Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Atomflot, a service base for nuclear-powered fleet, in Murmansk, Russia, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Sergei Karpukhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-03-28T09:12:11Z Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed Friday to put Ukraine under external governance under the U.N. aegis as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement, a blustery statement that reflected the Kremlin leaders determination to achieve his war goals.Speaking to the crew of a Russian nuclear submarine in televised remarks broadcast early Friday, Putin reaffirmed his claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Under Ukraines constitution it is illegal for the country to hold national elections while its under martial law.Putin claimed that any agreement that is signed with the current Ukrainian government could be challenged by its successors and said new elections could be held under external governance.Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine, Putin said, adding that it would allow the country to hold democratic elections, to bring to power a viable government that enjoys the trust of the people, and then begin negotiations with them on a peace treaty.He added that such external governance is just one of the options, without elaborating. Theyre playing for timePutins remarks came hours after the conclusion of a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron that considered plans to deploy troops to Ukraine to cement an eventual peace deal. Macron said several other nations want to be part of the force alongside France and Britain.Russia has warned it wouldnt accept any troops from NATO members as part of a prospective peacekeeping force.Macron and other participants of the Paris summit on Thursday accused Russia of only pretending to want a negotiated settlement.They are playing games and theyre playing for time, said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. We cant let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a tentative U.S-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, but quickly accused each other of violations, underscoring the challenges to negotiating a broader peace. Drone attacks continueRussia launched 163 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine late Thursday, according to the Ukrainian air force, which said that 89 of them were downed and 51 more jammed. The drones damaged multiple residential buildings and injured a 19-year-old in Zaporizhzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov said. In Poltava, drones damaged warehouses, administrative building, and a high-voltage transformer, according to regional head Volodymyr Kohut. Damage to buildings and infrastructure facilities was also reported by the authorities in the Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions.Ukraines state-run gas company, Naftogaz, said Friday that its facilities came under Russian fire without specifying its time and location.The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces struck a gas metering station in Sudzha in the Kursk region with U.S.-made HIMARS rockets, completely destroying the facility. It said another Ukrainian strike on an energy facility in Russias Bryansk region led to a power cutoff, and added that air defenses downed 19 Ukrainian drones that attempted to strike an oil refinery in Saratov. The ministry said the continuing strikes show that Kyivs pledge of adherence to a U.S.-proposed halt on strikes on energy facilities was just another ruse by Zelenskyy to prevent the collapse of Ukrainian defenses and to restore military potential with the help of European allies.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy assets was a sign that Zelenskyy cant control his military.The Ukrainian armed forces arent following orders from the countrys leadership and are continuing attempts to strike Russias energy infrastructure, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.He said that Russia will continue sticking to the halt on strikes on energy facilities but reserves the right to opt out of the deal if violations continue. While Ukraine has agreed to a full, 30-day ceasefire that Trump has proposed, Putin has made a complete ceasefire conditional on a halt of arms supplies to Kyiv and a suspension of Ukraines military mobilization demands rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies. Russias battlefield gains and Putins demandsRussian troops have made slow but steady gains in several sectors of the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 620-mile) frontline, and Zelenskyy warned Thursday that Russia was trying to drag out talks in preparation for bigger offensives.Putin declared in overnight remarks that the Russian troops have gained steam and are holding strategic initiative all along the line of contact.He noted that Russia is open to a peaceful settlement, but emphasized the need to remove root causes that led to the current situation. We certainly need to ensure Russias security for a long historic perspective, he said.Putin has demanded that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the four regions Moscow has partially seized. He also wants Ukraine to renounce joining NATO, sharply cut its army and legally protect Russian language and culture to keep the country in Moscows orbit.Russian officials also have said that any prospective peace deal should involve unfreezing Russian assets in the West and lifting other U.S. and European Union sanctions. The Trump administration has said it would consider potential sanctions relief.

