What did we learn in Week 1 and how did it affect our top 25?

China will mark Japans defeat in World War II with a parade of missiles, soldiers and leaders like Kim Jong-un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin of Russia.

After losing in the fourth round of the US Open for the second year in a row, this time to Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff said, "I am not going to let this crush me."

Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Oregon's Dan Lanning traded barbs Monday after Gundy called attention to the Ducks' sizable budget.

TCU spoiled Bill Belichick's college coaching debut by rolling past North Carolina 48-14 on Monday night.

One bet to make after our first look at the ACC's top contenders, including Miami, Clemson and Florida State.

What happened to Arch Manning? And Clemson?? And Alabama??? We jump to some way-too-early conclusions.

Beijing has run out of patience with companies slashing prices, and is urging restraint. But fierce competition is also producing a surge of innovation.

A European titleholder as well, he twice went the distance with Ali and once with Joe Frazier, losing those bouts but gaining respect.

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2025-09-02T05:16:27Z CAIRO (AP) A landslide wiped out a village in Sudan s western region of Darfur, killing an estimated 1,000 people in one of the deadliest natural disasters in the African countrys recent history, a rebel group controlling the area said late Monday.The tragedy happened Sunday in the village of Tarasin in Central Darfurs Marrah Mountains after days of heavy rainfall in late August, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army said in a statement.Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived, the statement read.The village was completely leveled to the ground, the group said, appealing to the U.N. and international aid groups for help to recover the bodies.Footage shared by the Marrah Mountains news outlet showed a flattened area between mountain ranges with a group of people searching the area. The tragedy came as a devastating civil war has engulfed Sudan after tensions between the countrys military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into open fighting in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere in the country. Most of the Darfur region, including the Marrah Mountains, has become mostly inaccessible for the U.N. and aid groups given crippling restrictions and fighting between Sudans military and the RSF.The Sudan Liberation Movement-Army, centered in the Marrah Mountains area, is one of multiple rebel groups active in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. It hasnt taken sides in the war. The Marrah Mountains are a rugged volcanic chain extending for 160 kilometers (100 miles) southwest of el-Fasher, an epicenter of fighting between the military and the RSF. The area has turned into a hub for displaced families fleeing fighting in and around el-Fasher.The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, forced more than 14 millions to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine swept parts of the country. It has been marked by gross atrocities including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the United Nations and rights groups. The International Criminal Court said it was investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.The village of Tarasin is located in the central Marrah Mountains, a volcanic area with a height of more than 3,000 meters at its summit. A world heritage site, the mountain chain is known for its lower temperature and higher rainfall than surrounding areas, according to UNICEF. Its located more than 900 kilometers (560 miles) west of the capital city of Khartoum.Sundays landslide was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Sudans recent history. Hundreds of people die every year in seasonal rains that run from July to October. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum raises her fist at the end of her first state-of-the-nation address at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)2025-09-01T19:25:09Z MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated her governments handling of its tumultuous relations with the Trump administration, progressive gains and controversial judicial reforms in her first state of the nation address Monday.Sheinbaum, who is nearing the end of her first year in office, notably left out some of the major problems still simmering in Mexico, including ongoing cartel violence plaguing much of the country and democratic concerns over wider concentration of executive power.Mexicos first female president took office in October and has led the Latin American nation of 131 million at a time of radical global shifts. Despite that, the 63-year-old progressive leader has enjoyed soaring approval rates between 70% and 80% in Mexican polls. Things are going well, and theyre only going to get better, she promised.Here are some of the top takeaways from Sheinbaums State of the Nation address. Navigating the Trump eraChief among Sheinbaums challenges has been navigating Mexicos inextricable political and economic relationship with the United States as President Donald Trump has doled out tariffs globally and pressured allies into making concessions. Sheinbaum has been able to dodge the brunt of Trumps tariffs by going after Mexican cartels and their fentanyl production more aggressively than her predecessor. In recent months, the government has delivered dozens of cartel figures long wanted by U.S. authorities to the Trump administration.At the same time, her administration has insisted that the Trump administration respect Mexican sovereignty, and has rejected talk of potential American military action against cartels in Mexican territory. Under no circumstance will we accept interventions, interference, or any other act from abroad that is detrimental to the integrity, independence, and sovereignty of the country, she said. On Monday, a day before Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to visit to discuss security issues, Sheinbaum said the governments share a relationship of mutual trust, respect for sovereignty and territoriality, and cooperation without subordination.Just weeks earlier, however, Trump told press: Mexico does what we tell them to do. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum delivers her first state-of-the-nation address at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum delivers her first state-of-the-nation address at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Drop in poverty and social programsThe president also highlighted major progressive gains made by her government and by her predecessor and ally, ex-President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador. Government data released last month showed that more than 8.3 million people in Mexico were pulled out of poverty between 2022 and 2024, something experts said was due in large part to social programs and the government raising the minimum wage. Direct money transfers ranging from scholarships to payments to Mexicos elderly have also gone to around 32 million families, about a quarter of the countrys population, Sheinbaum said.This is the most ambitious social plan in Mexicos history, she said.Carrying the legacy of AMLO Sheinbaum spent much of the speech explaining how she was carrying the legacy of her predecessor, a promise that got Sheinbaum elected last year, and underscoring the countrys strong economy. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum raises her fist at the end of her first state-of-the-nation address at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum raises her fist at the end of her first state-of-the-nation address at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The president listed a slew of construction projects in the works, including the continuation of Lpez Obradors crown jewel project, the Maya Train.Despite wider global economic uncertainty, she highlighted a strong economy in Mexico, including growing investment and a strong peso.She also nodded to a newly elected Supreme Court set to take office later Monday after Sheinbaum and Lpez Obradors Morena party overhauled the judicial system last year. She called it a profoundly democratic event. The judicial reform, which has judges elected, fueled concerns of democratic decay.Avoiding cartels and democratic concernsThe problems Mexico continues to wrestle with were notably absent from Sheinbaums speech.While she mentioned dipping homicide rates, she largely didnt comment on what most Mexicans see as their countrys main problem: cartel violence.Despite promises from Lpez Obrador that his social programs would dip conflict in the Latin American nation, violence in much of Mexico has only continued to rage on. Cartel warfare has fueled bloodshed in Sinaloa, as dead bodies pop up on the streets every morning and nearly 130,000 Mexicans remain missing. Sheinbaum also made little mention of wider democratic concerns attached to Mexicos judicial reform, which was jammed through by Morena last year, and set the stage for judicial elections in June. Critics warned that by popularly electing judges, the party was dealing a blow to checks and balances, by making it easier to get allies on top courts. The majority of those slated to take control of Mexicos Supreme Court on Monday are members or former members of the Morena party.The era of nepotism, corruption and privilege is over, and a new era of legality and justice for all is beginning, Sheinbaum said.Later Monday, Mexico introduced the new court. Hugo Aguilar, a lawyer who spent much of his career defending Indigenous rights, said during a ceremony that as the courts president he will work to give justice to those who have been excluded from the judicial apparatus. MEGAN JANETSKY Megan Janetsky covers migration, conflict, human rights and politics in Mexico and Central America for The AP based in Mexico City. Previously, she covered Cuba and the Caribbean for The AP and worked as freelance journalist in Colombia, reporting across South America. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Joe Deitch, chairman of the Elevate Prize Foundation, left, and Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation, speak in Miami Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin, File)2025-09-02T04:01:57Z MIAMI (AP) Cindy Eggleton has always believed in the power of a story.But the CEO and co-founder of Brilliant Cities, a Detroit-based early childhood development nonprofit that supports learning in underserved communities, never expected someone to tell hers. And definitely not in a sleek documentary with a slick soundtrack and plenty of images of other Detroit institutions, such as General Motors, Diana Ross, and the historic Fox Theatre.Its never been about me, said Eggleton, adding that participating in the Nevertheless: The Women Changing the World documentary series on YouTube was her way of honoring her late mother, Geraldine, who inspired her to speak out and help others in their community.However, as they face an increasingly uncertain funding landscape, nonprofits are focusing more on storytelling in outreach to donors both big and small and raising production values for videos and podcasts. Storytelling is how were able to draw people in and get them to connect to a deeper truth about themselves or about the world or a problem that needs to be solved, said Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina Jayaram Garcia. Its connecting those issues back to you as a human and not saying, Well, thats their problem. Thats all the way over there. The story allows it to be human. Elevate Prize Foundation launches its own documentary studioThe foundation launched the production house Elevate Studios earlier this year to tell more of those stories, Jayaram Garcia said. Nevertheless: The Women Changing the World, Elevate Studios first series, has already generated more than 3 million views on YouTube and will debut its second season in the summer of 2026.Its been incredible to see the growth weve had on YouTube and how its resonated so quickly with so many people, Jayaram Garcia said. We know were on to something here.Philanthropic support of storytelling has been ongoing for decades, mostly through donors funding documentary projects. Open Society Foundations created the Soros Documentary Fund in 1996 before the Sundance Institute took it over in 2002, with the George Soros-backed nonprofits continued monetary support. The Ford Foundation formalized its funding plans in 2011, creating its JustFilms program that still supports 25-30 documentary films annually. Earlier this month, Firelight Media, a New York-based nonprofit supporting documentary filmmakers of color, launched the Firelight Fund, which will offer directors $50,000 grants for their projects. But Lance Gould, founder and CEO of media strategy firm Brooklyn Story Lab, says what Elevate Prize Foundation and others are doing is different. He says it reflects both technological improvements that have lowered the cost of documentary storytelling and the rise of social media, which allows nonprofits to interact with donors directly.Being able to tell your story well is paramount, said Gould, whose firm works with nonprofits to help them produce their own story-driven content. But storytelling is not only about reaching viewers, its also about having the right message for the right viewers. He suggests that nonprofits connect their work to larger initiatives like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals an ambitious list of 17 efforts from eliminating extreme poverty and hunger to guaranteeing every child a quality secondary education by 2030 to attract more attention and support.How storytelling can strengthen connectionGould, who was previously executive editor of The Huffington Post and editor in chief of The Boston Phoenix, said everyone can be their own media company at this point.Thats a point Nicole Bronzan, vice president of communications and content for the Council on Foundations, hopes is not lost in the push for more storytelling.We dont want people to feel that they have to make big technological investments in order to tell better stories, Bronzan said. We wouldnt want anyone to feel like they have to have a big fancy studio, but certainly the news that folks are investing in storytelling is great for us and for the whole sector. In a Council on Foundations report released last year, A New Voice for Philanthropy: How Deeper Stories and Clearer Language Can Build Trust, researchers, including Bronzan, reported that people had positive attitudes toward foundations, but most didnt really understand how foundations worked. Bronzan said stories that provide more transparency about how donations are used and how those decisions are made help connect people to a nonprofit and its work.If youre telling those stories, she said, I can only imagine that people will be more inclined to open up their pocketbooks and say, Oh, OK, these are causes that need my support.Documentary sparks donationsSo far, that has been the case for Brilliant Cities, which saw an increase in donations after Eggletons episode debuted on YouTube.We have a funder who wants to increase his gift from $7,000 to $100,000, said Eggleton, whose nonprofit turns a neighborhoods vacant homes into community centers with family services ranging from tutoring to mental health support groups. She said new donors have also reached out. Its kind of incredible. Though Brilliant Cities doesnt rely on federal funding for its services, Eggleton said government aid cuts have made a tough funding environment even tougher because the competition for non-governmental donations becomes even tougher.Everybodys being told whats being taken away, she said. People are pulling at grant officers and individuals with stock market gains. I think its more than the funding, though. I think its about really recognizing how the world already feels so disconnected and now feels even more so.Storytelling, Eggleton said, helps reduce that. By focusing on female changemakers, Elevate Studios makes an even stronger point, she said, adding shes been quoting Spanish poet Antonio Machado There is no path/We make the path by walking as she explains the power of the series.This is the time that we really do need to figure out how we build empathy through stories and not necessarily saying, Youre wrong or youre right, she said. You just show the world what can be and what should be._____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. GLENN GAMBOA Gamboa edits philanthropy coverage for The Associated Press and writes about nonprofits, giving and volunteerism. He is based in Cleveland. twitter mailto

