EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin speaks at the East Palestine Fire Department in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2025. (Rebecca Droke/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-02-27T23:00:42Z WASHINGTON (AP) Despite a comment by President Donald Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency does not plan to reduce its staff by 65%, the White House and the agency said Thursday, though major budget cuts are likely.A White House spokeswoman said the 65% figure referred to expected spending cuts at the agency, rather than staffing levels, a comment that was amplified by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.We dont need to be spending all that money that went through the EPA last year, Zeldin told Fox News on Thursday. We dont want to spend it. We dont need it. The American public needs it and we need to balance the budget.President Joe Biden requested about $10.9 billion for the EPA in the current budget year, an increase of 8.5% over the previous one, but Zeldin said the agency needs far less money to do its work. He also criticized EPA grants authorized under the 2022 climate law, including $20 billion for a so-called green bank to pay for climate and clean-energy programs. Zeldin has vowed to revoke contracts for the still-emerging bank program that is set to fund tens of thousands of projects to fight climate change and promote environmental justice. Were saying to Congress and the American people, please dont send us tens of billions of dollars to spend this year, Zeldin said in the Fox interview.White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Thursday that President Trump, DOGE, and Administrator Zeldin are committed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. ... Administrator Zeldin is committed to eliminating 65% of the EPAs wasteful spending. The head of the EPAs largest union called the comments by Trump and Zeldin disheartening and said there is a lack of leadership within the EPA.Marie Owens Powell, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, said she was saddened by the carelessness of Trumps remarks Wednesday at a White House Cabinet meeting. A 65% reduction in staffing would be devastating to the agency and its mission, Powell said, adding that Trumps widely publicized comments put EPA employees in a tailspin. The EPA had 15,123 full-time employees as of last December, according to the latest budget. A reduction of 65% would mean the loss of nearly 10,000 jobs. Efforts by Zeldin and the White House to clarify that Trump was referring to budget cuts rather than staffing cuts offer little comfort, Powell said. Such a large spending cut would require major staffing reductions for jobs such as monitoring air and water quality, responding to natural disaster and lead abatement, among many other agency functions, she said.Frankly I dont know if we believe it,' she said of administration efforts to explain away Trumps comments. Powell cited a White House memo circulated this week that directs federal agencies to develop plans for eliminating thousands of employee positions and consolidating programs. Such an effort would be devastating to the EPA and other federal agencies,. Powell said.Democrats and environmental groups rushed to defend the EPAs mission, saying huge budget cuts would be disastrous. Gutting the agency by 65% will leave polluters unchecked, contaminating clean air, water and public health, and all but guaranteeing greater risk for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly, said Lauren Pagel, policy director of the environmental group Earthworks.She called on Congress and the courts to stop this reckless, ideological sabotage of the EPA.Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said recent layoffs at EPA, coupled with Zeldins comments about sharp spending cuts, show he had no intent to follow through on a pledge during his confirmation hearing to work collaboratively with EPAs staff.It is now clear that the fix was in from the very beginning, to help the looters and polluters who bankrolled President Trumps campaign, Whitehouse said. MATTHEW DALY Daly covers climate, environment and energy policy for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this image released by the FBI shows the wanted posted for Rafael Caro Quintero. (FBI via AP, File)2025-02-27T20:06:31Z MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexico has sent drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, to the United States with 28 prisoners requested by the U.S. government, a Mexican government official and other sources said Thursday.It comes as top Mexican officials are in Washington trying to head off the Trump administrations threat of imposing 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports starting Tuesday.The official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, confirmed Caro Quinteros removal. Another person familiar with Mexicos actions also confirmed the removal on the condition of anonymity because they were unable to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations.Mexicos Attorney Generals Office said in a statement that the 29 prisoners sent to the U.S. Thursday faced charges related to drug trafficking among other crimes. Also among those removed were two leaders of the Los Zetas cartel, Mexicans Miguel Trevio Morales and his brother Omar Trevio Morales, known as Z-40 and Z-42, the official confirmed.This is historical, this has really never happened in the history of Mexico, said Mike Vigil, former DEA chief of international operations. This is a huge celebratory thing for the Drug Enforcement Administration. The removal of the drug lords from Mexico coincided with a visit to Washington by Mexicos Foreign Minister Juan Ramn de la Fuente and other top economic and military officials, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting was the latest in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. over trade and security relations, which have radically shifted since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. In exchange for delaying tariffs, Trump had insisted that Mexico crack down on cartels, illegal migration and fentanyl production, despite significant dips in migration and overdoses over the past year. The removals may indicate that negotiations are moving along as the tariff deadline approaches. Mexicos surprise handover of one of the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives was weeks in the making.Caro Quintero had walked free in 2013 after 28 years in prison when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. The brutal murder marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations.Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, had since returned to drug trafficking and unleashed bloody turf battles in the northern Mexico border state of Sonora until he was arrested by Mexican forces in 2022.In January, a nonprofit group representing the Camarena family sent a letter to the White House urging the Trump administration to renew longstanding U.S. requests for Mexico to extradite Caro Quintero, according to a copy of the letter provided to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the familys outreach.His return to the U.S. would give the family much needed closure and serve the best interests of justice, the letter states. Pressure increased after Trump threatened imposing stiff trade tariffs on Mexico and designated several Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, according to the person on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy that went into Caro Quinteros removal.The acting head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Derek Maltz, provided to the White House a list of nearly 30 Mexican targets wanted in the U.S. on criminal charges, according to the person. Caro Quintero, for whose arrest the U.S. had offered a $20 million reward, was number one on that list, according to the person.The person said President Claudia Sheinbaums government, in a rush to seek favor with the Trump administration and show itself a strong ally in the fight against the cartels, bypassed the formalities of the U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty to remove Caro Quintero and the other defendants.That means it could potentially allow prosecutors in the U.S. to try him for Camarenas murder something not contemplated in the existing extradition request to face separate drug trafficking charges in a Brooklyn federal court. If hes being sent to the U.S. outside of a formal extradition, and if Mexico didnt place any restrictions, then he can be prosecuted for whatever the U.S. wants, according to Bonnie Klapper, a former federal narcotics prosecutor in Brooklyn who is familiar with the case.The U.S. had sought the extradition of Caro Quintero shortly after his arrest in 2022. But the request remained stuck at Mexicos foreign ministry for unknown reasons as Sheinbaums predecessor and political mentor, Andrs Manuel Lopez Obrador, severely curtailed Mexican cooperation with DEA to protest undercover U.S. law enforcement operations in Mexico targeting senior political and military officials. The removal of the Trevio Morales brothers also marks the end of a long process that began after the capture in 2013 of Miguel Trevio Morales and two years later of his brother, Omar. The process wound on for so many years that Mexicos Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, described the lags as truly shameful.The Trevio Morales family, who have been accused by American authorities of running the violent northeastern Cartel from prison, have charges pending in the US for participation in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, firearms offenses and money laundering.Mexican security analyst David Saucedo said that since negotiations with the Trump administration began, he had expected the U.S. government to demand three things: an increase in drug seizures, arrests of high-profile drug trafficking suspects and the handing over of drug traffickers long targeted by the U.S. for extradition.He called Thursdays removals an important concession by Mexicos government to the United States.The United States intention is to extend its justice system, so that crimes committed in Mexico are prosecuted in the U.S., Saucedo said.The decision also threatens to upend an unwritten understanding with notable exceptions that Mexican drug lords would serve sentences in Mexican prisons where they were often able continue to run their illicit businesses, Saucedo said. There will surely be a furious reaction by drug trafficking groups against the Mexican state, he said.____Goodman reported from Miami. Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.____Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In an extraordinary act of compassion, the Brilliance of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship currently chartered by the LGBTQ+ vacation company VACAYA, rescued 11 refugees stranded in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday. The refugees were found adrift between Cuba and Mexico, their small boat at the mercy of the open sea. The dramatic rescue was captured on video, showing a yellow rescue boatSource

Demonstrators protest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) layoffs in front of the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Feb. 18, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, file)2025-02-27T17:26:12Z SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful, granting some temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop the Trump administrations massive trimming of the federal workforce.U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to inform certain federal agencies that it had no authority to order the firings of probationary employees, including the Department of Defense.OPM does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire or fire any employees but its own, he said.Alsup handed down the order on a temporary restraining order sought by labor unions and nonprofits in a lawsuit filed by the coalition filed last week.The complaint filed by five labor unions and five nonprofit organizations is among multiple lawsuits pushing back on the administrations efforts to vastly shrink the federal workforce, which Trump has called bloated and sloppy. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired and his administration is now aiming at career officials with civil service protection. The plaintiffs say the Office of Personnel Management had no authority to terminate the jobs of probationary workers who generally have less than a year on the job. They also say the firings were predicated on a lie of poor performance by the workers. Lawyers for the government say the Office of Personnel Management did not direct the firings, but asked agencies to review and determine whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment. They also say that probationary employees are not guaranteed employment and that only the highest performing and mission-critical employees should be hired. There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers generally employees who have less than a year on the job across federal agencies. About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans care, the complaint says. Unions have recently struck out with two other federal judges in similar lawsuits attempting to stop the Trump administrations goal of vastly reducing the federal workforce. Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has presided over many high-profile cases and is known for his blunt talk. He oversaw the criminal probation of Pacific Gas & Electric and has called the nations largest utility a continuing menace to California.

Retired reverend Carrol Jensen wears a hat mimicking the Statue of Liberty as Reverend Emilie Binja, a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo speaks during a rally outside the U.S District Court after a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's effort to halt the nation's refugee admissions system, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)2025-02-28T00:06:59Z SEATTLE (AP) Refugee aid groups said in a federal court filing Thursday that President Donald Trumps administration appears to be trying to circumvent a ruling this week that blocked his efforts to suspend the nations refugee admissions program.U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle had determined on Tuesday that while the president has broad authority over who comes into the country, he cannot nullify the law passed by Congress establishing the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Whitehead, a 2023 appointee of former President Joe Biden, said Trumps actions amounted to an effective nullification of congressional will, and from the bench, he granted the aid groups request for a preliminary injunction blocking Trumps executive order suspending the refugee resettlement program. He promised a written ruling in the next few days. But Wednesday, aid groups, including Church World Service and the Jewish refugee resettlement organization HIAS, received notifications that their cooperative agreements with the State Department had been canceled.The groups on Thursday asked Whitehead for an emergency hearing to discuss the impact of the termination notices, or to make clear that his ruling also applies to those newly issued notices. The groups called the administrations actions a flagrant attempt to evade the courts ruling. Defendants are continuing to implement their defunding of the USRAP, and an emergency hearing is necessary to ensure that Defendants are not permitted to evade this Courts bench ruling and the forthcoming written order with antics designed to confuse the state of play, the motion said. Whitehead set a hearing for Monday.The State Department acknowledged receipt of an email from The Associated Press about the plaintiffs motion, but did not otherwise respond to questions about it. The notices indicated the cooperative agreements with the resettlement agencies were being terminated for the convenience of the U.S. Government pursuant to a directive from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for alignment with Agency priorities and national interest. The refugee program, created by Congress in 1980, is a form of legal migration to the U.S. for people displaced by war, natural disaster or persecution a process that often takes years and involves significant vetting. It is different from asylum, by which people newly arrived in the U.S. can seek permission to remain because they fear persecution in their home country.Despite longstanding support from both parties for accepting refugees, the program has become politicized in recent years. Trump also temporarily halted it during his first term, and then dramatically decreased the number of refugees who could enter the U.S. each year.There are 600,000 people being processed to come to the U.S. as refugees around the world, according to the administration.Trumps order and the administrations subsequent withholding of funds stranded refugees who had already been approved to come to the U.S., forced the refugee aid groups to lay off staff, and cut off short-term assistance, such as rent, for those who had recently resettled here, the organizations said in the lawsuit challenging the actions. Thursdays filing came the day after the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block another court order requiring it to release billions in suspended foreign aid. The administration also outlined plans to cancel more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Developments foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world.Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition supporting Afghan resettlement efforts, said the termination of the contracts would hurt Afghans who worked closely with the U.S. during its more than two-decade-long war in Afghanistan and are now at risk. They have been resettling in the U.S. via the refugee program as well as the special immigrant visa program. While the special immigrant visa program is still operational, the contract terminations strip away funding that went to helping those who qualified come to America and start new lives here.Now Afghans are on their own to get here, he said.Make no mistake about it, this is a betrayal on par with what we all felt in August of 2021, he said, referring to the chaotic American withdrawal from Kabul under the Biden administration.___Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed.

Be a part of kicking off 2025s first Pride in California! Join us for the fabulous TASTE & SOUNDS of Cathedral City on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM for GED Magazines Drag Spectacular to launch Cathedral City LGBT+ Days. Best of all, this spectacular event in the Cathedral City Amphitheater []The post Kick off the first Pride in California at This Years Cathedral City LGBT+ Days appeared first on GEDmagazine.

The National Weather Service monitoring station is seen in Brownville, Texas, May 23, 2014. (Valley Morning Star/Valley Morning Star via AP, File)2025-02-28T03:21:43Z WASHINGTON (AP) Hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees on probationary status were fired Thursday, lawmakers and weather experts said.Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the country.Cuts at NOAA appeared to be happening in two rounds, one of 500 and one of 800, said Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist who said he got the information from someone with first-hand knowledge. Thats about 10% of NOAAs workforce. The first round of cuts were probationary employees, McLean said. There are about 375 probationary employees in the National Weather Service where day-to-day forecasting and hazard warning is done.The firings come amid efforts by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to shrink a federal workforce that President Donald Trump has called bloated and sloppy. Thousands of probationary employees across the government have already been fired. Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., released a statement saying: Today, hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including weather forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS), were given termination notices for no good reason. This is unconscionable. Meng added: These are dedicated, hardworking Americans whose efforts help save lives and property from the devastating impacts of natural disasters across the country. This action will only endanger American lives going forward. Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat who is the ranking minority member in the House Natural Resources Committee, also said hundreds of scientists and experts at NOAA were let go.Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said on social media that the job cuts are spectacularly short-sighted, and ultimately will deal a major self-inflicted wound to the public safety of Americans and the resiliency of the American economy to weather and climate-related disasters. SETH BORENSTEIN Borenstein is an Associated Press science writer, covering climate change, disasters, physics and other science topics. He is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Premier of Ontario Doug Ford speaks to reporters, accompanied by other Council of the Federation members, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-02-28T03:40:34Z VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Ontario Premier Doug Ford won reelection to lead Canadas most populous province Thursday, giving him the mandate he wanted to fight tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.I am very grateful to the people of Ontario, Ford told CTV News afterward. Were going to make sure we will protect the people of Ontario and protect their families, their jobs and businesses. Ill fight tooth and nail against Donald Trump.Unofficial results from Elections Ontario showed Fords Progressive Conservative Party would win a majority government, giving him his third term as premier.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose Liberal Party will choose a new leader March 9, congratulated Ford on his victory.Ford called the election on Jan. 29, more than a year early. The Conservatives already held a majority with 79 seats. He said at the time he needed a four-year mandate to protect Ontario, Canadas manufacturing and automobile hub.Trump has threatened to implement 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports, with a lower 10% levy on energy, beginning Tuesday. He also has angered Canadians by talking about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state. During the campaign Ford made two trips to Washington to speak to U.S. government and business leaders about the tariffs.Ford has said his government is prepared to spend tens of billions of dollars to protect jobs and the economy of Ontario, and he has mused about making Americans pay more for the electricity Ontario sends to the U.S. Opposition parties accuse Ford of calling an early election before any potential charges emerge from a police investigation into his now-scrapped plan to develop lands under environmental protection.They also said the cost of the election could have been better spent on health care and affordable housing.Jonathan Malloy, a political scientist at Carleton University in Ottawa, said the tariff threats gave Ford the excuse he needed to call an early election. Canadians are concerned with the Trump tariffs, Malloy said. Mr. Ford is being seen as being out front, responding to them. Thats politically advantageous for him.With a population of around 16 million, Ontario is the Canadian province with the most people and an economy that makes up 38% of Canadian GDP.During the campaign, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie promised to connect every Ontarian to a family doctor, and New Democratic Party Leader Marit Stiles addressed health care and affordability.Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner made promises about building more housing, protecting farmland and improving affordability.I think this had been a very low-profile election, said Malloy. When Canadians are asked about the number one public issue these days, Im sure they would say the Trump tariffs. That has overshadowed the election.When the election was called, the NDP had 28 seats, the Liberals had nine and the Greens had two. There were six independents. A majority government requires at least 63 seats.Unofficial results from Elections Ontario showed the Progressive Conservatives winning 79 seats, the NDP 25, the Liberals 14, the Greens two and one independent.

