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A person fills up her vehicle's gas tank at a gas station in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)2026-03-22T10:25:48Z WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. economy was supposed to start the year with a bang, fueled by an unusually large jump in tax refunds from President Donald Trumps tax cut legislation. Yet spiking gas prices are on track to eat up those refunds, leaving most Americans with little extra to spend. Next spring is projected to be the largest tax refund season of all time, Trump said in a prime-time speech in December that was intended to address voters concerns about the economy and stubbornly high prices. But that was before the Iran war, which began Feb. 28. Oil and gas prices have soared since then, with the nationwide average price of gas reaching $3.94 Sunday, up more than a dollar from just a month earlier. Gas prices are likely to remain elevated for some time, even if the war ends soon, because shipping and production have been disrupted and will take time to recover. Economists now expect slower growth this spring and for the year as a whole, as dollars that are spent on gas are less likely to be used for restaurant meals, new clothes, or entertainment. Lower and middle-income households are likely to be hit particularly hard, because they receive lower refunds, while spending a greater proportion of their earnings on gas. The energy shock is to going to hit those who have the least cushion, said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy at the left-leaning Groundwork Collaborative and a former economist in the Biden White House. And it doesnt look like those tax refunds are going to be here to save them. Neale Mahoney, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, calculates that gas prices could peak in May at $4.36 a gallon, based on oil price forecasts by Goldman Sachs, followed by slow declines for the rest of the year. The notion that gas prices decline much more slowly than they rise is so ingrained among economists that they refer to it as the rocket and feathers phenomenon. In that scenario, the average household would pay $740 more in gas this year, nearly equal to the $748 increase in refunds that the Tax Foundation has estimated the average household will receive.Through March 6, refunds have risen by much less than that, according to IRS data: They have averaged $3,676, up $352 from $3,324 in 2025. Still, average refunds could rise as more complex returns are filed.Other estimates show similar impacts. Economists at Oxford Economics, a consulting firm, estimate that if gas prices average $3.70 a gallon all year, it will cost consumers about $70 billion more than the $60 billion in increased tax refunds. The gas price spike comes with many consumers already in a precarious position, particularly compared to 2022, when gas prices also soared because of Russias invasion of Ukraine. At that time, many households still had fattened bank accounts from pandemic-era stimulus payments and companies were hiring rapidly and sharply lifting pay to attract workers. Now, hiring is nearly at a standstill and Americans saving rate has steadily fallen in the past few years as many households borrow more to sustain their spending. When you start looking across the perspective from a consumer side, youre seeing people who have maxed out their credit cards, are using buy now, pay later to purchase their groceries, said Julie Margetta Morgan, president of The Century Foundation, a think tank. Theyre making it work for now, but that can fall apart quite quickly. The impact will likely worsen the K-shaped narrativ e around the U.S. economy, analysts said, in which higher income households have fared better than lower-income households. The bottom 10% of earners spend nearly 4% of their incomes on gasoline, Pantheon Macroeconomics estimates, while the top 10% spend just 1.5%.For now, most analysts still expect the U.S. economy to expand this year, even if more slowly, given the gas price shock. Higher gas prices will likely worsen inflation in the short run, but over time weaker spending will also slow growth. American consumers and businesses have repeatedly shaken off shocks since the pandemic soaring inflation, rising interest rates, tariffs and continued to spend, defying concerns that the economy would tip into recession. Many economists note that the proportion of their incomes that Americans spend on gas and other energy has fallen significantly compared with a decade ago. Data from the Bank of America Institute, released Friday, showed that spending on gas on the banks credit and debit cards shot 14.4% higher in the week ended March 14 compared with a year ago. Before the war, such spending was running 5% below the previous year, a benefit to consumers. Spending on discretionary items restaurant meals, electronics, and travel is still growing, the institute said, evidence of consumer resilience. But there is little sign it is accelerating, as many economists had hoped. The longer these gasoline prices persist, the more that will gradually sap consumer discretionary spending, said David Tinsley, senior economist at the institute.Other analysts expect growth will slow because of the war. Bernard Yaros and Michael Pearce, economists at Oxford Economics, forecast that the U.S. economy will grow just 1.9% this year, down from an earlier estimate of 2.5%. We had anticipated a lift in spending from a bumper tax refund season, they wrote, but the rise in gasoline prices, if sustained, would more than offset that boost. 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

Elena Ivanov, visiting from San Jose, Calif., walks across a field covered with blooming poppies near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., March 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)2026-03-22T11:15:25Z ATLANTA (AP) Allergy season can be miserable for tens of millions of Americans when trees, grass, and other pollens cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing.Where you live, what youre allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to the severity of your allergies. Experts say climate change is leading to longer and more intense allergy seasons, but also point out that treatments for seasonal allergies have become more effective over the last decade. Here are some tips from experts to keep allergy symptoms at bay maybe even enough to allow you to enjoy the outdoors.New cities top the list of allergy capitalsThe Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issues an annual ranking of the most challenging cities to live in if you have allergies, based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen counts and the number of available allergy specialists. This year, the top five cities are: Boise, Idaho; San Diego; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Provo, Utah; and Rochester, New York. Pollen helps plants reproduce and makes us miserable Pollen is the powdery substance made by seed-producing plants and trees that is part of their reproductive process. Earlier in the spring, tree pollen is the main culprit. After that grasses pollinate, followed by weeds in the late summer and early fall.Some of the most common tree pollens that cause allergies include birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak and walnut, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Grasses that cause symptoms include Bermuda, Johnson, rye and Kentucky bluegrass. Heres how to track pollen levelsPollen trackers can help you decide when to go outside. