A screenshot of the publication 'The Eagle' featuring an opinion piece by student Mari Santos, a political science student studying abroad for the semester in Scotland at the University of Glasgow. (Ethan Mahimainathan, The Eagle via AP)2025-03-24T20:05:08Z LONDON (AP) The urgent care doctor cocked an eyebrow at Mari Santos and her American accent.It was four days after President Donald Trumps inauguration, and Santos was a student with a stomach bug in the first weeks of an overseas semester in Glasgow, Scotland. A doctor arrived to see her after a six-hour wait. But before asking what ailed her, he said this: Interesting time to be an American, I suppose.Until then, Santos, 20, had not been thinking about Trump just her 104-degree fever and concern about being sick while abroad. But the president and his triumphant return to the White House, she says, were on her physicians mind, giving the American University student an instant education in geopolitics. The lesson, as she sees it: Theres a kind of chilling in the air. I knew that maybe that Europe is not in general big fan of American politics, Santos said, but I didnt expect it to be such like a personal thing. The United States and its center of gravity occupy a unique space in the international conversation. People the world over talk about America its policies, its proclivities, its place in the world. They have for generations. They did it during the Iraq War. They did it during the first Trump administration. And two months into Trump 2.0, at least in many European and English-speaking countries, its happening again sometimes even more intensely. People from other countries have questions about Trump and trustAnswering for America under the new Trump administration is becoming a delicate experience for some of the estimated 5 million U.S. citizens living in other countries.From Santos in Scotland to others in New Zealand, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada, Republican and Democratic expats alike told The Associated Press in recent weeks that the moment they are revealed to be American changes virtually every conversation to, in essence, What about Trump? At its root, this change is about whom to trust among those thought until now to be allies, in world politics and in life. Trump, known for insisting the truth is what he says it is, is now the voice of America not VOA, the independent news service that told the nations story for eight decades until he silenced it March 16. The president himself has set an example in which trust is almost beside the point. Who do I trust? I mean, who do you trust? Do you trust anybody? he said during an interview last month with The Spectator, when asked how much he trusts people like Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post.What comes after the revelation that someone is American, U.S. citizens overseas say, are awkward questions, pauses and euphemisms but almost always a reference to America under Trump in 2025.Before this year, the typical follow-up would be asking where exactly Im from and what brought me to France, said Anthony Mucia, 31, a Nebraska native who lives in Toulouse, France and has been overseas for six years. Twice now, the first thing someone asked me was, Are you glad to be in France now? He also gets looks that he interprets as a bit of shock or uneasiness. Almost like it automatically turned into an embarrassing topic. Whats bending these interactions, expats say, is Trumps flurry of orders and statements that have upended 80 years of international order and spooked markets.Hes talked about how the U.S. will one way or the other capture Greenland from Denmark, take back Panama and make Canada the 51st U.S. state. He wants to empty and develop war-battered Gaza, and has cut off U.S. aid to the worlds neediest people. Hes falsely blamed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for starting the Russian invasion and ended a White House meeting with Zelenskyy after berating the Ukrainian leader. Trump has let Europes leaders know that the U.S. is not a staunch ally in facing the Russian threat. And hes set off tariff wars with China, Canada and Mexico. Not smoothing the American experience overseas is the backlash developing against Trumps association with Elon Musk and Tesla, which has fueled growing boycott movements. People are joining Facebook groups to exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region particularly Denmark, where Trumps moves have set the Danish Viking blood boiling, one man told The Associated Press.So far, the interactions are less hostile than wary, Americans overseas say. But anti-U.S. sentiment is emerging as a concern on the cusp of whats expected to be a record-setting international travel season for Americans. Prepare to talk about whats going onJake Lamb, 32, moved from Colorado to Auckland, New Zealand in 2023. He said says hes noticed a significant shift in the types and frequency of questions Im asked over the past year. Kiwis remain friendly about it, but theyve been saying they might have to hide Lamb or vouch that hes one of the good ones if Trump escalates conflicts with former allies. He thinks that the good humor belies wariness.I am concerned that it may become difficult for some not to hold individual Americans responsible, Lamb, a volunteer coordinator for a charity and who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris, said in an email.Elizabeth Van Horne, 33, has lived in France since 2013. For years, she said, people would ask why on Earth Id come to live in France if I could live in the U.S: Its so beautiful, theres so much potential, so much opportunity, like living in a TV show.Now, that romanticized image has completely changed, Van Horne, a Democrat, said in an email. Early in March, a postal worker told her its sad to watch.For me, she said, that conversation summed it up: Je suis desole pour vous Im sorry for you.For Trump supporters abroad, it can be complicatedGeorganne Burke, a Syracuse, N.Y., native living in Ottawa, supported Trump in all three elections and is the chairwoman of Republicans Overseas in Canada. Shes a dual citizen, which makes her something like the Peace Bridge that links the two nations in Buffalo, N.Y.Trumps tariff war, his manner and his provocative talk about how Canada only works as the 51st U.S. state has everybodys hair on fire, she said in an interview. Burke, 77, says shes received threats and had a tense talk with an anti-Trump co-worker. People ask her, How could anyone vote for him?An invitation to speak about trade near the end of March, she says, came with the organizer saying that he was pretty sure that most of the people will be polite. Burke accepted the invitation.She says anti-American sentiment was bad during the Iraq war under President George W. Bush in 2003. But now its different. Then, it was kind of more on the politicians, as the targets of public ire, Burke said in a recent interview. Now, its much more personal. Burkes counterpart in London, Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK, says walking around as an American in another country remains more positive than negative. In interviews with media outlets, he readily acknowledges Trump can be obnoxious. But Swenson, 62, is an investment banker, and he says the president and America remain good for business. Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK, poses for a photograph in London, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK, poses for a photograph in London, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In the private capital world, which is not affected by day-to-day (market) volatility, there is just a huge amount of optimism, Swenson said. That means, he says, that investors want to work with U.S. vendors and customers, seeking American credibility through an affiliation with the president.As for what people overseas think of Americans right now: A survey of social media, neighbors and others shows plenty are curious and concerned. When an American dad posted on Reddit his worry that his family wont be welcomed in Ireland, an Irish dad who asked the AP to identify him by his Reddit handle responded this way:A lot of people like me are really, really alienated and angry at the US and Americans, wrote MDMB13. But the good news is were Irish so youll never know because (we) bury our feelings in a far-off place and let them fester over decades. He ended his comment with a smile emoji. LAURIE KELLMAN Kellman has covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs for the Associated Press, including 23 years reporting from Washington and three from Jerusalem. She is based in London. twitter facebook mailto

Salmon poached in green salsa and topped with baked chips are displayed for a photo in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead, File)2025-03-24T14:07:15Z LONDON (AP) You can have your cake and eat it too just do it slowly. Experts tend to focus on the kinds of foods you can eat to improve your health. But the speed at which you devour your dinner matters just as much. There are risks with eating too fast think stuck food and the potential to overeat before your brain tells you to stop. (Inhaling your food also risks annoying your slower-paced dining companions or the person who took the time to cook your meal.)Here are some tips from scientists on how to slow down and take a more mindful approach to consuming your diet.How fast is too fast?If youre the kind of person who can regularly polish off breakfast, lunch or dinner in less than 20-30 minutes, you are eating too fast.It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to communicate to the brain via a whole host of hormonal signals that its full, said Leslie Heinberg, at the Center for Behavioral Health at the Cleveland Clinic. So when people eat rapidly, they can miss these signals and its very easy to eat beyond the point of fullness. Why is that a problem?People who eat quickly are likely to swallow more air, Heinberg said, which could lead to bloating or indigestion. Not chewing your food properly can also compromise digestion, meaning you wont get all of the nutrients from your food. Unchewed pieces of food also could get stuck in your esophagus.Some previous studies have suggested that people who eat quickly have the highest risk of obesity, while the slowest eaters were the least likely to be obese. How can you slow down when eating?For starters, turn off the TV and put down your phone. If youre eating while you watch TV, people tend to eat until theres a commercial or the show is over, Heinberg said, adding that people are less inclined to pay attention to the bodys own signals that its full. When we do things while were eating, were eating less mindfully. And that often causes us to eat more. She said that when people focus exclusively on eating, they tend to enjoy the meal more and eat less.Heinberg also acknowledged the pace at which you eat is often an ingrained habit, but said change is still possible. She suggested things like using your non-dominant hand to eat, trying utensils you might not ordinarily use like chopsticks or taking a deliberate break to drink water when your plate is partially empty.If you have a busy life, it might be unavoidable to eat lunch at a work meeting or snack while running errands. But Sarah Berry, chief scientist at the British nutritional company ZOE, said when possible, be mindful of what the food tastes and feels like. If were not fully present, its very easy to eat more quickly and not notice how much weve consumed, Berry said. Chew your food, just like mom told you toOne of the simplest things to do is to increase the number of bites you take, said Helen McCarthy, a clinical psychologist with the British Psychological Society. If you chew each mouthful a little bit longer, that will slow down your eating, she said. The kind of food you eat may also make a difference, pointing out that its much easier to eat ultraprocessed or fast foods quicker, because they typically have a softer texture.Its hard to eat vegetables and protein at the same rate as something thats highly processed and requires less chewing, McCarthy said.Some of her patients also reported an unintentional side effect once they began eating more slowly, referencing one woman who often ate a tube of potato chips every evening. When McCarthy told her to slow down and eat every single chip individually, her patient told her it was like having a mouthful of claggy chemicals. She didnt find (the chips) enjoyable anymore, McCarthy said.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen, right, warms up behind guard JuJu Watkins, left, before a game against Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)2025-03-25T02:39:51Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. LOS ANGELES (AP) JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern Californias game against Mississippi State in the womens NCAA Tournament on Monday night.Watkins was driving to the basket when she went down between two Bulldogs defenders with 4:43 remaining. She grabbed her right knee with a pained expression on her face.The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points and is one of the biggest stars in the womens game. She was carried off the court by multiple people and the game went to a media timeout with the Trojans leading 13-2.The crowd loudly booed Mississippi State on its next possession.___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Mariama Soriba undergoes a procedure for a contraceptive implant at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly)2025-03-25T05:04:13Z FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) When she got pregnant at 16, Fatou Esther Jusu was terrified that it would derail her future.Abortion is illegal in Sierra Leone. Fearing judgment from her family, she took friends advice and bought misoprostol, a drug whose uses include abortion, from a local pharmacy. It didnt work. Desperate, she tried again and miscarried.I went to the toilet and the baby came out, she said. She fainted and was taken to a hospital, where she pleaded with doctors not to tell her parents.Now 21, Jusu considers herself lucky. One friend died after taking an expired version of the medication.With those experiences in mind, the nursing student is mobilizing others in support of a bill that would decriminalize abortion in the West African country.Even though I made a mistake, this mistake is saving other people, Jusu said. Fatou Esther Jusu poses at headquarters of feminist group Purposeful in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Thursday March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Fatou Esther Jusu poses at headquarters of feminist group Purposeful in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Thursday March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Sierra Leone could become the second country in West Africa to decriminalize abortion, which health workers say would significantly improve the safety of pregnant women, decrease the number of preventable deaths and bring an end to the current colonial-era law. Tens of thousands of women and girls attempt to self-terminate their pregnancies every year in Sierra Leone, where abortion is illegal in all circumstances.Supporters of the bill say unsafe abortions account for around 10% of maternal deaths. Healthcare workers are known to perform terminating procedures when the situation is incompatible with life of the woman, usually in the case of incomplete abortions. Because abortion is illegal, they cite other reasons for the termination. Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio pointedly introduced the Safe Motherhood Bill after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, stripping away womens constitutional protections for abortion.At a time when sexual and reproductive health rights for women are either being overturned or threatened, we are proud that Sierra Leone can once again lead with progressive reforms, Bio said. A pregnant patient consults with nurse Isha T Kamanda at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) A pregnant patient consults with nurse Isha T Kamanda at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A woman walks past a billboard promoting the Safe Motherhood Bill on Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Wednesday, 12 March, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) A woman walks past a billboard promoting the Safe Motherhood Bill on Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Wednesday, 12 March, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More If approved, the bill would have been West Africas most progressive legislation on abortion, allowing the procedure for up to 14 weeks.But Sierra Leone since then has been torn apart by debate. Following opposition from religious leaders, the bill has been amended and now limits abortion to cases of life-threatening risk, fatal fetal abnormalities, rape or incest.The government says it expects a vote in parliament in the coming weeks. It is not clear whether it will be approved. They go to any lengthAn estimated 90,000 abortions are performed annually in Sierra Leone, a country of more than 8 million people, according to research by the African Population and Health Research Center. About 10% of the countrys maternal deaths affecting 717 of every 100,000 births are due to unsafe abortions, the center said.Health workers say the true number is likely much higher.Due to cost and stigma, many women and girls resort to unsafe methods like expired medication, laundry detergent, hangers or sharp instruments.On a recent morning at a clinic run by the MSI Sierra Leone nonprofit, dozens of women and girls waited nervously for consultations with nurse Hawanatu Samura. Hawanatu Samura or Nurse Awa instructs a patient to take medication ahead of an evacuation procedure at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Thursday March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Hawanatu Samura or Nurse Awa instructs a patient to take medication ahead of an evacuation procedure at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Thursday March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Nurse Isha T Kamanda consults a pregnant patient at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Nurse Isha T Kamanda consults a pregnant patient at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Mariama Soriba undergoes a procedure for a contraceptive implant at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Mariama Soriba undergoes a procedure for a contraceptive implant at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More MSI offers post-abortion care, including terminations in cases of incomplete miscarriage, often when people have tried and failed abortions themselves. The nonprofit is the largest individual service provider of family planning services in the country.If patients want an abortion, they go to any length, Samura said. She often sees damage caused by unsterilized instruments, leading to severe hemorrhages, especially in underage girls.Over 20% of girls between 15 and 19 in Sierra Leone get pregnant, according to the U.N. Population Fund, one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world.Samura said a 13-year-old already mother to a 10-month-old recently arrived with severe pain after secretly taking unidentified pills to try to abort her pregnancy.In Sierra Leone, people are afraid of the stigma so they would prefer to die silently, she said. The patient did not understand her body, Samura said, and her dead fetus resulted in dangerous septicemia.The clinic has at least one such case a month, the nurse said. Women wait for consultations at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Women wait for consultations at the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices clinic in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices staff use a megaphone to announce their family planning services in the community, weaving through the stalls of the Luma market in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) A Marie Stopes Sierra Leone Reproductive Choices staff use a megaphone to announce their family planning services in the community, weaving through the stalls of the Luma market in Njagbahun, Sierra Leone, Saturday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A debate over tradition and valuesMany women and girls who have had abortions fear speaking out, and the push for the bill in Sierra Leone has been led by womens rights groups and medical professionals.If you arent listening to your doctors, then who are you listening to? said lawyer and advocate Nicky Spencer-Coker. She has fought for reproductive rights alongside a coalition of womens rights organisations since 2015.At the time, parliament unanimously passed a first version of a bill allowing abortions for up to 12 weeks. But then-President Ernest Bai Koroma blocked the bill amid pressure from anti-abortion and religious groups. Some Muslim and Christian leaders have denounced the current bill as ungodly and hellish. Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles, head of the countrys Inter-Religious Council, said it contradicts citizens religious values and sensibilities.Sierra Leones current president has faced opposition from his own party members, including lawmaker Rebecca Yei Kamara.In our communities, children dont get pregnant they talk to them, they teach them how to grow up into womanhood, she said, and accused supporters of the bill of exaggerating the countrys abortion statistics.Government officials have called the bill a necessary response to the reality of high numbers of deaths among pregnant women.The number of girls that die every year thats the demonstration of peoples will, Chernor Bah, the information minister, told The Associated Press.Officials also say the bill is needed to strengthen gender reforms in Sierra Leone, which include last years ban on child marriage.The bill also would allow wider access to family planning and reproductive health services. Activists fear those will be lost if the bill fails. School girls walk home past a mural from womens organisation Plan International reading My Body, My Choice, My Rights in Freetown, Sierra Leone Thursday, March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) School girls walk home past a mural from womens organisation Plan International reading My Body, My Choice, My Rights in Freetown, Sierra Leone Thursday, March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Allegations of foreign interferenceBoth sides in the debate have accused each other of being sponsored by foreign governments.Some conservative U.S. media have framed the bill in Sierra Leone as a Biden-backed push for abortion rights in Africa.The U.S. embassy in Freetown denied involvement in the bill.Sierra Leones Inter-Religious Council has cited the recent changes on abortion access in the U.S. as reference points in their position papers opposing the bill.Meanwhile, the reality for some pregnant women and girls remains harrowing.Many healthcare practitioners told the AP they want the bill to pass so they can save lives without fear.Samura the nurse recalled a mother who had traveled for hours in agony to the capital after drinking a concoction given to her by a traditional healer. Samura accompanied the patient to a hospital to seek treatment for a distended abdomen, severe septicemia and anemia.The mother of six died in the waiting room.Right there on the couch . everybody was crying, Samura said. Anytime I think of her, I wish the bill had been long passed.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The 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.