A bird's eye view of a corrugated tin roof house, center in red, of the Angh, or tribal chief, which lies both in Myanmar and India, as seen from Longwa village, India, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)2025-02-28T03:12:08Z LONGWA, India (AP) To the people who live there, Longwa is a typical hilltop village. The most imposing structure is a corrugated tin roof belonging to the Angh, a hereditary tribal chief. But recently, residents have been worried about another, less visible, local landmark: the border between India and Myanmar, which runs right through the villages center.National boundaries never mattered before to the local Konyak tribe. I eat in Myanmar and sleep in India, says Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, whose house sits on the border.The Indian government is now seeking to stop border crossings for the first time, revoking a system that made it legal for Indigenous people to cross freely and threatening to build a border fence that could cut villages like Longwa in two. Two countries, one communityOn a Thursday in December, Longwas marketplace was bustling with shoppers from the Myanmar side, motorbikes loaded with as much salt, flour, biscuits, clothes, milk, tea, soap as they could carry. The nearest town with a market on the other side of the border is Lahe, a full days drive away.Locals have long come and gone to shop, study or seek medical care, with no sign that theyre crossing an international border except a border marker sitting on a hilltop in the village. The Angh and village council members say their forefathers had no idea that the concrete pillar was meant to divide them when it was built in the early 1970s. B. Phohi Konyak stands near the border pillar erected on a hill top at Longwa village, on the India Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) B. Phohi Konyak stands near the border pillar erected on a hill top at Longwa village, on the India Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Villagers from Myanmar walk with their goods after shopping at Longwa village, that lies both in India and Myanmar, in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Villagers from Myanmar walk with their goods after shopping at Longwa village, that lies both in India and Myanmar, in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Villagers from Myanmar shop for clothes at Longwa village, that lies both in India and Myanmar, in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Villagers from Myanmar shop for clothes at Longwa village, that lies both in India and Myanmar, in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A motorcycle of a villager from Myanmar laded with goods is parked at the corner of a dirt road at Longwa village, in the India-Myanmar border in the far eastern state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) A motorcycle of a villager from Myanmar laded with goods is parked at the corner of a dirt road at Longwa village, in the India-Myanmar border in the far eastern state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More At that time we had no idea this is India or Myanmar. It was a free land. There was nobody who understood English or Hindi. They understood nothing, Phawang says. Like dozens of other Indigenous Naga tribes, the Konyaks land straddles the mountains that divide India and Myanmar. Naga villages are usually built on hilltops for security, something that wasnt considered when the British East India Company drew the border in an agreement with the then-Kingdom of Burma. The Constitution of India does not allow dual citizenship, but people in Longwa see themselves as belonging to both countries. I am from both India and Burma, Phawang said, using another name for the country officially known as Myanmar. I vote in the Burmese election. And when the Indian election comes I vote there too. Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, or chief, sits in the entrance of his house which is divided between Myanmar and India, as marked on the gate, at Longwa village in the far eastern Indian state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, or chief, sits in the entrance of his house which is divided between Myanmar and India, as marked on the gate, at Longwa village in the far eastern Indian state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, or chief, stands outside his house which is divided between Myanmar and India at Longwa village in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, or chief, stands outside his house which is divided between Myanmar and India at Longwa village in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, or chief, walks in his house which is divided between Myanmar and India at Longwa village in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Tonyei Phawang, the Angh, or chief, walks in his house which is divided between Myanmar and India at Longwa village in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Phawang is chief of six Konyak villages in India and more than 30 in Myanmar, whose residents pay allegiance with a yearly feast as they have for some 10 generations.The reach of the Indian state was very limited in these borderlands until recently. People here often have documents from both governments, said Khriezo Yhome, a senior fellow and editor at Asian Confluence, a think tank working to create an understanding of eastern South Asian. However, there was practically no way for the state to do anything to check it.Border guards and fences could cut the village Indian Army soldiers stand near a community building at Longwa village on the India-Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Indian Army soldiers stand near a community building at Longwa village on the India-Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Until recently, residents from both sides could travel legally within 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) of the border, but that started to change in February 2024, when the government revoked the Free Movement Regime to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of Indias North Eastern states bordering Myanmar. Change has come slowly in Longwa: it took almost a year before soldiers stationed in the village began checking documents, and Longwa residents still move freely after their shifts end in the early afternoon. But people from other villages in Myanmar are afraid to travel beyond Longwa to reach schools or medical care, said B. Phohi Konyak, a former local leader of an organization representing Konyak women. An elderly Kenyan Naga carries a basket filled with her belongings in the India-border village of Longwa, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) An elderly Kenyan Naga carries a basket filled with her belongings in the India-border village of Longwa, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Family members of the Angh, or tribal chief Tonyei Phawang sit and talk in the kitchen at Longwa village in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Family members of the Angh, or tribal chief Tonyei Phawang sit and talk in the kitchen at Longwa village in the far eastern India state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Konyak Naga women carry baskets filled with firewood at Longwa village, on the India-Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Konyak Naga women carry baskets filled with firewood at Longwa village, on the India-Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Children play by a traditional log drum in the house of the Angh, or chief, at Longwa village on the India-Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Children play by a traditional log drum in the house of the Angh, or chief, at Longwa village on the India-Myanmar border in the northeastern India state of Nagaland, Thursday, Dec.12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said the government has decided to construct a fence along the entire 1,643-kilometer (1,021-mile) long Indo-Myanmar border.If it follows the legal border, it would have to cut through dozens of houses. Of the 990 buildings in the village, 170 lie on the boundary line including a government school, the church and an army camp. Locals say a fence wont helpWangron Konyak, 23, drove five hours on his motorcycle from the village of Momkho to pick up his sister as school closed for vacation. If we are not allowed to come this side then we will suffer a lot. For those studying in Myanmar school it will be alright, but people like my sister who study in India will be very affected.Residents and state officials are rejecting the changes.The Nagaland state government passed a resolution opposing the end of the Free Movement Regime and plans for border fencing, and on Feb. 3 Longwa residents staged a protest carrying placards with slogans like Respect Indigenous rights, not colonial legacy! Dirt tracks are seen in the Myanmar side of the border, from the border pillar erected on a hilltop at Longwa village, on the India-Myanmar border, in the far eastern state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Dirt tracks are seen in the Myanmar side of the border, from the border pillar erected on a hilltop at Longwa village, on the India-Myanmar border, in the far eastern state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Konyak Naga women carry baskets filled with firewoods on their backs and walk past a concrete structure marking the India-Myanmar border at Longwa village, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Konyak Naga women carry baskets filled with firewoods on their backs and walk past a concrete structure marking the India-Myanmar border at Longwa village, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Friday, Dec.13, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Yhome, the expert, said that an effort to stop locals from crossing the border could violate the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, which seeks to protect the integrity of border-straddling communities.For us there is no Burma Longwa or India Longwa, Yanlang, a 45-year-old village council member. How can one village and one family be divided? asked RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Law enforcement officials talk outside the home of actor Gene Hackman on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in the home a day earlier. (AP Photo/Roberto Rosales)2025-02-28T06:14:35Z Gene Hackman, a Hollywood giant and two-time Oscar winner, was found dead along with his wife and dog in their New Mexico home Wednesday, though investigators believe they may have been dead for some time and the cause of death has yet to be revealed.Hackman, 95, was a prolific actor who performed as an array of heroes and villains in films including The French Connection, Hoosiers and Superman from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s. Questions swirl around the deaths as details of the scene trickle out. Here is what we know: What we know about the deathsInvestigators in Santa Fe, New Mexico, have not said whether they have determined the cause of death.According to a search warrant affidavit, a maintenance worker called police after finding the bodies Wednesday. He reported the homes front door was open when he arrived to do routine work. In a 911 call, the maintenance worker said he could see Hackmans wife, 63-year-old Betsy Arakawa, laying on the floor through a window but he was unable to get inside.Hackmans body was discovered in the homes entryway and Arakawa was found dead next to a space heater in a bathroom. On a countertop near Arakawa, pills were scattered next to an open prescription bottle, according to the search warrant. Police said they found the body of a German shepherd in the bathroom closet. Two other dogs were found alive on the property. No foul play was suspected, authorities said, though a search warrant showed investigators thought the deaths were suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation. The New Mexico Gas Co. tested gas lines at the home but didnt find any signs of problems at the time, according to the warrant.An investigator noted people may not show signs of poisoning if they are exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide, but also there werent signs of a leak.Results of autopsies conducted on both bodies were not available Thursday, authorities said. What was Hackman famous for?Hackman appeared in a broad range of movie roles dating back to 1961, when he debuted in Mad Dog Coll. Through the next four decades, his roles including arch nemesis Lex Luthor in the Superman movies and the iconic coach in Hoosiers helped put Hackman on a Hollywood pedestal. Hackmans performance as an obsessed and amoral cop in the 1971 film The French Connection earned an Oscar for best actor in a leading role and was considered one of his defining roles. Hackman swung another Oscar for playing a sadistic sheriff in 1992s Unforgiven. Hackman demurred from the pomp of celebrity and was considered an actors actor who focused on the job and not on his image, dodging social circuit appearances beyond some award ceremonies.As a boy, films offered Hackman an escape from a tumultuous homelife with an abusive father who left the family when Hackman was 13. How is Hollywood reacting?Sympathy and admiration for Hackman poured in from Hollywood legends including director Francis Ford Coppola, actor-director Clint Eastwood and actor Bill Murray.Murray worked with Hackman on director Wes Andersons 2001 film The Royal Tennenbaums. Hackman gave young directors such as Anderson a hard time but brought skill to the set, Murray said.I watched him once do, like, 25 takes where he did it perfectly with an actor who kept blowing it every single time, Murray told The Associated Press. He was a great one. He was a great actor.Actor Cary Elwes called Hackman a force of nature.Growing up on his movies was an absolute thrill for me, Elwes said on Instagram. To observe his remarkable facility and humanity in every role was something to behold.Everything you ever wanted to learn about acting can be found in any of Hackmans performances, actor Steve Toussaint posted on Instagram.The French Connection. Crimson Tide, The Conversation. Gosh! I could go on, Toussaint wrote. Who was his wife?Arakawa was born in Hawaii in December 1959 and grew up in the state. She studied piano while growing up in Honolulu and, as an 11-year-old sixth grader, performed in youth concerts in front of thousands of first and second graders at the Honolulu International Center Concert Hall, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported in 1971.Arakawa attended the University of Southern California from 1981 through 1983, the university said in an email.While in Los Angeles, she was a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Aztecs, a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League, and worked as a production assistant on the television game show Card Sharks, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported in 1981.The classically trained pianist met Hackman while working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They soon moved in together and relocated to Santa Fe by the end of the decade.Arakawa was vice president of Pandoras, a home decor and furnishing store in Santa Fe, according to New Mexico business records. Where were Hackman and his wife living?Their Southwestern-style ranch sits atop a hill with views of the Rocky Mountains far from Hollywood. The area is known as a preferred location among artists and a retreat for celebrities. The home was featured in a 1990 article by Architectural Digest. The four-bedroom, 8,700-square-foot (808-square-meter) structure on 6 acres (2.4 hectares) had an estimated market value of a little over $4 million, according to Santa Fe County property tax records.Hackman often was seen around the historic state capital. His hobbies included painting, deep-sea diving and, later in life, writing novels. The couple enjoyed watching DVDs that Arakawa would rent, Hackman told the film magazine Empire in a 2009 interview.In his later years, Hackman was seen far less in public. Papers reported sightings of Hackman in mundane scenarios, such as when The New York Post detailed the former actor pumping gas and getting a chicken sandwich at Wendys in 2023.___Associated Press reporters Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this report.___Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JESSE BEDAYN Bedayn is a statehouse reporter for The Associated Press based in Denver. He is a Report for America corps member. mailto

Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)2025-02-28T05:13:58Z JENIN, West Bank (AP) When Israeli snipers took positions in her neighborhood, Haleemeh Zawaydeh knew her family needed to leave quickly. As the snipers gunfire rang out, the 63-year-old matriarch said there was no time to pack as she and 14 other family members fled on foot. The invasion of Jenin was faster than past Israeli assaults, she said. And, now, like some 37,000 other Palestinians the U.N. estimates have been driven out by a month-old offensive against militant groups in the occupied West Bank, Zawaydeh and her family are waiting to return to the place theyve long called home. Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More But its unclear if Israel will let them. Israels assault has mostly emptied four refugee camps sites that originated to house Palestinians driven from homes in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation and have since grown into densely built up towns or neighborhoods. Across the four camps, troops have ripped up roads and destroyed buildings, infrastructure, and water and electricity lines. The Israeli defense minister said Monday that troops were preparing to stay for a year and would prevent Palestinians from returning. That leaves thousands who hail from among the poorest areas of the West Bank in dire straits as many are forced to rent temporary housing in neighboring villages. OCHA, the U.N.s humanitarian agency, said there is an urgent need for cash assistance for 4,000 families to meet rent needs. Zawaydeh said she was safe now at her shelter outside Jenin, but not at ease.I was born and raised in the camp, and now I have grown up and I still live in the camp, she said. There is no place that can replace the camp. Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Israeli soldiers are seen during an army operation in the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Israeli soldiers are seen during an army operation in the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The displacement is the biggest since the 1967 warMany Palestinians displaced from their West Bank homes are renting temporary housing or relying on friends or family to take them in. Some are staying in university dorms, others in makeshift shelters. Help is limited: The Palestinian Authority is strapped for cash, and the main U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known by the acronym UNRWA, has been handicapped by Israeli legislation.The West Bank has never seen large-scale forced displacement of the level were seeing now since 1967, said Roland Friedrich, the West Bank field director for UNRWA. During the 1967 Mideast War, some 250,000 Palestinians were forced from the West Bank when Israel seized the territory along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.After announcing a widespread crackdown against West Bank militants on Jan. 21 just two days after it began a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza Israeli forces descended on Jenin camp, as they have dozens of times since Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. But unlike past operations, Israeli forces also pushed deeper and more forcefully into several other nearby camps known as bastions of militant groups, including Tulkarem, Fara and Nur Shams. Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Israels military says it has engaged in fierce battles with Palestinian militants inside the camps, which are now mainly emptied of their civilian populations. The dispersals are stirring bitter memories of the 1948 war over Israels creation, when some 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from or fled their homes in whats now Israel. Forcible population transfers are banned under international law, and, if implemented as a policy, could be a war crime, rights groups say.The emptying of the West Bank camps comes as Israels government and military have embraced U.S. President Donald Trumps call for pushing out the population of the Gaza Strip permanently. Troops have demolished homes in the campsIn Nur Shams, a smaller refugee camp with a population of roughly 13,700, a number of displaced people returned Wednesday to clear what possessions they could from their homes after learning the Israeli military had slated them for demolition. Palestinians said the military puts out maps of intended demolitions in the camps. Asked the reasons for the demolitions, the military said it could not discuss operational plans. Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams speak with an Israeli soldier as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams speak with an Israeli soldier as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Mohammed Abdullah took advantage of the brief access to visit the grave of his son, Ali, who he said was killed by Israeli troops during a previous incursion into the camp. He hadnt been able to visit since being forced out two weeks ago.Abdullah then packed up his familys things from his home. No one can take everything, he said. Every person has memories in his home, in his neighborhood, in the streets.The damage to the camps has been extensive. In Jenin camp, troops have demolished over 100 homes, Friedrich said. In Tulkarem camp, they have destroyed about 100 housing units and at least 300 commercial shops and set fire to at least 10 homes, according to the local Awda community center. Families have scattered among sheltersAt a charity for helping the blind in Jenin, converted into a shelter for those driven from the camp, barefoot children swung from monkey bars while their parents smoked cigarettes and looked on.Some 85 people from 23 families have taken up at the shelter. Rooms have been turned into separate dorms for men and women and children. Some have beds, others have mats on the floor. The charity relies on donations to feed its new residents. Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Facing mounting financial pressure and worried for their homes, many families have tried to return to the camps only to be blocked by the military. Every day, we try to go back to the camp, hoping to enter, but they prevent us, said Nazmi Turkman, 53, who fled Jenin camp a month ago. Theyve set up checkpoints, placed tanks, and stationed soldiers. Even drones are flying around the people.God willing, we will return soon, he said. But he said he has no idea if his home still stands.There are few resources to help the displacedThe Palestinian Authority, the body charged with administering affairs in pockets of the West Bank where the camps lie, has denounced the wave of displacement. It says it has dispatched over 16 trucks of aid and sent funds to first responders.But its ability to help is limited. It has been left cash-strapped by the war, with Israel for months holding up tax revenues it needs to pay its workers. It is also largely detested across the territory, especially in the refugee camps, where it is seen as a tool of Israeli authorities.What is happening in the West Bank is a continuation of what the Israeli authorities did in the Gaza Strip, said Nabil Abu Redeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. What is happening will only lead to escalation, the repercussions of which will be felt throughout the region. Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Residents of the West Bank urban refugee camp of Nur Shams evacuate their homes and carry their belongings as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More UNRWA, too, is hampered. In the past, it could coordinate evacuations with the Israeli military. But new Israeli laws ban any interaction between Israeli authorities and the agency, making it difficult to evacuate people or ascertain when they will be allowed back, Friedrich said. On Tuesday, a small group of displaced men gathered outside Tulkarem camp, holding signs reading The right of return is sacred No to displacement.Nihad al-Shaweesh, head of a local political council for Nur Shams camp, said they were there to tell the whole world and all parties that we will not accept displacement. JULIA FRANKEL Frankel is an Associated Press reporter in Jerusalem. twitter mailto