Unsold 2025 Countryman utility vehicles sit on display at a Mini dealership Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)2025-03-28T12:41:56Z WASHINGTON (AP) An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve remained high last month even before the impact of most tariffs has been felt. Americans spending rebounded in February after a steep fall last month and incomes increased.Fridays report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices increased 2.5% in February from a year earlier, matching Januarys annual pace. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose 2.8% compared with a year ago, higher than Januarys figure of 2.7%.Inflation remains a top economic concern for most Americans, even as it has fallen sharply from its 2022 peak. Donald Trump rose dissatisfaction with higher prices to the presidency and promised to quickly bring down inflation, but the yearly rate is higher now than in September, when it briefly touched 2.1%. Trump has slapped 20% tariffs on all Chinese imports, 25% import taxes on steel and aluminum, and on Wednesday said he would hit imported cars with another 25% duty. Most economists, and the Federal Reserve, now expect inflation to tick higher this year as a result of the tariffs. Fed Chair Jerome Powell last week said elevated inflation from the tariffs could be temporary. But he also added the outlook was unusually uncertain given the swift changes in policy from the White House. Consumer and business confidence in the economy has fallen sharply since Trump began rolling out tariffs, and a measure of Americans outlook for the future of the economy dropped to a 12-year low on Tuesday. Many polls find that most of the public sees the economy as fair or poor. A survey last month by the Pew Research Center found that 63% of Americans still see inflation as a very big problem. CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 28 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00984-6Researchers are looking to improve how ageing is measured, but the field is plagued with uncertainties.

Nature, Published online: 27 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00988-2A huge study paints the most detailed picture yet of the toll pregnancy and childbirth take on the body. Plus, scientists have discovered a new antibiotic in a lab technicians garden and artificial intelligence tools are making their way into the process of peer review to some researchers dismay.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)2025-03-28T11:45:41Z BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) Israel has launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November.Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a loud boom and witnessed smoke rising from the area that Israels military had vowed to strike.It came after Israels army urgently warned people to evacuate parts of a Beirut suburb, vowing to retaliate against strikes which it said were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel. Israels defense minister said Friday that if there was no peace in Israels northern communities there would be no peace in Beirut either. Hezbollah denied firing the rockets at northern Israel, and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to continue attacking Lebanon.Lebanons government ordered all schools and universities in Beiruts southern suburb of Hadath to close for the day. Residents were seen fleeing the area in cars and on foot ahead of the strike. It was the first strike on Beirut since a ceasefire took hold on Nov. 27, 2024, between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, although Israel has struck targets in southern Lebanon almost daily since then. Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict boiled over into all-out war in September as Israel carried out waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant groups senior leaders. The fighting killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 60,000 Israelis. Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January under the ceasefire deal. The deadline was extended to Feb. 18, but Israel has remained in five locations in Lebanon across from communities in northern Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, saying it attacked Hezbollah, while continuing drone attacks that have killed several members of the militant group. Last week, Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Lebanon killed six people.The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the exchange of fire was deeply concerning. This is a critical period for Lebanon and the wider region, she said Friday.According to an Israeli official who was not authorized to speak to the media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meeting with top security officials to discuss an impending strike on the capital. The escalation comes as Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds of people in Gaza. Earlier this month, Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to Gazas roughly 2 million Palestinians.Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns 59 hostages it still holds 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel is demanding that the group give up power, disarm and send its leaders into exile.Hamas has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The war was triggered by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251.Israels retaliatory offensive has killed over 50,000 people, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. Associated Press reporter Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.-Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria smiles while visiting guests at a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)2025-03-28T04:03:30Z EVERETT, Mass. (AP) For years, the mayor of a Boston suburb dreaded Wednesdays. That was the day when a local weekly would publish shocking allegations that he was on the take, sexually harassing women or under investigation by the FBI.Friends trashed Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria on Facebook over what the Everett Leader Herald printed. His father threatened to disown him over stories the mayor knew were lies.They labeled me as a Kickback Carlo. Accusations that I was settling all kinds of sexual harassment lawsuits, that I put a knife to a girls throat and asked for sexual favors, DeMaria said. It was awful. It was disgusting.An unusual libel law winAlmost everything the paper wrote about DeMaria turned out to be fake, enabling him to win a $1.1 million settlement in December that finally shut down the nearly 140-year-old paper. A selection of Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper stories are displayed at the law firm representing Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) A selection of Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper stories are displayed at the law firm representing Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Two women walk past the Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Everett, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Two women walk past the Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Everett, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Such defamation victories are exceedingly rare under the Supreme Courts actual malice standard for public figures. That willing disregard for the truth became abundantly evident when the papers editor swore in court to tell the truth, and admitted to fabricating story after story in an unrelenting smear campaign.But DeMaria hardly had time to celebrate. Now preparing for his seventh mayoral campaign, hes been accused of padding his salary with bonus payments an issue the paper covered four years ago and this time, the state of Massachusetts is pressing the City Council to take action. A mayor and city on the way upFavoring sharp suits and slicked-back hair, DeMaria was schooled in a style of politics based on personal connections with fellow residents in the working-class town of about 49,000 across the Mystic River from Boston. As mayor in 2007, hes been praised for his leadership in improving infrastructure. Out-of-towners can now look beyond the Monsanto and Exxon Mobil facilities as they come to a glitzy casino and soon, possibly, a professional soccer stadium. Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria talks with guests while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria talks with guests while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Everett voters reelected DeMaria by landslides, and his annual compensation grew to $232,700, including a car allowance and a longevity bonus, approaching the $250,000 salary of Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, a city nearly 14 times larger.Then, after a brutal 2021 campaign, he held onto office by just over 200 votes.Matthew Philbin had bought the Leader Herald in 2017 and hired a Boston-area reporter Joshua Resnek, to turn it into an attack machine, court records show. DeMaria believes Philbin was angry at him after he opposed his boarding house licenses as a councilman and then rejected giving him a city insurance contract after he became mayor.It was Blue Suit v. Kickback Carlo Resnek invented a City Hall insider he called the Blue Suit and in article after article, made up conversations accusing Kickback Carlo of extorting the city clerk in a land deal, shaking down people for contributions and sexually assaulting women.In an emotional press conference to announce his court victory, DeMaria stood with his wife and expressed vindication. Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria embraces resident Pamela Mavilio while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria embraces resident Pamela Mavilio while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Attorney Jeffrey S. Robbins, who is with the firm representing Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, flips through a folder containing stories by the Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Attorney Jeffrey S. Robbins, who is with the firm representing Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, flips through a folder containing stories by the Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The size and scope of this settlement both in terms of the amount that the defendants have agreed to pay and in their agreement to shut down their newspaper is a reflection of just how egregious their conduct was, and of the volume of their admissions of their misconduct, DeMaria said. Neither Philbin, Resnek nor their lawyers responded to repeated requests for comment, but the papers final edition reported that the settlement leaves all parties satisfied that an agreeable arrangement was reached, making the necessity of a trial a moot point.Some residents grumbled about the loss of local news coverage.We need all kinds of voices, said Everett homeowner Peggy Serino, a regular at council meetings. Just because the administration didnt agree with something doesnt mean you shut it down. DeMarias joy proved short-lived Someone complained to the state Office of the Inspector General about the bonus payments in 2022, after the Leader Herald suggested they were illegal and quoted a mayoral challenger who called them greedy. DeMaria turned down his 2022 payment of $40,000, and the council limited his future payments to what other city workers get about $1,700 a year.After a lengthy investigation, the Inspector General concluded in February that DeMaria colluded with his finance officer and budget director to retroactively get $180,000 from 2016 to 2021, hiding the payments within other line-items. The IG also concluded that DeMaria may have violated state ethics law by participating in the drafting and approval of the ordinance that padded his pay. The City Council has turned on him since the report came out. It cant fire him, but councilors demanded repayment and launched an audit into nearly a decades worth of payments to him. They also requested details they could bring to the state ethics commission, which can fine an official up to $10,000 per violation and refer evidence of any crimes to prosecutors. DeMaria insists he never engaged in concealment and that law enforcement has not contacted him. Its all just small-town politics, he said.Those who have falsely accused me over the years are the ones who are guilty of the real wrongdoing, he said. I will continue to fight to protect my family, but also to undo the harm that has been done to the reputation of Everett and its residents by these unnecessary and unfounded attacks. Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, listens to a reporters question during an interview at his attorneys office, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, listens to a reporters question during an interview at his attorneys office, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Think about your grandmotherDeMaria didnt attend a special meeting packed with city employees where his lawyer and his daughter came to defend him. Launching his reelection campaign weeks later, he asked supporters to withhold judgment until all the facts come out.Not everyone is willing to wait. The City Council approved a no-confidence vote and ended future longevity payments for him.This is a sad day for our community, City Councilor Peter Pietrantonio said. These are serious facts against the mayor and his administration ... To me, its appalling.Councilor at Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin asked the many city workers supporting DeMaria to look beyond their allegiances.Think about your property taxes. Think about the school that isnt getting enough money. Think about your grandmother, your grandfather that cannot afford to pay for their medication, Jabouin said. MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