A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-03-25T04:04:23Z NUUK, Greenland (AP) Lisa Slrun Christiansen gets up at 4 a.m. most days and gets to work knitting thick wool sweaters coveted by buyers around the world for their warmth and colorful patterns celebrating Greenlands traditional Inuit culture.Her morning routine includes a quick check of the news, but these days the ritual shatters her peace because of all the stories about U.S. President Donald Trumps designs on her homeland.I get overwhelmed, Christiansen said earlier this month as she looked out to sea, where impossibly blue icebergs floated just offshore. Lisa Solron Christiansen, 57, knits a sweater holding her grand daughter Siilia, 2, at her home in Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Lisa Solron Christiansen, 57, knits a sweater holding her grand daughter Siilia, 2, at her home in Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The daughter of Inuit and Danish parents, Christiansen, 57, cherishes Greenland. It is a source of immense family pride that her father, an artist and teacher, designed the red-and-white Greenlandic flag.On his deathbed he talked a lot about the flag, and he said that the flag is not his, its the peoples, she said. And theres one sentence I keep thinking about. He said, I hope the flag will unite the Greenlandic people. Members of Inuit Ataqatigiit political party dance with national flags at a party after parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Members of Inuit Ataqatigiit political party dance with national flags at a party after parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Pieces of ice float on the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Pieces of ice float on the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Military vessel HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen of the Royal Danish Navy patrols near Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Military vessel HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen of the Royal Danish Navy patrols near Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Island of anxietyGreenlanders are increasingly worried that their homeland, a self-governing region of Denmark, has become a pawn in the competition between the U.S., Russia and China as global warming opens up access to the Arctic. They fear Trumps aim to take control of Greenland, which holds rich mineral deposits and straddles strategic air and sea routes, may block their path toward independence.Those fears were heightened Sunday when Usha Vance, the wife of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, announced she would visit Greenland later this week to attend the national dogsled race. Separately, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will visit a U.S. military base in northern Greenland. The announcement inflamed tensions sparked earlier this month when Trump reiterated his desire to annex Greenland just two days after Greenlanders elected a new parliament opposed to becoming part of the U.S. Trump even made a veiled reference to the possibility of military pressure, noting the U.S. bases in Greenland and musing that maybe youll see more and more soldiers go there. News of the visit drew an immediate backlash from local politicians, who described it as a display of U.S. power at a time they are trying to form a government. A crow flies over political placards for the upcoming elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A crow flies over political placards for the upcoming elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People cast their votes in parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) People cast their votes in parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People stand in line outside a polling station to cast their vote in parliamentary elections, in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) People stand in line outside a polling station to cast their vote in parliamentary elections, in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A woman casts her votes in parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A woman casts her votes in parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Electoral workers prepare to count votes during parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Electoral workers prepare to count votes during parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More It must also be stated in bold that our integrity and democracy must be respected without any external interference,' outgoing Prime Minister Mte Boroup Egede said.Greenland, part of Denmark since 1721, has been moving toward independence for decades. Its a goal most Greenlanders support, though they differ on when and how that should happen. They dont want to trade Denmark for an American overlord.The question is whether Greenland will be allowed to control its own destiny at a time of rising international tensions when Trump sees the island as key to U.S. national security.David vs. GoliathWhile Greenland has limited leverage against the worlds greatest superpower, Trump made a strategic mistake by triggering a dispute with Greenland and Denmark rather than working with its NATO allies in Nuuk and Copenhagen, said Otto Svendsen, an Arctic expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.Trumps actions, he says, have united Greenlanders and fostered a greater sense of national identity.You have this feeling of pride and of self-determination in Greenland that the Greenlanders are not, you know, cowed by this pressure coming from Washington, Svendsen said. And theyre doing everything in their power to make their voices heard.Denmark recognized Greenlands right to independence at a time of its choosing under the 2009 Greenland Self-Government Act, which was approved by local voters and ratified by the Danish parliament. The right to self-determination is also enshrined in the United Nations charter, approved by the U.S. in 1945. Passengers ride on a boat outside of Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Passengers ride on a boat outside of Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People listen speeches of candidates for upcoming parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) People listen speeches of candidates for upcoming parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Children stand in the snow as candidates pictures on boards are seen outside a polling station during parliamentary elections, in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Children stand in the snow as candidates pictures on boards are seen outside a polling station during parliamentary elections, in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More U.S. national securityBut Trump is more focused on the economic and security needs of the U.S. than the rights of smaller nations. Since returning to office in January, he has pressured Ukraine into giving the U.S. access to valuable mineral resources, threatened to reclaim the Panama Canal and suggested that Canada should become the 51st state.Now he has turned his attention to Greenland, a territory of 56,000 people, most from indigenous Inuit backgrounds.Greenland guards access to the Arctic at a time when melting sea ice has reignited competition for energy and mineral resources and attracted an increased Russian military presence. The Pituffik Space Base on the islands northwest coast supports missile warning and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO. A boy throws ice into the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A boy throws ice into the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Women carry political placards for the upcoming elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Women carry political placards for the upcoming elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Before Trumps re-election, Greenlanders hoped to leverage this unique position to help the country achieve independence. Now they fear it has made them vulnerable.Cebastian Rosing, who works for a water taxi firm that offers tours around the Nuuk fjord, said hes frustrated that Trump is trying to take over just as Greenland has begun to assert its autonomy and celebrate its Inuit origins.Its so weird to defend (the idea) that our country is our country because its always been our country, he said. Were just getting our culture back because of colonialism. Cebastian Rosing, 35, rides on a boat at the sea ilnet near Kapisillit village in Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Cebastian Rosing, 35, rides on a boat at the sea ilnet near Kapisillit village in Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Strategic importanceIts not that Greenlanders dont like the U.S. They have welcomed Americans for decades.The U.S. effectively occupied Greenland during World War II, building a string of air and naval bases.After the war, President Harry Trumans government offered to buy the island because of the extreme importance of Greenland to the defense of the United States. Denmark rejected the proposal but signed a long-term base agreement.When Trump resurrected the proposal during his first term, it was quickly rejected by Denmark and dismissed as a headline-grabbing stunt. But now Trump is pursuing the idea with renewed energy.During a speech earlier this month he told a joint session of Congress that the U.S. needed to take control of Greenland to protect its national security. I think were going to get it, Trump said. One way or the other. Passengers walk on a pier after arriving in Kapisillit village in Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Passengers walk on a pier after arriving in Kapisillit village in Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A fisherman rides on a boat though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A fisherman rides on a boat though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Seal heads are seen in a box at the market in Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Seal heads are seen in a box at the market in Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Sellers cut fish at the market in Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Sellers cut fish at the market in Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A model in the Marshall Islands?Even so, Trump has his admirers in Greenland.And there is no greater fan than Jrgen Boassen. When he spoke to The Associated Press, Boassen wore a T-shirt featuring a photo of Trump with his fist in the air and blood streaming down his face after an assassination attempt last year. Underneath was the slogan, American Badass.Boassen works for an organization called American Daybreak, which was founded by former Trump official Thomas Dans and promotes closer ties between the U.S. and Greenland.The former bricklayer, who describes himself as 110% Inuit, has a litany of complaints about Denmark, most stemming from what he sees as mistreatment of local people during colonial rule. In particular, he cites Inuit women who say they were fitted with birth control devices without their permission during the 1970s. Juergen Boasson, Trumps fan posting for photo in his house in Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Juergen Boasson, Trumps fan posting for photo in his house in Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Trump must act to secure Americas back door, Boassen says, because Denmark has failed to guarantee Greenlands security.But even he wants Greenland to be independent, a U.S. ally but not the 51st state.What he has in mind is something more like the free-association agreement the Marshall Islands negotiated with the U.S. when it became independent in 1986. That agreement recognizes the Pacific archipelago as a sovereign nation that conducts its own foreign policy but gives the U.S. control over defense and security. Were in 2025, Boassen said. So I dont believe they can come here and take over.Whatever happens, most Greenlanders agree that the islands fate should be up to them, not Trump.We have to stand together, Christiansen said, her knitting needles clicking and clacking. Houses covered by snow are seen on the coast of a sea inlet of Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Houses covered by snow are seen on the coast of a sea inlet of Nuuk, Greenland, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More This story, supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is part of an ongoing Associated Press series covering threats to democracy in Europe.___

A doctor assists 13-year-old Palestinian Yamen Asfour as he learns to walk on a prosthetic leg at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center in Gaza City on Tuesday, Feb. 18. 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-25T06:07:20Z GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Five-year-old Sila Abu Aqlan curled her lip in concentration as she practiced walking for the first time on a prosthetic leg at a clinic in Gaza City. The foot of the new leg had a little pink sneaker with a lacy frill, matching her pink hoodie.It has been nearly 15 months since the little girls leg was amputated after it was left severely burned from an Israeli airstrike. Finally, she is being fit for a prosthetic.One of the most shocking sights in Gazas war has been the thousands of children with amputated limbs from Israels bombardment. The U.N.s humanitarian aid organization OCHA called it the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.Throughout the 17-month war, supplies and services for children and adults with amputations have fallen far short of demand. Gazas ceasefire that began in mid-January offered a window for aid agencies to bring in an increased number of prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, crutches and other devices. Still, it only covered about 20% of the total need, said Loay Abu Saif, head of a disability program run by the aid group Medical Aid for Palestine, or MAP.The window slammed shut when Israel barred entry of all medical supplies as well as food, fuel and other aid on March 2. Israels resumpton of its military campaign last week, killing hundreds of Palestinians, has only added to the ranks of amputees. Children struggle with multiple traumasWith help limited, children wrestle with the psychological pain of losing a limb along with other traumas.Silas mother, father and sisters were all killed in an airstrike on her home in December 2023. Sila suffered severe burns to her right leg. A month of treatment had little effect, and Sila would scream in excruciating pain, her aunt Yasmine al-Ghofary said. Doctors amputated her leg above the knee.I try as much as I can to make her happy. But the truth is, theres only so much she can be happy. Pain is pain, and amputation is amputation, al-Ghofary said. Sila sees other girls playing and tries to keep up with them using her walker but falls down. She says, Why am I like this? Why am I not like them? said al-Ghofary.In October 2023, 11-year-old Reem lost her hand when an airstrike hit nearby as her family fled their home in Gaza City.Reem can no longer dress on her own, brush her hair or tie her shoes. She gets angry and hits her siblings if she cant find someone to help her, her mother said. Other times, she isolates herself and just watches other children playing.Once Reem told her dad that she wished to die, said her mother, who goes by the traditional name, Umm Reem. In another instance, we were talking about meat, and she said, Slaughter me like a sheep, and she was laughing. Thousands need helpSome 3,000 to 4,000 children in Gaza had suffered amputations as of November 2024, according to Jamal al-Rozzi and Hussein Abu Mansour, two prominent experts with rehabilitation programs in the territory who spoke with The Associated Press.Up to 17,500 adults and children suffered severe limb injuries, leaving them in need of rehabilitation and assistance, the World Health Organization estimated in September.Throughout the war, hospitals lacked medicines that could have averted amputations. Doctors describes cutting off limbs because of infections that should have been easily treated.In its campaign in Gaza, Israel has struck homes and shelters with families inside almost daily.Gazas Health Ministry on Monday put out a list of the names of more than 15,000 children, 17 and younger, killed by Israels offensive. The list included nearly 5,000 children younger than 6, including 876 infants who had not reached a year in age.Israels offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians of all ages and wounded more than 113,000, according to the ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. Nearly 90% of the population of some 2.3 million have been displaced, and vast areas of Gaza have been destroyed.Israel launched the campaign vowing to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 others. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and blames the group for civilian deaths because it operates in residential areas. Conditions in camps make it even harder for childrenLast May, 13-year-old Moath Abdelaals leg was amputated above the knee after an Israeli airstrike in the southern city of Rafah.The family had to flee to a tent camp outside the neighboring city of Khan Younis. During the ceasefire, they moved back to their hometown Jabaliya in northern Gaza, but their home had been destroyed, so they live in a tent by the ruins, said his father, Hussein Abdelaal.Moaths psychological state is worsening, his father said. Moving with crutches around the rubble is difficult. Doctors had to amputate more from his leg, almost up to his hip, because of complications. The boy learned that a number of his friends in the neighborhood had been killed, Abdelaal said.He has been having a hard time coping with his new situation. Hes not sleeping well next to his siblings. Its difficult to see our son like that, said Abdelaal. Aid agencies provide some servicesSila is being treated at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center in Gaza City, a program launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross that has provided physical therapy, wheelchairs and prosthetics to hundreds of Palestinians suffering from amputations or paralysis. But supplies are limited. Wheelchairs are urgently needed, with 50 to 60 people a day asking for them in northern Gaza alone, said Mahmoud Shalabi with MAP. Al-Rozzi, executive director of the National Rehabilitation Society in the Gaza Strip, said Israel blocks materials to manufacture prosthetics from entering Gaza on grounds they could have dual or military uses. COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid, said there have never been limitations on medical supplies to Gaza, including wheelchairs, prosthetics and crutches.Some hope for treatment abroadSome child amputees have been evacuated out of Gaza for treatment. But the pace of medical evacuations has remained slow, at a few dozen a day, and was reduced after Israels strikes last week. As many as 13,000 patients of all kinds are waiting their chance to get out. Asmaa al-Nashash wants nothing more than for her 11-year-old son Abdulrahman to go abroad for a prosthetic leg.The boy was selling items from a stand at a U.N. school-turned-shelter in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp when an airstrike hit, she said. Shrapnel tore through his leg, and doctors couldnt save it.Since then, he often sits alone playing games on her phone because he cant play football with other children, she said. Other kids bully him, calling him the one-legged boy.My heart gets torn into pieces when I see him like this and I can do nothing for him, she said.___Khaled reported from Cairo. Associated Press reporter Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