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to journalists during press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-02-26T19:15:26Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A preliminary economic agreement between Ukraine and the United States would ensure long-term U.S. involvement in rebuilding the country, but the deal leaves the question of security guarantees sought by Kyiv to future negotiations.According to the final version of the deal obtained by The Associated Press, the United States and Ukraine will establish a co-owned and jointly managed investment fund aimed at financing the reconstruction of Ukraine and its war-damaged economy.The agreement comes after two weeks of back-and-forth between Kyiv and Washington over how the U.S. could gain access to Ukraines natural resources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that specific assurances for Ukrainian security must accompany a deal on those resources.U.S. President Donald Trump planned to meet with Zelenskyy on Friday at the White House to sign the pact, which will closely tie the two countries together for years to come.Heres more about what the agreement says, and what it doesnt say. What about security guarantees for Ukraine?While the preliminary agreement references the importance of Ukraines security, it leaves that matter to a separate agreement to be discussed between the leaders of the two countries.According to wording in the deal, the United States supports Ukraines efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace, and the U.S. has a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments as defined in the Fund agreement, it states. The American people desire to invest alongside Ukraine in a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine.Speaking at a news conference Wednesday in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said his country needs to know first where the United States stands on its continued military support. He said he expects to have a wide-ranging conversation with Trump during his visit to Washington. The economic agreement may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine? Zelenskyy said.A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told the AP on Wednesday that those discussions would take place independently from the establishment of the joint fund.The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations, said Kyiv believes the establishment of the fund would itself serve to bolster Ukraines security since U.S. and Ukrainian investments would need to be protected amid continuing Russian attacks. How does the agreement work?Under the agreement, Ukraine will contribute 50% of future revenues to the joint fund from national assets including minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas and other extractable materials. Kyiv has hoped that access to those materials would incentivize the Trump administration to help secure a fair and lasting end to the war.The idea to involve the U.S. in Ukraines natural resource wealth was initially proposed last fall by Zelenskyy as part of his plan to strengthen Kyivs hand in future negotiations with Moscow.Ukraine would also contribute half of its revenues from infrastructure relevant to the extraction, processing or transportation of its natural resources, but those contributions would not apply to assets that are already part of the Ukrainian governments budget revenue, such as state-owned oil and gas companies.Contributions to the fund will be reinvested annually in Ukraine to promote its safety, security and prosperity, the agreement says.Is Ukraine giving away its natural resources?The agreement states that revenues from its natural resources will go into the fund and be used for reconstruction of the country, not that ownership or control of those resources would be transferred to the United States.On Wednesday, a senior Ukrainian official told the AP that the U.S. will not own Ukraines mineral and other resources. The official added that the fund would receive 50% of the revenues that come from natural resource deposits once theyre developed. Is Ukraine paying off a debt for previous U.S. support?The deal does away with earlier Trump demands that Ukraine pay $500 billion as compensation for Washingtons assistance until now. The senior Ukrainian official said that contributions to the fund do not constitute a repayment of any debt to the U.S. for its previous support during the war with Russia, but an investment in the future. The agreement states that the U.S. will maintain a long-term financial commitment to Ukraines stability and economic prosperity, and could make further contributions outside the fund in the form of financial instruments and other assets critical for Ukraines reconstruction.Ukrainian payments into the fund could provide a mechanism for any future U.S. assistance to be recouped in the long term, the Ukrainian official said. We are not debtors, Zelenskyy said Wednesday, adding that, while he is grateful for previous U.S. support, Ukraine had not entered into any agreements that would require previous U.S. assistance to be repaid. There were no such agreements in the past, so there is nothing to discuss in this regard, he said.The agreement will also seek to avoid conflict with any obligations Ukraine has to the European Union as it seeks membership in the bloc, or any potential conflicts with obligations to other financial institutions or creditors.___Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova and Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed to this report. JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto

Leonard Peltier speaks during an interview in Belcourt, N.D, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)2025-02-28T05:12:12Z More than 50 years after a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation landed him in federal prison, Leonard Peltier remains defiant.He maintains his innocence in the deaths of two FBI agents in 1975 and sees his newfound freedom the result of a commutation from former President Joe Biden as the beginning of a new phase of his activism.Im going to spend the rest of my life fighting for our people, because we aint finished yet. Were still in danger, Peltier, now 80, said in an exclusive interview with the Associated Press at his new home on the Turtle Mountain Reservation, his tribal homeland in North Dakota, near the Canadian border.There among the rolling, often snow-covered hills, he will serve out the rest of his sentence on house arrest.Born into an era of violent hostility between the American government and Indigenous peoples, the former American Indian Movement member has now stepped into another politically volatile moment in the country. He said he understands well the threats the rise of the far right, as well as the federal government, pose to tribal nations and Indigenous peoples. He believes that, like previous administrations, President Donald Trump will come for mineral and oil on tribal lands.You dont have to get violent, you dont have to do nothing like that. Just get out there and stand up, he told AP this week, in his first sit-down conversation with a journalist in over 30 years. We got to resist. The FBI and Native American activists: A volatile mixPeltier was part of a movement in the late 1960s and 1970s that fought for Native American rights and tribal self-determination, sometimes occupying federal and tribal property. The movement grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on Pine Ridge, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. They also protested at Alcatraz and the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters. For many members of the American Indian Movement, or AIM, their activism was part of legacy of resistance stretching back to the countrys founding. The day of the shootout came amid heightened tensions on the Pine Ridge reservation, where residents felt the FBIs heavy presence was a threat to the peoples autonomy. Peltier and other AIM members got into a confrontation with agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams when the agents drove onto a rural property where the AIM members were staying. Both agents were shot and killed, along with Joseph Stuntz, another AIM member.The FBI says Peltier shot the agents at close range. In a letter sent to Biden last year opposing his release, former FBI director Christopher Wray called Peltier a remorseless killer.His guilt is clear to many, including North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong.More than 20 federal judges upheld his conviction, and he was denied parole as recently as last July, Armstrong said in a statement to the Associated Press. There was no legal justification for his release. He should still be in prison.Peltier was not pardoned; Biden said he was commuting Peltiers sentence because of his age, his declining health, and the long period he had already been in prison. Peltier has acknowledged he was at the shootout, but says he acted in self-defense and wasnt the one whose bullets killed the agents. He believes the FBI and prosecutors were looking for someone to take the blame, after his two co-defendants were exonerated for self-defense.They wanted revenge, and they didnt know who was responsible, Peltier told the AP from the kitchen table of his new home. And they said Put the full weight of the American government on Leonard Peltier, we need a conviction. And when they say that you dont have no rights, he said.Amnesty International and scores of political leaders around the world called Peltier a political prisoner of the U.S., questioning the fairness of his trial and conviction. James Reynolds, the former U.S. Attorney who oversaw Peltiers conviction, urged clemency in a letter to Biden in 2021, acknowledging that prosecutors couldnt prove Peltier fired the fatal shots and calling his imprisonment unjust. His grandson, Cyrus Peltier, remembers visiting him every weekend at Leavenworth, a federal prison in Kansas. He didnt always understand why his grandfather wouldnt just tell the parole board he was sorry for the crimes, and hopefully win his freedom.And he would say Well, thats just not what Im fighting for, grandson, Cyrus Peltier, now 39, recalled from his home in North Dakota this week. Im sorry for what happened to those agents, but Im not going to sit here and admit to something I didnt do. And if I have to die in here for that, Im going to. A life behind bars, but always hope for freedomIn prison, Peltiers fame only grew, as he amassed the support of prominent political leaders around the globe and celebrities in the U.S. and became a symbol of the injustices against Native Americans.He said it was all their letters of support and acts of protest for his release that kept him going.Peltier said there were moments in the last few years where he began to lose hope that he would ever see freedom. His denial of parole in July was another crushing blow. They gave me the strength to stay alive and to know what I was in prison for, he said.Many Indigenous people, leaders, and organizers lobbied for decades for Peltiers release.However, some who believe Peltier was involved in the murder of AIM member Anna Mae Pictou Aquash in 1975, fought against his release. Two other AIM members were convicted of the crime.Their ability to say that he is free and he gets to go home negates the whole fact that Anna Mae never got to go home, said Aquashs daughter, Denise Pictou Maloney.In his interview with the AP, Peltier denied having any knowledge of Aquashs death.I didnt give my life for nothingIn the end, Biden listened to the counsel of former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and the first Native American to lead the Interior Department. Pelltier was released on Feb. 18, and returned to North Dakota. A week later, he still often wakes up at night terrified that it is all a dream and that he is still in a cell. Peltier remains confined to his home and nearby community. But he now has access to routine medical treatment for his many health issues, including an aortic aneurysm. He gets around with the help of a cane or a walker.He is heartened by the many people who come to visit him and drop off gifts like beaded medallions, letters and artwork, which are piling up in his home. Peltier wants to make a living selling his paintings, as he did in prison, and plans to write more books. He also wants to train young activists about the threats they will face. When he was in prison, lying in his bunk at night, he would often wonder if his protest efforts resulted in any change. Seeing young Native activists today continuing to fight for the same things gives meaning to the 49 years he was incarcerated. It makes me feel so good, man, it does, he said, holding back tears. Im thinking, well, I didnt give my life for nothing.___AP reporter Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed to this report. GRAHAM LEE BREWER Brewer reports for the APs Race and Ethnicity team, focusing on Indigenous communities and tribal nations. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is based in Oklahoma. twitter mailto

Security official checks at the site of a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)2025-02-28T09:47:40Z PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) A suicide bomber blew himself up after walking into a mosque within a pro-Taliban seminary in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing a top cleric and five other worshippers and wounding dozens of others ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan, according to local police.The blast occurred in Akora Khattak, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said district police chief Abdul Rashid. He named Hamidul Haq, who is the head of a faction of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) party, as being among the dead. No group has immediately claimed responsibility. Haq is the son of Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the father of the Taliban, who was killed in a knife attack at his home in 2018. Haqs family confirmed he was killed in Fridays attack and appealed to his followers to remain peaceful. He was also in charge of the Jamia Haqqania seminary, where many Afghan Taliban had studied in the past two decades. Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief, said more than a dozen police officers were guarding the mosque when the attack occurred, and Haqs seminary also had its own security. Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, which came ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to start either on Saturday or Sunday subject to the sighting of the crescent moon. Surge in attacks in recent yearsYawar Zia, a police officer who was wounded in the attack, said he was on a security duty at the seminary when the attack occurred and splinters from the bomb hit him. He was transported to the Qazi Hussain Ahmed Hospital by ambulance.After offering prayer, Hamidul Haq was leaving the mosque to go home and as he reached the main gate, a powerful explosion occurred, and I fell to the ground, losing consciousness, Zia told The Associated Press from his hospital bed. Zahir Shah, a worshipper, said that hundreds of people were leaving the mosque after offering prayers when he heard a powerful blast. He said Haq, accompanied by guards, was heading to his home located within the seminary premises when the attack occurred. Shah described a chaotic scene with blood and body parts scattered around, adding that the number of casualties could have been much higher had the bomber struck during the prayers.Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks in recent years.As many as 101 people, mostly police officers, were killed in 2023 when a suicide attack targeted a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistani authorities have blamed the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, for previous attacks. Attacks blamed on separatistsThe TTP never claim attacks on mosques, saying it does not target places of worship. The TTP is a separate group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary and have even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban.Separately on Friday, a roadside bomb exploded near a vehicle carrying security forces in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, wounding 10 people, including two soldiers, police and officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but previous attacks have been blamed on separatists.Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, which has for years been the scene of a long-running insurgency. Separatists want independence from the central government in Islamabad. Although Pakistan says it has quelled the insurgency, violence in Baluchistan has continued.___Associated Press writer Rasool Dawar and Abdul Sattar contributed to this story from Peshawar, Pakistan and Quetta, Pakistan.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, right, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands during their meeting at Trump Tower, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2025-02-28T05:01:36Z WASHINGTON (AP) Ukraines leader will meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday at a pivotal moment for his country, one that hinges on whether he can persuade Trump to provide some form of U.S. backing for Ukraines security against any future Russian aggression.During his trip to Washington, President Volodymyr Zelenskyys delegation is expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the U.S. aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would closely tie the two countries together for years to come. Though the deal, which is seen as a step toward ending the three-year war, references the importance of Ukraines security, it leaves that to a separate agreement to be discussed between the two leaders talks that are likely to commence Friday. As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russias larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv have pushed to ensure a potential U.S.-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the countrys future security. Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion after current hostilities cease. According to the preliminary economic agreement, seen by The Associated Press, the U.S. and Ukraine will establish a co-owned, jointly managed investment fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials. A more detailed agreement on establishing the fund will be drawn up once the preliminary one is signed. Trump, a Republican, has framed the emerging deal as a chance for Kyiv to compensate the U.S. for wartime aid sent under his predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat. But Zelenskyy has remained firm that specific assurances for Ukraines security must accompany any agreement giving U.S. access to Ukraines resources. On Wednesday, he said the agreement may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine? Trump remains noncommittal about any American security guarantees.Im not going to make security guarantees ... very much, Trump told reporters this week. Were going to have Europe do that.If a truce can be reached, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to send troops for a potential peacekeeping mission to Ukraine to ensure that fighting between Ukraine and Russia doesnt flare up again. Both leaders traveled to Washington this week before the Zelenskyy visit to discuss with Trump the potential peacekeeping mission and other concerns about the war.White House officials are skeptical that Britain and France can assemble enough troops from across Europe, at least at this moment, to deploy a credible peacekeeping mission to Kyiv.It will likely take a consensual peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine before many nations would be willing to provide such forces, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House. Zelenskyy and European officials have no illusions about U.S. troops taking part in such a mission. But Starmer and others are trying to make the case that the plan can only work with a U.S. backstop for European forces on the ground through U.S. aerial intelligence, surveillance and support, as well as rapid-response cover in case the truce is breached. Youve created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world, Starmer told Trump. That is the prize. But we have to get it right.Zelenskyy has been vague on exactly what kinds of security guarantees would be suitable for his country, and while he continues to advocate for Ukraines eventual membership in NATO, he has also suggested a similar security arrangement would suffice. But Trump on Wednesday said Ukraine could forget about joining the Western military alliance.Still, Zelenskyys meeting with Trump, their first since the U.S. leaders inauguration in January, is seen in Kyiv as a diplomatic win for Ukraine. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said being able to meet personally with Trump before Russian President Vladimir Putin does is a good signal.Zelenskyy said he hopes to discuss whether the U.S. plans to halt its military aid to Ukraine and, if so, whether Kyiv would be able to purchase weapons directly from the U.S.He also wants to know whether Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets for the purchase of weapons and whether Washington plans to lift sanctions on Moscow.Fears that Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavorable to Ukraine have been amplified by recent precedent-busting actions by his administration. Trump held a lengthy phone call with Putin, and U.S. officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders both dramatic breaks with previous U.S. policy to isolate Putin over his invasion. Trump later seemed to falsely blame Ukraine for starting the war, and called Zelenskyy a dictator for not holding elections after the end of his regular term last year, though Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law is in place. As Zelenskyy seeks to lower the temperature with the U.S. while in Washington, American officials are saying the economic deal, if implemented, would itself provide a measure of security to Ukraine through the presence of U.S. investments on its territory. On Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. working on mineral extraction in Ukraine would amount to automatic security because nobodys going to be messing around with our people when were there.Its a great deal for Ukraine too, because they get us over there and were going to be working over there, Trump said. We will be on the land.That perspective is echoed by the text of the economic agreement, which says the U.S. supports Ukraines efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace. Washington, it continues, has a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.___Spike reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Friends, family and soccer fans attend a public memorial ceremony for slain hostage Tsachi Idan, a fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C., who was killed in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)2025-02-28T11:55:31Z JERUSALEM (AP) Mourners in Israel on Friday were burying the remains of one of the last hostages released in the first phase of the ceasefire between Hamas militants and Israel, as negotiators discussed a second phase of the deal that could end the war in Gaza and see the remaining live hostages returning home.The funeral procession for Tsachi Idan, an avid soccer fan who was 49 when he was abducted by Hamas militants, began from a football stadium in Tel Aviv towards the cemetery where he was to be buried in a private ceremony.The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Idan, who was taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 2023 attack that sparked the war in Gaza, was killed in captivity.His body was one of four released by Hamas overnight Wednesday to Thursday, in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned swap of the ceasefires first phase, which began in January. Idan was the only one of his family to have been taken to Gaza. His eldest daughter, Maayan, was killed as militants shot through the door of their saferoom. Hamas militants broadcast themselves on Facebook live holding the Idan family hostage in their home, as his two younger children pleaded with the militants to let them go. My brother is the real hero. He held on, Idans sister, Noam Idan ben Ezra, said in an interview on Israeli radio Friday. She said Idan had been a pace away from being released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023, when more than 100 of the 251 people abducted on Oct. 7 were released. Tsachi was forsaken twice. The first time when he was kidnapped from his home and the second time when the deal blew up, she added. The fact that Tsachi is not standing next to me today is the outcome of the decision-making and the policy here in Israel. They did not listen to us then, but its not too late to listen to us today. Concern for remaining hostagesThe relatives of hostages still held in Gaza are ramping up pressure on Netanyahu to secure the release of their loved ones. According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead, and there has been growing concern about the welfare of an unknown number who are still alive, particularly after three hostages who were released Feb. 8 emerged emaciated from captivity.One of the three, Eli Sharabi, said in an interview with Israels Channel 12 Friday that he and other hostages had been held in iron chains, starved and sometimes beaten or humiliated. During the first three days, my hands are tied behind my back, my legs are tied, with ropes that tear into your flesh, and a bit of food, a bit of water during the day, he said, in one of the first interviews by a hostage released under the current deal. I remember not being able to fall asleep because of the pain, the ropes are already digging into your flesh, and every movement makes you want to scream.Sharabi only found out after his release that his wife and daughters had been killed during the Oct. 7 attack. The next phase of the ceasefireUnder the terms of the truce Israel and Hamas agreed to, Phase 2 of the ceasefire is meant to involve negotiations on ending the war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. That includes the return of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the Palestinian territory. The return of the bodies of the remaining deceased hostages would occur in Phase 3.Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States have started intensive discussions on the ceasefires second phase in Cairo, Egypts state information service said Thursday. Netanyahus office confirmed he had sent a delegation to Cairo. The mediators are also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population and support stability in the region, its statement said.The first phase of the ceasefire saw 33 hostages, including eight bodies, released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has vowed to return all the hostages and destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza. The Trump administration has endorsed both goals. But its unclear how Israel would destroy Hamas without resuming the war, and Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages its main bargaining chips without a lasting ceasefire. After suffering heavy losses in the war, the militant group has nonetheless emerged intact, and says it will not give up its weapons.The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, ended 15 months of war that erupted after Hamas 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.Israels military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who dont differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say over half the dead have been women and children.The fighting displaced an estimated 90% of Gazas population and decimated the territorys infrastructure and health system.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war JULIA FRANKEL Frankel is an Associated Press reporter in Jerusalem. twitter mailto