The First Nations actor, who appeared in Dances With Wolves and other Hollywood blockbusters, remained active in Canadian film, theater and television.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in pre-contract agreement for Marc Guhi.

Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza Strip move with their belongings along the Sea Road, in Gaza City, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-09-02T08:50:05Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists on Tuesday as part of its plan to widen its offensive in Gaza City, which has sparked opposition domestically and condemnation abroad.The beginning of September call-up, announced last month, comes as ground and air forces press forward and pursue more targets in northern and central Gaza, striking parts of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah two western Gaza City neighborhoods that Israeli forces have repeatedly invaded during the 23-month war against Hamas militants.Zeitoun, once Gaza Citys largest neighborhood with markets, schools and clinics, has been transformed over the past month, with streets being emptied and buildings reduced to rubble as it becomes what Israels military last week called a dangerous combat zone.Gaza City is Hamas political and military stronghold and, according to Israel, still home to a vast tunnel network despite multiple incursions throughout the war. It is also one of the last refuges in the northern strip, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are sheltering, facing twin threats of combat and famine. The reservist call-up will be gradual and include 60,000, Israels military said last month. It will also extend the service of an additional 20,000 already on active duty. Since the worlds leading authority on food crises declared last month that Gaza City was experiencing famine, malnutrition-related deaths have mounted. Gazas Health Ministry said on Tuesday that a total of 185 people died of malnutrition in August marking the highest count in months. A total of 63,557 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the ministry, which says another 160,660 people have been wounded. The ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but staffed by medical professionals. U.N. agencies and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of war casualties. Israel disputes them, but hasnt provided its own toll.The war started with an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, on southern Israel in which Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage. Forty-eight hostages are still inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.___Metz reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.___Follow AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAM METZ Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02756-8Textbooks give strange, imprecise explanations of where things happen in quantum mechanics. Consistency with gravity needs a fresh approach.