Dr. Marwan al-Hams, director of the Field Hospitals Department in Gaza, surveys the destruction inside the surgical building of Nasser Hospital, a day after it was struck by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-25T06:33:28Z Palestinian medics said Israeli strikes killed at least 23 people in the Gaza Strip overnight into Tuesday.The dead include three children and their parents, who were killed in a strike on their tent near the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital, which has received a flood of dead and wounded since Israel resumed heavy bombardment of Gaza last week, shattering the ceasefire that had halted the 17-month war.Israels campaign in Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 113,000, according to the Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israel launched the campaign vowing to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251. Israel says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because it operates in densely populated areas. ___Heres the latest: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 23Palestinian medics say Israeli strikes killed at least 23 people in the Gaza Strip overnight into Tuesday.Nasser Hospital said it received four additional bodies from two other strikes in addition to the family of five.In central Gaza, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said it received the bodies of six people who were killed in three separate strikes. Three others were killed in a strike on a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Awda Hospital.In Gaza City, an Israeli strike on a residential building killed 5 people, according to the Health Ministrys emergency service. Another 12 people were wounded, it said.

The entrance of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, is seen on Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)2025-03-25T06:28:46Z TOKYO (AP) A court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan, upholding a government request for a revocation spurred by the investigation into the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.The Tokyo District Courts revocation of the churchs legal status means it will lose its tax-exempt privilege and must liquidate its assets. However, the church can still appeal the decision to higher courts.The order follows a request by Japans Education Ministry in 2023 to dissolve the influential South Korea-based sect, citing manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that sowed fear among followers and harmed their families.The Japanese branch of the church had criticized the request as a serious threat to religious freedom and the human rights of its followers. The investigation into the 2022 assassination of Abe revealed decades of cozy ties between the South Korea-based church and Japans governing Liberal Democratic Party. The church obtained legal status as a religious organization in Japan in 1968 amid an anti-communist movement supported by Abes grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. The man accused of killing Abe resented the church and blamed it for his familys financial troubles. The church, which officially calls itself the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, is the first religious group to face a revocation order under Japans civil code. Two earlier case involved criminal charges - the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, which carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, and Myokakuji group, whose executives were convicted of fraud.Japan has in place hurdles for restraining religious activities due to lessons from the prewar and wartime oppression of freedom of religion and thought.

In this July 10, 2013, file photo, prospective students tour Georgetown University's campus in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-03-25T04:14:43Z Since plunging during the COVID-19 pandemic, international student enrollment in the U.S. has been rebounding a relief to American universities that count on their tuition payments. Two months into the new Trump administration, educators fear that could soon change. Unnerved by efforts to deport students over political views, students from other countries already in the U.S. have felt new pressure to watch what they say. A Ph.D. student at the University of Rochester from South Asia said it feels too risky to speak about LGBTQ+ causes she once openly championed or even be seen near a political demonstration. With reports of travel bans circulating, she likely wont fly home for the summer out of fear she would not be allowed back into the U.S. Youre here for an education so youve got to keep moving forward on that end, said the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by authorities. But also its very hard to, say, OK, Im at work. Ive got to zone out. I cant be thinking about the news. Educators worry its a balancing act that will turn off foreign students. As the U.S. government takes a harder line on immigration, cuts federal research funding and begins policing campus activism, students are left to wonder if theyll be able to get visas, travel freely, pursue research or even express an opinion. It has a chilling effect, said Clay Harmon, executive director of AIRC, a membership organization focused on recruiting and enrolling international students. Even if theres no direct consequence or direct limitation right now, all of this cumulatively produces an impression that the U.S. is not welcoming, its not open or that you may be in some kind of danger or jeopardy if you do come to the U.S. During a recent trip to India, the biggest sender of students to the U.S., the consensus among recruiting agencies was that far fewer of that countrys students are interested in American colleges than in recent years, Harmon said. Some students are waiting to see how policy changes will play out, while others already have deferred admission offers for fall 2025, he said. Student social networks are active, and news about immigration-related developments in America like a Republican proposal to prevent Chinese students from studying in the U.S. spreads quickly.Students in Canada, China, India and elsewhere have been seeking answers and advice on Reddit and other social media sites, wondering whether to move forward with U.S. plans, or choose a college in the United Kingdom, Germany or elsewhere in Europe.International students are coveted as an antidote to declining domestic enrollment and source of full-price tuition payments. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 1.1 million international students at U.S. colleges and universities contributed an all-time high $43.8 billion to the nations economy and supported more than 378,000 jobs, according to data released by NAFSA, an agency that promotes international education. International graduate students also play a large role in advancing research, said Fanta Aw, who heads NAFSA.Aw said universities must work to remind prospective students that detentions like those of a pro-Palestinian activist Columbia University and, more recently, a scholar at Georgetown University, still are not the norm, despite the attention they receive.We have international students at lots of universities, she said, and news coverage has focused on consequences for international students at just a couple of colleges. So we have to also put into perspective the fact that the vast majority of students are in universities where were not hearing anything.The messaging from colleges and universities on the changing political climate has varied. Some, including Northeastern University in Boston, have responded to Trumps directives with webpages to keep current and prospective students informed. Our global community will continue to be a welcoming place for admitted students from all corners of the world, spokeswoman Renata Nyul said via email. Others have gone further. Bunker Hill Community College in Boston has suspended its one- to two-week study abroad programs, citing concerns about potential travel restrictions. Administrators at Columbias Graduate School of Journalism have warned students who are not U.S. citizens about their vulnerability to arrest or deportation.Brown University has advised international students and staff, including visa holders and permanent residents, to postpone travel after a Brown professor was deported to Lebanon despite having a U.S. visa. Homeland Security officials later said she openly admitted to supporting a Hezbollah leader and attending his funeral. ___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. 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. CAROLYN THOMPSON Thompson is an Associated Press reporter based in Buffalo, New York. twitter mailto

A group of sheikhs call for the prayer during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, Friday March 7, 2025.(AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)2025-03-25T05:59:06Z DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) Sahar Diab had visited Damascus famed Umayyad Mosque previously. But as the Syrian lawyer went there to pray during her countrys first Ramadan after the end of the Assad familys iron-fisted rule, she felt something new, something priceless: A sense of ease.The rituals have become much more beautiful, she said. Before, we were restricted in what we could say. ... Now, theres freedom.As Diab spoke recently, however, details were trickling in from outside Damascus about deadly clashes. The bloodshed took on sectarian overtones and devolved into the worst violence since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December by armed insurgents led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).This Ramadan the Muslim holy month of daily fasting and heightened worship such are the realities of a Syria undergoing complex transition. Relief, hope and joy at new openings after 53 years of the Assad dynastys reign, prolonged civil war and crushing economic woes intermingle with uncertainty, fear by some, and a particularly bloody and worrisome wave of violence. Some are feeling empowered, others vulnerable. Were not afraid of anything, Diab said. She wants her country to be rebuilt and to get rid of Assad-era corruption and bribery.At the Umayyad Mosque, the rituals were age-old: A woman fingering a prayer bead and kissing a copy of the Quran; the faithful standing shoulder-to-shoulder and prostrating in prayer; the Umayyads iconic and unusual group call to prayer, recited by several people. The sermon, by contrast, was fiery in delivery and new in message.The speaker, often interrupted by loud chants of God is great, railed against Assad and hailed the uprising against him.Our revolution is not a sectarian revolution even though wed been slaughtered by the sword of sectarianism, he said. This Ramadan, Syrians marked the 14th anniversary of the start of their countrys civil war. The conflict began as one of several popular uprisings against Arab dictators, before Assad crushed what started as largely peaceful protests and a civil war erupted.It became increasingly fought along sectarian lines, drawing in foreign powers and fighters. Assad, who had ruled over a majority Sunni population, belongs to the minority Alawite sect and had drawn from Alawite ranks for military and security positions, fueling resentment. That, Alawites say now, shouldnt mean collective blame for his actions.Many Syrians speak of omnipresent fear under Assad, often citing the Arabic saying, the walls have ears, reflecting that speaking up even privately didnt feel safe. They talk of hardships, injustices and brutality. Now, for example, many celebrate freedom from dreaded Assad-era checkpoints.They would harass us, said Ahmed Saad Aldeen, who came to the Umayyad Mosque from the city of Homs. You go out ... and you dont know whether youll return home or not.He said more than a dozen cousins are missing; a search for them in prisons proved futile. Mohammed Qudmani said even going to the mosque caused anxiety for some before, for fear of getting on security forces radar screen or being labeled a terrorist.Now, Damascus streets are bedecked with the new three-starred flag, not long ago a symbol of Assads opponents. It flutters from poles and is plastered to walls, sometimes with the words God is great handwritten on it.One billboard declares this the Ramadan of victory. On a government building, the faces of former presidents Bashar and Hafez Assad are partly cut off from a painting; in their place, The Freedom is scribbled in Arabic.Haidar Haidar, who owns a sweets shop, said he was touched that new security force members gave him water and dates while he was out when a call to prayer signaled that those fasting can eat and drink.We never saw such things here, he said, adding that he used to recite Quranic verses for protection before passing through Assads checkpoints.He said his business was doing well this Ramadan and ingredients have become more available. Still, challenges economic, geopolitical and otherwise abound.Many dream of a new Syria, but exactly how that would look remains uncertain.The situation is foggy, said Damascus resident Wassim Bassimah. Of course, theres great joy that weve gotten rid of the cancer we had, but theres also a lot of wariness.Syrians, he added, must be mindful to protect their country from sliding back into civil war and should maintain a dialogue that is inclusive of all.The external enemies are still there, he said. So are the enemies from within.The wars scars are inescapable.Just outside of Damascus, death and destruction are seared into some landscapes littered with pockmarked and ruined structures. Many Syrians grieve the missing and killed; many families have been divided by the exodus of millions as refugees. Ramadan typically sees festive gatherings with loved ones to break the daily fast. Some Syrians huddle around food and juices at restaurants or throng to Ramadan tents to break their fast and smoke waterpipes as they listen to songs.But this months violence in Syrias coastal region has stoked fears among some.The bloodshed began after reports of attacks by Assad loyalists on government security forces. Human rights and monitoring groups reported revenge killings in the counteroffensive, which they said saw the involvement of multiple groups. According to them, hundreds of civilians, or more, were killed; figures couldnt be independently confirmed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the killed civilians were Alawites in addition to a number of armed Alawites and security forces. Syrian authorities have formed a committee tasked with investigating the violence.Even before the bloodshed, while many celebrated the new government, others questioned what the ascent of the former insurgent forces would mean for freedoms, including of minorities and of those in the majority who are secular-minded or adhere to less conservative interpretations of Islam. The new authorities have made assurances about pluralism.Sheikh Adham al-khatib, a representative of Twelver Shiites in Syria, said many from the Shiite minority felt scared after Assads ouster and some fled the country. Some later returned, encouraged by a relative calm and the new authorities reassurances, he said, but the recent violence and some individual transgressions have rekindled fears.As the violence unfolded earlier this month, crowds gathered in Damascus.Some rallied to support security forces. Others, like Malak al Shanawani, participated in a different gathering, against the killing of the security forces and civilians. The bloodshed brought tears to her eyes.Its nightmarish, said the feminist and political activist. Its one of the worst moments.Under Assad, al Shanawani was arrested more than once. Among those killed in the violence, she said, were three brothers of an Alawite friend who was also arrested under Assad.When we used to hear that the Alawites would get slaughtered, wed say: No, we can protect you; we wouldnt allow this to happen, said al Shanawani, whos from the Sunni community. But it has happened.At the silent vigil, activists raised signs that called for de-escalation and denounced sectarian incitement. One read: Neither religion, nor sect will divide us. Another declared: The Syrian revolution doesnt accept injustice.But the gathering quickly deteriorated into shouting and shoving matches as some on the street appeared provoked by it.One man angrily asked participants where they were when it was the Sunnis who were suffering. Another furiously ripped a sign. A third insulted Alawites. Here and there, some attempted to discuss, to find common ground. Occasionally, people who started off arguing would agree on something and join each other in chants.One. One. One, they yelled. The Syrian people are one.As the chaos and friction continued, however, gunshots were fired into the air to disperse the crowds.___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. MARIAM FAM Fam is a reporter with The Associated Press Global Religion team. She covers faith, and the many ways it intersects with culture and daily life, in the Middle East and beyond. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00875-wInterventions involving bacteria or fungi could help to sequester greenhouse gases, create more sustainable products and clean up pollution in ways that are economically viable and safe.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00926-2Give grants to female scientists in war zones