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology tracks levels through a network of counting stations across the U.S. Counts are available at its website and via email. This article is part of APs Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well. The first step is to try to avoid pollen altogetherThe best and first step to controlling allergies is avoiding exposure. Keep the windows in your car and your home closed, even when its nice outside. If you go outside, wearing long sleeves can keep pollen off your skin to help ward off allergic reactions, said Dr. James Baker, an allergist at the University of Michigan. It also provides some sun protection, he added.When you get home, change your clothes and shower daily to ensure all the pollen is off of you including your hair. If you cant wash your hair every day, try covering it when you go outside with a hat or scarf. Dont get in the bed with your outside clothes on, because the pollen will follow. Its also useful to rinse your eyes and nose with saline to remove any pollen, experts said. And the same masks that got us through the pandemic can protect you from allergies though they wont help with eye symptoms. How to relieve allergy symptomsOver-the-counter nasal sprays are among the most effective treatments for seasonal allergies, experts said. But patients often use them incorrectly, irritating parts of the nose, said Dr. Kathleen May, an allergist at Augusta University in Georgia. She suggested angling the nozzle outward toward your ear rather than sticking it straight up your nose. Over-the-counter allergy pills like Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec are helpful, but may not be as effective as quickly since theyre taken by mouth, experts said. If your allergy symptoms are impacting your quality of life, like causing you to lose sleep or loose focus at work or school, it might be time to consider making an appointment with an allergist. There are medications that can train you immune system not to overreact to allergens. Some remedies for allergy relief that have been circulating on social media or suggested by celebrities like incorporating local honey into your diet to expose yourself to pollen have been debunked. Dr. Shyam Joshi, an allergist at Oregon Health and Science University, said thats because the flowers that bees pollinate typically dont contain the airborne pollen that causes allergy symptoms. Is allergy season changing? Winters are milder and growing seasons are longer as the climate is changing, meaning theres more opportunity for pollen to stay in the air, resulting in longer and more severe allergy seasons.Last year was one of the most intense allergy seasons on record, particularly in the Southeast U.S. ___A version of this story was published April 19, 2025. The writer is no longer with The Associated Press. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. KENYA HUNTER Hunter is an Atlanta-based public health reporter for The Associated Press, covering disabilities and sexual health. mailto

Italy's Sofia Goggia kisses the snow next to the globe trophy for the super-G discipline title after winning an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Kvitfjell, Norway, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)2026-03-22T11:35:19Z KVITFJELL, Norway (AP) Sofia Goggia won her third super-G of the season at the World Cup finals on Sunday to secure the discipline title, while Emma Aicher further closed the gap to overall leader Mikaela Shiffrin.Aicher, the only skier other than Goggia with multiple super-G wins this season, started the race 95 points behind the American, but had a solid run to place fourth and gain 50 points.Racing in only her third super-G this season, Shiffrin then came in 2.78 off the pace in 22nd and didnt add to her tally because only the top 15 finishers get points in a race at the finals.The American star now carries a 45-point lead into the last two races of the season a slalom on Tuesday and a GS the following day in her chase for a record-equaling sixth overall title. A race win is worth 100 points.On Sunday, Goggia confirmed her dominance in super-G this season to secure her first globe in the discipline, adding to her four season titles and the 2018 Olympic gold medal in downhill. A sixth place would have been enough for the Italian, who started the race with a commanding lead in the standings over her only remaining challenger, New Zealands Alice Robinson. But Goggia didnt hold back and used a trademark gutsy run down the Olympiabakken. Having posted the fastest time by far, she was in tears when she bent over and leaned on her ski poles in the finish area. Robinson later had a wild run with costly mistakes and never threatened Goggias lead, finishing 2.41 seconds off the pace.Former world champion Corinne Suter of Switzerland was 0.32 seconds behind in second and Aichers German teammate Kira Weidle-Winkelmann trailed by 0.60 in third.Ilka tuhec, the 2017 and 2019 world downhill champion, finished 2.56 behind Goggia in the Slovenians last race of her career.tuhec won 11 World Cup races between 2016 and 2023.___AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

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A soldier of the 127th Separate Territorial Brigade launches a drone to search for Russian attack drones at the front line in the Kharkiv region Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nikoletta Stoyanova)2026-03-22T05:39:39Z KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching for Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia launches in waves. Such teams are deployed across the country as part of a constantly evolving effort to counter the low-cost loitering munitions that have become a deadly weapon of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East.While waiting, the crew from the 127th Brigade tests and fine-tunes their self-made interceptor drones, searching for flaws that could undermine performance once the buzzing threat appears. When Shahed drones first appeared in autumn 2022, Ukraine had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in flight with continually adapting technology.In recent years, Ukraines domestic drone interceptor market has burgeoned, producing some key players who tout their products at international arms shows. But its on the front line where small teams have become laboratories of rapid military innovation grassroots technology born of battlefield necessity that now draw international interest. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says U.S. allies in the Middle East have approached Ukraine for help in defending against Iranian drones, the same type that Russia has fired by the tens of thousands in the 4-year-old war. Iran has also used the same drones in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, at times overwhelming far more sophisticated Western-made air defenses and highlighting the need for cheaper and more flexible countermeasures.Its not like we sat down one day and decided to fight with drones, said a pilot with Ukraines 127th Brigade, sitting at his monitor after completing a preflight check. We did it because we had nothing else. How the drone war beganMoments earlier, the pilot carefully landed his interceptor drone to avoid damaging it. He spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.Though designed to be disposable, limited resources mean Ukrainian crews try to preserve every tool they have, often reusing even single-use drones to study their weaknesses and improve them.Just imagine a Patriot missile costs about $2 million, and here you have a small aircraft worth about $2,200, the pilot said. And if it doesnt hit the target, I can land it, fix it a bit and send it back into the air. The difference is huge. And the effect? Not any worse. Ukraines 127th Brigade is building an air defense unit centered on interceptor drone crews a model increasingly adopted across the military.Leading the brigades effort is a 27-year-old captain, who previously served in another formation where he had already helped organize a similar system. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.He clearly remembers the moment about two years ago when everything changed. He said he was assigned to lead a group of soldiers ordered to intercept Russian reconnaissance drones using shoulder-fired air-defense missiles. The approach quickly proved ineffective. Agile drones equipped with cameras could easily maneuver away from the slower, less-flexible weapons, he said.Determined to find a better solution, the young officer began searching for alternatives, asking fellow soldiers and volunteers supporting the front.The answer turned out to be simple: another drone.The captain still remembers the day a Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone hung above a Ukrainian position, transmitting coordinates to guide Russian artillery. A pilot from his unit downed it by using another drone, he added.Thats when I realized this is a drone war. It had begun, he said. We had been moving toward it for some time, but that was the moment I saw it with my own eyes.They never found the wreckage of the Orlan, which burned as it fell to the ground. Downing ShahedsAnother challenge soon emerged: how to intercept the hundreds of fast, durable Shahed drones flying far beyond the front line.The young captains search for a solution led him to the 127th Brigade in Kharkiv and to cooperation with a local defense company. Their joint efforts resulted in aircraft-style interceptor drones capable of matching the speed of the Shaheds.Kharkiv is not only where they work its where their families live, a city that regularly comes under Shahed attacks.Working with the company allows soldiers to test interceptor drones in real conditions and quickly refine the technology through direct feedback.The companys Skystriker drone differs from more widely known interceptor systems such as Sting or P1-Sun, which are based on modified first-person view, or FPV, drones. Instead, it resembles a small aircraft with wings, allowing it to stay aloft longer.Yes, this is a joint effort, said the director of the company, who spoke on condition he not disclose the name of the firm or his own identity for security reasons.Its not enough just to build it. It has to work and work properly and perform real combat tasks, he said. Thats why communication with the military is so important. They give us feedback and help us improve it every time. Nonprofits and volunteersIn Ukraine, cooperation often goes beyond the military and manufacturers. Volunteers frequently act as intermediaries between the two, sometimes even helping them find one another.The Come Back Alive Foundation, a nonprofit think tank and charity that raises money to equip Ukraines forces, launched a project called Dronopad, loosely translated as Dronefall, in summer 2024.The idea grew from battlefield reports that FPV drone pilots were occasionally able to track and intercept aerial targets early cases that helped shape efforts to counter the Shaheds.At that moment it wasnt clear whether this was even a scalable solution or just isolated incidents, said Taras Tymochko, who leads the project. Our goal was to turn it into a system to help units that already had their first successful cases build the capability and scale what they had achieved.The foundation worked with drone manufacturers to better understand what systems soldiers needed. As the project developed, the capabilities of interceptor drones evolved.At some point they were able to reach speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), which made it possible to intercept targets like Shaheds in the air, Tymochko said.The team closely monitored the rapidly growing drone market. A key factor, he said, was ensuring close cooperation between manufacturers and the military so that engineers could receive feedback quickly from battlefield tests.Its always action and counteraction, Tymochko said, noting both sides develop ways to counter enemy drones and improve their technology to neutralize each others responses. That cycle is what drives the evolution of drone warfare.The technology itself, he said, is not especially difficult to copy. The real value lies in how it is used and in the experience of the pilots who have learned to operate it effectively.People were very skeptical about the technology, Tymochko said of the early days of interceptor drones. Some thought it wouldnt work, that within a month the Russians would come up with countermeasures and the drones would become useless.Nearly two years later, the results suggest otherwise.Many people called it air defense for the poor, he said. But it turns out that air defense for the poor can sometimes be more effective than air defense for the rich.___Associated Press journalist Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed to this report.___Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war 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 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear mingles with the audience at a Democratic fundraiser in Butler County, Ohio, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Julie Carr Smyth)2026-03-22T12:20:51Z FAIRFIELD, Ohio (AP) Although President Donald Trump is the top Democratic nemesis, some of the partys most ambitious leaders are increasingly looking past him and at Vice President JD Vance.In the latest example, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear traveled to Vances home county in Ohio, where on Saturday night he said the vice president had abandoned the communities that he wrote about in the memoir that made him famous.Beshear said Hillbilly Elegy, which detailed Vances hardscrabble upbringing, had trafficked in tired stereotypes.His book Hillbilly Elegy was really hillbilly hate, the governor said at a Democratic fundraiser in Butler County. It is poverty tourism, because he aint from Appalachia.The broadside was not only a sign of Beshears own potential presidential aspirations, but a reflection of Vances status as the Republican heir apparent to the coalition that twice elected Trump to the White House. With every day that passes, we get closer to a day when Donald Trump is no longer president. And we need to prepare for that day, said Lis Smith, a Democratic strategist. Right now, JD Vance is a clear front-runner for the 2028 nomination. And so we should begin defining him not in 2027, not in 2028 but today. Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk brushed off Beshears criticism.Every time Andy Beshear attacks the vice president to try to get himself publicity, he ends up humiliating himself in the process, but maybe thats something hes into? she said. An early foil for Democratic contendersU.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California was among the first Democrats to begin focusing on Vance last year. Khanna stopped at the City Club of Cleveland and Yale University, where he and Vance studied law, and gave speeches that attempted to cast Vance as more extreme than Trump.Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another potential presidential contender in 2028, singled out Vance in November while making the argument that the Trump administration did not care about working people. At least with Donald Trump, hes transparent about that, Shapiro said. JD Vance is a total phony. Some Democrats have coalesced around California Gov. Gavin Newsom as a strong candidate because of his aggressive strategy in going after Republicans. He coined the nickname JD Just Dance Vance on social media, and he has mocked the vice presidents appearance, saying Vance grew a beard and lost his spine. Smith, the strategist who led Pete Buttigiegs 2020 presidential campaign and still works with the former Biden administration transportation secretary, said every line of criticism of Vance is an audition. Theres definitely value in taking on Vance to show Democrats, hey, this could be me on the debate stage against him, said Smith. Vance often invokes his working-class rootsThe vice president was born and raised in Butler Countys Middletown, and he rose to prominence with the publication of Hillbilly Elegy in 2016. The book earned Vance a reputation as someone who could help explain Trumps appeal in middle America, especially among the working class, rural white voters who helped Trump win the presidency.Vance carried that reputation to the U.S. Senate, winning election in 2022, and later to the vice presidency. That same background is likely to be central to any future presidential run and it is precisely what Democrats are now working to undercut. At Saturdays Democratic fundraiser, the mere mention of Vances name drew a chorus of boos from the audience. I dont think hes got the magic that everybody looks at with Trump, said Theresa Vacheresse, a retired physician and business owner who attended the event. I think when Trump is gone, the Democrats might have a chance. My god, I hope so. The focus on Vance is not unusual for a vice president widely seen as a potential future nominee, particularly one as young as 41. Republicans went after Kamala Harris early in her tenure under President Joe Biden to undermine her political future. Jamal Simmons, Harris communications director in 2022 and 2023, said vice presidents can be vulnerable. The party is built to defend the president more than it is the vice president, he said. The vice presidents kind of out there on their own, to defend themself, and find friends where they can.Republicans, including Vance, frequently tied Harris to some of the Democratic administrations most politically difficult issues, such as immigration and border security. Being vice president is a very mixed blessing, said David Axelrod, who was a top adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama. You often dont have the assets of the president, but you inherit all of the presidents record. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Beshear has had success in Trump countryBeshear is the rare Democrat to lead a red state, and he is positioning himself as someone who can reach voters who have tuned out his party. He said Democrats can actually go and win back those voters that JD Vance is so condescending to if they stay focused on Americans basic needs such as affordable health care and public safety. Weve gotta start talking to people and not at them, he said. Thats how I won counties in eastern Kentucky that normally vote for Republicans by large margins including Breathitt County. Thats the county JD Vance pretends to be from. Donald Trump won it by 59 points. I won it by 22 points the year earlier.The audience appeared delighted with Beshears message.I think hes first-rate, said Mark Kaplan, who lives in Butler County. What hes got is compassion, empathy, charisma and intellect, but hes also down-to-earth.___Cappelletti reported from Washington. 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 JOEY CAPPELLETTI Cappelletti covers Congress for The Associated Press. He previously reported on Michigan politics for AP. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2026-03-22T05:35:23Z CAIRO (AP) At least 64 people were killed, including at least 13 children, in a strike on a hospital in Sudans western Darfur region last week, the World Health Organization said Saturday. The strike on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on Friday also injured at least 89 people and rendered the hospital non-functional, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, said on X.Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into war throughout the country.The RSF has blamed the military for the strike on the hospital.The army has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting a nearby police station. They spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to discuss the matter openly. The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher. The WHO has said that over 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities since the start of the war.Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan, said Ghebreyesus.___Associated Press reporter Yassir Abdalla in Shendi, Sudan, contributed to this report.

A traveler walks past a gift card donation box for Transportation Security Administration officers at Denver International Airport on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)2026-03-22T04:11:36Z Across the country, collections are popping up to help Transportation Security Administration officers who have been without full pay for more than a month due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.The charity World Central Kitchen, more accustomed to feeding those in war zones and disaster areas, started providing meals to Washington, D.C.-area airports after many TSA officers missed their first full paycheck. On Thursday, Feeding San Diego began distributing 400 boxes with pasta, beans and peanut butter as well as fresh produce like strawberries and potatoes to affected agents near the airport after a request from TSA and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. Nonprofits are stepping in to help and coordinating closely with airports and local TSA offices because ethics rules around giving gifts to federal employees make it difficult for those affected by the shutdown to receive help directly. Carissa Casares from Feeding San Diego said communicating with the airport means they can better tailor their resources and response to TSA workers needs. We need to work directly with the people who have direct access to these employees and get this food to them at a time and location that is most convenient to them, Casares said. Saturday marks the 36th day that the Department of Homeland Security has been shut down after Democrats refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without changes to their operations after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. More than 120,000 DHS employees are working without pay, including roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers as negotiations between lawmakers and the White House on limits to immigration enforcement drag on.The funding lapse comes just months after a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in the nations history, which drove long lines at food banks across the U.S. as over 700,000 federal workers worked without pay. Rules limit what help TSA officers can accept For those wanting to help, its not as simple as going to the airport and giving cash or gift cards directly to TSA officers, who are prohibited from accepting gifts at screening locations, according to a DHS spokesperson.But Aaron Barker, president of the AFGE Local 554 in Georgia, said TSA officer unions dont have the same restrictions and can accept donations to distribute to their members. Barker recommends those who want to donate look