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02795-1Veterinarians need to be part of West Nile disease storytelling

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02797-zInclude climate impacts when protecting infrastructure

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02794-2Chinas chikungunya virus outbreak is a wake up call

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02796-0AI-agent ethics should consider sentient non-human animals

by Richard A. Webster, Verite News ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. When a source first told me about the case of Lloyd Gray in late 2024, I jotted down these notes: two Black jurors, a swastika and Gov. Jeff Landry. That was an oversimplification of a deeply troubling issue, but it also got to the heart of a story published this week by ProPublica and Verite News that haunts Louisiana and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.Gray was just 19 in 1980 when he was tried in a New Orleans courtroom on a charge of aggravated rape. After one day of testimony, the jury returned with a 10-2 split verdict. The 10 white jurors voted guilty and the only two Black jurors not guilty. If youre a regular consumer of courtroom dramas, you might think a split verdict would mean a mistrial, and today it would. But back then in Louisiana, where nonunanimous juries were legal, it resulted in a life sentence for Gray.Covering the criminal justice system in Louisiana often means familiarizing myself with things people in other parts of the country might find shocking. For instance, many might be surprised to learn that here, for more than 120 years, the state allowed people like Gray to be sent to prison for life even though two jurors voted not guilty. The only other state to do the same was Oregon.In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the practice was unconstitutional and based on an inherently racist law meant to uphold white supremacy, but the decision only applied in cases going forward; the court left the decision about what to do with those convicted long ago to the states. Louisiana refused to reconsider the convictions of more than 1,000 mostly Black men sent to prison for lengthy sentences by those split-jury verdicts.Reporting here can often be a surreal experience. Even when you think youve reached a level of cynicism that cant be breached, something new comes along that shocks your system. For me, that was the swastika. While Grays former attorney was explaining the ins and outs of his case to me, he mentioned that at some point, someone had drawn the Nazi hate symbol on the cover of Grays case file. And sure enough, when Grays attorneys sent me the cover page of his file, there it was, in the upper right corner: a small doodle of a swastika.It was hard to contemplate how, even as recently as the 1980s, someone would feel comfortable enough to draw such a disgraceful thing on a government document without fear of repercussion. The district attorneys office does not dispute its existence or that a staff member might have drawn it, but it doesnt know who or when. A doodle of a swastika on the upper right corner of the cover of Grays file (Obtained by ProPublica and Verite News. Highlight added by ProPublica.) The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections denied our request to interview Gray, either by phone or in person, so the only way to communicate with him for the story was via his attorneys. I provided them with questions, and they relayed his responses.I wanted to know what his life was like before that fateful night in 1980 when he was accused of rape. He described a happy childhood, saying: The beauty of it is we were loved. Me and my sister, my brother, we were loved. But he also recalled witnessing his mothers mistreatment at a gas station at a young age. It opened my eyes to racism at its finest, Gray said.Grays attorneys contend that the swastika, along with the two Black jurors voting to acquit, among other issues, proves that his prosecution was tainted by racial bias and should be enough to, at the very least, reconsider Grays sentence.At one point, the New Orleans District Attorneys Office appeared to agree and proposed a plea deal that would allow for Grays release. In Oregon, after the Supreme Courts 2020 ruling, the state vacated the sentences of everyone convicted by a nonunanimous jury, after which prosecutors offered plea deals with reduced sentences that allowed many to walk free.But again, this is Louisiana. Unlike Oregon, the state Supreme Court decided not to vacate old split-jury convictions and left it to the Legislature to deal with the issue. In turn, lawmakers, backed by Landry, shut off all paths to freedom for people like Gray. They not only shot down legislation allowing for older split-jury verdicts to be reexamined, they passed a bill gutting the ability of prosecutors to offer plea deals. (The Landry administration did not respond to requests for comment.)The impact of this law played out in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in late August when the district attorneys office told Judge Robin Pittman that the new law prevented it from waiving a missed filing deadline by Gray and, as a result, it couldnt broker a deal. Pittman set a new hearing for Oct. 30 at which she will decide if Grays case, in which he asked for his sentence to be reconsidered, can move forward.When youre sent to prison with a life sentence, they send you here to die, Gray told me through his attorneys. After 45 years, Im no closer to freedom than the day I walked into this place.

If Democrats gerrymander California, they will lose the moral high ground.