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00925-3How to get more women into mining

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00927-1Lesotho matters

Actor Gerard Depardieu, left, arrives at his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, with his lawyer Jeremie Assous ,Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)2025-03-25T09:37:52Z PARIS (AP) Actor Grard Depardieu acknowledged Tuesday that he used crude and heated language around a woman who accuses him of sexual assault and grabbed her hips but denied assaulting her, as he testified for the first time at his landmark trial in Paris.I understand perfectly if shes a bit upset, he said of the set dresser he worked with on a movie in 2021. He acknowledged that he sometimes has a potty mouth, telling the court: I am capable of trash talk. And he admitted that he was wrong to use heated language with the woman when they had an on-set argument about a painting.I dont have to talk like that, get angry like that, voil, he said in his gruff, deep voice so familiar to global cinemagoers.The 76-year-old former Oscar nominee has denied sexual assault allegations filed by the 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant. The women allege that he groped them during filming in 2021 of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters). The actor faces up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000) if convicted. Depardieu acknowledged that he did grab the hips of the set dresser during their argument on set about whether a painting was good or bad art. But he said his gesture hadnt been ill-intentioned and argued that she hadnt appeared offended, saying: She didnt answer as if I was assaulting her. He acknowledged that sometimes his behavior is regarded as boorish. Ive always been told I have a Russian nature, I dont know if its because of the drinking or the vulgarity, he said.But he said hes not a predator. Im not touching the butts of women, he said.Because of Depardieus fame and impact on the French movie industry, his trial is seen as an important test of French willingness to confront sexual violence and hold influential men accountable. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter

Luigi Mangione , accused of fatally shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City and leading authorities on a five-day search is scheduled, appears in court for a hearing, Feb. 21, 2025, in New York. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool, File)2025-03-25T03:29:57Z NEW YORK (AP) Luigi Mangione is asking for a laptop in jail, but just for legal purposes not for communicating with anyone as he awaits trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcares CEO.In a court filing made public late Monday, Mangiones lawyers proposed that he get a laptop configured solely to let him view a vast amount of documents, video and other material in the case surrounding the shooting of Brian Thompson. Similar limited-laptop provisions have been made for some other defendants in the federal lockup where Mangione is being held.The Manhattan district attorneys office, which is prosecuting Mangione on a rare New York state charge of murder as an act of terrorism, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Mangiones lawyers, prosecutors are frowning on the laptop request, saying that some witnesses have been threatened. Defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote that theres no connection to Mr. Mangione for any of said alleged threats.Mangione, 26, is accused of gunning down Thompson in December outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare was about to hold an investor conference. Thompson, who was 50 and had two children in high school, worked for decades within UnitedHealthcare and its parent company. Mangione, an Ivy League computer science graduate from a Maryland real estate family, has pleaded not guilty to the New York state charges. He also faces a parallel federal case that carries the possibility of the death penalty. He hasnt entered a plea to the federal charges or to state-level gun possession and other charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested days after Thompsons death. Thompsons killing alarmed the corporate world, where some health insurers hastily switched to remote work or online shareholder meetings.But at the same time, the case channeled some Americans frustrations with health insurance companies. Mangiones writings and words on bullets recovered from the scene reflected animus toward health insurers and corporate America, authorities have said. Some people have lionized the accused killer, donated money to his defense and even flocked to his court appearances. Others, including elected officials, have deplored the praise for what they cast as ideological violence and vigilante justice.Through his lawyers, Mangione has released a statement thanking supporters.If he does get a laptop, it would be unable to connect to the internet, run video games or play movies or other entertainment, his lawyers said in Mondays filing. But it would let him examine, from his jail cell, more than 15,000 pages of documents and thousands of hours of video that prosecutors gathered and were required to turn over to his attorneys.Otherwise, he can view the material when meeting with his lawyers. But they say there arent enough visiting hours in the day for him to do that and properly help prepare his defense.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00895-6Intermittent fasting has gained a following, in part because of tantalizing hints that it can boost cognition, fend off cancer and even slow ageing.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00928-0Lessons from Portugal on effects of cutting research funding

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a ceremony to raise the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag at the State Department, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-03-25T04:08:19Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administrations top intelligence officials face Congress for back-to-back hearings this week, their first opportunity since being sworn in to testify about the threats facing the United States and what the government is doing to counter them.FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, are among the witnesses who will appear Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee and Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee.Tuesdays hearing will take place one day after news broke that several top national security officials in the Trump administration, including Ratcliffe and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic. The annual hearings on worldwide threats will offer a glimpse of the Trump administrations reorienting of priorities, which officials across agencies have described as countering the scourge of fentanyl and fighting violent crime, human trafficking and illegal immigration. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray routinely has said he is hard-pressed to think of a time in his career when the United States faced so many elevated threats at once, but the concerns he more regularly highlighted had to do with sophisticated Chinese espionage plots, ransomware attacks that have crippled hospitals and international and domestic terrorism. We have to change to the dynamic threat landscape that is changing constantly not just in America but abroad, Patel said in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday night, citing the elevated threat from narco-traffickers. But, he added, were not going to forget or ignore national security never. The hearings are also unfolding against the backdrop of a starkly different approach toward Russia following years of Biden administration sanctions over its war against Ukraine. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a lengthy call with President Donald Trump to an immediate pause in strikes against energy infrastructure in what the White House described as the first step in a movement to peace. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

After being rescued from Ukraine, lion sisters Amani and Lira settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)2025-03-25T10:08:13Z SMARDEN, England (AP) One malnourished lioness had spent her life confined to an apartment. Another was so shell-shocked she could barely walk.They are among five traumatized lions rescued from the war zone in Ukraine who are settling into a new home in England after an international effort to bring them to safety.Male African lion Rori and lionesses Amani, Lira and Vanda arrived this month at the Big Cat Sanctuary after a 12-hour journey by road and ferry from temporary homes at zoos and animal shelters in Belgium. They join lioness Yuna, who arrived in August, at the sanctuarys new Lion Rescue Center, which officially opens on Tuesday. Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Cameron Whitnall watches Vanda a lion rescued from Ukraine, as she settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Cameron Whitnall watches Vanda a lion rescued from Ukraine, as she settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yuna, a lion rescued from Ukraine growls at a camera as she settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Yuna, a lion rescued from Ukraine growls at a camera as she settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More All five were found near the front line in Ukraines war against Russian invasion, neglected and abandoned by their owners.All of these five lions were originally from the illegal pet trade and wildlife trade, said Cameron Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of London. None of them came from zoos. After being rescued from Ukraine, lion sisters Amani and Lira settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) After being rescued from Ukraine, lion sisters Amani and Lira settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More After being rescued from Ukraine, lion sisters Amani and Lira settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) After being rescued from Ukraine, lion sisters Amani and Lira settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yuna was kept in a small brick cell and was shellshocked after missile debris fell near her enclosure. Rori was mistreated in a private menagerie, while sanctuary staff believe siblings Amani and Lira were bred to have their photos taken with tourists as cubs. Vanda, kept inside an apartment, was malnourished and infested with parasites.Whitnall says in her new home Vanda, like the others, can become the lion she deserves to be. Cameron Whitnall feeds Yuna after lions are rescued from Ukraine and settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Cameron Whitnall feeds Yuna after lions are rescued from Ukraine and settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The lions were saved by the Wild Animals Rescue Center run by Natalia Popova, a Ukrainian woman who has saved hundreds of abandoned pets and zoo animals since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Lions, tigers, leopards, wolves, deer, monkeys and more have passed through her shelter, a converted horse stables near Kyiv.Hundreds have been sent abroad for treatment and recovery. Whitnall was determined to bring the five lions to Britain, even though the sanctuary had nowhere to put them. A fundraising campaign launched in May 2024 raised more than 500,000 pounds ($650,000) to cover the costs of transportation, veterinary care and building a new home for the cats. After being rescued from Ukraine, lion Lira settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) After being rescued from Ukraine, lion Lira settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More After being rescued from Ukraine, lion Vanda settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) After being rescued from Ukraine, lion Vanda settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Staff say they are adapting well to their enclosures, which have been designed around each lions individual needs. Yuna and Rori, who have coordination issues, got gently landscaped environments where they cant fall from a height, while sisters Amani and Lira have trees to climb. Vanda, the most playful and confident of the lions, has an enclosure that includes a water feature.Im sure its a bit of a journey. Weve got more to do, but they are taking everything so incredibly well, said curator Briony Smith, who looks after the animals. You can already tell that there is improvement in their care and their welfare and the way that they feel about that.Smith and Whitnall are still getting to know their four newest charges. They have already formed a strong bond with Yuna, who had never been on grass until she was rescued.She could barely walk, Whitnall said. She was suffering from shellshock and concussion. She was so severely bad that they were actually going to euthanize her. But we managed to step in and get her out of the war zone, and shes just come on leaps and bounds since being here at the sanctuary.Were just so happy with her progress, said Whitnall, who enjoys feeding Yuna her favorite snack of raw chicken legs. Shes a beautiful lioness now. ___Video journalist Tom Rayner contributed to this story.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00892-9Insurers rely on sophisticated catastrophe modelling to estimate risk exposure and as climate risks are rising, so are the costs for protection.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00871-0A multi-century climate record suggests that current Atlantic jet-stream variations are not the cause of an increase in extreme weather events.

An image of the Signal app is shown on a mobile phone in San Francisco, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)2025-03-25T13:24:28Z LONDON (AP) A magazine journalists account of being added to a group chat of U.S. national security officials coordinating plans for airstrikes has raised questions about how highly sensitive information is supposed to be handled.Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg detailed a discussion that happened over the Signal messaging app hours before strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen order by U.S. President Donald Trump.The National Security Council has since said the text chain appears to be authentic and that it is looking into how a journalists number was added to the chain.Heres a look at the app in question. What is Signal?Its an app that can be used for direct messaging and group chats as well as phone and video calls.Signal uses end-to-end encryption for its messaging and calling services that prevents any third-party from viewing conversation content or listening in on calls. In other words, messages and calls sent on Signal are scrambled and only the sender and recipient at each end will have the key to decipher them. Signals encryption protocol is open source, meaning anyone that its freely available for anyone to inspect, use or modify. The encryption protocol is also used by another popular chat service, social media company Metas WhatsApp platform. Encryption on Signal is turned on by default, unlike another popular messaging app, Telegram, which requires users to turn it on and does not make it available for group chats. Signal has features that are found on other messaging apps. It allows users to host group chats with up to 1,000 people and messages can be set to automatically disappear after a certain time. Is it secure?Signal touts the privacy of its service and experts agree it is more secure than conventional texting.But it could be hacked.Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, such as scheduling sensitive meetings, but in the Biden administration, people who had permission to download it on their White House-issued phones were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the administration. The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to notify someone that they should check for a classified message sent through other means.Beyond concerns about security, Signal and other similar apps may allow users to skirt open records laws. Without special archiving software, the messages frequently arent returned under public information requests.In the Atlantic article, Goldberg wrote that some messages were set to disappear after one week and some after four. Do other government officials use Signal?Encrypted messaging apps are increasingly popular with government officials, according to a recent Associated Press review.State, local and federal officials in nearly every state have accounts on encrypted messaging apps, according to the review, which found many of those accounts registered to government cellphone numbers. Some were also registered to personal numbers. Whos behind Signal? The apps origins date back more than a decade, when it was set up by an entrepreneur who goes by the name Moxie Marlinspike, who was briefly head of product security at Twitter after he sold his mobile security startup to the social media company. Marlinspike merged two existing open source apps, one for texting and one for voice calls, to create Signal. The nonprofit Signal Foundation was set up in 2018 to support the apps operations as well as investigate the future of private communication, according to the foundations website. The foundation says it is a nonprofit with no advertisers or investors, sustained only by the people who use and value it.The foundations board has five members, including Brian Acton, who cofounded WhatsApp and donated $50 million to set up the foundation. ___Associated Press writers Tara Copp, Aamer Madhani and Eric Tucker contributed to this report from Washington. KELVIN CHAN Chan covers technology and innovation in Europe and beyond for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen (44) drives to the basket against UNC Greensboro guard Jaila Lee and forward Khalis Cain (15) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)2025-03-25T12:27:06Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. LOS ANGELES (AP) If Southern California wants to win its first national championship in 41 years, the Trojans will have to find a way to get it done without star guard JuJu Watkins.They notched their 30th win for the first time since 1986 by walloping ninth-seeded Mississippi State 96-59 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night. But they lost Watkins to a season-ending right knee injury in the first quarter.She was streaking down the court on a fast break with two Bulldogs defenders nearby when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right foot. She immediately crumpled to the court. Watkins had to be carried off, unable to put any weight on her leg. She will have surgery and then rehabilitate, USC said, without specifying her injury.The sight of Watkins writhing in pain on the court, holding her injured knee while her teammates stood around her and coach Lindsay Gottlieb rushed to the 19-year-olds side shocked the crowd of 7,808 at Galen Center. JuJu is a generational talent, Mississippi State guard Jerkaila Jordan said. Shes changed the game in so many ways at such a young age. Seeing her go down was really tough. I said my prayers for her. Losing Watkins just five minutes in on a non-contact play turned the home fans angry and they booed the Bulldogs the rest of the game. At halftime, they jeered the MSU cheerleaders routine. You had to be here to feel it, Gottlieb said. I dont know if people saw that through the TV, but it was a palpable thing.The top-seeded Trojans, meanwhile, were all business. Buoyed by the raucous crowd, they hit buzzer-beating shots at the end of the first, second and third quarters and ran their lead to 46 points in the fourth.I wouldnt say this is our defining moment, said Kiki Iriafen, who scored a season-high 36 points. Its what we expect of ourselves. We expect to win in this tournament regardless if its going our way, we have people, we dont have people. Thats the standard here. Next up is the Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington, where the Trojans (30-3) play fifth-seeded Kansas State (28-7) on Friday.USC has yet to know what its like playing without one of the biggest stars in college basketball. Watkins started all 34 games as a freshman, leading the Trojans to the Elite Eight while boosting attendance with strong support from her nearby community of Watts.I hope she can at some point see just the significance that she has here that goes so far beyond just her talent and abilities, Gottlieb said. Thats whats really generational about it, the way shes galvanized everyone, and the way that her team had her back and also really is a team.This year was supposed to be about winning it all.It still could be, but the picture looks a lot different without Watkins.Iriafen, a Stanford graduate transfer, showed what she can do without her running mate, shooting 16-of-22 to go with nine rebounds.Kiki is one of the best players in the country. She was electric, Bulldogs coach Sam Purcell said. We had our center on her, our guard on her, we doubled her, we went 2-3, we went man-to-man, we trapped her. We never stopped her. USC had five players in double figures against the Bulldogs, including three freshmen. One of them, Kaleigh Heckel, along with sophomore Malia Samuels, ran the offense in Watkins absence. They combined for nine assists, five steals and two turnovers. Heckel also scored 13 points and had six assists.Another freshman, Avery Howell, tied her career high with 18 points and had four 3-pointers and six assists. A third freshman, Kennedy Smith, had 10 points and five steals.We have a pretty big role this year, Howell said. Were prepared for most moments because of the time were given in games and how hard we work in practice.The Trojans won their first two tournament games by a combined 83 points.We will make sure that were pouring into this team, to JuJu and keeping us together because as you saw we are capable of a lot of greatness, Gottlieb said. Thats what will continue to be the message to our team.___AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00914-6A musicians query as to the origin of a warped wolf tone, and a review of a book by physicist Marie Curie, in our weekly dip into Natures archive.