People walk at dusk in St Peter's Square at The Vatican, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)2025-02-28T08:06:54Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis reached the two-week mark in his recovery from pneumonia Friday as doctors suggested he had overcome the most critical phase of the infection but held out on declaring him out of danger entirely.The Vatican, though, made alternative plans for Ash Wednesday next week, making clear Francis still had a long road ahead. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, a Vatican official and former vicar of Rome, will preside over the March 5 ceremony and procession that inaugurates the churchs solemn Lenten season leading up to Easter in April.The Vaticans early Friday update suggested a level of normalcy and routine as the 88-year-old pope continues recovering at Romes Gemelli Hospital. As in past days, the night was tranquil and the pope now is resting, it said.Francis had breakfast, read the days newspapers and was receiving respiratory physiotherapy, the Vatican said. In their Thursday evening bulletin, doctors said Francis clinical condition had confirmed that he was improving. He was alternating the high-flow supplemental oxygen he had been receiving by a nasal tube with a mask in a sign of improved respiratory function. Additionally, he left his hospital room to go to his nearby private chapel to pray, while continuing with respiratory physiotherapy and work, the Vatican said. For the second day in a row, doctors avoided saying Francis was in critical condition, suggesting he had overcome the most acute phase of the infection. But given the complexity of his lung infection, they said further days of clinical stability are needed before they revise their prognosis officially and say he is out of danger. Francis has been at Gemelli Hospital since Feb. 14 after his bronchitis worsened. He has shown steady, albeit slight, improvements since a respiratory crisis and kidney trouble over the weekend sparked fears for his life. The improvements beat back speculation of an imminent death or resignation and signaled that he was still very much in charge. Prayers continued to pour inIn Mexico City, a few dozen people gathered Thursday night at the cathedral to pray for Francis recovery.He is like part of the family, said Araceli Gutirrez, who treasures the time she saw the pope during his trip to the country of nearly 100 million Catholics in 2016. Thats why we feel so concerned for him.Mara Teresa Snchez, who was visiting from Colombia with her sister, said that she has always felt close to Francis the first Latin American pope.Thats like having a relative within the higher-ups, with God, she said. He has done so much for religion; hes such a humble person.Upcoming calendar in question Despite his improvements, Francis near-term upcoming calendar of events was being changed: The Vatican canceled a Holy Year audience scheduled for Saturday, and it remained to be seen if Francis would skip his Sunday noon blessing for the third week in a row. With Ash Wednesday now delegated to a cardinal, the next major events come during Holy Week and Easter, which this year falls on April 20.In past years, when Francis has battled bronchitis and influenza in winter, he curbed his participation in Ash Wednesday and Holy Week events, which call for the pope to be outdoors in the cold leading services, participating in processions and presiding over prayers in the solemn period in which the faithful commemorate Christs crucifixion and resurrection. Beyond that, Francis has a few major events coming up that he presumably would hope to keep if well enough. On April 27, he is due to canonize Carlo Acutis, considered to be the first millennial and digital-era saint. The Vatican considers the Italian teenager, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, an inspiration for young Catholics. Another important appointment is the May 24 commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, Christianitys first ecumenical council. The spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I, has invited Francis to join him in Iznik, Turkey, to commemorate the anniversary, which he has called an important sign of reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Before he got sick, Francis said he hoped to go, though the Vatican hasnt confirmed the trip. ___Maria Hernandez contributed from Mexico City.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Since 2022, HIV Is Not A Crime (HINAC) Awareness Day, founded by the SERO Project in collaboration with The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, has been observed to amplify the experiences of individuals impacted by HIV criminalization laws. In more than 30 states nationwide, failure to disclose an HIV diagnosis before sexregardless of actual transmission riskcan [...]The post Were All In This Together: Advocates Discuss Eradicating Stigma, Archaic Criminalization Laws on HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day first appeared on GLAAD.

Customers wait in line for eggs at a Costco store in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)2025-02-28T13:42:26Z WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. consumers cut back sharply on spending last month, the most since February 2021, even as inflation declined, though stiff tariffs threatened by the White House could disrupt that progress.Americans cut their spending by 0.2% in January from the previous month, the Commerce Department said Friday, likely in part because of unseasonably cold weather. Yet the retreat may be hinting at more caution by consumers amid rising economic uncertainty. Inflation declined to 2.5% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.6% in December, the government said. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices dropped to 2.6%, the lowest since June, from 2.9%.One other bright spot in the report was that incomes jumped 0.9% in January from December, fueled in part by a large annual cost of living adjustment for Social Security beneficiaries. Inflation spiked in 2022 to its highest level in four decades, propelling President Donald Trump to the White House and causing the Federal Reserve to rapidly raise interest rates to tame prices. It has since fallen from a peak of 7.2%. Last months decline could reassure Fed officials that inflation is still slowly cooling. The Fed prefers Fridays measure to the more widely-known consumer price index, which rose for the fourth straight month in January to 3%. Fridays gauge calculates inflation slightly differently: For example, it puts less weight on the costs of housing and used cars. Even so, the key question preoccupying many American consumers, investors, and business executives is whether Trumps extensive tariff proposals will push prices higher in the coming months. Trump said Thursday he will double his recently-announced tariffs on Chinese imports to 20%, and will impose 25% import taxes on Canada and Mexico next Tuesday. The three countries are the United States top trading partners. Trump is also calling for widespread layoffs of federal workers, which could cause hundreds of thousands of job losses and potentially lift the unemployment rate. Increased uncertainty surrounding trade, fiscal and regulatory policy is casting a shadow over the outlook, said Lydia Boussour, a senior economist at accounting and consulting firm EY. Americans also likely cut back on their spending after a healthy winter holiday season that saw a surge in credit card debt in December, economists noted.On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.3% in January from the previous month, matching Decembers 0.3% increase. Core prices rose 0.3%, up from 0.2% in December. If sustained, Januarys increases would keep inflation running above the Feds target. The Fed pays more attention to core prices because they provide a better read of future inflation. A big concern right now is whether tariffs will push up inflation, or slow the economy, or in a particularly toxic combination both. A report from the Federal Reserves Boston branch this month concluded that 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, along with Trumps initial 10% import taxes on China, could lift core inflation by as much as 0.8 percentage points. The last time Trump imposed tariffs in 2018-19, inflation was largely unaffected but those tariffs were on a much narrower range of goods. And the economy still slowed, prompting the Fed to cut interest rates. Worries about tariffs pushing prices higher have sent consumer confidence plunging, unwinding the modest gains that had occurred after the election. Americans are also expecting inflation to move higher in the coming months. Thats a risky trend because if consumers and businesses expect higher prices, they may act in ways to lift inflation, such as accelerating their purchases and boosting demand. 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

Law enforcement officers detain migrants in the area in Coral Gables, Fla., Jan. 28, 2025. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP File)2025-02-28T05:20:00Z TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) For most people in Florida, misdemeanor theft can result in up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. For an immigrant illegally in Florida, that same crime now carries a felony punishment of up to five years behind bars and a $5,000 fine.The new laws in Florida come as President Donald Trump cracks down on illegal immigration. They impose harsher penalties for offenses committed by people illegally in the U.S. than for everyone else. The consequences are particularly stiff for first-degree murder, which now carries an automatic death sentence for anyone who is in the U.S. illegally. While Florida is more aggressive than most, there are other states considering similar measures to enhance criminal penalties based on immigration status. A deterrence, but is it constitutional?Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will be safer and securer, and a model for other states, because of its sweeping immigration laws. The stiffer penalties are meant to be a deterrent, Republican state Rep. Lawrence McClure said.Dont come to the state of Florida illegally, he said. Thats the premise.Some civil rights advocates and legal experts are raising alarm. The laws are leading into a head-on collision with the constitutional guarantee of equal protection to everyone who is in the United States, said Csar Cuauhtmoc Garca Hernndez, a law professor at Ohio State University who specializes in immigration and criminal law. Are mandatory death sentences allowed?On his first day in office, Trump ordered a renewed emphasis on the death penalty. His executive order highlighted two particular grounds for it: murdering a law enforcement officer or committing any capital offense while in the U.S. illegally. But jurors and federal judges would still decide whether to impose the death sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 ruled North Carolinas mandatory death sentence for first-degree murder violated the Constitutions prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. States since then have generally used court proceedings in which jurors first decide guilt, then weigh aggravating and mitigating factors when deciding whether defendants should be sentenced to death. There is longstanding precedent making clear that mandatory death penalty laws are unconstitutional, said Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.But Floridas new laws eliminate judicial discretion in certain cases. They require courts to impose a death sentence on defendants in the U.S. illegally who are found guilty of capital offenses such as first-degree murder or child rape. Republican state Sen. Randy Fine acknowledged the legislation he co-sponsored will likely face a legal challenge, but he expects the Supreme Court to overturn its prior ruling. Its almost 50 years later, Fine said, adding, The Supreme Court changes its mind on things. More time for the same crimeLast year, DeSantis signed a law enhancing penalties for people who commit state felonies after being previously deported and convicted of illegal reentry under federal law. The measure increased sentences by one classification, meaning someone convicted of a third-degree felony typically punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine would instead be sentenced for a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.The latest Florida laws apply similar sentencing enhancements to anyone in the U.S. illegally, regardless of any convictions for reentering, and apply the enhanced penalties to misdemeanors. If the new laws get challenged, Garca Hernndez said, a court would likely look to a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The justices said Texas failed to show a substantial state interest for a law barring state school funding for children not legally admitted to the U.S. The high court cited the Constitutions 14th Amendment, which says a state shall not deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. To defend Floridas law, state attorneys would probably have to answer a similar question: What is your compelling justification for treating individuals who are accused of a crime the same crime differently based solely on their citizenship status? Garca Hernndez said. Other states may follow Floridas leadLegislation pending in several states including Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, South Carolina and Texas would allow enhanced penalties for some state crimes committed by immigrants illegally in the U.S., according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.A bill by Texas state Sen. Pete Flores would raise penalties one notch for most felonies committed by people in the U.S. illegally.Flores, who is chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and co-founder of the Texas Hispanic Republican Caucus, described the legislation as a common-sense, tough-on-crime response to enforce the rule of law and better protect Texans. Legislation that passed the Utah Senate and is now pending in the House takes a more narrow approach focused on theft and drug dealing. It would impose mandatory jail sentences, without the potential for early release, for repeat offenders who are lawful U.S. residents or for any offenders who were previously deported and then convicted in federal court of illegally reentering the U.S. Republican state Sen. Cal Musselman said his legislation targets a small group of individuals. Law enforcement officers have told him they see a clear connection between being deported multiple times, coming in, and committing crimes within the state.___Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. ___Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. DAVID A. LIEB Lieb covers issues and trends in state governments across the U.S. Hes reported about government and politics for The Associated Press for 30 years. twitter mailto KATE PAYNE Payne writes about state government and education and is based in Tallahassee, FL. She is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump stands before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-02-28T15:24:01Z President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Friday designating English as the official language of the United States, according to the White House.The order will allow government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in language other than English, according to a fact sheet about the impending order.It was not immediately clear when on Friday that Trump planned to sign the order.The executive order will rescind a mandate from former President Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that received federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.Designating English as the national language promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement, according to the White House. More than 30 states have already passed laws designating English as their official language, according to U.S. English, a group that advocates for making English the official language in the United States.For decades, lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation to designate English as the official language of the U.S., but those efforts have not succeeded. Within hours of Trumps inauguration last month, the new administration took down the Spanish language version of the official White House website. Hispanic advocacy groups and others expressed confusion and frustration at the change. The White House said at the time it was committed to bringing the Spanish language version of the website back online. As of Friday, it was still not restored.The White House did not immediately respond to a message about whether that would happen. Trump shut down the Spanish version of the website during his first term. It was restored when President Joe Biden was inaugurated. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the order Friday. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price is a national political reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)2025-02-28T15:45:31Z SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Authorities investigating the deaths of Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife are waiting for the results of the autopsies, and carbon monoxide and toxicology testing to determine how they died. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, apparently had been dead for days or even a couple of weeks when investigators found their bodies while searching the couples Santa Fe home on Wednesday. Investigators are trying to figure out the last time anyone saw or spoke to them, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told NBCs Today show on Friday.That is a challenge because they were very private individuals, the sheriff said, noting that the autopsy results could take months. Hackman, 95, was found Wednesday in an entryway of the home and Arakawa, 65, was found lying on her side in the bathroom. A dead German shepherd was found in a kennel near Arakawa, Mendoza said Thursday. There was no indication of foul play, according to the sheriffs office. Detectives wrote in a search warrant affidavit that investigators thought the deaths were suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation. No gas leaks were discovered in and around the home, but a detective noted in the affidavit that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide might not show signs of poisoning.A space heater was next to Arakawa and may have fallen when she abruptly fell to the floor, according to the affidavit. The sheriffs office planned a Friday afternoon news conference to provide updates. A maintenance worker who showed up to do routine work at the house discovered their bodies, investigators said. The worker said he was unable to get inside when a 911 operator asked whether the people in the house were breathing.I have no idea, the subdivisions caretaker said on the call. I am not inside the house. Its closed. Its locked. I cant go in. But I can see shes laying down on the floor from the window. He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks ago.Mendoza told Today there were several conflicting stories about which doors were locked at the house. Several were unlocked and a rear door was open, which allowed two dogs that survived to go in and out. He also said he thought the front door was closed but unlocked.Hackman was among the most accomplished actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won best actor in a leading role for The French Connection in 1972 and best actor in a supporting role for Unforgiven two decades later. He also won praise for his role as a coach finding redemption in the sentimental favorite Hoosiers.He met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist, at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They moved to Santa Fe by the end of the decade. Their Pueblo revival home, sits on a hill in a gated community with views of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In his first couple of decades in New Mexico, Hackman was often seen around the state capital and served on the board of trustees for the Georgia OKeeffe Museum from 1997-2004.In recent years, he was far less visible. Aside from appearances at awards shows, he was rarely seen in the Hollywood social circuit and retired from acting about 20 years ago.Hackman had three children from a previous marriage. He and Arakawa had no children but were known for having German shepherds.___Seewer reported from in Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed. JOHN SEEWER Seewer covers state and national news for The Associated Press and is based in Toledo, Ohio. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Amazons recent decision to stop allowing people to download copies of their Kindle e-books to a computer has vindicated some of my longstanding beliefs about digital media. Specifically, that it doesnt exist and you dont own it unless you can copy and access it without being connected to the internet.The recent move by the megacorp and its shiny-headed billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos is another large brick in the digital wall that tech companies have been building for years to separate consumers from the things they buyor from their perspective, obtain licenses to. Starting Wednesday, Kindle users will no longer be able to download purchased books to a computer, where they can more easily be freed of DRM restrictions and copied to e-reader devices via USB. You can still send ebooks to other devices over WiFi for now, but the message the company is sending is one tech companies have been telegraphing for years: You dont own anything digital, even if you paid us for it. The Kindle terms of service now say this, explicitly. Kindle Content is licensed, not sold, to you, meaning you dont buy a book, you obtain a digital content license.The situation brings to mind an interview I did over a decade ago, with the executive of a now-defunct streaming platform. He told me candidly that the goal of all this was to make digital media a utility like gas or electricitya faucet that dispenses the worlds art as content, with tech companies in complete control of what goes in the tank and what comes out of it.Hearing this was a real tin foil hat moment for me. For more than two decades, Ive been what some might call a hoarder but what Ive more affectionately dubbed a digital packrat. Which is to say I mostly avoid streaming services, I dont trust any company or cloud with my digital media, and I store everything as files on devices that I physically control. My mp3 collection has been going strong since the Limewire days, I keep high-quality rips of all my movies on a local media server, and my preferred reading device holds a large collection of DRM-free ebooks and PDFseverything from esoteric philosophy texts and scientific journals to scans of lesbian lifestyle magazines from the 1980s.Sure, there are websites where you can find some of this material, like the Internet Archive. But this archive is mine. Its my own little Library of Alexandria, built from external hard drives, OCD, and a strong distrust of corporations. I know Im not the only one who has gone to these lengths. Sometimes when Im feeling gloomy, I imagine how when society falls apart, we packrats will be the only ones in our village with all six seasons of The Sopranos. At the rate were going, that might not be too far off.Amazon is far from alone in this long-running trend towards eliminating digital ownership. For many people, digital distribution and streaming services have already practically ended the concept of owning and controlling your own media files. Spotify is now almost synonymous with music for some younger generations, having strip-mined the music industry from both ends by demonetizing more than 60% of the artists on its platform and pushing algorithmic slop while simultaneously raising subscription fees.Of course, surrendering this control means being at the complete mercy of Amazon and other platforms to determine what we can watch, read, and listen toand weve already seen that these services frequently remove content for all sorts of reasons. Last October, one year after the Israeli military began its campaign of genocide in Gaza, Netflix removed Palestinian Stories, a collection of 19 films featuring Palestinian filmmakers and characters, saying it declined to renew its distribution license. Amazon also once famously deleted copies of 1984 off of peoples Kindles. Fearing piracy, many software companies have moved from the days of Dont Copy That Floppy to the cloud-based software-as-a-service model, which requires an internet connection and charges users monthly subscription fees to use apps like Photoshop. No matter how you look at it, digital platforms have put us on a path to losing control of any media that we cant physically touch.How did we get here?In the US, it goes back to the legal concepts of individual versus intellectual property rights, which are mediated by something called exhaustion. The idea behind the exhaustion principle was that copyright owners, like the studio that produces a film, relinquish some (but not all) of their rights over how a work is used when they sell copies to consumers. For example, if you buy a DVD, the law may prohibit you from duplicating the work for non-personal use, but the company that produced the movie cant stop you from re-selling or gifting the physical disc to someone else.The fact that youre free to do whatever you want with the things you buy seems very obvious and intuitive from our perspective, but the truth is that copyright holders have been trying to erode these individual rights granted by exhaustion from the very beginning. Over the years, book publishers have tried to punish students for reselling expensive textbooks at lower prices, and record labels have launched unsuccessful crackdowns on stores selling used CDs. Hollywood tried to shut down the video rental market multiple times after it first emerged in the 1970s, and video game industry lobbyists have repeatedly claimed that used game sales will herald the apocalypse, with some publishers calling second-hand stores like GameStop a bigger threat than piracy.In all these cases, the companies claims were overblown, but they boiled down to one simple gripe: technology was changing and creating new markets that they didnt control. After much hooting and hollering, their inevitable response has always been to enter those markets and attempt to position themselves at the absolute center. And nothing has made that task easier than the rise of digital distribution.The basic principle of exhaustionthe notion that owners have rights that are not contingent on copyright holder permissioncan and should survive the transition to a digital copyright economy, explain Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz, in their book The End of Ownership: Personal Property in the Digital Economy. Rights holders have always fought against this principle, but the digital marketplace gives them their best chance to kill it.Following the mass corporate freakout over piracy in the post-Napster era, copyright holders finally found two ways to get past the exhaustion principle: Digital rights management (DRM), which locks downloaded content to a centrally controlled platform with varying degrees of success, and streaming services, where companies fully control access to all media and users pay fees to access it with an internet connection.The streaming model was particularly appealing to most normal people, because who wants to pay for and manage thousands of media files when you could have unlimited access to an entire library for a monthly fee? Piracy never went away of courseservices like Netflix simply outpaced it in terms of convenience. Streaming beat piracy at its own game, but this time Silicon Valley tech companies and copyright owners were the ones at the controls.This was fine for a time. But when two or three streaming services turned into several dozen, all with their own monthly fees, some of us started turning back to the Old Ways.Over the past decade, keeping your own DRM-free digital media archive has become something of a lost art. It requires time and patience that many people no longer have, and it certainly cant compete with the convenience of streaming. As large corporations and algorithms tighten their grip to a clenched fist, I think were long past due for a second DIY Media Renaissance. But in order for that to happen, we first need to change our habits and expectations around media consumptionstarting with deprogramming this idea that media is something that should be unlimited and available at all times through a digital faucet."Every collection becomes deeply personal, and thats beautiful"One of the more abstract but dire consequences of this streaming mentality is that weve started to treat art and culture like wallpaper. The rise of algorithmic curation and AI-generated content has sent this into overdrive: On Spotify, music is detached from its human creators and flattened into algorithmically-generated playlists with hashtag-able labels like Lo-Fi Chillwave Anime Vibes. Netflix has even started dictating that producers make TV shows less engaging, so that people can passively consume them as second screen content while scrolling on their phones.In her recent book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of the Perfect Playlist, music journalist Liz Pelly refers to this process as Muzak-ingthe conversion of media from discrete works of art with a discernible context and author to anonymous background noise meant for passive consumption at the gym or while relaxing at home.It turns out that playlists have spawned a new type of music listener, one who thinks less about the artist or album they are seeking out, and instead connects with emotions, moods and activities, where they just pick a playlist and let it roll, Pelly wrote in an essay for The Baffler. These algorithmically designed playlists, in other words, have seized on an audience of distracted, perhaps overworked, or anxious listeners whose stress-filled clicks now generate anesthetized, algorithmically designed playlists.Digital Packratting is the antithesis of this trend. It requires intentional curation, because youre limited by the amount of free space on your media server and devicesand the amount of space in your home youre willing to devote to this crazy endeavor. Every collection becomes deeply personal, and thats beautiful. It reminds me of when I was in college and everyone in my dorm was sharing their iTunes music libraries on the local network. I discovered so many new artists by opening up that ugly app and simply browsing through my neighbors collections. I even made some new friends. Mix CDs were exchanged, and browsing through unfamiliar microgenres felt like falling down a rabbit hole into a new world.While streaming platforms flatten music-listening into a homogenous assortment of vibes, listening to an album youve downloaded on Bandcamp or receiving a mix from a friend feels more like forging a connection with artists and people. As a musician, Id much rather have people listen to my music this way. Having people download your music for free on Soulseek is still considered a badge of honor in my producer/dj circles.I dont expect everyone to read this and immediately go back to hoarding mp3s, nor do I think many people will abandon things like Spotify and Amazon Kindle completely. Its not like Im some model citizen either: I share a YouTube Premium account because the ads make me want to die, and I will admit having a weakness for the Criterion Channel. But the packrat lifestyle has shown me that other ways are possible, and that at the end of the day, the only things we can trust to always be there are the things we can hold in our hands and copy without restriction.Living with some degree of artificial scarcity also changes the way you value those things, and makes you question how much media is enough. If more people reflected on their desire for unlimited everything, maybe wed find a way to break through the walled gardens that have been built to satisfy them.Janus Rose is New York City-based journalist, educator and artist whose work explores the impacts of A.I. and technology on activists and marginalized communities. Previously a senior editor atVICE, she has been published in digital and print outlets includinge-Flux Journal,DAZED Magazine,The New Yorker, andAl Jazeera.