The U.S. and China must agree on a trust architecture for A.I. devices, or else rogue entities will destabilize these two superpower nations long before they get around to fighting a war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands ahead of their meeting at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-09-02T04:38:33Z BEIJING (AP) Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin as an old friend as the two held a series of meetings Tuesday at a time when their countries face both overlapping and differing challenges from the United States. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. U.S. President Donald Trumps unorthodox approach to the war has added a twist to the relationship but doesnt appear to have fundamentally changed it.Putin addressed Xi as dear friend and said that Moscows ties with Beijing are at an unprecedentedly high level. In a sign of the importance China places on the relationship, their formal meeting was followed by tea with top aides at Zhongnanhai, the walled complex that is the center of power in China with residences and offices for its top leaders. China announced after the talks that it would begin offering 30-day visa-free access to Russian travelers starting later this month.The talks come the day after both attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the nearby Chinese city of Tianjin, and the day before a grand Chinese military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Stay up to date with similar stories by signing up to our WhatsApp channel. The Soviet Union was neutral for much of the war in Asia, but provided assistance to China in earlier fighting against invading Japanese forces in the 1930s. It also declared war on Japan in the waning days of World War II and sent troops over the border into Japanese-occupied northeastern China. Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks at the beginning of a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, at The Great Hall of the Peoplein Beijing Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Pool Photo via AP) Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks at the beginning of a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, at The Great Hall of the Peoplein Beijing Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Pool Photo via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More We were always together then, we remain together now, Putin said. China says it is neutral in the Ukraine war but has provided an economic lifeline to Russia by continuing trade despite Western sanctions.A memorandum was signed to build another natural gas pipeline to China, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said in Beijing, according to Russias Interfax news agency. The Russian state gas company also signed agreements with a Chinese state energy company to increase deliveries via existing routes, the news agency said.The U.S. and the European Union have also put sanctions on Chinese companies that they say have abetted Russias military industry.China and Russia face the same problem and must work together to jointly cope with the pressure from the U.S., said Li Xin, the director of the Institute of European and Asian Studies at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.China is also one of the main targets of Trumps taxes on imports, though he has backed down from what was an escalating tariff war and his administration has begun negotiations with Beijing on a trade deal.The summit of the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization brought Xi and Putin together with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held separate talks with both leaders on the sidelines of the Tianjin meeting.U.S. President Donald Trumps steep tariffs on India and the tone coming from the White House have pushed New Delhi closer to China and Russia, though Modi will not attend Chinas military parade. Xi has tried to position China as a leader of countries that feel disadvantaged by the U.S.-dominated, post-World War II order. At the Shanghai Cooperation summit and again in his meetings with Putin, he proposed an initiative to build a more just and equitable global governance system. China doesnt want to overturn the global order but change it so it better serves its interests, Li said.China and Russia do not yet have the power to change the world order but they are constantly pushing for reforms that benefit them, he said.Putin and Xi held a three-way meeting with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa ahead of their talks. His landlocked country of grasslands and mineral resources is sandwiched between the two giants.Putin said in opening remarks that the three countries are good neighbors, with a shared interest in developing ties.In 2024, Putin made an official visit to Mongolia, where the government ignored calls to arrest him on an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes stemming from the invasion of Ukraine.___Associated Press writer Huizhong Wu and researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report. KEN MORITSUGU Moritsugu covers political, economic and social issues from Beijing for The Associated Press. He has also reported from New Delhi, Bangkok and Tokyo and is the APs former news director for Greater China and for Japan and the Koreas. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Luis Sanchez, center, sits with other Venezuelan migrants on a boat leaving Gardi Sugdub on Panama's Caribbean coast, Feb. 23, 2025, after giving up hopes of reaching the U.S. while in southern Mexico amid President Trump's crackdown on migration. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)2025-08-29T14:01:15Z MEXICO CITY (AP) More than 14,000 mainly Venezuelan migrants who hoped to reach the United States have reversed course and turned south since U.S. President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown began, according to a report published Friday by the governments of Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. The phenomenon, known as reverse flow migration, is largely made up of Venezuelan migrants who fled their countrys long-running economic, social and political crises only to encounter U.S. immigration policy no longer open to asylum-seekers.Migration through the treacherous Darien Gap on the border of Colombia and Panama peaked in 2023 when more than half a million migrants crossed. That flow slowed somewhat in 2024, but dried up almost completely early this year. Fridays report, published with support of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that northward migration had dropped 97% this year. Migrants traveling south interviewed in Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia by those countries ombudsmen offices were almost all Venezuelans (97%) and about half of them said they planned to return to Venezuela, according to the report. Nearly all said they were returning because they could no longer legally reach the U.S. Since 2017, around 8 million people have fled the crisis in Venezuela. For years, those migrants flocked to other South American nations, including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and more. That changed in 2021, when hundreds of thousands of people set out for the U.S., braving the Darien Gap along the way. A U.S. government smartphone app became the main way for asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. under the Biden administration. Then thousands of migrants became stranded in Mexico when Trump ended the use of the app on his first day in office. A boat transporting migrants departs the Caribbean coastal village of Miramar, Panama, for the Colombian border, Feb. 27, 2025, as migrants return from southern Mexico after abandoning hopes of reaching the U.S. in a reverse flow triggered by the Trump administrations immigration crackdown. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File) A boat transporting migrants departs the Caribbean coastal village of Miramar, Panama, for the Colombian border, Feb. 27, 2025, as migrants return from southern Mexico after abandoning hopes of reaching the U.S. in a reverse flow triggered by the Trump administrations immigration crackdown. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Now, those migrants who were still trying to reach the U.S. when Trump entered and changed border policies have reversed course, traveling back to South America. Around a quarter of those interviewed planned to go to neighboring Colombia, previously the epicenter of the mass migration from Venezuela. Others said they didnt know where they were going.Colombia and other South American nations spent years pleading for aid from the international community to cope with the brunt of Venezuelas migratory crisis, before many of those same migrants began moving toward the United States. Today, Venezuelas political and economic turmoil rages on. Migrants, most of whom trekked days across the Darien Gap on their way north, are even more vulnerable as they make their way back. They have fewer funds to finance their journey and few prospects for work when they get back. Migrants are dropped into regions with a heavy presence of criminal groups that increasingly prey upon them, the report said.Most of these people are already victims of human rights abuses, Scott Campbell, a U.N. human rights representative in Colombia, said in a statement. We urge authorities to aid people in this reverse migration to prevent them from being exploited or falling into trafficking networks run by illegal armed groups. The shift marks a radical reversal in one of the biggest mass migrations in the world. Migrants bus south through Mexico and other Central American nations until they arrive in the center of Panama. From there, migrants pay between $260 and $280 to ride on precarious boats packed with people back to Colombia. They take two different routes. Most island hop north of Panama through the Caribbean Sea, landing in the small town of Necocli, Colombia, where many started their journeys through the Darien.Others travel south by sea along a jungled swath of Panama and Colombia through the Pacific Ocean, where they are dropped off in remote towns or the Colombian city of Buenaventura. Colombias Ombudsmans Office estimates around 450 people have taken the perilous route, and the U.N. documented migrants getting scammed and stranded, facing boat accidents and arriving beaten down and vulnerable from their journey.The region is one of the most violent in Colombia, and lack of state presence is filled by warring armed groups. MEGAN JANETSKY Megan Janetsky covers migration, conflict, human rights and politics in Mexico and Central America for The AP based in Mexico City. Previously, she covered Cuba and the Caribbean for The AP and worked as freelance journalist in Colombia, reporting across South America. twitter instagram facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

An injured person is carried to a military helicopter that landed to evacuate injured victims of an earthquake that killed many people and destroyed villages in eastern Afghanistan, in Mazar Dara, Kunar province, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Wahidullah Kakar)2025-09-02T06:37:28Z JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) Rescue teams continued to scour Afghanistans mountainous east for survivors on Tuesday as the death toll from a strong earthquake rose to 900 with 3,000 people injured, an official said. The injured are being evacuated, so these figures may change significantly, Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistans National Disaster Management Authority, told The Associated Press. The earthquake caused landslides in some areas, blocking roads, but they have been reopened, and the remaining roads will be reopened to allow access to areas that were difficult to reach.The 6.0 magnitude quake struck late Sunday night in several provinces, flattening villages and leaving people trapped under the rubble of homes constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood and unable to withstand the shock. The majority of casualties were in Kunar province, where many people live in steep river valleys separated by high mountains. Helicopters are being used to evacuate the injured to hospital, and aid agencies said their teams were making journeys on foot to reach the most isolated areas because of the rough terrain and ruined roads. The Taliban government has appealed for international help. The UK has pledged 1 million ($1.3 million) in emergency funding to be split between humanitarian agencies rather than the Taliban government, which the U.K. does not recognize. Other governments, including China, have offered disaster relief assistance.It is the third major earthquake since the Taliban seized power in 2021, and the latest crisis to beset Afghanistan, which is reeling from deep cuts to aid funding, a weak economy, and millions of people forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan. Mark Calder, advocacy director at the World Vision Afghanistan aid agency, warned of more than 250,000 people swelling the ranks of those needing help to access basic needs and services if resources were not made available.This will mean more people living without proper shelter, access to nutritious food to feed their families, clean water, and by extension malnutrition and disease in a context where the healthcare system simply cant stretch, said Calder.