Nature, Published online: 21 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00941-3Babies as young as one year old can form memories, our adult brains just cant access them. Plus, US-funded researchers outside the United States are being grilled about ideology and physicists suggest a crazy new way we could generate electricity.

A woman places her ballot in a box during early voting in Waukesha, Wis., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)2025-03-25T14:18:52Z MADISON, Wis. (AP) Turnout during the first week of early voting ahead of Wisconsins pivotal state Supreme Court race is far exceeding levels from another high-stakes election just two years ago, the latest sign of the intense interest in a contest that has obliterated spending records and drawn attention from President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser, Elon Musk.As of Tuesday, with just a week to go until the final day of voting, nearly 48% more early ballots have been cast compared with the same point two years ago, according to data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. More than 345,000 voters had returned ballots, either by mail or in person, compared with about 233,000 at this point two years ago during another race for a Supreme Court seat.The election will determine whether the court will remain under 4-3 liberal control or flip to a conservative majority. One of the current liberal justices is retiring. This years race has morphed into a proxy battle over the nations politics, with Trump and Musk getting behind Brad Schimel, the Republican-backed candidate in a race that is officially nonpartisan. All Voters who believe in Common Sense should GET OUT TO VOTE EARLY for Brad Schimel, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post late last week.Total spending on the race has reached more than $73 million, including more than $14 million by groups funded by Musk, according to a tally Monday by the Brennan Center for Justice. Thats the most on record for any U.S. judicial race, breaking the $56 million spent on Wisconsins Supreme Court contest in 2023, when majority control also was on the line. All that spending and attention has helped fuel early voting, said Kevin Kennedy, Wisconsins former top elections official who now works as a consultant. He spoke while taking a break from working at a Madison poll site where people could vote early. Theres just a lot of money being invested, Kennedy said. Everything seems to be focused on, Lets get out the vote.After previously being critical of early voting, Trump and the Republican Party are urging their supporters to cast their ballots before the final day of voting on April 1. Early voting ends Sunday. The strategy, which they deployed with great success in last years presidential race, appears to be contributing to large turnout increases in more conservative counties across Wisconsin.Schimels opponent, Democratic-backed Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, has raised more than $25 million for the race to date, including $5.5 million from the state Democratic Party since early February. Her supporters include billionaire Democratic megadonor George Soros and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.Schimel, a Waukesha County judge, had raised more than $12 million, which includes more than $6 million from the Wisconsin Republican Party since early February.But outside groups have more than made up the difference in what the candidates have raised.The roughly $28 million spent by the candidates as of Monday was far exceeded by the roughly $45 million spent so far by outside groups, according to the Brennan Center calculation. Schimel and his allies, which include groups backed by Musk, have spent about $41 million, while Crawford and her supporters have spent about $32 million. Voters in Wisconsin do not register by political party, so its impossible to know how many of the ballots already submitted came from Republicans or Democrats. But the data shows that the largest increases are coming from both Democratic- and Republican-heavy counties.Milwaukee County, the states largest county and the one that is home to the most Democrats, led all counties in ballots returned with 54,750. That is more than 46% ahead of this point two years ago. Liberal Dane County, the states second largest county and home to the state capital of Madison and the University of Wisconsin, has also seen a 46% increase.But Republican parts of the state also have seen big jumps.Voting was up in the three suburban Milwaukee counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington, which are commonly referred to as the WOW counties. Ballot returns were up more than 62% in Waukesha and 51% in Ozaukee. In Washington, the most heavily Republican of the three counties, early voting was more than double two years ago. In Brown County, the states fourth most populous one, which is reliably Republican, early turnout was up more than 34%.While the early voting is high for a spring election, its far from what battleground Wisconsin saw at this point before the presidential race. A week before the Nov. 5 election, nearly 1 million voters had cast their ballots, almost four times as many as in this race to date.The race comes as the Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to rule on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power and voting rules. On Monday night, Democratic U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told supporters that electing Crawford was important so she and other liberal justices can order a redraw of congressional boundary lines. Even though Wisconsin is a swing state, Republican-drawn lines have allowed the party to hold six of its eight congressional seats.As soon as possible, we need to be able to revisit that and have fair lines, Jeffries said in a live discussion on the social media platform X. The only way for that to be even a significant possibility is if you have an enlightened Supreme Court.Schimel has accused Crawford of promising to Democrats that she will redraw the lines. Crawford has denied that. SCOTT BAUER Bauer is the APs Statehouse reporter covering politics and state government in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes music reviews. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, prison guards transfer deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP)2025-03-25T13:47:49Z SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) The U.S. government used an 18th-century wartime law to deport more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador, where they were immediately transferred to the countrys maximum-security gang prison.And while a federal judge in Washington tries to determine whether the U.S. government defied his order to return the migrants while they were in the air and insists that they must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged members of a notorious gang, there has been no word from El Salvadors president or judiciary about what the prisoners legal status is in that country.That may change soon. On Monday, lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government took legal action on behalf of the Venezuelan prisoners seeking their release from the prison, which U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to visit Wednesday. The U.S. says the Venezuelans were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal organization that U.S. President Donald Trump declared an invading force, but has provided no evidence of their alleged membership. The Alien Enemies Act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge. El Salvador hasnt had diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2019, so the Venezuelans imprisoned there do not have any consular support from their government either.Even Salvadoran citizens have been living under a state of emergency that has suspended fundamental rights since 2022 and the countrys judiciary is not considered independent. All of which raises questions about the prisoners legal future in El Salvador. What has El Salvadors government said about the prisoners status in the country?Nothing.President Nayib Bukele announced Sunday that the United States had sent what he called 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua to El Salvador and they were immediately sent to its maximum security gang prison. The U.S. government would pay an annual fee for their incarceration, Bukele wrote in a post on X.El Salvadors Attorney Generals Office and Presidential Commissioner for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression did not respond to requests for comment about the status of the Venezuelan prisoners. What do El Salvadors laws say about the status of these prisoners?Lawyer David Morales, legal director for the nongovernmental organization Cristosal, said there was no legal basis for the Venezuelans imprisonment in El Salvador. He said he knew of no Salvadoran law or international treaty that would support their imprisonment.They are illegal detentions because they havent been submitted to the jurisdiction of a Salvadoran judge, nor have they been prosecuted or convicted in El Salvador, he said. As such, their imprisonment here is arbitrary.He said El Salvadors prosecutors office for human rights would have the authority to intervene, because it has a broad mandate when it comes to prisoners, but we already know that its not playing its role because it is dominated, subjected to political power. What are lawyers doing?Lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government filed a legal action Monday in El Salvador aimed at freeing 238 Venezuelans deported by the United States who are being held in a Salvadoran maximum-security prison.Jaime Ortega, who says he represents 30 of the imprisoned Venezuelans, said his firm filed the habeas corpus petition with the Supreme Courts Constitutional Chamber. He said that by extension they requested that it be applied to all Venezuelans detained in El Salvador.Before it was filed, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya had suggested human rights organizations and the prisoners families should file habeas corpus petitions, essentially compelling the government to prove someones detention was justified as a mechanism to denounce (the situation) as well as to pressure the government.Still, Anaya said the lack of judicial independence in El Salvador made success unlikely. Bukeles party removed the justices of the Supreme Courts Constitutional chamber in 2021 and replaced them with judges seen as more amenable to the administration.Who is going to decide these peoples freedom, U.S. judges, Salvadoran judges? Anaya asked. The habeas corpus petitions could at least show the illegitimacy of this vacuum. How hard is it for Salvadorans to get out of prisons there?El Salvador has lived under a state of emergency since March 2022, when Congress granted Bukele extraordinary powers to fight the countrys powerful street gangs.Since then, some 84,000 people have been arrested, accused of gang ties. The state of emergency has allowed authorities to act without basic protections like access to a lawyer or even being told why theyre being arrested. They can be held for 15 days without seeing a judge.Homicides have plummeted in El Salvador and the improved security has fueled Bukeles popularity.But while Bukele has said some 8,000 of those arrested have been freed for lack of evidence, many more have found no way out.Last year, the Due Process Foundation published a report showing that the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court had systematically rejected more than 6,000 habeas corpus petitions made by families of people arrested under the state of emergency. ____Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A newly introduced bill in Texas would require online sellers to show a photo ID before buying a dildo.SB 3003, introduced by Senator Angela Paxton (wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton), would criminally charge online retailers for selling an obscene device without verifying the buyers age. Sellers would have to require customers to submit their government-issued photographic identification, or use third-party age verification services that use public records or other reliable sources to verify the purchaser's identity and age, the bill says. Owning a credit card, which already requires the holder to be over 18 years of age, would not be enough.Like the regressive and ineffective adult site age verification laws passing all across the country in the last few years, this law would drag Texans back to a not-so-distant time when sex toy sellers had to pretend vibrators were for massage.Hallie Lieberman, journalist and author of Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy, sold sex toys in Texas in the early 2000s under the states six dildo law, which criminalizes the possession of six or more obscene devices, defined as "a device including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs." That law is still on the books but is now considered unenforceable and unconstitutional. Lieberman told me sellers got around the law by claiming the toys were for medical purposes. This bill could send retailers back to that time.I can see something like that happening again, with people saying on their sex toy store websites that vibrators are for back massage and butt plugs are for rectal strengthening, Lieberman said. It's similar to how sex toys were marketed in the early 20th century to get around obscenity laws and the Comstock Act (which unfortunately still exists and may be used to prevent access to contraceptives and sex toys nationwide.) Butt plugs were sold as cures for asthma and vibrators for sciatica. We are literally going back in time with this law.Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the InternetInvasive and ineffective age verification laws that require users show government-issued ID, like a drivers license or passport, are passing like wildfire across the U.S.404 MediaEmanuel MaibergLieberman told me she had to call the clitoris the man in the boat at the time to avoid breaking the law. When we can't speak openly about our bodies and sexual pleasure, when we're forced to use euphemisms, we not only are under informed about our bodies, but we also feel shame in seeking out pleasure, she said.Like age verification laws for websites, the bill would make buying sex toys online harder for everyone, not just minors, and would send consumers to less-safe retailers with lower-quality, possibly dangerous toys. And also like those laws, people who do upload their government ID or undergo other age verification measures could risk having their purchases exposed to a hostile government.The government should not have a record of what sex toys we buy. This isn't just a frivolous concern, Lieberman said. In a nation where the president has declared that there are only two genders and that transgender people don't exist, where trans people are erased from government websites and kicked out of the military, it would be dangerous for the government to have a record that you purchased sex toys designed for trans people. Imagine you're a school teacher at a public school in Texas and there's a record you purchased a sex toy designed for queer people in a state where a parental bill of rights bill was just passed prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation in schools."We are literally going back in time with this law."Texas legislators have been trying to limit access to sex toys for their constituents for years. In late 2024, Hillary Hickland, a freshman member of Texas Republican House, introduced a bill that would ban retailers in the state from selling sex toys unless they file paperwork to become sexually oriented businesseseffectively forcing stores like Walmart, CVS and Target, which sell vibrators and other sex toys, to take those products off their shelves and forcing brick-and-mortar boutiques to verify the ages of all customers. The bill was referred to Texas Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee earlier this month.Paxtons bill would charge online retailers with a Class A Misdemeanor if they dont verify ages, and would open them up to fines up to $5,000 for each violation.Paxton did not respond to a request for comment.