Welcome to our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community.Over 2500 people showed up at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday to protest the legislatures bill to remove transgender people from the states Civil Rights Act. The bill, which passed 35-15, will allow for discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment and education. Protesters chanted and sang, while debates on the legislation happened behind closed doors. State Senator William Doltzer gave an impassioned speech from the floor, reminding his colleagues of their morning recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and saying, Try to tell me that transgender people arent people, and they dont deserve liberty and justice. Try to tell me that and try to tell yourself that. Iowa becomes the first state to roll back trans civil rights in the country. The Pentagon has announced it will begin the process of identifying and discharging transgender service members. This comes a month after President Donald Trumps Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness executive order called for the dismissal of trans people from the military. SPARTA Pride, an organization for transgender individuals who currently serve or have served in the U.S. military, shared a statement about the decision. Transgender Americans have served openly and honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for nearly a decade. Thousands of transgender troops are currently serving, and are fully qualified for the positions in which they serve.No policy will ever erase transgender Americans contribution to history, warfighting, or military excellence. Transgender service members have a unique fighting spirit and will continue to defend the constitution and American Values no matter what lies ahead.In the meantime, SPARTA Pride continues to stand in solidarity with all transgender service members.Over 2500 people showed up at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday to protest the legislatures bill to remove transgender people from the states Civil Rights Act. The bill, which passed 35-15, will allow for discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment and education. Protesters chanted and sang, while debates on the legislation happened behind closed doors. State Senator William Doltzer gave an impassioned speech from the floor, reminding his colleagues of their morning recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and saying, Try to tell me that transgender people arent people, and they dont deserve liberty and justice. Try to tell me that and try to tell yourself that.AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC)joins National Urban League and the National Fair Housing Alliance in a lawsuit suing the Trump administration for executive orders related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Michigan state Rep. Josh Schriver introduced a resolution to overturn same-sex marriage. Schriver and the other co-sponsors of the bill are asking for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land in 2015. Ohio House Democrats Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) and Rep. Crystal Lett (D-Columbus) introduced a companion bill to the Fairness Act that would include protections for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Ballot Initiative Strategy Center is helping advocates enshrine marriage equality in state statutes. A U.S. District Court in D.C. has granted a preliminary injunction against the White House Office of Management and Budgets freeze on federal grant disbursements, which jeopardized essential services nationwide. The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward on behalf of the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance, and SAGE. The post The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: February 28, 2025 appeared first on News Is Out.

In mid-February, news broke of the horrific murder of transgender man Sam Nordquist, in New York. We here at GLAAD stand in solidarity with Sams loved ones as they demand justice. News of Sams death and the now seven individuals charged in connection with his death was picked up by media in New York, Sams [...]The post New York Times Removes Mention of Transgender Man from Headline first appeared on GLAAD.

Your Lovable Trans Auntie is our go-to advice column for lifes biggest (and messiest) questionslove, work, identity, and everything in between. With a signature blend of warmth, wit, and just the right amount of sass, Auntie offers readers a uniquely trans perspective thats as affirming as it is entertaining. Whether dishing out heartfelt wisdom, practical advice, or a little tough love, Auntie is here to remind everyone that theyre never alone on this journey.Got a crush but dont know how to tell them youre trans? Wondering how to deal with that coworker who still forgets your pronouns? Trying to navigate family drama, dating dilemmas, or just figuring out who you are? Aunties got you. Submit your questions to voices@equalpride.com.I'll never forget the first time I went with trade back to his place. It was at the end of an unusual Sunday Funday in a surprisingly mild January. With the lack of snow on the ground, I decided to wear my favorite cheetah print heels for brunch with friends. Brunch soon turned to barhopping; mimosas soon turned to mixed drinks. We went well into the night, where I flirted with trade at a neighborhood bar before going to his place. I prefer having guys come to my place with silky bedsheets and a decent view. But I gave my cares to the wind. We made out and tore our clothes off when the front door closed.That night felt amazing under a combination of mimosas, cocktails, and several tequila shots. Still, I felt horrible the day after. Waking up and looking around, I clutched my pearls: laundry all over the floor, dishes piled by his TV, sports posters hanging on the wall by thumbtacks, and a dusty Packers comforter covering my legs on a bed without a bedframe.If only I knew this was the highlight of my dating life in 2024. I'm not saying I could judge a man by his bedroom, but if there was a red flag of a fuckboy, this was it. But what if you wake up after a steam night to find a red MAGA flag hanging proudly in his living room? That's precisely the situation Fawning-in-Philly found herself in. "Auntie! Baby, let me give you the tea," she begins. "So boom, met this trade on the apps, right? We link up and, baby, let me tell youthe man put in WORK!" She was surprised he gave her his numbersome trade like to ghost after a sessionand they'd been seeing each other on and off for the better part of five months. It was great until she found him on Facebook and soon learned he was MAGA. "I'm talking Trump 2024, 'drag queens are indoctrinating the children,' 'January 6 was a setup,' all that foolishness," she exclaims. "So...do I let him have it? Or do I sip my water, mind my business, and leave this trade alone? HELP!" What is Trade? I've heard this term since I was a pre-trans tween. But I constantly have to remind myself that some folks don't honestly know what 'trade' is or confuse it with other terms. So, before I unpack Fawning's story, let's review some quick vocabulary.'Trade' is usually a casual partner who is not gay-identified, one who exudes masculinity. It's a term I became familiar with, thanks partly to my late aunt and her friends who belonged to the ballroom scene. But its origins are far older. In Paul Baker's Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang, it's defined as a male sexual partner meant for a hookup or one-night stand between a working-class trade and a wealthy male partner. It's completely different from DL or "down-low" men, a relatively modern Black queer term used to identify other Black heterosexual men who are discreet about having casual or romantic male partners. I and many others have been one to gossip about ventures with trade over brunch. I very likely dished about the trade I went with at the end of that night, though I probably spent the day after in bed curing a hangover. I've never been one to out trade in public. We may see each other from across the bar and make a few glances. But I've never been the one to cause the scene if I discovered he brought his girlfriend, fiancee, or wife with him. But, Fawning-in-Philly, this is an age-old question: if a closet case storms the Capitol, but no one is around to film it, does it make a sound? What is Outing?Outing someone is one of those moral g(r)ay areas that, depending on who you ask, is either a justified act of public service or a violation of queer ethics. The general rule of thumb? We don't out people and reveal anyone's sexual or gender identity without their consent. Yes, even if they are MAGA. Not because they deserve our protection but because forcing someone out before they're ready, regardless of how vile they are, can have serious consequences. But there's a difference between someone being closeted and someone being a dangerous hypocrite. Fawning-in-Philly's trade isn't some sweet, small-town boy still figuring himself out. He is actively supporting a movement hellbent on attacking and criminalizing trans people while simultaneously seeking us intimately. And take Auntie's word for it: he's not the only one. So, Is it Okay to Out Trade?Before you go full cyber vigilante, ask yourself: What do you want to accomplish? If the goal is revengeand Auntie's favorite activity is being pettythen I get it. It's somewhat satisfying to watch a Trump supporter "FAFO" after thinking his policies and executive orders protect them. It would be even more pleasurable to watch a MAGA man lose his marriage and standing because his secret escapades are exposed. But revenge is like a tequila shot with your ex: momentarily satisfying but almost always followed by regret. Now, if the goal is to protect the queer community, then we're dealing with a different beast. Suppose trade is in a position of power, actively harming LGBTQ+ people, legislating against us, or weaponizing his own self-loathing to attack others. In that case, it's time to send off the social media posts with receipts. Because, at this point, it's not just about him. It's about all of us. It comes down to two categories. Being a random MAGA voter: Maybe he's just a deeply closeted dude with a self-hating kink who votes Republican, listens to Jordan Peterson, and praises the likes of Elon Musk and Andrew Tate as the epitome of manhood. That's sad, pathetic even, but not necessarily dangerous. Yes, he's a hypocrite. He probably uses the terms "woke" and "DEI" without understanding their meaning. But outing him won't stop him from fawning for Trump. At best, it'll be another sob story to use when he inevitably writes his essay for The Daily Wire. Actively harming LGBTQ+ individuals: Now, if this man's out here actively making life worse for queer people, then, babes, he's fair game. If he's protesting outside drag shows, doxxing trans kids, pushing for anti-LGBTQ+ policies, uses his platform to spread hate but would rather die than admit he loves trans bodies (paging Mark Robinson!), then set it off! Hypocrisy alone isn't enough to justify outing someone. But hypocrisy plus harm? That's a different story. Exposing MAGA trade isn't just personal but a matter of lowering the potential risk of harm to others. What's the best way of handling Trade Who voted for Trump?Auntie loves strategy, so here are your options:The High Road (a.k.a. Let It Go, Elsa!) Delete the screenshots, block his number, and block him across all social media channels. Take a deep breath and move on. Remind yourself that people like him will suffer their kind of punishment: self-hatred is its own prison.Invest in good karma and let the universe do its work.The Petty Road (a.k.a. Shake the Table, Just a Little)Maybe you don't out him but drop a few vague posts and Stories. Maybe you let his guilt and paranoia eat him alive without saying a word. Maybe you're nonchalant and confused when he randomly sends a "WYM?" textDo not take this option under the influence of alcohol.The Nuclear Option (a.k.a. Out the Hypocrite, But with Purpose)Open these codes if he is actively harming the community. But be prepared for potential backlash: it could get messy. If you expose him, focus on what he's doing instead of who he's sleeping with. Make it about how he's harming others rather than his sexuality or preferences. Drink water, exhale, and put your phone to the side. Auntie's Final VerdictFawning-in-Philly, I get it. There's something deeply galling about queer people suffering under the weight of MAGA politics when these very same people sneak into our spaces for sex. It's frustrating. It's infuriating. It makes you want to scream.But my advice? Don't let him turn you into him. Revenge might feel good in the moment, but real power? That's knowing you don't need to stoop to his level. His life is already a gilded cage of lies, self-hatred, and bad political takes. And when he gets caughtand it will happenit won't be because you outed him. It'll be because men like him always get exposed. (Paging Corey DeAngelis!) And when that day comes, you'll be sitting pretty, knowing you didn't even have to lift a finger.Stay woke and fabulous, Your Lovable Trans Auntie

A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)2025-02-28T16:42:16Z DALLAS (AP) The number of people with measles in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child, health officials said Friday.The number of cases Texas largest in nearly 30 years increased by 22 since Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in West Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized so far.The child who died Tuesday night in the outbreak is the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The child was treated at Covenant Childrens Hospital in Lubbock, though the facility said the patient didnt live in Lubbock County. The virus has largely spread through rural, oil rig-dotted West Texas, with cases concentrated in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community, state health department spokesperson Lara Anton has said. Gaines County has a strong homeschooling and private school community. It is also home to one of the highest rates of school-aged children in Texas who have opted out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% skipping a required dose last school year. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.The U.S. had considered measles, a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours, eliminated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in continuous spread of the disease for at least a year. Measles cases rose in 2024, including a Chicago outbreak that sickened more than 60.Eastern New Mexico has nine cases of measles currently, but the state health department said there is no connection to the outbreak in West Texas.