Growing up in the South, I observed the way white boys moved. They were happier and lived life with a bit more than I had. More freedom. More smiles. More room to mess up, be loud, and take up space.The moments seemed small at the time, but they stacked up fast, telling the same story over and over: white kids and Black kids live by different rules. Like one Christmas, I unwrapped a toy gun; my mom took one look and quietly took it away. No explanation needed. I already knew the danger of being caught in public with a toy gun.A police officer will think once and shoot twice.Over and over, I heard the worn refrain: "You have to work twice as hard to get half as far." What they didn't saywhat they didn't need to saywas that being white didn't come with the same warnings. The message was plain enough in the silences, the looks, the way my moms voice tightened when I left the house. Even the compliments I got felt like little reminders that I was an exception to some rule: "You're so well-spoken for a Black kid." Or, "You act white." As if being articulate, joyful, or innocent was some rare, borrowed thing for someone like me.Like excellence and ease belonged to someone else.Then there was my next-door neighbor and childhood playmate, Dylan. Trouble seemed to find him every other week, but it never seemed to stick to him. All it took was an adult catching a glimpse of those bright eyes and suddenly, whatever he'd done was already forgiven, forgotten, wiped clean. I wanted that kind of power: the kind that lets crowds of white kids flip cars and light fires after a Super Bowl win and still get called "rowdy," not criminals. The kind that means some families get to evacuate safely when a Category 5 hurricane hits, breaking levees, while others are left floating behind.The kind that kept Freddie Mae's hands off some houses in 2008, and safe from foreclosure.I remember being in middle school, actually praying I'd be white. I told God that if He let me wake up white, I swear I'd use that power for good. And that same boy would flinch at his own skin after an afternoon in the sun darkened it.That's how it happens. You start wanting whiteness without even meaning to. I watched the world soften for white boys, watched doors swing open and trouble slide right off them, and I wanted some of that softness for myself. I wanted to be seen as worthy and beautiful, without having to wrestle for it every step of the way.So, when I started dating, I told myself I was open to anyone and kept up the story that attraction was just a feeling. But the truth? My numbers never lied. My stats always skewed white, even as I tried not to admiteven to myselfthat those same racist ideas I hated were steering my desire.I'd convinced myself that if I could get a white man to strip down for me, trust me, want me, I'd somehow beaten the system. Outsmarted racism. Outsmarted my own Blackness. But that's not how it works. And facing that truth was the hardest part.It took a wise friend to help me see what I was really doing. He told me to see people without judgment. Not "His eyes are beautiful," but "His eyes are blue." Not "He has a good complexion," but "He is white." Notice, he said, the traitsblue eyes, white skin, whateverbut don't let society's messages turn those traits into your definition of "better" or "beautiful." Learn to see people without all the extra baggage those snap judgments carry.It wasn't easy. Rewiring those old patterns felt like rewinding a cassette Id played my whole life: a familiar track looping in the background, telling me whiteness was safer, better, more desirable. Over and over, I had to catch myself and call out that voice. Both the loud one and the whisper.But now, as I approach thirty, this practice feels solid. I've filled my life with affirmations of Blackness: I read James Baldwin and bell hooks, let their words settle into the cracks left by years of doubt. I seek out Black artists and hang their work on my walls, so every time I look up, I see beauty that reflects me. I go out of my way to find films and music that center on Black love, not just survival, but also tenderness and joy. Even my original William H. Johnson Harlem Renaissance painting of sunflowers, one of his many drafts, with not a single Black object in the entire painting, still feels Black to me.And bit by bit, over the last decade, I found myself gravitating toward Black men; drawn to the strength, joy, and beauty that looks like me. I let myself fall for Black men who remind me of home, and who understand the weight you carry just moving through the world.Looking back, I realize how much of desire is shaped by what we're told is possible, and how much of adulthood is about rewriting those stories. I no longer need to chase someone else's freedom. I know what's beautiful when I see it, and I see it every day in my own reflection.Perspectives is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from theLGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit Pride.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. Views expressed in Perspectives stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of PRIDE or our parent company, equalpride.

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02787-1A cable design that sends light through air, rather than solid glass, could cut signal loss and make long-distance transmissions cheaper.

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02758-6Small electric aeroplanes flying at low altitude will need energy sources that can withstand crashes and deliver power reliably. Standards need to be decided now.