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2025-03-25T15:22:47Z CAIRO (AP) An airstrike blamed on the Sudanese military hit a local market in Sudans western region, igniting a huge fire and killing at least 54 people, aid groups said Tuesday. The military denied targeting civilians.The strike took place Monday in the village of Tora, north of el-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur province, said Adam Rejal, a spokesman for the General Coordination, a local group helping displaced people in Darfur.Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Sudanese military, denied that they targeted civilians.He told The Associated Press that these allegations were incorrect, which are raised whenever our forces exercise their constitutional and legal right to deal with hostile targets. The strike tore apart a large part of the villages weekly market, leaving many bodies charred, according to footage shared by Support Darfur Victims, a local group that provides support to victims of the Darfur conflict. More than half of the dead were women, according to a list of casualties provided by Rejal. At least 23 people were wounded and seven were missing, the list showed. Tora is located 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the city of el-Fasher, which remains held by the Sudanese military despite near-daily strikes by the powerful rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. The strike was the latest deadly attack in a war that started in April 2023 when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. The war wrecked the capital, and other urban cities across the country. It has killed more than 28,000 people, forced millions to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country. Other estimates suggest a far higher death toll.The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western region of Darfur, according to the United Nations and international rights groups.The military has made steady field advances in recent months against the RSF in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country. In March, It regained control of most of the strategic and government buildings in the capital, including the Republican Palace the seat of the pre-war government. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Demonstrators gather outside of the Edward A. Garmatz United States District Courthouse in Baltimore, on Friday, March 14, 2025, before a hearing regarding the Department of Government Efficiency's access to Social Security data. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)2025-03-25T14:57:13Z WASHINGTON (AP) Frank Bisignano, a self-professed DOGE person, faces questions about whether the Trump administration plans to privatize Social Security as he appears before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday for his hearing to serve as commissioner of the Social Security Administration.Bisignano, a Wall Street veteran and one-time defender of corporate policies to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, will be called to account for the upheaval at the agency in the weeks since President Donald Trumps election. The agency has taken center stage in the debate over the usefulness of Department of Government Efficiency cuts to taxpayer services and their effect on Social Security, the social welfare program long regarded as the third rail of national politics touch it and you get shocked.The hearing follows a series of announcements of mass federal layoffs, cuts to programs, and a planned cut to nationwide Social Security phone services. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon sent a letter to Bisignano this week asking him to commit to protecting all Social Security components from privatization. Bisignano has served as chairman of Fiserv, a payments and financial services tech firm since 2020. He told CNBC in February that he is fundamentally a DOGE person but the objective isnt to touch benefits. Roughly 72.5 million people receive Social Security benefits, which include retirees and children who receive retirement and disability payments.The chaos at the Social Security Administration began shortly after acting commissioner Michelle King stepped down in February DOGE, run by Trump adviser Elon Musk, sought access to Social Security recipient information. Then later that month, the agency announced plans to cut 7,000 people from the agency payroll through layoffs, employee reassignments and an offer of voluntary separation agreements, as part of an intensified effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce through DOGE. Most recently, the agencys acting commissioner, DOGE supporter Leland Dudek, announced a plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing government offices. That sparked a furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who are worried that the government is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population.The Social Security program faces a looming bankruptcy date if it is not addressed by Congress. The May 2024 trustees report states that Social Securitys trust funds will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035. Then, Social Security would only be able to pay 83% of benefits, absent changes. FATIMA HUSSEIN Hussein reports on the U.S. Treasury Department for The Associated Press. She covers tax policy, sanctions and any issue that relates to money. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08908-0MFSD6 is an entry receptor for enterovirus D68

A sign marks the entrance to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, on Oct. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)2025-03-25T16:23:21Z NEW YORK (AP) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was rocked by five high-level departures on Tuesday in the latest turmoil for the nations top public health agency. The departures were announced at a meeting of agency senior leaders. The Atlanta-based CDC has two dozen centers and offices. The heads of five of them are stepping down, and that follows three other departures in recent weeks. This means close to a third of the agencys top management is leaving or left recently.The departures described as retirements were not announced publicly. The Associated Press confirmed the news with two CDC officials who were not authorized to discuss it and spoke on condition of anonymity. The announcements come a day after the White House announced it is nominating Susan Monarez to be CDC director. But its not clear how much, if any, influence that had on the leaders decision to leave. The Trump administration earlier this month withdrew its nomination of former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon just before a Senate hearing. The latest departures include: Leslie Ann Dauphin, who oversees the Public Health Infrastructure Center and its more than 500 employees. That center coordinates CDC funding, strategy, and technical assistance to state, local and territorial health departments. Dr. Karen Remley, who heads the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. At the beginning of the year, the center had more than 220 full-time employees. Sam Posner, who heads the Office of Science. More than 100 CDC employees work on research and science policy, and publish the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Debra Lubar, who runs the 65-person Office of Policy, Performance and Evaluation. Leandris Liburd, head of the Office of Health Equity, with about 40 employees. Liburd took the role in 2020, as part of an effort to address the COVID-19 pandemics disproportionate death toll on Black, Hispanic and Native Americans. Adding to that: Kevin Griffis, head of CDC communications, left last week. Robin Bailey, the agencys chief operating officer, left late last month. So did Dr. Nirav Shah, a former CDC principal deputy director who last year was the agencys primary voice about an evolving bird flu epidemic in animals that has also sickened at least 70 people in the U.S.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Actor Gerard Depardieu returns ti the court with his lawyer Jeremie Assous during his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)2025-03-25T15:55:50Z PARIS (AP) Grard Depardieu once seemed larger than France itself. With his hulking frame, crooked nose, and volcanic charisma, he reigned over cinema for half a century a national icon as familiar as the baguette. But this week, the actor who starred in more than 230 films and who inspired writer John Updike to lament, I think that I shall never view / a French film without Depardieu sat slumped on a special orthopedic stool in a Paris courtroom.He faces two counts of sexual assault. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a 75,000 ($81,000) fine.But more than Depardieu is on trial.For many in France, this case marks the countrys ultimate litmus test a question not just of guilt or innocence, but of readiness. Can a nation famed for its culture of seduction and long criticized for shielding its male artists finally hold one of them accountable? The Fall of a GiantDepardieu, 76, is accused of groping two women a set dresser and an assistant during the 2021 filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters). According to complaints and witness statements, he trapped one woman with his legs, grabbed her breasts and waist, and shouted: I cant even get it up because of this heat! before crudely inviting her to touch his big parasol.He denies all allegations. Never, but never, have I abused a woman, he wrote in Le Figaro. I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or having a temperament that is too strong.But this is the first time one of the more than 20 accusations against him has reached court.Once a symbol of Frances creative power, Depardieus career now shadows the nations delayed reckoning with #MeToo. The courtroom has become the stage for something deeper: a country finally confronting the myths it has long told itself about art, power, and male genius. A Life of ExtremesBorn in 1948 to a working-class family in Chteauroux, Depardieus rise was the stuff of legend. A stuttering teen with no formal education, he drifted into acting and exploded onto the French stage with Les Valseuses (Going Places), a 1974 film so provocative it remains banned in some countries.From there came a blur of hits: Jean de Florette, Cyrano de Bergerac, Green Card, The Last Metro, Danton. He won a Golden Globe, an Oscar nomination, and the adoration of millions. He played Columbus, Jean Valjean, and even Oblix in the Asterix films. He was prolific, omnipresent messy, magnetic, and untouchable.But the excess was real off-screen too. He crashed his motorcycle while drunk, accepted a Russian passport from Vladimir Putin during a tax dispute, and once urinated in a plane aisle. He boasted of his appetites. France seemed to cheer them on.That myth of the lovable brute is now unraveling. The Unfinished RevolutionIn Hollywood, #MeToo toppled titans. In France, the movement was met with a wary eye. When #BalanceTonPorc (Expose Your Pig) emerged in 2017, it rattled the countrys self-image particularly in the arts, where seduction and transgression had long been celebrated.Some warned that #MeToo was killing romance. In 2018, screen legend Catherine Deneuve and 99 other prominent French women published an open letter in Le Monde, scolding the movement for going, in their words, too far. They championed la libert dimportuner the freedom to bother as a pillar of French life, defending the right of men to pursue women without fear of consequence. To many, it sounded less like a defense of flirtation than a permission slip for harassment, cloaked in perfume and nostalgia.Even President Emmanuel Macron echoed the sentiment. In Dec. 2023 shortly after a documentary aired footage of Depardieu making sexually suggestive comments about a young girl in North Korea Macron defended the actor on national television, condemning the backlash as a manhunt. Grard Depardieu makes France proud, he said.The remark sparked national outrage not just for its timing, but for what it revealed: the instinct to protect cultural giants, no matter the cost. A Safe Haven for the FamousFrances reluctance to confront sexual misconduct among its stars has long set it apart.Roman Polanski, convicted of statutory rape in the U.S. and accused by several other women, continues to work and live freely in France. In 2020, his Csar Award win prompted walkouts but also a standing ovation. There was little institutional pushback.Johnny Depp, dropped from US production Pirates of the Caribbean after domestic abuse allegations by ex-wife Amber Heard (he was exonerated), was embraced in France. In 2023, he played Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry, the opening film at the French Cannes Film Festival. Amid the trial, Dior, the luxury French fashion house, not only kept him on as the face of its Sauvage fragrance it signed him to a multiyear, seven-figure deal in 2022. A Cultural EarthquakeDepardieus trial isnt the only case shaking French cinema. In recent months, a string of high-profile convictions have suggested that the shield of fame may finally be cracking.Director Christophe Ruggia was sentenced in 2024 for sexually abusing actress Adle Haenel when she was a child. Nicolas Bedos was handed house arrest in 2023 after groping multiple women.Actor-director Judith Godrche soon followed. Testifying before parliament, she accused two renowned directors of exploiting her as a teenager. This is not about desire, she told lawmakers. Its about power. About silence. About a system that protects itself.That same commission has since summoned major actors including Jean Dujardin. Some reportedly asked to testify behind closed doors.The ReckoningAnouk Grinberg, who appeared in Les Volets Verts, has publicly supported the two women accusing Depardieu. What I saw on set was not seduction, she said. It was shameful.The case has become a national mirror reflecting everything France has tolerated, denied, and excused.On the Parisian sidewalks, opinions still diverge. Were losing our culture of flirtation, said Alain Morel, 62, sipping an espresso at a caf near the Arc de Triomphe. Flirting isnt a crime its part of who we are.But across the street, 28-year-old student Yasmine Bensalem shook her head. We called it charm, she said. But it was always about power.A Verdict Beyond the CourtroomThe trial continues. Depardieu, who has diabetes and heart disease, attends with medical accommodations. His lawyer claims the case is a political vendetta a plot to make Depardieu fall.But whether he is convicted or not, the deeper judgment is already underway.For decades, Frances artists were seen as untouchable their genius a shield. That shield is cracking. The myth is dying. And in its place, a question rises:Can France finally hold its most powerful men to account?This is not just the trial of Grard Depardieu. This is the trial of a country and whether its unfinished revolution will finish at last.

This article contains potentially disturbing graphics and descriptions that are nonetheless viral on Instagram and other major platforms.These are words I never thought I would type, and the people in my life who I have said them to have told me to immediately stop speaking. But here is how I would describe the type of AI generated reels that are popular on Instagram right now: Dora the Explorer feet mukbang; Peppa the Pig Skibidi toilet explosion; Steph Curry and LeBron James Ahegao Drakedom threesome; LeBron James and Diddy raping Steph Curry in prison; anthropomorphic fried egg strippers; iPhone case made of human skin; any number of sexualized Disney princesses doing anything you can imagine and lots of things you cant; mermaids making out with fish; demon monster eating a womans head; face-swapped AI adult influencers with Down syndrome, and, unfortunately, this. Unfortunately, I swear to you that the screengrabs and videos I am including and linking to in this article are not the worst that I have seen on Instagram.Other niches that have become popular on Instagram and which have begun to regularly pop up on my feed are wildly racist AI videos of Black men whose faces are put on dogs or gorillas, Black men storming KFC restaurants and chasing after watermelon, George Floyd opening a Fent-Donalds, Martin Luther King Jr. in a tub of green sludge, Anne Frank as a zionist cyborg, etc. As I wrote last week, the strategy with these types of posts is to make a human linger on them long enough to say to themselves what the fuck, or to be so horrified as to comment what the fuck, or send it to a friend saying what the fuck, all of which are signals to the algorithm that it should boost this type of content but are decidedly not signals that the average person actually wants to see this type of thing. The type of content that I am seeing right now makes Elsagate, the YouTube scandal in which disturbing videos were targeted to kids and resulted in various YouTube reforms, look quaint.Brainrot and creepypasta AI-generated reels are currently some of the most popular metas, or hyper-specific niches of content being made by the community of people who are creating and monetizing AI slop en masse.I was able to find the creators of some of the viral brainrot Instagram reels I described above discussing their process for making them on a Discord called Interlink AI, which costs $30 to join and comes with guides to making AI reels. The Discord has specific guides for brainrot videos, realistic videos, and pov videos. As we have reported before, the creation of AI slop is very mechanical and replicable, which is why we see so much of it. Once a method for going viral is discovered, the person who discovered it often makes guides that they then advertise and sell, and other people in the community then begin copying them.Instagram, of course, is doing nothing to stop the spread of this type of AI, and the Discord tells users that one of the best ways to make money from this type of AI is through Instagrams Bonus program which offers direct payouts. This type of content is most popular on Instagram, but is also on YouTube and TikTok, though, anecdotally, it does not seem to perform nearly as well there. The Interlink Discord also warns people not to post real people or copyrighted characters to TikTok: "Steer clear of using protected characters or content that could violate intellectual property rights, such as popular TV or movie figures (like SpongeBob)." 0:00 /0:16 1 In the Discord, members post evidence of their wins, meaning videos that have gone viral. I would say 50 [Cent] liking this is a win, a user who goes by Dude on Discord and DudeOnGPT on Instagram wrote next to a screenshot of an AI generated Diddy in prison. The screenshot shows the reel had been viewed 6.2 million times and liked 188,000 times, including by the rapper 50 Cent. The actual video that had gone viral was an AI generated video of Diddy raping Steph Curry in prison.Kiss me on my hot mouth, Im feeling romantical, the AI Diddy says in the video. An AI Steph Curry says to the camera LeBron, I dont like prison.Just relax, Steph, an AI LeBron says. Aint no party like a Diddy party. The next scene suggests Diddy and/or LeBron is raping Steph Curry in the shower. The Instagram caption for the video reads LEARN AI VIDEOS IN BIO!Nearly every reel uploaded by the account, called DudeonGPT, features an AI-generated LeBron James, Diddy, Andrew Tate, Steph Curry, Mr. Beast, and other celebrities, and the profile links to a signup page for the Interlink Discord. DudeonGPT has 43,000 followers. Thumbnails on his page include Andrew Tate holding a cardboard sign that reads Quick Suck for a Quick Buck, LeBron on his knees with his tongue out, LeBron holding a sign that says Will Goon for Food, George Floyd trapped in the backrooms meme, etc.A user on the Interlink Discord also notes that animal style videos have been doing well recently, on a screenshot of an Instagram post they uploaded where Steph Currys head is inside a polar bears mouth, which has more than 7.5 million views.Users have recently discussed how it is easy to generate AI videos of either Steph Curry or LeBron James, but that it is hard to have both of them in the same frame at the same time: I try and it makes a weird mixture of them lmao, DudeonGPT posted.Unfortunately this feature isn't great with LeBron and Curry yet, that's why we have them separate in each scene.The reason why you see accurate images of Ronaldo and Messi together is because the Ideogram image generator is really great at creating Messi and Ronaldo only," another user responds. "We are looking into ways to make them into the same scene, but for now we think it's not worth adjusting the scale to make them in one scene."The same user then notes that a Chinese tool called Ideogram "is great at creating realistic images of LeBron, but is terrible at creating Curry or any other NBA players. Like you could put LeBron, Messi, Ronaldo, Trump all in one image generation, and it would be good."Brainrot AI relies on specific, very popular AI tools that are doing little or nothing to prevent abuse, social media algorithms that promote this type of content, and the fact that seemingly no consequences have come to the platforms or AI tools for not moderating against AI content that uses real people or copyrighted characters owned by multibillion dollar corporations. The creation of AI reels has gotten both easier and more sophisticated over time, with spammers chaining together different tools to create reels with identifiable people and copyrighted characters.What spammers have realized, for example, is that ChatGPT's anti abuse filters will prevent it from making realistic videos of real people, but that ChatGPT is good at actually writing the image creation prompts that can then be used in other tools. So ChatGPT is writing AI prompts to generate real people and copyrighted characters, but is not actually generating the images themselves.A guide in the Interlink Discord suggests copy pasting a templatized version of a prompt into ChatGPT. "The image I want to generate is an image of LeBron laughing in the Lakers' training facility," a guide video says. "So you should write 'I want a prompt for LeBron James, in his yellow Lakers uniform, wearing number 23, to be laughing in the Lakers training facility. ChatGPT will generate a detailed, ultra realistic prompt to help bring your image to life."That ChatGPT-generated prompt is then dumped into a tool called Krea, which uses an image generation model called Flux. The image that comes out of Krea is then put into a Chinese video creation model called Kling, which makes the actual video. The Discord contains additional guides for how to troubleshoot anything that goes wrong, and has separate base prompts for making AI videos of cartoon characters like SpongeBob, Shrek, Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, etc. "Make me a prompt for a large group of SpongeBobs running toward a tall neon KFC building at night," one instruction to ChatGPT reads.Victor Perez, the CEO of Krea, markets his software with lofty ideals: Ideas get lost if we lack the means to bring them to life. Self expression becomes limited by creative mediums. Our work gives full creative freedom to anyone with something to tell. AI handles the how, while you focus on the what.The what is brainrot of Dora the Explorer riding a surfboard of shit and the imagined prison sexual assault of real-life basketball player Steph Curry. Monetized brainrot reels is generative AIs killer app; this type of content is how people are making money with AI, and its the ability to create this type of content that its users are so excited about.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00939-xWorking with multi-dimensional entities could make calculations more efficient and reduce errors.