The New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2025-03-28T04:27:43Z NEW YORK (AP) U.S. stocks are falling Friday following discouraging updates on inflation and how much U.S. households may be willing to spend given all the uncertainty about President Donald Trumps escalating trade war. The S&P 500 was down 1.5% in midday trading and on track to wipe out the last of what had been a winning week. That would make this the fifth losing week in the last six for the index, which set its all-time high just last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 520 points, or 1.2%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 2.1% lower. Lululemon Athletica tumbled 15% to help lead the market lower, even though the seller of athletic apparel reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It warned that its revenue growth may slow this upcoming year, in part because consumers are spending less due to increased concerns about inflation and the economy, said CEO Calvin McDonald. Lululemon also said tariffs and shifting foreign-currency values may account for about half of its expected drop in a key measure of performance: how much profit it can squeeze out of each $1 of revenue. Oxford Industries, the company behind the Tommy Bahama and Lilly Pulitzer brands, likewise reported stronger results for the latest quarter than expected but still saw its stock fall 1.6%. CEO Tom Chubb said it saw a deterioration in consumer sentiment that also weighed on demand beginning in January, which accelerated into February. Theyre discouraging data points when one of the main worries hitting Wall Street is that Trumps trade war may cause U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending. Even if the tariffs end up being less painful than feared, all the uncertainty may filter into changed behaviors that hurt the economy. A report on Friday morning showed all types of U.S. consumers are getting more pessimistic about their future finances, including Republicans, independents and Democrats. Two out of three consumers surveyed by the University of Michigan expect unemployment to worsen in the year ahead. Thats the the highest reading since 2009, and it raises worries about a job market thats been the linchpin keeping the U.S. economy solid. Another report released in the morning also raised concerns after it showed a widely followed, underlying measure of inflation was a touch worse last month than economists expected. The data followed reports on other measures of inflation for the month, but this one is what the Federal Reserve tracks most closely as it decides what to do with interest rates. The report also showed that an underlying measure of how much income Americans are making, which excludes government social benefits and some other items, has been treading water for the last three months, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. Households arent in a good place to absorb a little tariff pain, he said. The Fed isnt likely to run to the rescue either as inflation moved up more than expected in February. The Fed has been keeping its main interest rate on hold this year after cutting it sharply in late 2024, in part because of worries about inflation remaining higher than its 2% target. While more cuts to interest rates would give the economy and financial markets a boost, they would also put upward pressure on inflation. The economy has so far been holding up relatively well, but if it were to weaken while inflation stays high, it would produce a worst-case scenario called stagflation. Policy makers in Washington have few good tools to fix it. Some of Wall Streets sharpest losses on Friday hit companies that need U.S. customers feeling confident enough to spend, and not just on yoga wear or dresses. Delta Air Lines lost 4.2%. Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group fell 4%. Casino operator Caesars Entertainment dropped 3.9%.On the flip side, among the relatively few rising stocks on Wall Street were those that can make money almost regardless of what the economy does, such as utilities. American Water Works rose 1.8%, for example. Stock markets worldwide will likely remain shaky as an April 2 deadline approaches for more tariffs. Thats what Trump has called Liberation Day, when he will roll out tariffs tailored to the United States trading partners. In each case, he said the reciprocal tariff will match the burden the other country places on the United States, including things like value-added taxes. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell sharply in Japan and South Korea as auto makers felt more pressure following Trumps announcement he plans to impose 25% tariffs on auto imports. Hyundai Motor fell 2.6% in Seoul, while Honda Motor fell 2.6%, and Toyota Motor sank 2.8% in Tokyo. On Wall Street, General Motors sank 1.6%, and Ford Motor fell 1.9%. Even U.S. automakers selling vehicles in the country can feel the pain of such tariffs because their supply chains are spread throughout North America. Trump says he wants more manufacturing to take place within the United States. Thailands SET lost 1% after a powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar rattled the region, causing the prime minister to declare a state of emergency for the capital, Bangkok.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury tumbled to 4.28% from 4.38% late Thursday. It tends to fall when expectations for either U.S. economic growth or inflation are on the wane. ___AP Writers Jiang Junzhe and Matt Ott contributed.

Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)2025-03-28T14:40:19Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court for permission to resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law, while a court fight continues.The emergency appeal to the high court follows a rejection of the Republican administrations plea to the federal appeals court in Washington. By a 2-1 vote, a panel of appellate judges left in place an order temporarily prohibiting deportations of the migrants under the rarely used Alien Enemies ActThe Justice Department argued in court papers that federal courts shouldnt interfere with sensitive diplomatic negotiations. It also claimed that migrants should make their case in a federal court in Texas, where they are being detained. The order temporarily blocking the deportations was issued by U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, the chief judge at the federal courthouse in Washington. President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II to justify the deportation of hundreds of people under a presidential proclamation calling the Tren de Aragua gang an invading force. Here, the district courts orders have rebuffed the Presidents judgments as to how to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote in the court filing. Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of five Venezuelan noncitizens who were being held in Texas, hours after the proclamation was made public.The court set a Tuesday deadline for a response from the ACLU.The case has become a flashpoint amid escalating tension between the White House and the federal courts.Boasberg imposed a temporary halt on deportations and ordered planeloads of Venezuelan immigrants to return to the U.S. That did not happen. The judge has since vowed to determine whether the government defied his order to turn the planes around. The administration has invoked a state secrets privilege and refused to give Boasberg any additional information about the deportations. Trump and his allies have called for impeaching Boasberg. In a rare statement, Chief Justice John Roberts said impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The Alien Enemies Act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity for a hearing before an immigration or federal court judge.Boasberg ruled that immigrants facing deportation must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged gang members. His ruling said there is a strong public interest in preventing the mistaken deportation of people based on categories they have no right to challenge.

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss getting fooled, the 'one big story' of the week, and Ghibli.SAM: I remembered earlier this week that its almost April Fools Day, because Joe showed us a post from a drone company thats doing something crazy, and Jason said it seemed fake. Its real (I think!?) but it did give me pause and make me look at the calendar. There was a time online when Brands started doing April Fools nonsense like, several days before April 1, especially if April 1 landed on a weekend, so its not impossible that a drone company would pull a joke stunt on March 27.Shortly after the drone thing, Jason dropped the anti-Erdoan Pikachu video into Slack, followed by what looked like a Getty Image-style photograph of Pikachu fleeing the police, taken from the ground.

