Katrina, according to The Data Center, a nonprofit research agency. The storm had a disproportionate impact on the citys Black residents. While New Orleans remains a majority Black city, tens of thousands of Black residents were unable to return after Katrina. A botched and racially biased federal loan program for home rebuilding, coupled with a shortage of affordable housing, have made it harder for former residents to come back. (Katrina) wasnt just a New Orleans moment, Yearwood said. It was a national moment, and its a time for reflection and commitment to a better way of how were handling these issues moving forward. ___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JACK BROOK Brook covers Louisiana government, infrastructure and environmental issues from New Orleans. He is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 29 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02741-1Bluesky posts about science garner more likes and reposts than similar ones on X.

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move to sign Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho as a replacement for Son Heung-Min. Transfer Talk has the latest news, gossip and rumors.

2025-08-29T08:55:38Z GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israels military on Friday said it was suspending mid-day pauses allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a a dangerous combat zone.The city was among the places that Israel paused fighting last month to allow food and aid supplies to enter from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The tactical pauses applied to Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering. The suspension came as Israel prepared to widen its offensive in the city, days after it reported strikes in key neighborhoods and called up tens of thousands of reservists.Israels military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups about the plans to resume daytime hostilities.Israel has said in the past that Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels that remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids. The city also is home to some of the territorys critical infrastructure and health facilities. The United Nations said Thursday the besieged strip could lose half of its hospital bed capacity if Israel invades as planned. The suspension of the pause also comes one week after the worlds leading food security authority declared Gaza City was being gripped by famine after months of warnings.The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said hunger has been driven by fighting and Israels blockade on the majority of aid and magnified by widespread displacement and the collapse of food production. The IPC analysis concluded hunger, starvation and child malnutrition had surpassed thresholds necessary to declare famine.Norwegian Refugee Council, which coordinates a coalition of aid groups active in Gaza, said Israels preparation for its large-scale ground offensive had already made deliveries challenging.We have faced unprecedented access and movement restrictions, spokesperson Shaina Low said Friday. Intensified military operations are going to further hinder our ability respond. SAM METZ Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press. mailto JULIA FRANKEL Frankel, based in Jerusalem, has reported from across Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Her reporting focuses on war, human rights, displacement and criminal justice. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Thailand's suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, center, arrives at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)2025-08-29T08:52:11Z BANGKOK (AP) Thailands Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position as prime minister, ruling that as the countrys leader she violated constitutional rules on ethics in a phone call with Cambodias Senate President Hun Sen.The ruling means she immediately loses her job, which she had held for about a year. Paetongtarn was suspended from her duties on July 1 when the court agreed to hear the case against her, and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai took over her responsibilities.Paetongtarns leaked June 15 call with Hun Sen was aimed at easing tensions over competing claims to territory along their border, but sparked outrage in Thailand because Paetongtarn seemed overly friendly in discussing a matter of national security and appeared to malign a Thai army general.Audio of the call was leaked online by Hun Sen, who was Cambodias prime minister for 38 years until his son Hun Manet took over the job in 2023. The phone call came as long-standing tensions over the border heightened after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief incident of violence in disputed territory in May. In late June, the two countries engaged in five days of combat that killed dozens of people and displaced more than 260,000. The courts ruling puts the ruling coalition led by Paetongtarns Pheu Thai party on shaky ground. Controversy over the phone call caused the Bhumjaithai Party, the biggest partner of Pheu Thai, to drop out, leaving the coalition with a slim majority of seats in the House of Representatives. It is also a blow to the political machine of Paetongtarns father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from power by a 2006 military coup but has managed to remain a dominant force in Thai politics, chiefly by supporting proxy parties such as Pheu Thai. His political strength comes from the populist policies he espoused and the vast fortune he earned in the telecommunications sector.