President Donald Trump gestures as he departs a reception celebrating Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-03-25T17:03:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed the texting of sensitive plans for a military strike against Yemens Houthis this month to a group chat that included a journalist, saying it was the only glitch in two months of his administration as Democratic lawmakers heaped criticism on the administration for handling highly sensitive information carelessly.Trump told NBC News that the lapse turned out not to be a serious one, and articulated his continued support for national security adviser Mike Waltz, who mistakenly added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the chain that included 18 senior administration officials discussing planning for the strike.Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and hes a good man, Trump said in the NBC interview. The president also appeared to point blame on an unnamed Waltz aide for Goldberg being added to the chain. It was one of Michaels people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there. But the use of messaging app Signal to discuss a sensitive operation has opened the administration to blistering criticism from Democratic lawmakers who expressed outrage at the White Houses and senior administration officials insistence that no classified information was shared. Senior administration officials have struggled to explain why the publicly available app was used to discuss such a delicate matter. One Democrat calls the mistake an embarrassmentOne official on the Signal chain, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, acknowledged during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday that she was traveling overseas during the exchange. She wouldnt say whether she was using her personal or government-issued phone because the matter is under review by the White House National Security Council.Both Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who also was a participant in the Signal exchange and also testified at Tuesdays intelligence hearing, faced blistering criticism from lawmakers.This is an embarrassment, said Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat. This is utterly unprofessional. Theres been no apology. Theres been no recognition of the gravity of this error.In the run-up to his 2016 election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump urged criminal prosecution of the former secretary of state for communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up. The matter was investigated, but the FBI ultimately recommended against charges. None were brought.Clinton was among Democrats this week to criticize Trump administration officials use of Signal.You have got to be kidding me, Clinton said in an X post that spotlighted The Atlantic article and included an eyes emoji.Trump also faced charges for mishandling classified information at his Mar-a-Lago resort following his first White House term. Those charges were later dismissed. Administration says Democrats shouldnt be outragedBut on Tuesday, top administration officials were insistent the Democratic outrage about the matter was misplaced.On Capitol Hill, Ratcliffe and Gabbard told lawmakers that no classified information was included in the texts about U.S. attack plans in the message chain.Democrats pushed back, saying the leaked military plans show a sloppy disregard for security, but Ratcliffe insisted no rules were violated.My communications to be clear in the Signal message group were entirely permissible and lawful and did not include classified information, Ratcliffe told lawmakers in the hearing that was supposed to be focused on global security threats.Facing heated questions from Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, Gabbard said theres a difference between inadvertent releases of information and intentional leaks. There was no classified material that was shared, Gabbard said.Warner, though, said the lapse in security could have cost lives. If this information had gotten out, American lives could have been lost. If the Houthis had this information they could reposition their defensive systems, Warner said.In response to questions from Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Gabbard and Ratcliffe said they would participate in an audit looking into administration officials use of Signal. Wyden said the matter must be investigated. Im of the view that there ought to be resignations, Wyden said.FBI Director Kash Patel, appearing with Ratcliffe and Gabbard at the hearing, said he was only recently briefed on the Signal chat matter and doesnt have an update on whether the FBI has opened an investigation into it. Warner asked for an update by the end of the day.The White House in a statement Tuesday called the uproar a coordinated effort to distract from the successful actions taken by President Trump and his administration to make Americas enemies pay and keep Americans safe.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in his first comments on the matter on Monday, attacked the journalist who received the messages, Goldberg, as deceitful and a discredited so-called journalist while alluding to previous critical reporting of Trump from the publication. Nobody was texting war plans and thats all I have to say about that, Hegseth said in an exchange with reporters on Monday. Examining the security of SignalSignal is an app that can be used for direct messaging and group chats as well as phone and video calls. It uses end-to-end encryption for its messaging and calling services that prevents any third party from viewing conversation content or listening in on calls.In other words, messages and calls sent on Signal are scrambled; only the sender and recipient at each end will have the key to decipher them.Signals encryption protocol is open source, meaning that its freely available for anyone to inspect, use or modify. The encryption protocol is also used by another popular chat service, social media company Metas WhatsApp platform.Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, such as scheduling sensitive meetings. But in the Biden administration, people who had permission to download it on their White House-issued phones were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the administration.The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to notify someone that they should check for a classified message sent through other means.The use of Signal became more prevalent during the last year of the Biden administration after federal law enforcement officials warned that China and Iran were hacking the White House as well as officials in the first Trump administration, according to the official.Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent, questioned Ratcliffe and Gabbard over their assertion that no classified information was included in the chat.Its hard for me to believe that targets and timing and weapons would not have been classified, he said.___AP writer Kelvin Chan in London contributed reporting. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Shoppers make their ways down an aisle lined with clothing and shoes in a Costco warehouse Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Sheridan, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)2025-03-25T14:14:23Z WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. consumer confidence fell for the fourth straight month as Americans anxiety about their financial futures declined to a 12-year low amid rising concern over tariffs and inflation.The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9. Analysts were expecting a decline to a reading of 94.5, according to a survey by FactSet.The Conference Boards report Tuesday said that the measure of Americans short-term expectations for income, business and the job market fell 9.6 points to 65.2. It is the lowest reading in 12 years and well below the threshold of 80, which the Conference Board says can signal a potential recession in the near future. However, the proportion of consumers anticipating a recession in the next year held steady at a nine-month high, the board reported. Consumers optimism about future income which had held up quite strongly in the past few months largely vanished, suggesting worries about the economy and labor market have started to spread into consumers assessments of their personal situations, said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist at The Conference Board. The boards survey showed that purchasing plans for both homes and cars declined. However, in somewhat of a surprise given respondents anxiety about the future, intentions to buy big-ticket items like appliances increased. The board said that could reflect a desire to buy before Trumps tariffs kick in, leading to price increases. While inflation has retreated from the highs during the post-pandemic rebound, it has remained above the Federal Reserves 2% target. Those still-elevated prices, combined with President Donald Trumps announced tariffs on many imported goods, has Americans feeling sour about spending as concerns about the economy mount. Consumers appeared increasingly confident heading into the end of 2024 and spent generously during the holiday season. However, U.S. retail sales dropped sharply in January, with cold weather taking some of the blame. Earlier this month, the government reported that Americans modestly stepped up their spending in February after a sharp pullback the previous month. The board reported Tuesday that consumers view of current conditions decreased 3.6 points to 134.5.The consumer confidence index measures both Americans assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months.Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity and is closely watched by economists for signs about how the American consumer is feeling. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00878-7Greek engineers who moved to Egypt in the fourth century BC might have imported the devices.

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-03-25T18:40:41Z WASHINGTON (AP) An appeals court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to suspend entry of new refugees as a lawsuit plays out over the presidents executive order halting the nations refugee admissions system.Refugees conditionally approved before President Donald Trump took office must still be processed under the order from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but it allows the Republican administration to suspend new approvals.The appeals court panel halted a ruling from U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead. He found that Trump could not nullify the law passed by Congress establishing the program.

In this March 23, 2025, photo released by the U.S. National Guard shows a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover executing its fire suppression mission in support of the South Carolina Forestry Commission at Persimmon Ridge Fire near Greenville, S.C. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)2025-03-25T14:40:26Z Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene fueled wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday.About 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte, North Carolina, officials ordered mandatory evacuations for roughly 165 properties in rural Polk County. Three fires there have burned at least 9 square miles (23 square kilometers). The North Carolina Forest Service says two of the fires are uncontained as of Monday night.The Black Cove Fire is one of the larger blazes. Officials said a downed power line sparked that fire, but the causes of the other two fires are under investigation.Neighboring Henderson County issued voluntary evacuation orders and opened an emergency shelter. Volunteer fire departments were on standby, Henderson County spokesperson Mike Morgan told WLOS-TV. Especially near some of the homes where if the fire did jump, we can be there to help protect those homes, Morgan said. Were here to monitor the situation very closely.Two fires were burning in the mountains of South Carolina. The fires in Table Rock State Park and nearby Persimmon Ridge have burned a combined 2.3 square miles (5.9 square kilometers), the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. Officials said both fires were ignited by human activity and neither were contained as of Monday night. No injuries were reported, and no structures were imminently threatened as of Monday night, but voluntary evacuations were issued for about 100 homes over the weekend. On Tuesday morning, the forestry commission updated an earlier announcement to say no evacuations were planned near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents were urged to be prepared to leave their homes if an evacuation is suggested in the future. The weather over the next few days remains concerning, as relative humidities are expected to remain very low, and the forecasted wind speeds will still be conducive to spreading the fire, the forestry commission said. Dry weather and millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year are creating a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, according to North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller. Scheller predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather after the hurricane.Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground, Scheller said. Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.Despite recent rain, most of the Carolinas are abnormally dry or experiencing a moderate drought, according to federal monitors.___This story has been corrected to show that officials were not recommending evacuations near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents should be prepared to leave their homes if one is suggested.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00753-5Climate researchers collaborated with the trip-hop band Massive Attack to reduce the climate impact of live music.

FIL:E - Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (48) leaves a baseball game during the first inning against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Monday, June 26, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)2025-03-25T13:14:40Z GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) Figuring out a cause for the skyrocketing number of arm injuries among pitchers is easy.Finding a solution could prove much more challenging.Major League Baseball issued a 62-page report in December that showed how the focus on throwing with increased velocity and using maximum effort on every pitch was a likely reason for the increase in injuries. The study provided numerical data backing a thesis already supported by conventional wisdom.It makes sense, Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee said. You do anything at a max capacity, youre going to be at more risk for injury. If you try to squat your absolute max, youre going to get hurt more often than if youre squatting a plate and a bar. Its just kind of the nature of anything you do in life.The study showed that major league pitcher injured list placements increased from 212 in 2005 to 485 in 2024. Days on the IL rose from 13,666 to 32,257. Tommy John surgeries for major and minor league players increased from 104 in 2010 to a peak of 314 in 2020, though they slipped to 281 last year. The study recommended considering rule changes at the professional level that shift the incentives for clubs and pitchers to prioritize health and longevity. Instituting those types of rule changes could prove challenging when pitchers of all ages understand how much MLB organizations are emphasizing velocity. I dont know if rules are the right way to go about it, said Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. You cant tell someone to throw softer. But I was a guy in college that threw high 80s. I would randomly throw a hard number, but I didnt know how to do it consistently right. But I got outs. But I knew that some wise people ahead of me told me outs are going to get you to the big leagues, velocitys going to get you drafted. So therein lies the problem. Perhaps most concerning were the statistics involving younger pitchers. Prospects who threw 95 mph or higher at the Perfect Game National Showcase for top high school players increased from three in 2018 to 36 in 2024. Thirty-five players selected in the top 10 rounds of last years amateur draft had Tommy John surgery, up from four in 2005.The evidence of increasing injuries isnt limited to this study. An Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine study showed there were five times as many injuries among Pac-12 baseball players in 2021 as in 2016, though that applied to all players and not just pitchers.Problems are starting early in the pipelineThose numbers help explain why one school of thought suggests any changes need to start at the youth level. That idea has the support of Eric Cressey, who trains more than 100 pro baseball players though his Cressey Sports Performance facilities in Florida and Massachusetts.Cressey also is the New York Yankees director of player health and performance, but he was speaking only on his own behalf and wasnt representing the Yankees on this issue.Ive long maintained that everything begins with fixing whats happening at the younger levels, and there will eventually be a trickle-up to the big leagues, Cressey said. Cressey noted the problems at the youth level by citing the videos he sees of young pitchers with arms and legs flying everywhere as they enter throwing programs when their bodies arent prepared to handle it. He believes that young pitchers throwing max-effort showcases in the offseason and disregarding basic warmup guidance has contributed to significant injuries.Thirteen-year-olds should never be blowing out ligaments, Cressey said. That should just not be happening. And every time it happens, its because someone made a terrible, terrible decision on that childs behalf, whether its a coach or a parent. Just like you or I wouldnt let our kids have candy for dinner or run with scissors or something like that, some of the things that I see in the youth space are nothing short of embarrassing.Cressey recommends imposing a scouting dead period for the months of October, November and December. Its absurd for us to ask a still immature 17-year-old to go out and throw 95 miles an hour in November when major league players are resting during that time period, he said.Of course, not all MLB pitchers rest during that time.Pro pitchers dont rest like they used toSan Francisco Giants pitching coach J.P. Martinez says he doesnt have a problem with major leaguers throwing throughout the year, though he acknowledges high-effort throwing year-round could make them more susceptible to injury.Theres quite a lot of guys that dont shut down throwing at all nowadays, Martinez said. I think that gets vilified a little bit when a lot of the time theyre just keeping the arm moving and keeping the range of motion and workload at a certain level, so when they do ramp up, its less of a transition. Youre not going from zero to 60. You might be going from 30 to 60. The level of workload pitchers attempt in the offseason is notable because data shows that more injuries happen at the start of the season or in the preseason than at any other time of the year. The MLB study released in December showed that over 40% of the injured list placements due to elbow injuries from 2010-24 came in either March or April.That is generally because I dont think guys are ramping up correctly, Martinez said.The challenge with going old schoolGuardians pitching coach Carl Willis said hed like to see an industry-wide emphasis on turning the clock a little bit to a more old-school and traditional type of way that relies on locating pitches and changing speeds and shapes. Willis believes that approach could allow pitchers to realize they dont have to go full-throttle every time they release the ball. To prevent some of these injuries, thats kind of the direction we have to go, Willis said. You cant take away the power and the profiles that these guys can create, but you can take a little bit of the pressure off.That pressure can start at the youth levels, which explains why MLB has established Pitch Smart initiatives that set recommended workload limits for pitchers. The idea is to limit the likelihood they would pitch with fatigue since that increases injury risk. The trick is making sure those recommendations get followed, particularly at a time when pitching prospects across the world believe velocity is whats going to make an impression on scouts.Whats challenging right now is its hard to close Pandoras box, Cressey said. A lot of these kids who are 25 and blowing out in the big leagues, they were kids who were doing a lot of things incorrectly in their teenage years, and now theyre just bigger, stronger and are in higher-pressure situations.___AP Baseball Writer David Brandt contributed to this report.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00881-yTwo faculty organizations file suit after university makes concessions to Trump officials.