up their local union district on the AFGE website, or give through their local labor council.For some people it can be life or death, said Barker. Its just sad and terrible that this is happening.Union members have told Barker theyre unable to cover utility bills or pay for their childrens medical procedures. Theyve received eviction notices or had cars repossessed. Theyre having trouble affording routine items, too.People dont think about the things they just naturally have in their home, like toothpaste, bathroom tissue, milk, detergent, dish liquid, he said. Im sure those things are a necessity for every TSA officer.Nonetheless, no donation can be as effective as an end to the shutdown. The first thing they want is their paycheck, said Barker. The money is the most immediate need. Coordination between nonprofits and TSAOperation Food Search is working closely with TSA to safely deliver food and set up a temporary pantry at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.The Missouri hunger relief nonprofits CEO said it is the first time theyve distributed directly to TSA employees where they work.It removes their need to make an extra trip and drive here, Kristen Wild said. So were really excited that the airport allowed us to directly serve right there.They gave away just over half their 400 prepared food bags during a 2-hour period earlier this week, according to Wild. Each bag contained just under $20 worth of nonperishables such as apple sauce, pasta, rice and beans. Rules prohibit federal employees from soliciting or accepting gifts or items of monetary value greater than $20 if the gift is related to their government position. Wild said she thought the $20 limit might be waived since they were distributing food through airport-approved channels.We didnt know for sure, Wild said. But to play it safe we just kept it right under the $20 per bag amount so there would be no challenge to it. Airport communities band togetherSeattle-Tacoma International Airport officials were fielding PETA donations and local food banks pallets on Friday afternoon as they stocked their private pantry for off-shift TSA staff.But theyve also seen dining vendors, usually tasked with feeding hungry travelers, step up. Airport tenants have offered discounts and donated through TSA to cover entire shifts meals, according to airport spokesperson Perry Cooper.You know a lot of these people, Cooper said. You see faces and that throughout the day as youre wandering through. And then to realize that some of these folks are here and theyre not getting paid, you know, really tugs at your heart to think whats a way that we can help.The airport communitys support adds to the roughly $6,000 theyve received in cash and gift cards plus another $10,000 worth of food and household products, Cooper said. That includes donations from the labor union for air traffic controllers, whose jobs are unimpacted by this partial shutdown but who understand the strain of working without pay from full government closures.More than 460 people picked up fresh produce when local nonprofit Food Lifeline brought a truckload last Friday, according to Cooper. Most of the attendees were TSA staff, Cooper said, though some people might have been homeless. Boxes including pineapples and broccoli lined folding tables along the airports main drive.Regular travelers like Musie Hidad said he thinks about the TSA agents working unpaid every time he enters through security.The work they are doing is serious and they arent getting paid for it, said Hidad, an Amarillo, Texas, resident, who was traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for work. My heart goes out to them.___AP video journalist Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos contributed to this report from Columbus, Ohio.___Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Gabriela covers philanthropys role in disaster resilience and recovery. She is based in San Diego, California. instagram mailto THALIA BEATY Beaty reports on philanthropy for The Associated Press and is based in New York. JAMES POLLARD Pollard covers philanthropy for The Associated Press with a focus on Gen Zs giving habits and technologys uses in charitable work. He is based in New York. twitter mailto

A sign hangs outside the director's office of the Alaska Division of Elections, Thursday, March 19. 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)2026-03-22T11:41:04Z JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) The tiny Alaska Native village of Beaver is about 40 minutes by plane from the nearest city. Its roughly 50 residents rely on weekday flights for mail and many of their basic supplies, from groceries to Amazon deliveries of everyday household items.Air service plays an outsize role in the nations most expansive state, where most communities rely on flights for year-round access. Planes also play a critical role in elections, getting voting materials and ballots to and from rural precincts such as Beaver and in delivering ballots for thousands of Alaskans who vote by mail some in places where in-person voting is not available.The vast distances and relative isolation of so many communities make Alaska unique and are why its residents have a significant interest in arguments taking place Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court. Many here worry that a case from Mississippi challenging whether ballots received after Election Day can be counted in federal elections could end Alaskas practice of accepting late-arriving ballots. Alaska counts ballots if they are postmarked by Election Day and received within 10 days, or 15 days for overseas voters in general elections. These processes have been in place for a long time just to ensure that our ballots are counted, said Rhonda Pitka, a poll worker and first chief in Beaver, which sits along the Yukon River 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Fairbanks.If the court decides ballots in all states must be received by Election Day, she said, Theyll be disenfranchising thousands of people thousands of people in these rural communities. Its just basically saying that their votes dont count, and thats a real shame. Some ballots already arrive late Alaska is one of 14 states that allow all mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive days or weeks later and be counted, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Voting Rights Lab. An additional 15 provide grace periods for military and overseas ballots.But Alaskas geography, weather and great distances between communities Alaska is more than twice the size of Texas, the nations second-largest state raise the stakes for voters. The unusual way the state counts its votes also makes a grace period important, advocates say.Under Alaskas ranked-choice system for general elections, workers in small rural precincts call in voters first choices to a regional election office. All ballots, however, ultimately are flown to the state Division of Elections in the capital, Juneau. There, the races not won outright are tabulated to determine a winner. Even with Alaskas current 10-day grace period, ballots from some villages in 2022 were not fully counted because of mail delays. They arrived too late for tabulations in Juneau, 15 days after Election Day.If the Supreme Court rules that ballots cannot be counted if they arrive at election offices after Election Day, scores of Alaska voters could be affected. About 50,000 Alaskans voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election. I think theres probably no other state where this ruling could have a more detrimental impact than