In this image released by the FBI shows the wanted posted for Rafael Caro Quintero. (FBI via AP, File)2025-02-28T16:31:14Z NEW YORK (AP) Cartel leaders Rafael Caro Quintero and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes are set to be arraigned in a U.S. federal court in New York City on Friday, following their surprise transfer from Mexico. The pair were among 29 Mexican prisoners sent Thursday to eight cities across the U.S.Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985 and had been on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Carrillo Fuentes is a former leader of the Juarez drug cartel. The pair are set to appear in federal court in Brooklyn, part of the Eastern District of New York, where Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn was previously prosecuted.The White House, in a statement Friday ahead of the arraignments, called Caro Quintero one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world.The Trump Administration is declaring these thugs as terrorists, because that is what they are, and demanding justice for the American people, the statement read. The prisoner handover comes as Mexican officials are in Washington trying to dissuade President Donald Trump from imposing 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports. In exchange for delaying tariffs, Trump had insisted that Mexico crack down on cartels, illegal immigration and fentanyl production.Among the others extradited are leading members of the six Mexican organized crime groups recently designated by the Republican administration as foreign terrorist organizations. They include cartel leaders, security chiefs from both factions of the Sinaloa cartel, cartel finance operatives and a man wanted in connection with the killing of a North Carolina sheriffs deputy in 2022.Carrillo Fuentes is the brother of drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as The Lord of The Skies, who died in a botched plastic surgery in 1997.Caro Quintero, meanwhile, has long been one of Americas top Mexican targets for extradition. He had served 28 years in a Mexican prison but walked free after a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. The murder marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations and was a focus of the popular Netflix series Narcos: Mexico.Caro Quintero returned to drug trafficking and unleashed bloody turf battles in the northern Mexico border state of Sonora until he was arrested by Mexican forces in 2022.The U.S., which at one point had offered a $20 million reward for Caro Quinteros capture, immediately sought his extradition.But the request remained in limbo as then-Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador severely curtailed his countrys cooperation with the U.S. to protest undercover American law enforcement operations targeting Mexican political and military officials.Then, in January, a nonprofit group representing the Camarena family sent a letter to the Trump administration urging it to renew the extradition request. ___Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. PHILIP MARCELO Marcelo is a general assignment reporter in the NYC bureau. He previously wrote for AP Fact Check and before that was based in Boston, where he focused on race and immigration. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss stunt blogging, Signal pains, and murderous Reels.EMANUEL: Yesterday Jason wrote about Instagram delivering users reels showing murder, gore, and extreme violence. Its hard to say exactly how many people saw these videos, but judging by what users have said online, and the fact that Meta felt the need to publicly apologize for the videos, which the company said it served users because of an error, suggest that these were very widespread.Ill admit that when Jason first flagged to us on Slack that this was happening it didnt immediately strike me as a must do it immediately story. First, its kind of hard to suss out if what one or a handful of users say they see on Instagram is really a widespread problem or a very specific rabbit hole the algorithm put them in because of their particular Instagram habits. Second, I think that Ive become numb to how terrible content on Meta platforms and Instagram in particular has become.

They/them energy is needed more than ever.Corook is the talented nonbinary musician to recently make waves in mainstream media. At a time when LGBTQ+ representation is under attack, the star is using their platform to advocate for equality and inclusion.Im just existing and I think that thats the most powerful thing we can do as trans people, nonbinary people, and queer people. I personally love talking about being nonbinary and singing my songs, Corook tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Corooks viral nonbinary anthem THEY! has earned millions of views on TikTok after the singer shouted they/them energy into a microphone during a recent performance. The clip has even been shared by A-list stars such as Troye Sivan, Jonathan Van Ness, Meghan Trainor, Justin Bieber, and more.I wrote this song when I was finally coming into a joyful place of being nonbinary. After a year of being out, I wrote this extremely joyful song not knowing it would be the hottest topic of American politics.What does they/them energy mean exactly? Its all about loving the skin youre in and not letting outside influences affect your self-worth, which is a common theme thatll be heard on Corooks upcoming album committed to the bit.Its literally just confidence. Its self-acceptance and confidence no matter where youre at in your life. My whole job is to get on stage and yell they/them energy and shake my ass. See on Instagram Although Corook has received a ton of love for the upbeat and inclusive anthem, angry Conservatives have also chastised the song online. However, the hate is only boosting Corooks engagement and pushing the gay agenda even more.Were here. Were queer. Were not going anywhere. There is nothing they can do to erase transness. This is what I have worked for and fought for within my own self to be brave enough to do and Im going to continue with that bravery.Committed to a bit drops this Friday on all platforms. To see the full interview with Corook, check out the video at the top of the page.

Elon Musk speaks during a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-02-28T17:25:20Z WASHINGTON (AP) Federal employees should expect another email on Saturday requiring them to explain their recent accomplishments, a renewed attempt by President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to demand answers from the government workforce. The plan was disclosed by a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.The first email, which was distributed a week ago, asked employees what did you do last week? and prompted them to list five tasks that they completed. Musk, who empowered by Trump is aiming to downsize agencies and eliminate thousands of federal jobs, said anyone who didnt respond would be fired. Many agencies, meanwhile, told their workforces not to respond or issued conflicting guidance.The second email will be delivered in a different way, according to the person with knowledge of the situation, potentially making it easier to discipline employees for noncompliance. Instead of being sent by the Office of Personnel Management, which functions as a human resources agency for the federal government but doesnt have the power to hire or fire, the email will come from individual agencies that have direct oversight of career officials. The plan was first reported by The Washington Post. Its unclear how national security agencies will handle the second email. After the first one, they directed employees not to write back because much of the agencies work is sensitive or classified. Less than half of federal workers responded, according to the White House. The Office of Personnel Management ultimately told agency leaders shortly before the Monday deadline for responses that the request was optional, although it left the door open for similar demands going forward. On Wednesday, at Trumps first Cabinet meeting of his second term, Musk argued that his request was a pulse check to ensure that those working for the government have a pulse and two neurons. Both Musk and Trump have claimed that some workers are either dead or fictional, and the president has publicly backed Musks approach.Addressing people who didnt respond to the first email, Trump said they are on the bubble, and he added that he wasnt thrilled about them not responding.Now, maybe they dont exist, he said without providing evidence. Maybe were paying people that dont exist.In addition to recent firings of probationary employees, a memo distributed this week set the stage for large-scale layoffs and consolidation of programs. ___Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Gomez Licon writes about national politics for The Associated Press. She is based in Florida. twitter mailto

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)2025-02-28T15:14:29Z INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, the top two quarterbacks in this years NFL draft, have confirmed they will not work out at this weeks NFL annual scouting combine.The announcements are not a surprise. Both had indicated previously they werent planning to do on-field drills when quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are schedule to be on the Lucas Oil Stadium field.Its also hardly a new trend. They join a long group of quarterbacks who have opted out of the workouts, a list that includes names such as No. 1 overall picks Caleb Williams, Bryce Young and Joe Burrow among others.Sanders and Ward, who developed a friendly rivalry when they were Pac-12 foes, do have plenty of work on tape. Each started at least 50 games at multiple schools during their college careers.Sanders helped revive programs at Jackson State in Mississippi before following his father and longtime coach, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, to Colorado. Ward threw for an NCAA record 158 touchdown passes at FCS school Incarnate Word in Texas, Washington State and last season at Miami.Last season, Sanders was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year while Ward was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Black queer leaders continue to shape the world through advocacy, storytelling, and transformative activism. Their work uplifts marginalized voices and fosters equity across media, policy, and community spaces. This Black HERstory Month, we celebrate five Black queer womxn whose leadership is driving meaningful change. Shar Jossell (Journalist & Media Luminary) Shar Jossell is an award-winning [...]The post Black HERstory: 5 Black Queer Womxn Community Leaders first appeared on GLAAD.

Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend. 1.) The dark comedy-drama My Dead Friend Zoe hits theaters today, starring Natalie Morales! Inspired by a true story, U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran Merit is at odds with [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: My Dead Friend Zoe in Theaters, First Looks at Poker Face and Greys Anatomy, New Music by Halsey, Sam Williams, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.

Would the Queen of Diamonds slay a season of The Traitors?Lisa Vanderpump is an undeniable reality TV icon thanks to her appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules, Vanderpump Villa, and so many more.However, the show that has everyone in a chokehold currently is season three of The Traitors, which saw Tom Sandoval make it all the way to top seven.Vanderpump's reaction to Sandoval's placement? Nothing short of iconic."I didn't think he had to go on that show to prove he was a traitor! He did a great job last year, didn't he? Or was it the year before, or the year before that? He's a naughty boy, but as long as he's having fun. He went through a very dark period of his life, so I'm glad he's having a good time," Vanderpump tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Since Sandoval did fairly well on this season of The Traitors, fans are curious if Vanderpump would ever compete on the popular show."People have talked about it, but I'm actually too busy. I have a couple of shows already! I was on three shows last year, and I opened two restaurants."Although she doesn't have plans to travel to Scotland in the near future, the reality star will be appearing on the next season of Vanderpump Rules, which is receiving a reboot and bringing in an all-new cast."It's always based on authenticity. It has to be about relationships that form naturally. This is about existing relationships. This is how people get it right and, sometimes, get it so very wrong."Fans can keep up with Lisa Vanderpump by following her on Instagram. To see the full interview, check out the video at the top of the page.

Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Feig has announced he will be donating $300,000 to multiple organizations that serve LGBTQ+ youth. The Bridesmaids director announced on Thursday that he and his wife, Laurie, have pledged $300,000 to The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, and It Gets Better nonprofits that advocate and provide support services for young queer people..In recent weeks we have witnessed the dismantling of crucial protections for the health and safety of the LGBTQ+ community and, particularly, the transgender community, Feig told Variety. I cant sit idly by and watch as my friends, colleagues and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole our fellow citizens are stripped of their rights.""We should all do whatever is within our power and our means to ensure that every member of the LGBTQ+ gets the support and protections to which they are entitled," he continued. "I hope that these contributions will help the teams at The Trevor Project, Translifeline.org and It Gets Better to keep doing the life-saving work they do every day.In just his first two weeks back in office, Donald Trump signed executive orders denying the existence of transgender people, attempting to ban banning gender-affirming care for those under 19, banning trans athletes from teams and facilities that align with their identity, and revoking 1960s civil rights protections. Trump's gender-affirming care ban has already been blocked by the courts, as have his orders abolishing anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and mandating trans inmates be moved to facilities that align with their sex at birth, each being deemed by federal judges to be unconstitutional. There are also ongoing lawsuits against his ban on trans people in the military and his order only recognizing two sexes, which have been forcefully rebuked by federal judges during initial hearings. In a year where anti-trans sentiment and federal marginalization is at an all time high, support and generosity for our community from powerful storytellers like Paul couldnt be more timely or valuable," Trans Lifeline director of development Myles Markham told the outlet. "Contributions like this not only mean critical services will reach more folks in need, they also send a message of hope and possibility to the tens of thousands of trans youth and adults feeling the doom and despair that comes with our current administrations rhetoric and policy.

The closed LTV Steel taconite plant sits idle near Hoyt Lakes, Minn., Feb. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)2025-02-28T05:13:52Z CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) President Donald Trump is taking a step toward granting the U.S. mining industrys biggest wishes by singling out one metal as a focus of his domestic minerals policy: copper.From talk of acquiring Greenland and its vast mineral wealth to prodding Ukraine for minerals in exchange for help fending off Russias invasion, Trump has made the raw materials of modern life a pillar of his foreign policy.An executive order Trump signed Tuesday calls for boosting the domestic copper industry by investigating the national security implications of imports and weighing tariffs as a response.The United States has ample copper reserves, yet our smelting and refining capacity lags significantly behind global competitors, the order reads.It could mean a new day for U.S. copper mining, and new worries for environmental groups that are contesting proposals such as the stalled Twin Metals project near northern Minnesotas Boundary Waters, a lake-filled wilderness on the U.S.-Canada border. The White House itself acknowledges that America has ample supplies of copper. Sacrificing an irreplaceable national treasure for an insignificant amount of copper is reckless and unnecessary, Ingrid Lyons, executive director of the Save the Boundary Waters, said by email. Copper is in demand Copper is at least as crucial as lithium and cobalt for rechargeable batteries and rare-earth elements for cellphones, LED lights and flat-screen TVs. Copper goes into the cords and transmission lines that plug gadgetry into power.Copper is, I think, the metal that is really the most critical because it is the electricity metal, said Debra Struhsacker, a mining industry policy consultant. The electricity demand is, I think, going to stay. And copper is indispensable for that.U.S. copper use, imports and exports have fluctuated somewhat over the past two decades, according to the Copper Development Association, but a dearth of smelting compared with the amount mined domestically has remained a consistent theme. Where does the U.S. get its copper?While the U.S. in 2024 mined an estimated 1.1 million tons (1 million metric tons) of copper and exported about a third of that in primarily unrefined form, it imported 810,000 tons (735,000 metric tons), nearly all of it refined, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.Trumps executive order accurately refers to China as the worlds leading refiner of copper, with over half the worlds smelting capacity. China, however, does not directly factor into U.S. supplies. Two-thirds of U.S. imports of refined copper comes from Chile, which is the worlds leading copper producer, with lesser amounts from Canada, Mexico and Peru.How much those numbers might change with rising copper demand to support construction of transmission lines and manufacturing of wind turbines and electric vehicles remains to be seen. Some predict global demand to double by 2030 and keep rising, notes the National Mining Association.Even before Trumps plan for copper, the association was encouraged by Trump executive orders promoting mining. One lifts government rules and regulations responsible for undue burdens on mining and mineral processing, calls for updating the U.S. Geological Surveys list of minerals deemed critical to the nation and backs efforts to find and mine new sources of those minerals.Made in America, America first, starts with American mining and American miners that supported this president across the country, National Mining Association president and CEO Rich Nolan said. Copper projects have faced delaysThe mining associations top priorities include: The planned $1.7 billion Twin Metals copper-nickel-cobalt mine that environmental groups contend poses an unacceptable risk to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota, the most visited federally designated wilderness area. The latest blow to the project came when a judge refused to reinstate mining leases. The stalled $1 billion NewRange Copper Nickel mine, also in northeastern Minnesota, which developers look to redesign to make more environmentally and cost-efficient after a series of court and regulatory setbacks. The contested Resolution Copper project at Oak Flat in central Arizona, which is believed to be the worlds third-biggest deposit of copper ore and was the site of a battle between locals who want the mine for economic development and native Apache who consider the land sacred. An appeals court panel in 2024 refused to block a crucial land transfer for the mine. Southern Arizonas proposed Copper World copper-molybdenum mine, formerly known as the Rosemont mine, which has been delayed by a court ruling that limited how mining companies can discard tailings on U.S. Forest Service land under the 1872 Mining Law. All four projects are led by non-U.S. companies including Toronto, Canada-based Hudbay Minerals Inc., developer of Copper World. Some mines dont operate at full capacityThe federal government should have a national strategy to protect the environment and public health by avoiding new terrain and increasing production at existing mines operating at less than full capacity, said Rob Peters, executive director of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, a group opposing Copper World.That would make sense, right? But theres nothing like that. Instead, its sort of like the Wild West where companies in our case here in Arizona, the majority of them foreign companies just can come in. And the only decision-making process is the company figures out where they think they can make the most money, Peters said.Decades ago, Arizona copper made the U.S. the worlds top producer. Now it ranks fifth.To Struhsacker, the industry consultant, lack of government coordination has stalled permits and stifled mine development. Trumps executive orders recognize the need to make permitting work again, she said.