Nature, Published online: 25 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00876-9Machine-learning method shows declining oxygen levels in thousands of lakes as their waters warm.

Vice President JD Vance leaves after speaking at the Congressional Cities Conference of the National League of Cities on Monday, March 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)2025-03-25T20:12:20Z WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that hes joining his wife on a Friday trip to Greenland, suggesting in an online video that global security is at stake.Were going to check out how things are going there, Vance said in a video shared Tuesday. Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think its important to protecting the security of the entire world.U.S. President Donald Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that his country should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark. As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia also seek access to its waterways and the nearby natural resources.The office of second lady Usha Vance said Sunday that she would depart Thursday for Greenland and return Saturday. Vance and one of her three children had planned to visit historic sites and learn about Greenlands culture, but her husbands participation has reoriented the trip around national security. The U.S. vice president said he didnt want to let his wife have all that fun by herself and said he plans to visit a Space Force outpost in the northwest coast of Greenland. Vance said that other countries have threatened Greenland as well as the United States and Canada. Vance said that leaders in Denmark and North America had ignored Greenland for far too long. During his first term, Trump floated the idea of purchasing the worlds largest island, even as Denmark, a NATO ally, insisted it wasnt for sale. The people of Greenland also have firmly rejected Trumps plans.Usha Vance and a U.S. delegation were scheduled to visit Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenlands national dogsled race, which would include about 37 mushers and 444 dogs. Trumps return to the White House has included a desire with territorial expansion, with the U.S. president seeking to add Canada as a 51st state and resume control of the Panama Canal. He has also indicated that U.S. interests could take over the land in the war-torn Gaza Strip from Israel and convert it into a luxury outpost. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to give a television interview outside the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-03-25T20:13:36Z LONDON (AP) As wake-up calls go, the alarms dont get much louder.Allies of the United States see the group chat between top U.S. officials about a planned attack in Yemen that accidentally included a journalist as a jaw-dropping security breach which casts doubt on intelligence-sharing with Washington and the security of joint military operations.Scary and reckless was the verdict of one European diplomat about the discussion on the Signal messaging app about strikes on Houthi rebels. Neil Melvin, a security expert at defense think tank the Royal United Services Institute, called it pretty shocking.Its some of the most high-ranking U.S. officials seeming to display a complete disregard for the normal security protocols, he said.Beyond the security concerns raised by the leaked chat, U.S. officials addressed the countrys trans-Atlantic allies with disdain as Vice President JD Vance complained about bailing out Europe and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed pathetic European freeloading. The criticism is another blow to a long-standing relationship already strained by President Donald Trumps blunt America First approach and disregard for friendly nations. Melvin said that for Americas allies, the alarm clocks been ringing for a long time.In public, however, European officials insisted all was well in the trans-Atlantic relationship. We have a very close relationship with the U.S. on matters of security, defense and intelligence, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmers spokesman, Dave Pares. They are our closest ally when it comes to these matters, have been for many years and will be for many years to come.Frances Foreign Ministry said the United States is our ally, and France intends to continue its cooperation with Washington, as well as with all its allies and European partners, in order to address current challenges particularly in the area of European security. A growing divideSince taking office, the Trump administration has halted government funding for programs that support democratic principles around the world and presented a less welcoming face to visitors.U.S. embassies in at least 17 countries have posted warnings for would-be travelers that engaging in behavior deemed harmful by the government could get them deported. Several European countries have issued warnings about visiting the United States after international tourists were caught up in Trumps border crackdown.Trump has appalled allies with his repeatedly stated aim of taking over Greenland an autonomous Danish territory that Vance and second lady Usha Vance are due to visit this week and his desire to make Canada the 51st state.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country has to take greater ownership of its own defense in the face of threats: We have to look out for ourselves.Nathalie Loiseau, a member of the European parliament, told the BBC that she was flabbergasted by the breach.If I was (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, I would feel jobless. Russia has nothing more to do. You dont even need to spy on the U.S. administration. They leak by themselves, she said. US reliability questionedThe European diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, suggested the security breach could make allies question the reliability of the U.S. as a partner.The diplomat expressed hope that the Signal lapse was due to a lack of experience in government rather than a deliberate disregard for security.Asked if he had concerns about sharing intelligence with the U.S. after the Signal incident, Carney said its a serious, serious issue and all lessons must be taken. He said it would be important to see how people react to those mistakes and how they tighten them up.Britain could be particularly exposed by U.S. security breaches. Its intelligence network is entwined with the U.S. in the Five Eyes alliance, and the countries militaries work more closely than those of almost any other nations.Britains Royal Air Force provided air-to-air refueling for U.S. planes during the strike on the Houthis, but U.K. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard insisted British personnel had not been put at risk by the breach. Weve got high confidence that the measures that we have got with our allies, including the United States, remain intact, he told lawmakers.Ed Davey, the leader of Britains opposition Liberal Democrats, said the lapse showed the Trump administration cant be trusted to protect its own intelligence and it could only be a matter of time until our own intelligence shared with them is also leaked. This could put British lives at risk, he said.Alex Clarkson, a lecturer in European and international studies at Kings College London, said the professionals and old hands who contained the damage during Trumps first term are largely gone.So what were having now is a manifestation of tendencies that were held in check that we already saw in the first round, he said. American frustrationThe U.S. has underpinned European security since World War II, and Trump is not the first president to bristle at the burden.From the Obama administration (onward), theres been quite some frustrations in the U.S. security apparatus about the failure of the Europeans to step up, Melvin said.Trump has gone much further than his predecessors in upending the decades-old security arrangements. He has long contended the U.S. needs to completely rethink its relationship with the rest of the world, saying other countries have been taking advantage of the nations military might by not paying enough for their own defense.Trump has praised autocrats including Putin and sent chills through NATO during last years election campaign with his comment that Russia should do whatever the hell it wants to members that dont meet military spending targets.Theres a real sense of divorce, that America is not just disinterested in the trans-Atlantic alliance but views Europe fundamentally as an adversary, said Max Bergmann, a former State Department official who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Its very clear at this point, abundantly clear, that it will be next to impossible to count on the United States for the cause of defending democracy in the world, said Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary-general of the pro-democracy group International IDEA.NATO leaders point out that Trumps criticism and the war in Ukraine have led to a majority of member states meeting the target of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.Trumps reelection and rapprochement with Putin has hastened European military plans, with nations scrambling to ramp up weapons production and create their own security structures including a U.K.- and France-led coalition of the willing to help guarantee a future ceasefire in Ukraine. Clarkson said Europe has more strength than many give it credit for, and severing the trans-Atlantic bond would hurt the U.S., too.One shouldnt underestimate European military industrial capacity, he said. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong but there is an element here also that the Americans are awakening a sleeping giant.___Riccardi reported from Denver, Colorado. Associated Press writers Ali Swenson in New York, Chris Megerian in Washington. John Leicester in Paris and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter

Mourners visit a makeshift memorial on Aug. 12, 2019, near the Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where people were killed in a mass shooting. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio, File)2025-03-25T20:52:05Z The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 in one of the the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history has been offered a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, a Texas prosecutor said Tuesday. The announcement by El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya is a significant turn in the criminal case of Patrick Crusius, 26, who was already sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty in 2023 to federal hate crime charges.Under the Biden administration, federal prosecutors also took the death penalty off the table but did not explain why. In addition to the federal case, Crusius was also charged in state court with capital murder.Montoya said he supports the death penalty and believes Crusius deserves it. But he said he met with the families of the victims and there was an overriding desire to conclude the process, though some relatives were willing to wait as long as it took for a death sentence. The vast majority of them want this case over and done with as quickly as possible, he said. Montoya also said pursuing the death penalty would mean a long and drawn-out legal battle with many hearings and appeals. I could see a worst-case scenario where this would not go to trial until 2028 if we continued to seek the death penalty, he said. Montoya, a Democrat, took office in January after defeating a Republican incumbent who was appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Montoyas predecessors supported sending Crusius to death row. Ive heard about it. I think the guy does deserve the death penalty, to be honest, Abbott said Tuesday about the decision. Any shooting like that is what capital punishment is for.Crusius, who is white, was 21 years old and had dropped out of community college when police say he drove more than 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) from his home near Dallas to target Hispanics in El Paso. Moments after posting a racist screed online that warned of a Hispanic invasion of the state, he opened fire with an AK-style rifle inside and outside the store.Before the shooting, Crusius appears to have been consumed by the immigration debate, posting online in support of building the border wall and other messages praising the hardline border policies of President Donald Trump, who was in his first term at the time. He went further in the rant he posted before the attack, saying Hispanics were going to take over the government and economy.In the years since the shooting, Republicans have called migrants crossing the southern border an invasion and dismissed criticism that such rhetoric fuels anti-immigrant views and violence.In the U.S. governments case, Crusius received a life sentence for each of the 90 charges against him, half of which were classified as hate crimes. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said after the sentencing that no one in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. One of his attorneys told the judge before the sentencing that his client had a broken brain and his thinking was at odds with reality. Federal prosecutors did not formally explain their decision not to seek the death penalty, but they did acknowledge that Crusius suffered from schizoaffective disorder, which can be marked by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings.The people who were killed ranged in age from a 15-year-old high school athlete to several grandparents. They included immigrants, a retired city bus driver, teachers, tradesmen including a former iron worker, and several Mexican nationals who had crossed the U.S. border on routine shopping trips.In 2023, Crusius agreed to pay more than $5 million to his victims. Court records showed that his attorneys and the Justice Department reached an agreement over the restitution amount, which was then approved by a U.S. district judge. There was no indication that he had significant assets.

Mourners visit a makeshift memorial on Aug. 12, 2019, near the Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where people were killed in a mass shooting. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio, File)2025-03-25T21:15:23Z NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive action to overhaul elections in the U.S., including requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and demanding that all ballots be received by Election Day.The order says the U.S. has failed to enforce basic and necessary election protections and calls on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes. It threatens to pull federal funding from states where election officials who dont comply.The move, which is likely to face swift challenges from voting rights organizations, is consistent with Trumps long history of railing against election processes. He often claims elections are being rigged, even before the results are known, and has waged battles against certain voting methods since he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden and falsely blamed it on widespread fraud. Trump has focused particularly on mail voting, arguing without evidence that its insecure and invites fraud even as he has shifted his position on the issue given its popularity with voters, including Republicans. While fraud occurs, its rare, limited in scope and gets prosecuted.After signing, Trump said that more election actions would be taken in coming weeks. ALI SWENSON Swenson covers politics and the information landscape for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Unsuccessful candidate Sebastian Coe speaks to the media after he failed in his bid to become the new IOC President at the International Olympic Committee 144th session in Costa Navarino, western Greece, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Nikolas Kominis)2025-03-25T17:29:36Z NANJING, China (AP) World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Tuesday that the track and fields governing body has approved the introduction of cheek swabs and dry blood-spot tests for female athletes in order to maintain the integrity of competition.The planned changes include reinstating a version of chromosome testing that was discontinued in the 1990s, requiring athletes who compete in the female category to submit to a cheek swab or dry blood-spot test for the presence of a gene that indicates whether the athlete has a Y chromosome present in males.Coe told a news conference that athletes will have to take the test just once during their career.Its important to do it because it maintains everything that weve been talking about, and particularly recently, about not just talking about the integrity of female womens sport, but actually guaranteeing it, Coe said after a two-day meeting of the World Athletics Council in Nanjing. We feel this is a really important way of providing confidence and maintaining that absolute focus on the integrity of competition. Its unclear whether the tests will be in place before the world championships in September. Coe said that the new regulations will be drafted and that a testing provider will be confirmed over the next few weeks. Coe, the two-time Olympic champion who was unsuccessful last week in his bid to become IOC president, has been vocal about protecting the female category in track and field. He has said the International Olympic Committee needs to take a leadership role in the transgender debate instead of letting each individual sport decide their own regulations. World Athletics, which in 2023 banned transgender athletes who had transitioned male to female and gone through male puberty, announced in February proposed recommendations that would apply strict transgender rules to athletes who were born female but had what the organization describes as naturally occurring testosterone levels in the typical male range.Those recommendations came only days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in girls sports in the U.S. and pressured the Olympics to do the same. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Games. Legal challengesAsked whether World Athletics felt the policy would withstand legal challenges, Coe said he was confident after an exhaustive review.I would never have set off down this path in 2016-2017 to protect the female category in sport without being prepared to take the challenge head on, Coe said.He added: Weve been to the Court of Arbitration on our DSD (differences in sex development) regulations. They have been upheld, and they have again been upheld after appeal. So we will doggedly protect the female category, and well do whatever is necessary to do it.___AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site