by Vianna Davila, Liz Sharp and Myron Avant ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. ProPublica is committed to increasing the diversity of our workplace as well as the journalism community more broadly, while ensuring equal opportunities for all. Each year we publish a report on those efforts. This is the report for 2025; here are our past reports. Our Commitment We believe that it is imperative to staff our newsroom and business operations with people from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. We are committed to removing barriers that have traditionally excluded qualified applicants, including people with disabilities, those from low-income backgrounds, veterans, people of color and women.For 10 years ProPublica has reported on its efforts to grow and diversify its staff. That important work continues, ProPublica President Robin Sparkman said. We are committed to covering a range of issues in our journalism. To do that effectively we need employees with varied perspectives and backgrounds.ProPublica has continued to expand, growing from 186 full-time employees at the start of 2024 to 193 in 2025.Weve added resources to the staff supporting this work, including hiring a talent acquisition manager who has worked to refine our hiring process to make the candidate experience more fair and consistent. Weve created organizational partnerships to provide access to investigative journalism training and build community with journalists from a variety of backgrounds. Weve fostered mentorships so that any employee can benefit from a colleagues experiences and we spearheaded the creation of a shared holiday calendar to promote greater awareness of diverse religious celebrations and avoid scheduling conflicts.Our Diversity Committee comprises more than 50 ProPublicans who volunteer their time to work on initiatives that are pitched and run by the staff. The current co-chairs are Vianna Davila and Liz Sharp.Our work in this area can also be seen in our journalism. Throughout 2024, we reported on the adverse effects of abortion restrictions on women, including those who died after their states banned the procedure. Our reporting resulted in new federal rules that went into effect last year that are aimed at speeding repatriations of Native American remains. Last February, the U.S. Department of Justice started working with a sheriffs office in Wisconsin on a written policy on how to respond to incidents involving people with limited English proficiency; this followed our reporting on how a grammatical mistake in Spanish led sheriffs deputies to wrongly blame a Nicaraguan dairy worker for his sons death. Our reporting on systemic failings by the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat people with mental illnesses, including in cases in which veterans went on to kill themselves or others, resulted in commitments to increase staffing by the VA secretary.We also partner with news organizations across the country. Last year, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill into law that curtailed the controversial contract-for-deed real estate deals and included greater protections for buyers; his action followed a 2022 investigation by ProPublica and the Sahan Journal that revealed questionable real estate transactions that left members of Minnesotas Somali and Hispanic immigrant communities at risk of losing their homes. Meanwhile in Virginia, the states legislature last year approved a statewide commission to investigate the role of public colleges and universities in displacing Black communities, following our reporting on the issue with the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO. Breakdown of Our Staff As with last year, we collected aggregate data about our application and interview process. Out of 27 positions filled in 2024, 52% of the finalists identified as women and half identified as being part of a racial/ethnic group other than solely non-Hispanic white. Fifty-six percent of the people we hired identified as women and 37% identified as being part of a racial/ethnic group other than solely non-Hispanic white.At the start of 2025, the percentage of all ProPublica staff members who identified as solely non-Hispanic white was 63%.For the seventh year in a row, more women than men work at ProPublica. In editorial positions, women represented 52% of the staff.About 2% of our staff identify as nonbinary or transgender.Since 2022, we have collected demographic information about our board of directors. Of the 15 people on the board, 47% identified as women. About 67% of the directors identified as non-Hispanic white, compared to 64% last year.As weve said since 2015, part of our commitment to diversity means being transparent about our own numbers. Heres how our staff breaks down.(Please note that the data is based on employees self-reported information. Recognizing that some people may identify as more than one race but not identify as a person of color, in 2022 we began stating numbers in terms of people who solely identify as non-Hispanic white. The employee information is as of Jan. 1 of each year. Managers are defined as staff members who supervise other people, and that group does not include all editors. Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding. Fellows, time-limited employees and part-time employees are not included in this analysis.) Race and Ethnicity: All of ProPublica Race and Ethnicity: Editorial Race and Ethnicity: Managers Gender: All of ProPublica Gender: Editorial Gender: Managers New Initiatives Added new staff: Part of our goal in 2024 was to build capacity on the team that is responsible for hiring and supporting ProPublicans. We brought on a seasoned talent acquisition manager with over a decade of recruiting experience, including recent years at top news organizations. Their addition ensures our team has the capacity to fully support hiring managers while creating a thoughtful, well-structured recruiting experience for every candidate.Strengthening fair and inclusive hiring: Weve taken significant steps to make our hiring process even more fair, transparent and inclusive. By implementing structured interviews across the organization, were ensuring every candidate is evaluated consistently. Weve also increased collaboration with hiring teams through more frequent consultations, ensuring we adhere to fair and nondiscriminatory hiring practices. On the candidate side, weve added more touchpoints and improved communication, so candidates are kept more up to date on the process of their applications. Our Ongoing Efforts ProPublica thinks about its efforts in the following ways: building the pipeline (for us and for all of investigative journalism); recruiting talent and improving our hiring process; and inclusion and retention. Building the Pipeline Conference stipends: ProPublica partnered with Investigative Reporters & Editors to sponsor journalists to attend the annual IRE convention. We also sponsored a journalists of color mixer, open to everyone at the conference, which was attended by close to 100 people. Emerging Reporters Program: The program provides financial assistance and mentorship to five students for whom investigative journalism might otherwise be inaccessible due to cost, so they can pursue early career opportunities in the field. The program is open to all and includes a $9,000 stipend, virtual programming and an all-expenses paid trip to an IRE conference on computer assisted reporting. This is the programs ninth year, and it is coordinated by Talia Buford.Data Institute: In 2016, ProPublica journalists founded The Data Institute, a workshop for journalists on how to use data, design and code. ProPublica eventually started working with Open News, which coordinates student and instructor participation and provides support for project management and event planning. The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting and the Center for Journalism & Democracy now organize this in-person event. Last year a half dozen current and former ProPublicans served as trainers at the institute, which is focused on empowering people with data skills they can bring back to their own newsrooms.Investigative Editor Training Program: ProPublica started an Investigative Editor Training Program in 2023 for journalists who want to learn how to manage, edit and elevate investigative projects that expose harm and create impact. The curriculum for the yearlong program was designed by ProPublica Managing Editor Ginger Thompson and Deputy Managing Editor Alexandra Zayas. The program is open to all and tries to address the industrys critical need to broaden the ranks of investigative editors. We selected 10 people to attend a weeklong training at our New York office. Also included in the program were an additional four ProPublica staffers who aspire to become story editors. Participants heard from ProPublica editors on different aspects of the craft, from story selection and memos to managing the reporting and digging into the first draft. They were also paired with ProPublica senior staff as mentors and received additional virtual training for the remainder of the year. We offered this training again in 2025. Recruiting and Hiring Affinity conferences: Last summer, ProPublica recruiters and newsroom staff attended the countrys three largest affinity journalism conferences, sponsored by the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association. The newsroom sponsored the NABJ Investigative Task Force mixer and the Visual Task Force Moneta Sleet Photo Competition at the organizations annual convention in Chicago.Salary transparency and fairness: ProPublica is committed to paying its employees fairly and transparently and works to ensure that there is no improper discrimination in compensation. Since the fall of 2022, ProPublica has published salary ranges for all posted job openings, regardless of geography. Our staff recently formed a union, and future salary increases will be part of a collective bargaining agreement.Interview pools: We strive for an interview pool that includes at least one qualified candidate from an underrepresented background. Interview pools are not capped and seek to include all equally qualified candidates.Freelancer guide: ProPublica publishes a guide for freelancers interested in pitching an investigation to ProPublica. We designed the guide to formalize the pitch process and level the playing field for how freelance projects are presented and considered. Submissions will be reviewed by editors on a rotating basis. ProPublica will respond to anyone who completes the form, even if their proposal is not accepted.LRN candidate outreach: Editors with ProPublicas Local Reporting Network continue to do personalized recruiting and offer office hours so local journalists can discuss their accountability work with a member of the team. LRN editors were also present at journalism conferences, including affinity group gatherings where they met with interested applicants in an effort to help them with the project-development and application process. The program also regularly taps the talent team for leads of promising candidates. In addition, the team of editors regularly discusses the diversity of voices in the program and how to adapt our work to meet a range of needs. Inclusion and Retention Welcoming new hires and focusing on internal culture: Our inclusion subcommittee consists of about 30 ProPublicans who meet monthly to consider ways to make the newsroom more inclusive and fair, while building support for one another as colleagues. Mariam Elba and Megan OMatz chair this subcommittee. The group created a tool to help staff identify training and development opportunities; fostered mentorships for new hires; and spearheaded the creation of a shared holiday calendar to promote greater awareness of various religious celebrations and avoid scheduling conflicts. An internal story club meets regularly to discuss particularly enjoyable stories, podcasts or books. The committee spearheaded the institution of voluntary breakout rooms after all-staff meetings, where staff are randomly assigned to groups who discuss a prompt created by the committee to spark conversation and build community. The committee works to improve communication, share knowledge and address challenges faced by a far-flung workforce.Sensitivity subcommittee: Led by Colleen Barry, this group serves as a resource for editors and reporters to tap the collective brain trust of our newsroom when working on particularly sensitive stories about suicide, sexual abuse, child abuse, racial trauma and more. The committee maintains a Slack channel where anyone can share resources and where editors and reporters can solicit feedback on drafts or ask questions on how best to report on sensitive subjects. When a sensitivity read or the discussions during the editing and production of a story are particularly instructive, the subcommittee has shared those experiences at diversity committee meetings so any lessons can be more broadly applied. ProPublica Peer Partnership Program: This is an internal program, organized by Jodi Cohen and Lisa Song, that is open to all and matches ProPublicans with a mentor or peer partner to develop new skills and have someone to turn to for help navigating workplace or career questions. Last year, more than 50 ProPublicans participated in this program, which was started in 2018.Unconscious bias training: Since 2021, ProPublica has used Paradigm Reach to provide ongoing training for staff to create a workplace culture that is intentional, inclusive and high performing. The training is provided to all new staff.Diversity Committee office hours: We have continued to offer a casual virtual hangout twice a month where ProPublicans can chat with the Diversity Committee co-chairs to brainstorm or chat in a more intimate setting outside of the monthly committee meetings. Interested in Working Here? Here is our jobs page, where we post new positions, including fellowships, full-time and temporary roles.