Rebecca DeWhitt charges her electric vehicle on Sept. 30, 2022, in the driveway of the Portland, Ore., home she rents. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)2025-08-29T04:06:22Z Oregon could become the second U.S. state to require electric vehicle owners to enroll in a pay-per-mile program as lawmakers begin a special session Friday to fill a $300 million transportation budget hole that threatens basic services like snowplowing and road repairs.Legislators failed earlier this year to approve a transportation funding package. Hundreds of state workers jobs are in limbo, and the proposal for a road usage charge for EV drivers was left on the table.Hawaii in 2023 was the first state to create a mandatory road usage charge program to make up for projected decreases in fuel tax revenue due to the growing number of electric, hybrid and fuel-efficient cars. Many other states have studied the concept, and Oregon, Utah and Virginia have voluntary programs.The concept has promise as a long-term funding solution, experts say. Others worry about privacy concerns and discouraging people from buying EVs, which can help reduce transportation emissions.This is a pretty major change, said Liz Farmer, an analyst for The Pew Charitable Trusts state fiscal policy team, noting the challenge in enacting something thats dramatically different for most drivers. Oregons transportation woesOregons transportation department says the budget shortfall stems from inflation, projected declines in gas tax revenue and other spending limits. Over the summer, it sent layoff notices to nearly 500 workers and announced plans to close a dozen road maintenance stations. Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek paused those moves and called the special session to find a solution. Republican lawmakers say the department mismanaging its money is a main issue.Koteks proposal includes an EV road usage charge that is equivalent to 5% of the states gas tax. It also includes raising the gas tax by 6 cents to 46 cents per gallon, among other fee increases.The usage charge would phase in starting in 2027 for certain EVs and expand to include hybrids in 2028. Should the gas tax increase be approved, EV drivers either would pay about 2.3 cents per mile, or choose an annual flat fee of $340. Drivers in the program wouldnt have to pay supplemental registration fees. Drivers would have several options for reporting mileage to private contractors, including a smartphone app or the vehicles telematics technology, said Scott Boardman, policy adviser for the transportation department who works on the states decade-old voluntary road usage charge program. As of May, there were over 84,000 EVs registered in Oregon, about 2% of the states total vehicles, he said.Hawaii launches programUnder Hawaiis program, which began phasing in last month, EV drivers can pay $8 per 1,000 miles driven, capped at $50, or an annual fee of $50.In 2028, all EV drivers will be required to enroll in the pay-per-mile program, with odometers read at annual inspections. By 2033, the program is expected to expand to all light-duty vehicles. Questions about privacy and fairnessIn past surveys commissioned by Oregons transportation department, respondents cited privacy, GPS devices and data security as concerns about road usage charges. Oregons voluntary program has sought to respond to such concerns by deleting mileage data 30 days after a payment is received, Boardman said. While plug-in GPS devices are an option in the program, transportation officials anticipate moving away from them because theyre more expensive and can be removed, he added.Still, not everyone has embraced a road usage charge. Arizona voters will decide next year whether to ban state and local governments from implementing a tax or fee based on miles traveled after the measure was referred to the ballot by the Republican-majority Legislature.Many people dont realize that both your vehicle and your cellphone capture immense amounts of data about your personal driving habits already, said Brett Morgan, Oregon transportation policy director for the nonprofit Climate Solutions.Morgan added that road usage charges exceeding what drivers of internal combustion engines would pay in gas taxes could dissuade people from buying electric and hybrid cars. Already, federal tax incentives for EVs are set to expire under the tax and spending cut bill recently passed by the GOP-controlled Congress.We are definitely supportive of a road usage charge that has EVs paying their fair share, but they should not be paying extra or a penalty, Morgan said. CLAIRE RUSH Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. twitter mailto

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The summer transfer window closes on Monday, but what are our reporters hearing about deals that could be done before then?

We drag around our brokenness in the same container as our holiness.

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Nature, Published online: 28 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02783-5Rumours that fuelled the Great Fear in revolutionary France were transmitted similarly to a viral disease. Plus, glow-in-the-dark succulents and a new treatment for acne.

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There is a growing sense of despair inside the public health agency, which is reeling after mass layoffs.

Against the backdrop of the devastating war and hunger crisis in Gaza, Israeli travelers have been harassed and accosted in Europe, sometimes just for speaking Hebrew.

President Trumps effort to oust the Federal Reserve governor has kicked off a landmark legal battle, one that will have far-reaching consequences for the institutions independence.

Crime has fallen since federal agents started policing the streets of Washington in large numbers. Court records show that they have been involved in about a third of arrests that resulted in prosecution, many of them for minor offenses.

Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook listens during an open meeting of the Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve, June 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2025-08-29T10:00:07Z A case that could provide the Trump administration with new and expansive power over the traditionally independent Federal Reserve will get its first court hearing Friday. Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has requested an emergency injunction to block President Donald Trumps attempt to fire her over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud when she purchased a home and condo in 2021. She was appointed to the Feds board by former president Joe Biden in 2022. If her firing is allowed to stand, it would likely erode the Feds longstanding independence from day-to-day politics. No president has ever fired a Fed governor in the agencys 112-year history. Economists broadly support Fed independence because it makes it easier for the central bank to take unpopular steps such as raising interest rates to combat inflation. Cook has asked the court to issue an emergency order that would block Trumps firing of her and enable her to remain on the seven-member board of governors while her lawsuit seeking to overturn the firing makes its way through the courts. Many observers expect her case will end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. The law governing the Fed says the president cant fire a governor just because they disagree over interest rate policy. Trump has repeatedly demanded that the Fed, led by Chair Jerome Powell, reduce its key interest rate, which is currently 4.3%. Yet the Fed has kept it unchanged for the last five meetings. But the president may be able to fire a Fed governor for cause, which has traditionally been interpreted to mean inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance. Cooks lawyers argue that it also refers only to conduct while in office. They also say that she was entitled to a hearing and an opportunity to rebut the charges. The unsubstantiated and unproven allegation that Governor Cook potentially erred in filling out a mortgage form prior to her Senate confirmation does not amount to cause, the lawsuit says. Trump has moved to fire a number of leaders from a host of independent federal regulatory agencies, including at the National Transportation Safety Board, Surface Transportation Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as the Fed.The Supreme Court declined to temporarily block the president from firing directors of some independent agencies earlier this year while those cases move through the courts. Legal experts say the high court this year has shown more deference to the presidents removal powers than it has in the past. Still, in a case in May, the Supreme Court appeared to single out the Fed as deserving of greater independence than other agencies, describing it as a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity. As a result, its harder to gauge how the Supreme Court could rule if this case lands in its lap.As a governor, Cook votes on all the Feds interest rate decisions and helps oversee bank regulation. The Fed has substantial power over the economy by raising or cutting its key interest rate, which can then influence a broad range of other borrowing costs, including mortgages, car loans, and business loans. Bill Pulte, Trumps appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, first leveled the accusation against Cook that she has committed mortgage fraud. Its a charge he has also made against two of Trumps biggest political enemies, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has prosecuted Trump. Pulte has ignored a similar case involving Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who is friendly with Trump and is running for Senate in his states Republican primary. Cooks lawsuit responds by arguing that the claims are just a pretext in order to effectuate her prompt removal and vacate a seat for President Trump to fill and forward his agenda to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve.If Trump can replace Cook, he may be able to gain a 4-3 majority on the Feds governing board. Trump appointed two board members during his first term and has nominated a key White House economic adviser, Stephen Miran, to replace Adriana Kugler, another Fed governor who stepped down unexpectedly Aug. 1. Trump has said he will only appoint people to the Fed who will support lower rates. CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

Firefighters work on the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2025-08-29T09:58:58Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The death toll in a major Russian missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian capital rose to 23, including four children, officials said Friday, as U.S.-led efforts to end the three-year war remain stuck in apparent limbo.Authorities in the Kyiv region declared Friday an official day of mourning. Flags flew at half-staff and all entertainment events were canceled after Russia hammered Ukraine with almost 600 drones and more than 30 missiles overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, including rare strikes on downtown Kyiv.Rescue workers pulled 17 people from the rubble after the Kyiv attack, among them four children, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The youngest victim was a 2-year-old girl. Some bodies have yet to be identified, and eight people remain unaccounted for, authorities said. More than 50 people were injured. Thousands of personnel from the Interior Ministrys agencies and units worked at the strike sites in Kyiv, rotating every few hours, Klymenko said of the non-stop 30-hour rescue operation.Efforts to stop the fighting with a ceasefire and end Europes biggest conflict since World War II through a comprehensive peace settlement have made no progress. U.S. President Donald Trump has bristled at Putins stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said a week ago he expected to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks arent scheduled. Trump complained last month that Putin talks nice and then he bombs everybody. But the latest attack on Kyiv drew no public condemnation from the Trump administration, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noting that Ukraine has been striking Russian oil refineries.European Union defense ministers expressed outrage Friday over Russias continuing onslaught in Ukraine and vowed to exert more pressure on Moscow. Putin is due to attend a summit meeting in China from Sunday that will also include Iran and North Korea, countries which like Beijing have aided Russias war effort, according to the United States. From Sept. 9 world leaders are expected to attend the U.N. General Assembly where Russias invasion will likely be discussed.Meanwhile, Western officials are working on security guarantees for Ukrain e that aim to deter another Russian invasion if a peace deal is signed.Zelenskyy noted Friday that Russia hasnt budged from its terms for stopping its invasion. Ukraine, on the other hand, has accepted an American proposal for a ceasefire and a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.The Ukrainian leader urged countries to crank up the pressure on Russias economy through sanctions and tariffs.Russia refused to stop the killing they even said no to President Trump. Were seeing negative signals from Russia regarding a possible leaders summit, Zelenskyy said in a social media post. Honestly, we think Putin is still interested only in continuing this war.The Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank, noted that recent American presidents have shied away from taking a tougher line with Putin over fears of a potential nuclear conflict. Putin knows that Washington and its allies have more than enough capacity to reverse his gains in Ukraine, but it is nearly certain that he doubts the United States has the will to do so, the Atlantic Council said in an assessment this week.It added that the second Trump administration has repeatedly signaled that the United States has no vital interests at stake in this war.___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