ours, Alaskas senior U.S. senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski said in an interview.Murkowski sees the case a challenge by the Republican National Committee and others to Mississippis allowance of late-arriving ballots as an effort to end voting by mail nationwide.Seeing a level of voter intimidationThe RNC argues such grace periods improperly extend elections for federal office, but Mississippi responded that no voting occurs after Election Day only the delivery and counting of already completed ballots.The Supreme Court will hear arguments as the U.S. Senate is debating legislation being pushed by President Donald Trump that would require people to show proof-of-citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot.Taken together, Murkowski said such efforts could discourage people from voting.I think were seeing a level of voter intimidation, Ill just say it, she said. I feel very, very strongly that the effort that we should be making at the federal level is to do all that we can to make our elections accessible, fair and transparent for every lawful voter out there. Alaskas other congressional members, Rep. Nick Begich and Sen. Dan Sullivan, both Republican allies of Trump who are seeking reelection this year, support the SAVE America Act now before the Senate. But they also said they want to ensure that ballots properly cast on or before Election Day get counted.Well see what the courts choose to do on that issue, but I do think that we need to allow for time for ballots to come in from the rural parts of our state, Begich said during a recent visit to Juneau. Alaska officials highlight challenges to the courtA court filing in the Mississippi case by Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox and Solicitor General Jenna Lorence did not take sides but outlined geographic and logistical challenges to holding elections in Alaska.In Atqasuk, on Alaskas North Slope, poll workers counted votes on election night in 2024, tallies they would normally relay by phone to election division officials. But the filing said they could not get through and chose what they saw as the next best solution they placed the ballots and tally sheets into a secure package and mailed them to the Division, who did not receive them until nine days later.The filing seeks clarity from the Supreme Court, particularly around what it means for ballots to be received by Election Day.While it is clear when a ballot is cast, when certain ballots are actually received is open to different interpretations, especially given the connectivity challenges for Alaskas far-flung boroughs, Cox and Lorence wrote.Effect on Native votersLawyers with the Native American Rights Fund and Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center said in filings with the court that limited postal service in rural areas means that some ballots might not be postmarked until they reach Anchorage or Juneau, which can take days.In the 2022 general election, between 55% and 78% of absentee ballots from the state House districts spanning from the Aleutian Islands up the western coast to the vast North Slope arrived at an election office after Election Day, they wrote. Statewide, about 20% of all absentee ballots in that election were received after Election Day.Requiring ballots to be received by Election Day, they warned, would disproportionately disenfranchise Alaska Native voters. The lawyers represent the National Congress of American Indians, Native Vote Washington and the Alaska Federation of Natives. Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out the Native Vote, a nonpartisan voting rights advocacy group affiliated with the Alaska Federation of Natives, worries about creating confusion and fear among voters.She sees the case before the Supreme Court and the Republican SAVE Act as a multipronged attempt to take control or wrest control of elections away from states. Alaska, she said, already has enough inherent barriers for many voters.There is a minute record of election fraud not at the rate that requires this heavy-handed response through the legislature and the Supreme Court, she said. BECKY BOHRER Bohrer is a statehouse and political reporter based in Juneau, Alaska. twitter

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Migrant farmworkers head to pick crops on an early morning in Fresno, Calif., on July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)2026-03-22T12:00:07Z NEW YORK (AP) Almost two decades ago, legendary labor rights activist Dolores Huerta joined Mnica Ramrez at a Chicago event to promote the Bandana Project, a campaign Ramrez had launched to raise awareness about sexual violence against women farmworkers.Huerta spoke there about the need to educate women farmworkers about their rights and empower them to speak out about sexual exploitation that is both widespread and underreported among agricultural field workers. Little did anyone know at the time that Huerta herself had been sexually abused at the hands of icon Csar Chavez, who in 1962 co-founded the organization now known the United Farm Workers with Huerta.The allegations against Chavez by Huerta and other women and girls show that the culture of fear and intimidation that enables sexual abuse in agricultural fields had also for many years existed within top ranks of the male-dominated labor movement that fought for farmworker rights. At the same time, advocates like Ramrez say the decision by Huerta and other women to speak out first revealing their allegations to the New York Times is a powerful sign that things have changed since Chavezs time. In the three decades since Chavez died in 1993, the network of grassroots organizations led by women farmworkers has grown, pushing for federal and state investigations into sexual abuse on farms and laws mandating sexual harassment training, as well as securing commitments from growers and produce buyers to adopt policies for women, among other gains. To Ramrez, Chavezs alleged abuse feels like a betrayal because she and other advocates admired him and credited him with inspiring the movement that galvanized their own organizing efforts. But his shattered legacy does not erase the gains women farmworkers and advocates have made on their own. It feels a little bit bewildering because so many of us have grown up looking up to Csar Chavez, said Ramrez, founder and president of the advocacy group Justice for Migrant Women whose own parents were migrant farmworkers in Ohio. But we have to remind each other that this is a long-standing movement that is made of many, many people, including women leaders. Stepped-up enforcementSome 25% of the countrys more than 1 million hired farm workers are women, according to government figures, although estimates on the population of agricultural workers vary. The prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse is difficult to quantify because it often goes unreported, but in field surveys conducted by groups Human Rights Watch, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the University of California-Santa Cruz, some 80% or more of women crop workers have reported some form of sexual harassment.A watershed moment in building awareness came in 1999 when the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces anti-discrimination laws in the workplace, won a $1.85 million settlement against a major U.S. lettuce grower on behalf a California worker who was subjected to sexual advances by her managers and fired when she complained. That case grew out of years of outreach efforts by EEOC investigator Bill Tamayo to farmworker labor groups, including Lderes Campesinas, a