This image released by SRH shows a scene from the film "Hundreds of Beavers." (SRH via AP)2025-02-28T17:55:31Z Hollywoods never-ending awards season can make it easy to get a little lost in the run-of-the-mill best categories. Actor. Actress. Director. Picture. A great movie can be reduced to a single performance; those that are left out seem to simply vanish for a while. But more often than not, its the little things that make us love the movies we love the lines we quote, the props we delight in, the character quirks we remember, the songs we actually add to our playlists. In that spirit, ahead of Sundays Oscars, AP Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr make selections for their own awards some more offbeat than others.Most trusty steed: Aaron Pierres bike, Rebel Ridge Aaron Pierre and bike in Rebel Ridge (Allyson Riggs/Netflix via AP) Aaron Pierre and bike in Rebel Ridge (Allyson Riggs/Netflix via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Jeremy Saulniers lean thriller is like an Western fable: An innocent guy who doesnt want any trouble rides into town and becomes ensnared by corrupt lawmen. Protagonists before him might have come on a horse, but Terry Richmond (Pierre) gets around by bike. Pierre oozes movie-star cool, even while pedaling furiously. (A second award to Rebel Ridge, too, for best scene involving Wikipedia.) J.C. Best stuffy: Chris Hemsworths teddy bear, Furiosa Chris Hemsworth (and teddy) in Furiosa (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) Chris Hemsworth (and teddy) in Furiosa (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Hemsworth may play a maniac warlord named Dementus who rides a Roman chariot across the wasteland of George Millers Furiosa, but hes also a big softy who carries his childhood stuffy. Strapped to Dementus is a teddy bear, an artifact of a childhood that, like Furiosas, is marked by grief. J.C. Best tearjerker: My Old Ass Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in My Old Ass (Amazon via AP) Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in My Old Ass (Amazon via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Megan Parks My Old Ass sneaks up on you. Oh, you think, its just some funny high-concept movie about a teenage girl who starts talking to her almost 40-year-old self after a mushroom trip. Sure, it is that, but its also a profound meditation on time, family and the impossibility of really, truly appreciating things in the moment. Its done with such a light, entertaining touch that by the time the waterworks really start, you almost dont know what hit you. L.B. Best action hero: June Squibb, Thelma Richard Roundtree and June Squibb in Thelma (Magnolia Pictures via AP) Richard Roundtree and June Squibb in Thelma (Magnolia Pictures via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More All I need to say is: Mobility scooter chase scene. Plus, the now-95-year-old did her own stunts. J.C. Best part of a so-so movie: Kumail Nanjiani, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Dan Aykroyd and Kumail Nanjiani in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Jaap Buitendijk/Columbia Pictures/Sony via AP) Dan Aykroyd and Kumail Nanjiani in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Jaap Buitendijk/Columbia Pictures/Sony via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Awards to go to movies that people think are, you know, really good. But great performances can happen in not-so-good movies. Frozen Empire is a lightly enjoyable, slightly kid-oriented extension of Ghostbusters, but every time Nanjiani is on screen, as the reluctant heir to the role of Firemaster, the movie is hysterical. J.C. Best song: Brighter Days and Harper and Will Go West (tie) Will Ferrell hopes Will & Harper, with Harper Steele, will become a guidebook for viewers on how to talk about transgender issues. The original song category at the Oscars is deeply broken. Or maybe Im just wildly out of sync with that branch, but there were two great, memorable songs from wonderful films and neither was even shortlisted. One, Kristen Wiigs charming Harper and Will Go West was technically in the end credits of Will & Harper, but the wait for said song was a key thread throughout. The other, Nicholas Britells Brighter Days provided a profound moment of mourning and catharsis in Blitz. Theyre both songs that Ive added to playlists unlike any of the nominated ones. L.B.Best use of Taylor Swift: The Fall Guy Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy (Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures via AP) Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy (Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Ive probably already seen David Leitchs stuntman extravaganza half a dozen times, partially because my kids like it, too, and partially because Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are absurdly winning in it. Theres just not much better than Gosling cry-singing to All Too Well. J.C. Best scene-stealer: Adam Pearson, A Different Man Adam Pearson in A Different Man (Matt Infante/A24 via AP) Adam Pearson in A Different Man (Matt Infante/A24 via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Sebastian Stan has gotten most of the awards love for Aaron Schimbergs twisty dark comedy, but its Pearson who lifts A Different Man to another level. In a movie full of artifice and identity shifts, hes the real deal. J.C.Best prop: The glass of milk, Babygirl Nicole Kidman in Babygirl (A24 via AP) Nicole Kidman in Babygirl (A24 via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More I dont make the rules, Harris Dickinsons Samuel does. L.B.Most beavers: Hundreds of Beavers Hundreds of Beavers (SRH via AP) Hundreds of Beavers (SRH via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More It would be hard to find a movie more predicated on mascot costumes and hats. Director Mike Cheslik didnt have much more than a handful of beaver costumes when he went into rural wintry Wisconsin to make this slapstick, microbudget, almost-instant cult classic. But cheap visual effects can do wonders, even when it comes to multiplying semiaquatic rodents (or guys in beaver mascot costumes). J.C.Most understood assignment: Aubrey Plaza, Megalopolis Aubrey Plaza in Megalopolis (Lionsgate via AP) Aubrey Plaza in Megalopolis (Lionsgate via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Theres a lot going on in Francis Ford Coppolas long-awaited epic, and, understandably, Im not sure everyone knew what they were in for. Some characters talk in verse. A Russian satellite is said to be falling to Earth. Adam Driver can stop time. Any actor could be forgiven for losing their bearings. But Plaza, playing a character named, um, Wow Platinum, is supremely spot on no matter how scattershot everything around her is. J.C. Best mullet: Kristen Stewart, Love Lies Bleeding Kristen Stewart in Love Lies Bleeding (Anna Kooris/A24 via AP) Kristen Stewart in Love Lies Bleeding (Anna Kooris/A24 via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Rose Glass Love Lies Bleeding, that sweaty, pulpy, violent, romantic ride, is a cult classic in the making thanks in no small part to Stewarts fearless performance as Lou, a gym manager in rural New Mexico in 1989 who falls for a drifter bodybuilder. And at least 35% of that great performance is in Lous greasy mullet. L.B.Best ensemble: His Three Daughters Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon in His Three Daughters (Netflix via AP) Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon in His Three Daughters (Netflix via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen make up a very dysfunctional family but one stirring ensemble in Azazel Jacobs tender family drama. They are a perfect trio, with the added charm of Jay O. Sanders as their ailing Jets-fan father. And us Jets fans take any win we can. J.C. Most memorable moviegoing experience: Sing Sing at Sing Sing David Dap Giraudy, Sean San Jos and Colman Domingo in Sing Sing (A24 via AP) David Dap Giraudy, Sean San Jos and Colman Domingo in Sing Sing (A24 via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Easily the most unforgettable and moving time at the movies for me in 2024 was seeing Sing Sing at its namesake New York correctional facility, in a crowd half-filled with incarcerated men and with much of the movies cast returning to where they began acting. It was a reminder that, through acting and art, you can win a lot more than an Oscar. J.C.___For more coverage of the Oscars, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards. JAKE COYLE Coyle has been a film critic and covered the movie industry for The Associated Press since 2013. He is based in New York City. twitter mailto LINDSEY BAHR Bahr has been a film writer and critic for The Associated Press since 2014. twitter instagram mailto

Dylan Efron is a dirty boyliterally!The Traitors star and younger brother of Zac Efron admitted that he has a controversial take on showering that will leave you scratching your head.Efron, who went viral earlier this year because of a back arch pic that had the gays drooling, answered a series of questions on the Are You Okay? show, including what he finds overrated, Page Six reports. I think people shower too much, the 33-year-old reality TV star admitted. The interviewer quickly joked that she hate[d] that answer. Same, girl. But not to be dissuaded, Efron continued, We take way too many showers.See on InstagramEfron, who joined Bachelorette star Gabby Windey and Vanderpump Rules villain Tom Sandoval on The Traitors season 3, explained that you dont really need to shower frequently when you go swimming a lot. We take way too many showers, he said. I go in the pool a lot, like, theres chlorine. Its killing everything.When the interviewer pointed out that hes probably not scrubbing his body in the pool, he took things a step further and said soap is unnecessary, too.We dont need to soap our bodies every time were in the shower, either, he said. Thats way too much!If youre shaking your head at Efrons showering hot take, youre not alone.For the last time, stop giving these people a platform to talk about terrible hygiene. Bring shame back, someone commented on the Instagram video of the rapid-fire questions. He is not okay. Probably doesn't wash his legs, another person wrote.Someone else joked, Oh noooo!! White people are not beating the allegations lmaooo."Efron then dropped into the comment section to roast himself, So many red flags, he posted.After this controversial take on personal hygiene, Efron confessed that he doesnt like croissants, tries to watch every sunset, and hasnt gotten any better at lying since his stint on the current season The Traitors.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-02-28T17:33:39Z CHICAGO (AP) President Donald Trumps administration is backing off its demand for an extra layer of federal scrutiny whenever states seek even minor changes to their transportation plans, after the rescinded requirement sparked concern that some payments for roads, bridges and transit would be delayed or even halted due to policy differences.Most of the federal money used for transportation projects flows to states almost automatically through formulas established by Congress that consider population and other factors. For decades, states have enjoyed widespread autonomy to set their own priorities and spend the funds on projects they deem as most worthy.But under the policy the administration put in place last week and reversed this week, no additional money was to be allocated until lawyers in the U.S. Department of Transportation s Washington headquarters signed off on any changes. Such amendments to state transportation plans were already subject to a federal review, but it was usually a swift process from a regional office to confirm they didnt violate any U.S. laws. State transportation departments learned of the reversal Friday through an email from Joung Lee, deputy director and chief policy officer for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Lee said the Trump administration had confirmed that the review process was being returned to the regional level without the need for lawyers in Washington to sign off. As this remains a continuing development, we will keep you posted on any further updates, Lee wrote. The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration didnt respond to emails seeking details about why the headquarters-level review was implemented and later reversed.The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, which represents organizations that oversee local and regional transportation projects that get federal funding, told its members last week that at least six states had reported learning about an anticipated pause in getting their plans approved due to the extra review. In areas with large-scale projects or narrow construction windows, even short delays can cascade into prolonged setbacks, increased project costs, and missed opportunities to address critical transportation needs, AMPO said in the memo.AMPO followed up the next day with new information from the Federal Highway Administration, which confirmed there was an ongoing administrative review of the projects, but that there is no pause.Even something as minor as adding or removing lanes of a road, or changes in cost estimates or supplies, could have required a federal review. Advocates for transportation projects said the sheer volume of projects had spurred concerns that much-needed federal funding would be delayed even as many states are set to enter construction season.Youre having to get approval from an office that didnt have to approve things before, said Steve Davis, vice president of transportation policy for Smart Growth America, a nonprofit that advocates for safer streets and other community improvement efforts. I dont see any way that this does not slow down and delay projects. The metropolitan planning organization in Chicago alone, for example, sends about eight amendments a year to its transportation improvement plan, and each includes about 300 different projects. That is just one of 410 metropolitan planning organizations across the country that set their own plans and seek amendments to them throughout the year.Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institutions metropolitan policy program Brookings Metro, said that even more concerning than delays was the possibility that the U.S. Transportation Department might try to redirect projects already approved by states in order to promote the administrations policy objectives. Trump has signed executive orders seeking to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. And Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a memo that calls for prohibiting governments that get Department of Transportation funds from imposing vaccine and mask mandates, and requiring their cooperation with the administrations immigration enforcement efforts. It wasnt immediately clear whether those orders would have any impact on the approval of amendments to state transportation plans.Even the threat of (transportation improvement program) amendments not being approved can have a chilling effect on project delivery, Tomer said. And if project delivery is delayed, that means higher costs for the project and, in the end, the taxpayers.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., arrives to talk to reporters after a closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans to find agreement on a spending bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-02-28T18:36:59Z WASHINGTON (AP) As House members finished voting for the week and left Washington, the lead Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, voiced frustration that Republicans had yet to respond to her latest offer on a full-year spending bill, even though it had been made five days earlier.Meanwhile, her Republican counterpart outright dismissed Democratic efforts to include assurances in the legislation that funding approved by Congress would be spent by President Donald Trumps administration as lawmakers intended. A Republican Senate and a Republican House are not going to limit what a president can do, particularly when he has to sign the bill, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.The exchanges demonstrate the divides that remain as the nation approaches a March 14 deadline to avoid a partial federal government shutdown. Such deadlines have become commonplace in recent years with lawmakers almost always working out their differences in the end, or at least agreeing to a short-term funding extension.But with Republicans now in charge of the White House and Trump sidestepping Congress on previous funding decisions, a more contentious dynamic has emerged during negotiations, raising questions about whether lawmakers will avoid a shutdown this time.Heres a look at where things stand. First things first: How much to spend?The stage for the current negotiations was set nearly two years ago when then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and then-President Joe Biden worked out a two-year budget deal that would essentially hold non-defense spending flat for 2024, while boosting it slightly for defense. The agreement provided for 1% increases for both in 2025. Democrats want to adhere to that agreement, which would bring defense spending to about $895.2 billion and non-defense to about $780.4 billion. Republicans are looking to spend less on non-defense programs. Cole has argued Republicans are not bound to an agreement negotiated by two men no longer in office. Its unclear how much the two sides disagree on an overall spending amount. But Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said they werent far apart. We are close on topline spending, but we need to know Republicans are willing to work with us to protect Congress power of the purse and I welcome any and all ideas they may have on how we can work together to do just that, Murray said. With Trump and Musk slashing government, Democrats want guaranteesTrump pushed early to pause grants and loans potentially totaling trillions of dollars while his administration conducted an across-the-board review of federal programs. A subsequent memorandum purported to rescind the pause.Still, a federal judge issued an order earlier this week as a backstop. The preliminary injunction continued to block the pause. The judge said the freeze had placed critical programs for children, the elderly, and everyone in between in serious jeopardy.Meanwhile, Trump has empowered Elon Musk to help engineer the firing of thousands of federal employees and potentially shutter entire agencies created by Congress. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to appropriate money and requires the executive to pay it out. A 50-year-old law known as the Impoundment Control Act makes that explicit by prohibiting the president from halting payments on grants or other programs approved by Congress.Democrats have sought to place in the spending bill some guarantees the administration would follow what Congress intended.What weve been talking about is the numbers, and were talking about the issue of assurances, DeLauro said. Its trying to make it possible to have the money go as intended.But Republicans are making clear thats a non-starter.Democrats are placing completely unreasonable conditions on the negotiations. They want us to limit the scope of executive authority. They want us to tie the hands of the president, House Speaker Mike Johnson said. Why is Congress so late?The current fiscal year began in October, so lawmakers are already five month late.Trump complained Thursday on Truth Social, blaming Biden, saying he left us a total MESS.The Budget from last YEAR is still not done. We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (CR) to the end of September. Lets get it done!But it was congressional Republicans who opted in December to hold over budget negotiations for a few months, largely because Trump would be in the White House. Johnson on Fox News in December urged a short-term extension so we get to March where we can put our fingerprints on the spending. Thats when the big changes start. What happens if they cant reach an agreement?The first fallback option is the continuing resolution Trump endorsed, a stopgap measure that would generally fund federal agencies at current levels.It looks as though it is becoming inevitable at this point, Johnson said, blaming Democrats.That will be tough for defense hawks to accept, as many Republicans already consider the Pentagon to be underfunded. But it will also be tough for Democrats who worry that funding for housing programs, child care, nutrition assistance and other services is failing to keep pace with inflation, fraying the safety net for many Americans.Murray and DeLauro issued a joint statement Friday morning, saying they hoped Republicans would return to the negotiating table and that walking away from bipartisan talks raised the risk of a shutdown.They also said the continuing resolution being pursued by Republicans would give Trump new flexibility to spend funding as he sees fit.While Elon Musk has been calling for a shutdown, Democrats have been working to pass bills that make sure Congress decides whether our schools or hospitals get funding not Trump or Musk, the two Democratic lawmakers said.The White House has submitted to lawmakers a list of what are referred to as anomalies that it wants to see added to a continuing resolution. For example, it wants an additional $1.6 billion to increase pay for junior enlisted service members by an average of 10% effective April 1. Congress has also supported a pay increase in previous legislation. The White House is also seeking $485 million for more immigrant detention beds and for removal operations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The request also seeks to give Trump more flexibility on how money within certain departments is spent. For example, the White House wants language allowing $30 billion in Department of Defense transfers.Democrats will want to negotiate some of the changes the White House is seeking, adding to the uncertainty of reaching a final agreement.Republicans likely need votes from the other sideGetting spending bills over the finish line has required support from both parties. Some Republicans never vote for continuing resolutions. Nearly three dozen House Republicans voted against the last one in December, and they now only have a one-vote cushion to work with in the House if Democrats withhold their support.If talks break down completely, funding for agencies will end at midnight March 14. Both parties will pin the blame on the other and some of that is already happening.Trump is no stranger to shutdowns. He presided over the longest one in the nations history, one that lasted 35 days, with Trump relenting only after intensifying delays at the nations airports and another missed payday for hundreds of thousands of federal workers brought new urgency to resolving the standoff.Associated Press writer Leah Askarinam contributed to this report.

Bowen Yang is done taking flack for Shane Gillis getting fired from Saturday Night Live.Both Yang and Gillis were announced as cast members in 2019, a year after Yang began working as a writer for the show. Within a day, old clips of Gillis making racist and homophobic "jokes" in relatively recent episodes of his podcast. He then shared an underwhelming non-apology on Twitter, writing, "Im a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, youre going to find a lot of bad misses. Im happy to apologize to anyone whos actually offended by anything Ive said."A few days later, SNL announced that Gillis would no longer be joining the cast.Now, the comedian is slated to return for his second time hosting the show. Its a controversial decision, considering the last time didnt go over so well, and a lot of people simply dont find him funny. But some of his fans are itching to shift the narrative and roping Yang into the drama in the process."Can we acknowledge that Bowen Yang bitched him off the show- and hes the bigger man to come host after being unfairly ditched bc of a whiny queen," someone named @michelle.k.best wrote on SNLs Instagram post. "SNL fired him as a hater. Hes not. Hes very kind and has smart humor and stands up to bullying. Good for him!"Her comment sparked a back-and-forth, which eventually even drew Yang himself into the conversation."@michelle.k.best didnt do any of this but i wrote the sketch you were a background actor in."Yang has previously spoken about his own experiences surrounding Gilliss firing, telling The New Yorker last fall that being roped into the narrative online made him feel "incidental to this big national story about cancel culture.""Anytime our names are in the same sentence, at least in a journalistic way it feels like one person is trying to undo the other," he told Variety following Gilliss last appearance as host. "I think he and I have done enough things in our careers now to really not [have] that be the definitive beginning or the thing that casts a pall over everything else that we do going forward."

Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, D-Hiawatha, reacts to the gallery after speaking during debate on the gender identity bill, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)2025-02-28T20:43:59Z DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa became the first U.S. state to remove gender identity protections from its civil rights code on Friday when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that opponents say will expose transgender people and other Iowans to discrimination in all aspects of daily life.The new law, which goes into effect July 1, follows several years of action from Reynolds and Iowa Republicans to restrict transgender students use of such spaces as bathrooms and locker rooms, and their participation on sports teams, in an effort to protect people assigned female at birth. Republicans say those policies cannot co-exist with a civil rights code that includes gender identity protections.The law also creates explicit legal definitions of female and male based on their reproductive organs at birth, rejecting the idea that a person can transition to another gender. Reynolds proposed a similar bill last year, but it didnt make it to a vote of the full House or Senate. Women and men are not identical; they possess unique biological differences. Thats not controversial, its common sense, Reynolds said in a statement at the time. Its unfortunate that defining a woman in code has become necessary to protect spaces where womens health, safety, and privacy are being threatened. She added that such spaces included domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to formalize a definition of the two sexes at the federal level, leading several Republican-led legislatures to push for laws defining male and female. Trump posted in support of the Iowa bill on his Truth Social platform Thursday after it got final approval from the Iowa House and Senate. Five House Republicans joined all Democrats in the House and Senate in voting against the bill. Iowa state Rep. Aime Wichtendahl was the final Democrat to speak before the vote, wiping away tears as she offered her personal story as a transgender woman, saying: I transitioned to save my life. The purpose of this bill and the purpose of every anti-trans bill is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence, Wichtendahl said. The sum total of every anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal.Hundreds of LGBTQ+ advocates streamed into the Capitol rotunda on Thursday waving signs reading Trans rights are human rights and chanting slogans including, No hate in our state! There was a heavy police presence, with state troopers stationed around the rotunda. The few protesters who lingered for final passage of the bill were emotional.Not every state includes gender identity in their civil rights code, but Iowa is now the first in the U.S. to remove nondiscrimination protections based on gender identity, said Logan Casey, director of policy research at the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank.Sexual orientation and gender identity were not originally included in the states Civil Rights Act of 1965. They were added by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2007, also with the support of about a dozen Republicans across the two chambers. The House Republican moving the bill Thursday, Rep. Steven Holt, said that if the Legislature can add protections, it can remove them. As of July 1, Iowas civil rights law will protect against discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability status.Advocacy groups promise to defend transgender rights, which may lead them to court.Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy for LGBTQ+ advocacy group One Iowa, said the organization is still analyzing the text of the bill and that its vagueness makes it hard to determine where the enforcement is going to come from. We will pursue any legal options available to us, Crow said.

Joseph Czuba, 71, stands before Circuit Judge Dave Carlson for his arraignment at the Will County, Ill., courthouse, Oct. 30, 2023, in Joliet, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)2025-02-28T19:18:57Z JOLIET, Ill. (AP) A jury found an Illinois landlord guilty of murder and hate crime charges Friday for a brutal 2023 attack on a Palestinian American family that killed a 6-year-old.Joseph Czuba, 73, was charged in the fatal stabbing of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen on Oct. 14, 2023 in Plainfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Chicago. Authorities alleged the family who were renting rooms in Czubas house was targeted because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas that erupted on Oct. 7, 2023. Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes over the crime that renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination in the Chicago areas large and established Palestinian community.The trial featured detailed testimony from police officers, medical workers, Czubas ex-wife and Shaheen, who described how Czuba attacked her with a knife before going after her son in a different room. Prosecutors say that the child had been stabbed 26 times. He was found naked with a knife still in his side. Graphic photos of the murder, a knife holder Czuba allegedly used that day, along with police video footage were central to the Will County prosecutors case. At times video screens showing explicit footage were turned away from the public viewing audience where members of Wadees family sat during the trial. If it wasnt enough that this defendant killed that little boy, he left the knife in the little boys body, Michael Fitzgerald, a Will County assistant states attorney, told jurors during opening statements. Czuba had pleaded not guilty. He faced murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and hate crime charges in an eight-count indictment.Defense attorneys insisted pieces of evidence tying Czuba to the crimes were missing. His ex-wife, testifying for the prosecution, could only describe one outburst during their 30 years of marriage and said he carried knives often because he was handy around the house. Go beyond the emotions to carefully examine the evidence, said Kylie Blatti, one of Czubas public defenders. It is easy to get lost in the horror of those images.One of the critical parts of the trial was Shaheens testimony and the 911 she made to report the crime that happened just days after the war started. She said they had not previously had any issues in the two years they rented from the Czubas. They shared a kitchen and living room with the Czubas. Then after the start of the war, Czuba told her that they had to move out because Muslims were not welcome. Later, he confronted Shaheen and attacked her, holding her down, stabbing her and trying to break her teeth. He told me You, as a Muslim, must die, said Shaheen, who testified in English and Arabic though a translator.Shaheen had more than a dozen stab wounds and it took her weeks to recover. The boy was later pronounced dead.Police testified that officers found Czuba outside the house sitting on the ground with blood on his body and hands. Separately, civil lawsuits have been filed over the boys death, including by his the father, Odai Alfayoumi, who is divorced from Shaheen and was not living with them at the house.The case, which generated headlines around the world, comes amid rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023. The U.S. Department of Justice also launched a federal hate crimes investigation.

Shane Gillis seems to stir up controversy everywhere he goes, and yet, somehow, hes still one of the most successful podcasters and comedians out there. Gillis first made national headlines back in 2019 when he was fired from Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live before ever taking the stage as a cast member because of offensive comments he made on his podcast. Despite that, hes managed to score comedy specials, TV shows, and even multiple hosting gigs on SNL.But who is the controversial comedian, and what led to him getting fired?Who is Shane Gillis?Gillis is a comedian, podcaster, and actor who found early success when he started doing stand-up comedy in 2012. In 2017, he started the podcast Matt and Shanes Secret Podcast with his co-host and fellow comedian Matt McCusker. According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, the successful podcast was the most subscribed to Patreon account in 2024, wracking up more than 71,000 paying listeners.After a controversy that led to his firing from SNL, Shane went on to put out multiple comedy specials, had a recurring role on Pete Davidsons TV show Bupkis, and co-created and starred in the show Tires for Netflix, which has been renewed for a second season.Gillis will also appear in the upcoming movie Easy Waltz in a role that was originally written for Norm Macdonald prior to his death and he stared in Bud Lights Super Bowl LIX commercial.Why was Shane Gillis fired from SNL? (@) Gillis was fired as a cast member on SNL in 2019 before his debut episode after a recent podcast episode resurfaced where the comic could be heard making racist remarks, NBC News reports.Just days after it was announced that he was hired as a new cast member for season 45 of SNL, a clip of him using an anti-Asian slur and racist imitation of an Asian accent went viral.The clip came from an episode of Matt and Shanes Secret Podcast where the two hosts were joking about Chinatown. Let the f------ ch---- live there, Gillis said in the podcast. In light of his racist jokes, Gillis was fired and never appeared as an SNL cast member. In an interview, he gave a weak apology for his offensive comments but said he planned to keep making taboo jokes. "Im a comedian who pushes boundaries, he wrote on Twitter (now X). I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, youre going to find a lot of bad misses. Im happy to apologize to anyone whos actually offended by anything Ive said."A spokesperson for SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels told NBC News that they were unaware of his history of racist jokes when he was hired. We want SNL to have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as a comedian and his impressive audition for SNL. We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable, the spokesperson said. Gillis also faced backlash when listeners discovered he had used homophobic slurs during a bit on his podcast about hot Southern boys being sexually assaulted during the Civil War. On past episodes of his podcast, he can also be heard calling gay people "fa----ts" and transgender women "ladyboys."Why was Shane Gillies asked to host SNL?Years after getting canned before ever appearing on the show, Gillis hosted an episode of SNL in 2024, but his monologue went over like a lead balloon. He mocked his dad for being a volunteer assistant girls high school basketball coach, talked about his relatives with Down syndrome, and compared spending time with his sisters diverse family to the craziest Uber pool youve ever been [in], before making a bizarre gay joke.You remember when you were a little boy and you loved your mom, you thought she was the coolest? You remember when you were gay? he asked. Do you remember when you were just a gay little boy? Every little boy is just their moms gay best friend. Theres literally zero difference. I was gay for my mom.Despite his first appearance not being well received critics said he struggled and bombed he has been asked back and will host for the second time on March 1.He may have been fired, but Michaels has stood up for the comedian and may be behind him being asked back twice. I thought, You havent seen what were going to do, and what Im going to try to bring out in him, because I thought he was the real thing, Micheals said according to Forbes, who also reported that the SNL creator and producer criticized people for judging everybody on every position they have on every issue as opposed to, Are they any good at the thing they do?Did Bowen Yang get Shane Gillis fired from SNL?Bowen Yang, who is in his sixth season as an SNL cast member, started as a writer on the long-running comedy show before getting hired as a cast member at the same time as Gillis. Since Yang is the shows first Chinese-American cast member and an out gay man, and Gillis has made both anti-Asian and homophobic jokes, it has led to people assuming Yang was behind Gillis being fired. But SNL creator Michaels has blamed the executives at the top for Gillis being asked to leave, Entertainment Weekly reports.Its been nearly seven years since Gillis was fired, but Yang is still being blamed. Just this week, ahead of Gillis returning to host SNL yet again, he clapped back at someone who took to social media to stir up the controversy again and place the blame at Yangs feet something the Las Culturistas host wont put up with anymore.Does Shane Gillis have a Netflix special?In 2023, Gillis released his Netflix exclusive comedy special, Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs, which the New York Times called dumb and smart, cocky and self-mocking, homophobic but relentlessly self-aware.Shane Gillis will appear on SNL on March 1, 2024, on NBC or stream it on Peacock and Hulu.

Actor and former Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy spoke openly about his sexual preferences nearly 10 years after publicly coming out as gay. Kenworthy, a gold medalist who retired from competitive skiing in 2022, discussed his experiences with threesomes, monogamy, and public sex during an appearance on Grindrs Whos The A**hole? podcast, hosted by RuPauls Drag Race favorite Katya Zamolodchikova.Source

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrive, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The brothers were charged with human trafficking in Romania and arrived in the U.S. after authorities lifted travel restrictions. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)2025-02-28T19:59:17Z TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania, have returned to the U.S. after authorities lifted travel restrictions on the siblings, who have millions of online followers. After the pair arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made it clear the influencer brothers are not welcome in his state and that his administration is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the pair sparking pushback from supporters of the Tates.Here is what to know. Who are the Tates?Andrew Tate, 38, is a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers on X. He and his brother Tristan Tate, 36, are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.Andrew Tate is a hugely successful social media figure, attracting millions of followers, many of them young men and schoolchildren who were drawn in by the luxurious lifestyle the influencer projects online.He previously was banned from TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for hate speech and his misogynistic comments, including that women should bear responsibility for getting sexually assaulted. The Tates, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They deny the allegations. The Tates departure came after Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a Trump administration official expressed interest in the brothers case at the recent Munich Security Conference. Just weeks ago, Andrew Tate posted on X: The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever. Hold on. Where are they now?The Tates arrived in the U.S. Thursday, landing in Fort Lauderdale around midday.Speaking to reporters at the airport, Andrew Tate repeated his insistence that the siblings had done nothing wrong.We live in a democratic society where its innocent until proven guilty. And I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood. Theres a lot of opinions about us, things that go around about us on the internet, he said.The brothers are expected to return to Romania, where they still face criminal charges. An attorney for the siblings there did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday on when they are due back in the country.What has the response been to their return?The brothers return to the U.S. after a Trump official expressed interest in their case has sparked disagreement among conservative commentators and officials. Speaking to reporters, Floridas Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis made clear he doesnt want the brothers to remain in his state. Florida is not a place where youre welcome with that type of conduct, DeSantis said.Floridas attorney general is examining whether the state may have any jurisdiction over the brothers alleged crimes, and if so, how to hold them accountable. In court documents, the Tates have said they are not and have never been Florida residents. Other Republicans in the Sunshine State which has become a stronghold of Trumps MAGA movement are rolling out the welcome mat. In a post on X, the Tampa Bay Young Republicans club formally invited Andrew Tate to speak to their group.As free speech absolutists, the Tates havent been formally convicted of any crimes and are welcome to speak to our group, the post reads. Were old enough to remember when a (asterisk)Convicted Felon.(asterisk) won the Presidency.What is next on the legal front?The Tates still face criminal charges in Romania and will have to return at least from time to time for proceedings in that case, which is expected to take years to resolve.Once the legal saga in Romania ends, the United Kingdom has an extradition request that was approved last year by a Romanian court for separate charges the Tates face there related to allegations of sexual aggression.Meanwhile, a defamation lawsuit the brothers filed in Palm Beach Circuit Court in 2023 continues to proceed. The pair filed the case against a woman who accused them of imprisoning her in Romania. A judge has denied a motion by the woman, identified as Jane Doe, to pause the case until the Romanian matter is concluded. Now that they are back in the U.S., the Tates have filed a motion seeking a temporary restraining order against the woman, but no ruling has been issued as of Friday afternoon. The siblings want the woman barred from coming within 500 feet (152 meters) of them and that she be prevented from contacting, threatening, stalking, harming or harassing either Tate brother.___ Associated Press writers Curt Anderson in Tampa and Stephen McGrath in Sighisoara, Romania, contributed to this report. Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. KATE PAYNE Payne writes about state government and education and is based in Tallahassee, FL. She is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto

Starring Brandon Flynn, Nik Dodani, Parker Posey, and Lisa Kudrow, The Parenting is a "hilariously terrifying" new film premiering on Max this month.The movie follows a young couple, Josh (Brandon Flynn) and Rohan (Nik Dodani), as they plan a trip to introduce their respective parents. However, things don't really go as planned. Between family dynamics, relationship drama, and even a poltergeist, the gays are seated to watch The Parenting as soon as it is released.The official trailer for The Parenting just dropped Friday, and you can watch it below.Besides Flynn, Dodani, Posey, and Kudrow, the star-studded cast of The Parenting also includes Vivian Bang, Edie Falco, Brian Cox, Dean Norris, among others.The film was directed by Craig Johnson (Alex Strangelove, Special) and written by Kent Sublette (who was a writer for Saturday Night Live between 2007 and 2024).The Parenting premieres March 13 on Max.

Paul Feig, the director of A Simple Favor and Bridesmaids, along with his wife Laurie, has donated $300,000 to three major LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organizations: The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, and It Gets Better. The donation comes at a time when the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender individuals, is facing increasing threats to their rights and protections. In an exclusive statement toSource

Men sit outside the general hospital in Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where some victims of unidentified illnesses are being treated, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Guy Masele Sanganga)2025-02-28T21:57:41Z BASANKUSU, Congo (AP) Authorities investigating the deaths of at least 60 people in northwestern Congo suspect the water source in one of the areas may have been contaminated, the World Health Organization said Friday. But the agency said its too early for any definitive conclusion. Doctors are investigating more than 1,000 illnesses that emerged since late January in five villages in Congos Equateur province, where high rates of malaria have complicated efforts to diagnose the cases and where officials have said theyve been unable so far to confirm the main cause.WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said during an online briefing Friday that for one of the villages there is a very strong level of suspicion of a poisoning event related to the poisoning of a water source.Ryan did not clarify whether he was referring to contamination by accident, negligence or deliberate action. He also did not identify the village where the poisoning was suspected. We will not stop investigating until we are sure that the true cause or the absolute cause of what is occurring here is fully investigated, Ryan said. Illnesses were first detected in late January in the village of Boloko after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours. Twelve cases and eight deaths in total have been recorded in Boloko, with no new cases recorded since January, officials say, adding that nearly half of deaths there occurred within hours of the onset of symptoms. The village of Bomate in Basankusu health zone, around 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Boloko, has been hit the most: 98% of the cases and 86% of deaths have been recorded there, health officials say.WHO said on Thursday that hundreds of the patients have tested positive for malaria, which is common in the region. In addition to common malaria symptoms such as fever and body aches, patients have also shown symptoms like chills, sweating, stiff neck, runny or bleeding nose, cough, vomiting and diarrhea. The health crisis has caused fear among residents, some of whom have said they fled the villages to avoid falling sick.Experts say access to the sick has been hindered by the remote locations of the affected villages and that several people died before medical teams were able to reach them.For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulseThe Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.The World Health Organization on Friday said water poisoning is a suspect in the illnesses that have killed at least 60 people and infected more than 1,000 others in northwestern Congo. The agency, however, added that detailed investigations are still ongoing to make a definitive conclusion.Indications from authorities in Congo show a very strong level of suspicion of a poisoning event related to the poisoning of a water source in one of the affected villages, WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said during an online briefing. Clearly, at the centre of this, we have some kind of poisoning event. We will not stop investigating until we are sure that the true cause or the absolute cause of what is occurring here is fully investigated, Dr Ryan said.Another likely suspect could be a toxic-type event either from a biological perspective like meningitis or from a chemical exposure, the WHO emergencies chief said, citing systematic investigations carried out so far by experts.Officials, though, havent been able to confirm the main cause of the illnesses, he said, adding that the high rates of malaria and other common illnesses in the villages are making it difficult to determine the cause.Up to five villages in Congos Equateur province have recorded the illnesses first detected in the village of Boloko after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours. Twelve cases and eight deaths in total have been recorded in Boloko, with no new cases recorded since January, officials say, adding that nearly half of deaths there occurred within hours of the onset of symptoms. The village of Bomate in Basankusu health zone, around 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Boloko, has been hit the most: 98% of the cases and 86% of deaths have been recorded there, health officials say.WHO said on Thursday that hundreds of the patients have tested positive for malaria, which is common in the region. In addition to common malaria symptoms such as fever and body aches, patients have also shown symptoms like chills, sweating, stiff neck, runny or bleeding nose, cough, vomiting and diarrhea.The health crisis has caused fear among residents, some of whom have said they fled the villages to avoid falling sick. Experts say access to the sick has been hindered by the remote locations of the affected villages and that several people died before medical teams were able to reach them.For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulseThe Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.