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Photo by Gage Skidmore.Subscribe nowCandace Owens is a case study in how people can change. In 2015, she was the CEO of a now-defunct website that published blog posts about Trumps small penis and the bat-shit-crazy antics of the Republican Tea Party.She later had ambitions to create a website that would out online bullies, which was seen by many as an attempt to dox people. But in response, Owens was doxed by her critics, and she blamed liberals, saying the situation made her [become] a conservative overnight.Since then, Owens has become a key figure of the far right and is now embroiled in a lawsuit with Emmanuel Macron and his wife.As a face of American hate, heres Owens complete track record as it relates to LGBTQ people and other minority groups.July 28, 2017In a video on her YouTube channel, Owens expresses her support for the Trump administrations trans military ban, saying, I cannot think of anybodys emotional capabilities that are more unstable than somebody that is transitioning from a male to a female.Photo by Gage Skidmore.April 18, 2018In a speech at a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event, Owens says, Theres an ideological civil war happening. Black people that are focused on their past and shouting about slavery and Black people that are focused on their futures. At the time, Owens was the communications director for TPUSA.Subscribe nowApril 20, 2018Owens writes on X that Black Lives Matter protesters are a bunch of whiny toddlers, pretending to be oppressed for attention.May 31, 2018On Joe Rogans podcast, Owens says, I fully support gay marriage when asked for an opinion she holds that differs from classic conservatism.July 7, 2018In an anti-Muslim and anti-immigration rant on X, Owens says, Europe will fall and become a Muslim majority continent by 2050.Dec. 11, 2018At a private launch party for Turning Point UK, Owens says she doesnt have any problems at all with the word nationalism and believes the term has been unfairly tainted by Adolf Hitler.If Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK fine. The problem is that he had dreams outside of Germany. He wanted to globalize. He wanted everybody to be German, everybody to be speaking German, everybody to look a different way. Thats not, to me, thats not nationalism.Dec. 18, 2018Owens tweets, Trans women competing in Miss Universe pageants and in sports competitions makes a complete and utter mockery of modern feminism, adding that men [referring to trans women] now have an avenue to slowly take over and dominate everythingso long as they self-identify as women.March 3, 2019Owens begins hosting a podcast for Prager University, a right-wing media group known for spreading misinformation about trans health care and for advocating against Pride Month. In her work, she says Black people had better lives under Jim Crow, defends American slavery, decries feminism and describes the so-called transgender lobby as vicious and dangerous.March 15, 2019Two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, are attacked by a white supremacist and 51 people are killed. The shooter names Owens as a prime influence while parroting far-right conspiracy theories of white genocide. Owens responds on X with an LOL! and denies her influence: Ive never created any content espousing my views on the 2nd Amendment or Islam.April 9, 2019Following the Christchurch shootings, the House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on the global resurgence of white nationalism. Republican minority leaders select Owens to speak as a witness. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu plays a video of Owens Hitler comments, which the senior vice president of the Anti-Defamation League says feeds white nationalist ideology.June 23, 2019Owens hosts Mario Lopez on her PragerU show, where he calls it dangerous for parents to affirm trans identities of their children at a young age.PFLAG responds to Lopezs comments on X and offers him help understanding what being #transgender means.While Lopez would go on to apologize for his statements, Owens posts that sick leftists publicly bullied him into it.Nov. 20, 2019Owens belittles Transgender Day of Remembrance. She asks,Is there a black on black crime Remembrance Day? Im thinking if 331 trans people annually warrants a whole day but yet 125 black people were shot this week in Chicago alone, we might be up for like, a whole year of rememberance. To mourn our lost siblings: most of them men.Dec. 30, 2019Actress and activist Jameela Jamil cancels a planned appearance of Owens on her podcast, saying that her appearance would make trans employees feel unsafe.Feb. 27, 2020On Glenn Becks podcast, Owens goes on a transphobic rant:Im so outwardly spoken against the trans movement. That is one of the most dangerous things thats happening right now. Weakening men, turning men into women. It is an evil thing thats happening right now with the trans movement.Sept. 6, 2020Owens calls the trans movement actually satanic in a segment of PragerUs The Candace Owens Show.Nov. 14, 2020Owens attacks Harry Styles on X for wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue.Subscribe nowAug. 26, 2021On her podcast, Owens says that former NBA superstar Dwyane Wades then-13-year-old daughter Zaya is transgender because of Wades failures as a father.His son now says that he is a woman. Your child learned this behavior because there was an absence of masculinity in that childs life and that makes sense for a basketball player.March 31, 2022The Walt Disney Company posts a statement opposing Floridas Dont Say Gay law. In response, Owens brands the company as child groomers and pedophiles and urges a Disney boycott.April 5, 2022Photo by Gage Skidmore.Owens frames gay marriage as a slippery slope enabling the moral decline of America.May 25, 2022In the days after a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 21 people, 4chan users spread images that falsely claim the perpetrator was transgender. Owens accuses the shooter of cross-dressing and being mentally disturbed and abused.Later that day, a 17-year-old trans girl is attacked in El Paso, Texas. The girl says the men grabbed her and said she is perverting kids and a mental health freak.June 15, 2022Owens goes on a homophobic and transphobic rant about Pride Month:I think it should be called shame month. Its absolute debauchery. Adults are getting behind this narrative so they can have a woke T-shirt on and say I love my children. They should have their children taken away from them because its child abuse.ShareMay 16, 2023Owens compares being transgender to having cancer:Yes, its an ill[ness], its a cancer and we should fight it. But it is not an ideology that can survive itself because, well, it cant reproduce.June 9, 2023YouTube suspends Owens YouTube account for comments that violate their hate speech policy.July 14, 2023On her podcast, Owens says that homosexuality is a social contagion. A few days later, she blames gay men for pedophilia in the church.It is gay men that are abusing children. The issue is that we have homosexual men that have invaded [the Catholic Church].Jan. 4, 2024In the wake of a school shooting in Iowawhere the perpetrator used he/they pronouns on social mediaOwens posts to X that the entire LGBTQ movement brought with it a sexual plague on our society.Feb. 14, 2024In an Instagram post, Owens accuses what she describes as political Jews of inventing anti-Semitism as a manipulation tool.March 7, 2024While defending antisemitic remarks by Kanye West, Owens claims there is a ring of quite sinister Jews that is conspiring to keep their voices silenced.March 22, 2024Owens stops working at The Daily Wire and soon starts posting more frequently on her YouTube channel, which currently has 4.58 million subscribers. Her videos, which often garner millions of views, are aggressively anti-LGBTQ. She says her project is meant to clear the name of convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.June 14, 2024On her show, Owens claims that the U.S. is held hostage by Israel and suggests the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was behind the assassination of JFK.July 12, 2024In an exchange with Don Lemon, Owens blames perverts for what she calls the redefinition of words, lamenting that she can no longer use the word faggot as it is seen as hatefulwhile using it several times. When asked if she believes same-sex marriage is a sin, she says yes.Yes, youre sinning You are in a sinful relationship. I actually dont believe marriage can be between two men, she tells Lemon.Aug. 28, 2024Owens claims TikTok is socially engineering men to be gay:Women are being socially engineered to hate men, and men are being socially engineered to be gay. ... Theyre just making men more and more effeminate, encouraging effeminate behavior.Sept. 9, 2024Owens YouTube channel is suspended for a week and demonetized for violating hatespeech policies, with one cited video being an interview with Kanye West in which she spread the antisemitic trope that Jews control the media.Oct. 15, 2024Photo by Gage Skidmore.Owens former boss, Dennis Prager, publicly releases a letter he privately sent to Owens after she failed to respond. He admonishes her for her repeated antisemitic attacks that Israel was founded as a haven for pedophiles by Jews who committed ritualistic killings of Christian children, as well as claims that Jews were responsible for violence against Catholics.Dec. 3, 2024Owens falsely accuses Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a homosexual in a post expressing her support for Russia.Jan. 22, 2025Following a school shooting in Tennessee, Owens is again named as an influence in the shooter's manifesto.July 23, 2025French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron file a defamation lawsuit against Owens, likely because of her multipart series, Becoming Brigitte. The series falsely claims Mrs. Macron is secretly transgender. The Macrons say that Owens has made money from her lies, selling T-shirts mocking the First Lady.The Macrons hire Tom Clare, the lawyer who represented Dominion Voting Systems in defamation cases against Fox News, as their attorney.This lawsuit comes despite Trump allegedly asking Owens to stop.Aug. 5, 2025After the lawsuit is filed, Owens makes a $300,000 bet with Piers Morgan on live TV that Brigitte Macron was born a man.If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media

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A planned split of the mega company that makes products from Velveeta to Kool-Aid comes as consumers shift away from processed foods.