women-led group that had been organizing for years. Women described sexual abuse so prevalent that they often spoke of fields of panties because of what they had to do to get and keep their jobs. Tamayo, who discussed his work in the 2013 PBS documentary Rape in the Fields that helped draw attention to the issue, said Lderes Campesinas and other grassroots groups became the EEOCs eyes and ears in the efforts to educate workers about their rights and file complaints. Since then, the EEOC has secured millions more in compensation from farmworkers who have reported sexual harassment or abuse.Lderes Campesinas, which grew out of a Coachella Valley group that once advocated for a local elementary school to be named after Chavez, said its members are heartbroken for the survivors of abuse but that the pursuit of social justice never was, nor ever will be attributed to one individual. Gains won and some lostIts hard to say how much sexual violence against women farmworkers has eased as a result of government enforcement and growing outreach and educational efforts. Fear, isolation in the fields, language barriers, and immigration status continue to make farmworkers particularly vulnerable to exploitation. More than 40% of agricultural workers had no work authorization between 2020 and 2022, according to government estimates, and many are in the country on H2-A visas that are tied to their employment, increasing their fear of dismissal and deportation if they speak out. Darlene Tenes, executive director of Farmworker Caravan, an advocacy group in California, said that during meetings, majorities of women still report being victims of sexual abuse, and that the Trump administrations immigration crackdown has forced them to cancel education conferences and try to visit communities directly to quietly provide resources. Still, in regions where the most robust legal protections and protective programs have been put into place, women farmworkers say things have started to improve. Nelly Rodriguez said sexual abuse was bread and butter when she worked the fields decades ago, but she didnt fully understand her rights until she joined the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which runs the Fair Food Program, a partnership with major produce buyers including Walmart and McDonalds that pledge to source food from growers who have entered into a legally binding agreement to abide by a code of conduct. That code of conduct includes sexual harassment training and a system for investigating complaints and holding perpetrators accountable. It also requires erecting moveable bathrooms near fields a game changer for women who often are forced to accept rides from managers to faraway bathrooms and assaulted on the way, Rodriguez said.Breaking the tabooFor many women advocates, the biggest difference has been breaking the taboo in farm worker communities about even speaking about sexual abuse. Maria Ines Catalan, who worked packing broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce in Monterey, California from 1988 to 1994, said it was a time of significant improvements for farmworkers who gained regulatory guarantees such as water and bathroom breaks. But nothing was ever said about the sexual abuse Catalan said was routine and that she herself endured, remembering how foremen in packing machines would pass by women in small spaces, touch them and call it an accident.You had to stay quiet, she said.That has changed.That is precisely what nonprofit organizations are currently doing: providing information, making farmworkers aware of their rights, and offering referrals letting them know that they can now speak out, Catalan said. In her statement saying that Chavez raped her in the 1960s, Huerta, now 96 years old, said she kept her secret for so long because she feared that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement but today, she understands that she is a survivor of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University, said the allegations against Chavez are a reminder that the labor movement is not immune to abuses of power and for her, it was especially painful that Huerta had to keep that secret for that long so that she could keep her respectability within the movement. You cannot expect the victim to be the one that holds the person accountable, because it takes a lot of personal courage, Campos-Medina said. I can imagine when she was trying to co-create this union with him, how much it would have cost her to speak up.Momentum grows after #MeTooWhen Ramrez first started her legal advocacy work in Florida in 2003, she said both men and women in the movement dismissed allegations of sexual abuse as gossip or insisted that with limited resources, they need to focus on bigger issues that affected the majority of workers.But by the time the #MeToo movement erupted globally in 2017, farmworker women had been speaking out for years, albeit with much less notice. Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, a national organization that Ramrez co-led at the time, wrote an open letter of solidarity with Hollywood women that went viral and further thrust the plight of farmworker women into the national spotlight. The Dear Sisters letter, as it is known, and the longstanding efforts by women-led farmworker groups, were a key driver behind the TIMES UP Legal Defense Fund, which provides legal aid to low-income women who are victims of sexual harassment and abuse, said Jennifer Mondino, the director of the fund, run by the National Womens Law Center. Mily Trevio-Sauceda, a former farmworker and executive director of the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, said she was angry when she heard about the allegations against Chavez. It made her think about her own experiences with sexual harassment and the countless stories shes heard from other women the last three decades working on this issue and the backlash she and other advocates have received.Weve been accused of so many different things and that has not stopped us, she said. Ramrez said she believes the #MeToo movement helped give victims, including Huerta, the language to be able to speak about abuse.Do I think its still a widespread problem? Yes. Do I think that there are many survivors who do not feel like they can come forward? Yes, she said. But farmworker women have exerted their power and shown their leadership on this issue, and I dont want that to get lost. ______The Associated Press women in the workforce coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. ALEXANDRA OLSON Olson is a business reporter for The Associated Press, focusing on women in the workplace. She has spent many years as a correspondent in Latin America. twitter mailto DORANY PINEDA Pineda writes about water, climate and the environment in Latino communities across the U.S. twitter CLAIRE SAVAGE Savage is a national reporter for the APs Business team. She covers women in the workforce and is based in Chicago. twitter instagram mailto