This article was produced in collaborationwith Court Watch, an independent outlet that unearths overlooked court records.Subscribe to them here.The FBI managed to track down and freeze millions of dollars of cryptocurrency Caesars Entertainment sent to a group of hackers that held the casinos computer systems ransom, according to a 404 Media and Court Watch review of a recently unsealed court document. According to the document, the FBI raced to stop the flow of funds before the hackers managed to move the entire $15 million ransom, with the FBI able to freeze much of it when the hackers appeared to try to convert it into other cryptocurrencies.The document provides more insight into the August 2023 ransomware attack against Caesars carried out by the loose-knit hacking group known as Scattered Spider. Around the same time, Scattered Spider also targeted MGM Resorts but that company refused to pay the ransom, and casino operations were disrupted for more than a week.The court document does not name Caesars, instead referring to the company as Victim A. But the document is clearly discussing the casino. It says Victim A was the victim of a cyber attack on August 18, 2023 (the same date that Caesars previously said hackers initially broke into Caesars); and that the hackers initially demanded $30 million before Victim A negotiated the ransom down to around $15 million (these are the same amounts as the Caesars hack).The court document says that the victim paid the extortion payment in two separate purchases of Bitcoin. The FBI then used a commercially available cryptocurrency tracing tool to follow the cryptocurrency to a bridge, which lets users essentially trade one cryptocurrency for another. For criminals, this might be beneficial if they want to move from Bitcoin to a more anonymous currency like Monero.The court document says whoever was in control of the cryptocurrency moved 402 BTC to an Avalanche Bridge wallet on January 19, 2024, several months after the hack itself. On that same day, the FBI contacted Ava Labs, Inc., the company behind the service, and asked it to voluntarily freeze the 402 BTC, the court document says.Ava Labs, Inc., agreed to voluntarily freeze the 277.56327614 BTC transferred from Extortion Wallet 2 to Avalanche Wallet 1 (which went to Combined Wallet 1 before Avalanche Wallet 1), until service of a civil forfeiture seizure warrant, the document says. That amount of Bitcoin was valued at around $11.8 million in January 2024.A screenshot of the court document.However, Ava Labs, Inc., was not able to voluntarily freeze the 125 BTC transferred from Extortion Wallet 1 to Avalanche Wallet 1 (which went to Combined Wallet 1 before Avalanche Wallet 1) because the 125 BTC had already been transferred from Avalanche Wallet 1, the document adds.In other words, the FBI was able to freeze some of the funds, but not before whoever controlled the wallet was able to move around 125 BTC, valued at just over $5 million in January 2024.Later that month, the cryptocurrency owners moved around $690,000 of cryptocurrency to another wallet run by Gate.io. The cryptocurrency transferred include around 519,845 USDT (Tether, a cryptocurrency allegedly pegged to the U.S. dollar) and around 1135 XMR (Monero).Do you know anything else about this case? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.The next day, the FBI contacted Gate.io and asked it to freeze that USDT and XMR. On February 4, Gate.io confirmed it had done so, according to the document.The court document, signed by an FBI Special Agent, is the government formally asking to seize that USDT and XMR.The FBI, prosecutors, Caesars, Gate.io, and Ava Labs did not respond to a request for comment.Authorities have previously arrested a person allegedly linked to the MGM Resorts hack, as well as other people identified under the Scattered Spider umbrella.

Nature, Published online: 28 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00968-6Two journals embarked on efforts to compensate reviewers, with different results.

Alexander Daniel, DDS, left, demonstrates fluoride treatment on resident Cameron Onken, right, at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)2025-03-28T14:29:24Z SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Utah has become the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, despite widespread opposition from dentists and national health organizations.Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation late Thursday that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Utah lawmakers who pushed for a ban said putting fluoride in water was too expensive. Cox, who grew up and raised his own children in a community without fluoridated water, compared it recently to being medicated by the government. The ban comes weeks after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed skepticism about water fluoridation, was sworn into office. More than 200 million people in the U.S., or almost two-thirds of the population, receive fluoridated water through community water. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. But some cities across the country have gotten rid of fluoride from their water, and other municipalities are considering doing the same. A few months ago, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children. The president of the American Dental Association, Brett Kessler, has said the amounts of fluoride added to drinking water are below levels considered problematic.Opponents warn the ban will disproportionately affect low-income residents who may rely on public drinking water having fluoride as their only source of preventative dental care. Low-income families may not be able to afford regular dentist visits or the fluoride tablets some people buy as a supplement in cities without fluoridation.The sponsor of the Utah legislation, Republican Rep. Stephanie Gricius, acknowledged fluoride has benefits, but said it was an issue of individual choice to not have it in the water.