Lawmakers are continuing their inquiry into Mr. Epstein, the disgraced financier, despite the Trump administrations efforts to quell public demand for information.

Out rapper Lil Nas X and his father have spoken out following the rappers August 21 arrest for allegedly punching a police officer in the face following his late-night stroll in downtown Los Angeles, wearing only boots and briefs. The rapper, whose birth name is Montero Lamar Hill, has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges related to the alleged attack. His father said the incident was the result of a breakdown.After spending three days in jail, the rapper was released Monday, August 25, on $75,000 bail, andpled not guilty to four felony charges related to the alleged incident with police. Related Lil Nas X arrested & hospitalized after strutting L.A.s late night streets in briefs & boots I went to visit him in jail, and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldnt do anything but cry, his father, Robert Stafford, toldThe Times. To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. I had to tell him that what youre going through is normal. We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.'For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what hes dealing with to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mothers situation, and the pressure he puts on himself That can weigh heavily on your heart, his father added, referencing the rappers mother, who has dealt with homelessness, mental health problems, and addiction issues. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today When I went to visit, [my home] asked me to say, Tell everybody Im sorry they saw me like that,' Stafford added. Even in that moment, he was apologizing to people for something he was going through. He also said he hopes this incident marks aturning point in his sons mental stability.In a previous interview withTMZ, Stafford said his son was in good spirits, feeling very remorseful for what happened, was going to get the help that he needs, and said that drugs were absolutely not involved in the incident. In an August 26 Instagram video, the rapper alluded to the incident, telling fans, Your girl is gonna be okay, boo. Okay? Sh**s gonna be all right, adding, That was a terrifying last four days. But your girl is gonna be all right.Lil Nas Xs attorney, Drew Findling, toldThe Hollywood Reporter. Hes never been in trouble for a split second in his existence, were not going to let one little event change the trajectory of his amazing life. Theres no way to have a sense of what happened this immediately, but were going to look into it and do the right thing.The rappers next court appearance is on September 15.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Transfeminine, or transfemme, typically refers to individuals who were assigned male at birth (AMAB) but identify more closely with femininity than masculinity. This can encompass a wide range of identities, including transgender women, nonbinary, genderqueer, or genderfluid people, all of whom express some level of feminine identity.While some transfeminine individuals fully identify as women, others may adopt femininity without strictly adhering to the gender binary.The term allows space for people who embody femininity in their gender expression, regardless of whether they transition medically or not, underscoring that gender identity and gender expression are deeply personal and multifaceted. Related Am I nonbinary? A guide to what it means to identify outside the gender binary Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today How does transfeminine differ from transgender women? | Shutterstock Although transgender women are part of the transfeminine spectrum, not all transfeminine people identify strictly as women.A key distinction between a trans woman and a transfemme person lies in the specific gender identity and experience. Trans women are individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) who identify fully as women and may transition to align their gender expression with their female identity. On the other hand, transfemme (or transfeminine) individuals also express femininity but may not identify wholly as women. Some transfemme individuals are nonbinary, genderfluid, or genderqueer and might adopt elements of a traditionally female transition while maintaining a nonbinary or androgynous identity.This concept was well articulated by Reddit user CharmFlicks, who expressed confusion about the nuances of being transfeminine vs. a trans woman. They mentioned questioning their gender for years and felt that the term transfeminine resonated more with their experience than trans woman. This highlights how some AMAB individuals might feel more aligned with femininity but not necessarily with the label of womanhood.In response, Reddit user mistcal clarified: Transfeminine is the nonbinary equivalent of trans woman. It means our transition resembles in some ways the transition of a trans woman, though the degree, scope, and intention may all be different. For instance, some transfemme individuals take hormones (HRT) but might not seek surgeries, while others maintain an androgynous appearance despite transitioning.Other Reddit responses further illustrate this distinction. User Harpoon385 explained that a transfeminine person might want to take estrogen and present femininely but does not necessarily identify as wholly female. For example, an AMAB person who is non-binary but still wishes to look like a woman could identify as transfeminine. By considering both the identity and the way gender is experienced, this distinction between transfeminine individuals and trans women helps foster a more nuanced understanding of gender identity, especially for those questioning their own relationship with femininity. Related How writing a novel helped me understand my gender identity How do transfeminine individuals express their gender? | Shutterstock Gender expression for transfeminine people can take many forms. Some may opt for medical transitions like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or gender-affirming surgeries, while others might not. Regardless of whether or not a person chooses to undergo medical interventions, gender expression remains a critical part of their identity. For example, many transfeminine individuals might choose to express their femininity through clothing, hairstyles, makeup, and mannerisms traditionally coded as feminine.The key here is understanding that no single path defines the transfeminine experience. Everyones journey is different, and not all transfeminine individuals want or need medical procedures to feel validated in their gender. The challenges transfeminine people faceTransfeminine individuals often encounter unique challenges, including societal stigma, discrimination in healthcare, and a lack of legal protections. This can be especially difficult for those who do not conform to binary gender norms. In healthcare, transfeminine people often face providers unfamiliar with gender-affirming care or even outright hostility, contributing to disparities in access to necessary treatments like HRT.According to a June 2020 survey from the Center for American Progress and NORC at the University of Chicago, half of transgender folks, including 68% of transgender people of color, have faced mistreatment from healthcare providers. This includes being refused care or experiencing verbal and physical abuse. How race, class, and ability affect transfeminine experiences | ShutterstockTransfeminine individuals are not a monolith. Their experiences are shaped by their race, socioeconomic status, and ability, among other factors. For example, Black and Brown transfeminine people often face disproportionate levels of violence and discrimination, both within and outside of LGBTQ+ spaces. Meanwhile, those with disabilities may encounter additional barriers in accessing gender-affirming care or finding community support.Affirmation for transfeminine individuals comes in many formssocial, legal, and medical. Socially, using the correct names and pronouns is a simple but powerful way to validate someones identity. Legally, progress is being made in some areas to ensure transfeminine individuals can update their identification documents to reflect their true gender. However, many regions still lack comprehensive legal protections, making advocacy for such rights essential.Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter to stay updated on the latest news and stories impacting the LGBTQ+ community. From breaking political developments to inspiring personal journeys, our newsletter covers it all.

Zac Steele is just getting started.As one of the newest Carnal Media models on the scene, the handsome performer is cranking out a ton of sexy videos that have helped him build quite a platform online.Although he's one of the youngest faces in the industry today, Steele wants to build an impressive career in the erotic space."I plan everything out to a T. I don't have an exact end date. My end goal is to own my own studio! I want to be a studio professional. I want to be like Legrand [Wolf] and match his energy. There's no age limit," Steele tells PRIDE. See on Instagram At just 20 years old, Steele has learned many lessons about self-worth as he navigates the very intense and saturated market."Just because you're new and you're young does not mean you're not just as worthy. You are equals when you're on that set. If they ever make you feel like you're less than, do not listen and leave. They're just manipulating you and it's not a good thing to deal with."The performer is also sharing key advice to any aspiring models hoping to join the industry."Know when to stop! I think a lot of people my age play up their age so much that I think it can get tacky and weird really quick. Make sure you are doing what you're comfortable with, and don't push it too far." Fans can follow Zac Steele on Instagram here. To see the full interview, check out the video at the top of the page.

Nature, Published online: 02 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02789-zThe human user and AI have shared autonomy and constantly interact to complete tasks.