People line up as they wait to cast their ballot during the second round of France's municipal elections in Paris, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)2026-03-22T07:20:31Z PARIS (AP) French voters returned to the polls Sunday for the second and final round of municipal elections in over 1,500 communes. The vote is a test of the balance of power on Frances local political map before the 2027 presidential race begins to take shape. It is also a measure of whether the far right can convert national momentum into control of major cities, where it has often struggled to break through.The most closely watched contests are concentrated in major cities after a first round that left Frances traditional left and right competitive, the far right strongly placed in several urban races, and President Emmanuel Macron s Renaissance movement keeping a low profile in many of the most closely watched races.After days of mergers, withdrawals and tactical deals between lists, three-way races remain common in the runoff. Paris is one of the biggest prizes. Emmanuel Grgoire, heading a united left and green list, finished first in the opening round with 37.98% of the vote, ahead of conservative Rachida Dati on 25.46%, while La France Insoumise candidate Sophia Chikirou stayed in the race, setting up a volatile contest. At a polling station in Paris, some voters said turnout itself could prove decisive. When things are a bit tense between two candidates, its abstention that can make the difference, said Loc Fvrier, 51, a Paris resident. If we ever lose this right to vote, it will be very, very hard to get it back. Marseille is another marquee battle, where incumbent left-wing Mayor Benot Payan led with 36.70%, only narrowly ahead of far-right candidate Franck Allisio on 35.02%, with Martine Vassal of the right also still in play.In Lyon, the runoff is shaping up as a direct duel after ecologist incumbent Grgory Doucet took 37.36% in the first round, just ahead of centrist challenger Jean-Michel Aulas on 36.78%. Toulouse will test the appeal of LFI in a large city after Franois Piquemal joined forces with the broader left to try to unseat conservative Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc, who led the first round with 37.23%.Other large-city contests will also be watched closely. In Nice, Eric Ciotti led the first round with 43.43%, ahead of Christian Estrosi on 30.92%, highlighting a split on the right between Estrosis more mainstream conservative camp and Ciotti, who is aligned with the far right.In Nantes, Socialist Mayor Johanna Rolland starts the runoff ahead of her right-wing challenger, while Bordeaux remains open after incumbent Pierre Hurmic topped a fragmented field.The mood around the vote in Paris mixed familiarity with unease. Ive never seen very quiet elections, said Valrie Pollet, 64. Verbal violence, we are used to it ... but when I look at what happens in the U.S., I think here its quiet in comparison.Others linked Sundays vote to a darker international backdrop and to the presidential race looming next year. We have war in Ukraine, war in Gaza, war in the Middle East, said Elena Van Langhenhoven, 81. And France, will it see a major shift next year, in the presidential elections? Its horrendous.___Associated Press journalist Alex Turnbull contributed to this report. THOMAS ADAMSON Adamson is a foreign reporter based in Paris for The Associated Press. He covers European politics, culture and style. He has reported across the continent in an over two-decade career. twitter mailto

Members of the electoral commission handle ballots at a sports hall turned polling station for early vote in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)2026-03-22T04:08:40Z LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) Voters in Slovenia headed to the polls on Sunday in a highly contested parliamentary election that pits the governing liberals against right-wing populists in a vote that will decide whether the small European Union nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right. The race is expected to be tight and follows a campaign rocked by allegations of foreign interference that stunned the traditionally moderate EU country.The vote comes down to two main players: Prime Minister Robert Golobs Freedom Movement and the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party, or SDS, led by three-time premier Janez Jansa, a populist-style politician and an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump. Who wins will resonate wider in the 27-member EU bloc. Golobs government has been a strong liberal voice in the bloc while a victory of Jansa also a close ally of nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn would strengthen Europes surging populist groups. Although Slovenia is a small Balkan country, the elections taking place there could be seen as another sign of the rise of illiberal tendencies in Europe, Helen Levy, a researcher at the Robert Schuman Foundation, wrote in an analysis last month.Slovenian sociologist Samo Uhan told The Associated Press that the biggest differences between the government and the opposition are reflected in their understanding of global developments. Slovenias top two parties have been running neck and neck in recent polls and analysts predict that no party would have a clear majority in the 90-member parliament, which would turn smaller parties into kingmakers. The outcome is completely uncertain, which is nothing unusual for Slovenia as the electorate has always been polarized, Uhan said. Further whipping up the divisions have been claims, first made by a group of activists and journalists, that a string of secret video recordings showing alleged, government-tied corruption, aimed to sway the voters. The allegations further claimed Jansas party and a private, foreign agency were linked to the recordings, based on gathered intelligence. Jansa has acknowledged having contacts with a Black Cube adviser, but denied the allegations of election interference. An investigation by authorities so far has said that representatives of the private Black Cube intelligence agency visited Slovenia four times in the past several months, including a street in the capital, Ljubljana, that hosts Jansas party headquarters. Speaking to reporters at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, Golob urged an EU investigation. It is so important not to act now on behalf of Slovenia, but to act now to protect every other state that will come into election process in the next months, Golob said. I am absolutely confident that Slovenian voters will be able to recognize that foreign interference is something that shall never be allowed.Black Cube didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.The company, run by two former Israeli intelligence agents, has been involved in a number of controversies over the years, including an undercover operation on behalf of the film mogul Harvey Weinstein to discredit his accusers. It has said that all of its activities are legal and ethical. Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on media freedoms and undermining the rule of law in Slovenia during his latest term in office in 2020-22. He has lashed out at Golobs government as a crime syndicate and pledged to take back a captured state. A former energy company manager, 59-year-old Golob and his party were seen back in 2022 as a new hope for disillusioned voters. The government, however, has since been shaken by a series of reshuffles, problems with health care reform and frequent changes in tax policy that reflected an air of inconsistency. Internationally, Golobs government has taken a strongly pro-Palestinian stance, recognizing a Palestinian state in 2024 and banning top Israeli officials from entry. Jansa, on the other hand, is pro-Israel and has strongly criticized Palestinian recognition. Slovenia routinely has switched between the two blocks since it broke away from the former, Communist-run Yugoslavia in 1991. The Alpine nation of 2 million people became a member of NATO and the EU in 2004.___Associated Press writers Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia; Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

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