This photo provided by Jeng Hsu shows her son, Jaiwen Hsu, at the Children's National Hospital in Washington in August 2011, weeks before his last round of chemotherapy for bone cancer. (Jeng Hsu via AP)2025-03-28T14:41:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) A man who battled childhood cancer has received the first known transplant of sperm-producing stem cells, in a study aimed at restoring the fertility of cancers youngest survivors.Jaiwen Hsu was 11 when a leg injury turned out to be bone cancer. Doctors thought grueling chemotherapy could save him but likely leave him infertile. His parents learned researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center were freezing testicular cells of young boys with cancer in hopes of preserving their future fertility and signed him up.Hsu, now 26, is the first to return as an adult and test if reimplanting those cells might work.The science behind it is so incredibly new that right now its kind of a waiting game, said Hsu, of Vienna, Virginia. Its kind of eagerly crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.It may seem unusual to discuss future fertility when a family is reeling from the diagnosis of a childs cancer. But 85% of children with cancer now survive to adulthood and about 1 in 3 are left infertile from chemotherapy or radiation. Young adults with cancer can bank sperm, eggs or sometimes embryos ahead of treatment. But children diagnosed before puberty dont have that option because theyre not yet producing mature sperm or eggs. Boys are born with stem cells inside spaghetti-like tubes in the testes, cells that start producing sperm after puberty sparks a rise in testosterone. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, Pitt reproductive scientist Kyle Orwig studies how to preserve and potentially use testicular cells to restore fertility. It starts with a biopsy-like removal of a small amount of testicular tissue that contains millions of cells some of them precious sperm-producing stem cells. Since 2011, Orwigs team has frozen samples from about 1,000 prepubertal boys.Its impossible to tell if enough stem cells are in each tiny sample to matter. But in 2019, Orwig used preserved testicular tissue from a young male monkey that, in an animal version of IVF, led to the birth of a healthy baby monkey. By 2023, Orwig was ready to reimplant now-grown cancer survivors cells when Hsu not ready to start a family yet but curious about his long-ago study participation reached out.Were not expecting a miracle result, cautioned Orwig, whose colleagues transplanted Hsus thawed cells in November 2023.In a paper posted online this week, Orwig reported the injection, guided by ultrasound to the right spot, was safe and easy to perform. His work has not yet been reviewed by other scientists. And Orwig said its too soon to know if the experiment worked and standard tests likely wont tell, as animal testing found assisted reproduction techniques were needed to detect and retrieve small amounts of sperm. Still, he hopes the ongoing research will alert more families to consider fertility preservation so theyd have the option if it eventually pans out.Belgian researchers announced a similar experiment in January, implanting pieces of testicular tissue rather than cells in a childhood cancer survivor. These developments are of great importance, said researcher Ellen Goossens of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. While animal research was very promising, transplantations in humans will be the only way to tell if this really works.Similar research with immature ovarian tissue is underway for female childhood cancer survivors, too, noted Dr. Mahmoud Salama, who directs the Oncofertility Consortium at Michigan State University.Hsu said even if his experimental transplant doesnt work, it will guide further research. Hes grateful his parents years ago made a call that gave me the option to make the choice for myself today.___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.

Nature, Published online: 28 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00879-6Study of more than 100,000 people supports your parents advice: eat your veggies.

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)2025-03-28T04:05:07Z NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate student facing deportation for his role in pro-Palestinian campus protests, urged a federal judge on Friday to move their clients case out of Louisiana, describing his imprisonment there as a Kafkaesque ploy to chill free speech.The longer we wait, the more chill there is, defense attorney Baher Azmy said. Everyone knows about this case and is wondering if theyre going to get picked off the street for opposing U.S. foreign policy.The parties appeared Friday morning before a judge in Newark, New Jersey, to debate where Khalils legal fight to be released from federal custody should play out.An attorney for the Department of Justice, August Flentje, countered that the case should be moved to Louisiana, where Khalil is currently being held in an immigration detention center, for jurisdictional certainty. Judge Michael Farbiarz said he would consider the tricky venue issues at play and issue a written decision soon. He declined to hear an argument for bail from Khalils attorneys, pointing to the need to settle the jurisdictional issue first. Khalils wife, Noor Abdallah, an American citizen who is due to give birth next month, sat in the front row of the courtroom, surrounded by supporters. Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse on Friday morning, chanting, Free Mahmoud, and hoisting signs featuring his face. No matter what happens in court, whats most important is for all of us to keep up the pressure, said Ramzi Kassem, one of Khalils lawyers, after the hearing. To let this government know that it cannot suppress speech.Khalil was arrested March 8 outside in the lobby of a university-owned apartment in Manhattan, then transferred overnight to an immigration detention facility in New Jersey. Hours later, he was put on a plane and whisked to a different immigration facility in Jena, Louisiana, where he remains. Azmy, his attorney, said the Trump administrations refusal to move the case back to New York rested on a radical reinterpretation of Habeas corpus, a legal process that allows individuals to challenge their detention. They keep passing around the body in an almost Kafkaesque way, he added.He also invoked the federal governments recent arrest of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student who was detained by immigration agents in Massachusetts this week and then immediately sent to Louisiana before her attorneys could secure a judges order blocking the transfer. If you dismiss and we file in Louisiana, before the papers hit, he could be in Texas, said Azmy. An attorney for the government replied that there were no immediate plans to move Khalil out of Louisiana. President Donald Trumps administration has, in recent weeks, ramped up efforts to arrest and deport student activists who participated in protests against Israel. In several cases, the government has cited a seldom-invoked statute authorizing the secretary of state to deport noncitizens whose presence in the country threatens U.S. foreign-policy interests. Khalil was born in Syria but is a legal U.S. resident married to an American citizen. The court fight in Newark continues one that began in New York City but was transferred across the Hudson River after a judge determined a federal court in New Jersey was the proper jurisdiction for the lawsuit.Khalil served as a negotiator for pro-Palestinian Columbia students as they bargained with university officials over an end to their campus tent encampment last spring. The university ultimately called in the police to dismantle the encampment and a faction of protesters who seized an administration building.Khalil was not among the people arrested in the Columbia protests and he has not been accused of any crime.But the administration has said it wants to deport Khalil because of his prominent role in the protests, which they say amounted to antisemitic support for Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. People involved in the student-led protests deny that their criticism of Israel or support of Palestinian territorial claims is antisemitic. U.S. officials also have accused Khalil of failing to disclose some of his work history on his immigration paperwork, including work at a British embassy and an internship with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.Other university students and faculty across the country have been arrested by immigration officials, had their visas revoked or been prevented from entering the U.S. because they attended demonstrations or publicly expressed support for Palestinians.Among them are a Gambian student at Cornell University in upstate New York, an Indian scholar at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., a Lebanese doctor at Brown Universitys medical school in Rhode Island, a Turkish student at Tufts University in Massachusetts and a Korean student at Columbia who has lived in the country since she was 7. JAKE OFFENHARTZ Offenhartz is a general assignment reporter in the New York City bureau of The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Firefighter John Ward works to control the Black Cove Fire, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)2025-03-28T21:41:01Z In North Carolina, wildfires stoked by unusually dry air and debris from last years Hurricane Helene are burning out of control. In Florida, there are dozens of blazes, including one that scorched about 42 square miles in Miami-Dade County. And they continue to burn in Oklahoma, where four people have died this month due to wind-driven fires. Those states were just three of eight where large fires were being reported on Friday. Some 14,800 wildfires have burned 1,105 square miles so far this year well above the 10-year average, according to data released Friday by the National Interagency Fire Center. Most devastating were the Los Angeles wildfires in January, fueled by dry vegetation and howling winds, that destroyed entire neighborhoods.Wildfires have happened with such frequency in recent years that many U.S. fire officials say there is no longer a fire season, which traditionally ran from late spring through the fall. That is because climate change, caused by the burning of fuels like gasoline and coal, has raised average global temperatures, creating drier conditions that allow wildfires, which are mostly mostly caused by humans, to burn longer and more intensely. While major fires often happen early in the year in February 2024, Texas experienced the largest wildfire in state history this year is a bit unusual because were seeing it happen in so many places, said Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist who monitors drought. This week, 45% of the country is in drought, when historically its around 20% at any given time, Rippey said. That dried out lots of fuel just waiting for a spark from freeze-dried grasses in the southern Plains to downed trees and brush from hurricanes that ravaged parts of the southeast and southern Appalachians in recent years. The National Interagency Fire Centers significant wildfire outlook notes that several states still have debris from hurricanes Laura, Ida, Debby and Idalia in the past five years, as well as from ice storms and other severe weather. Add in gusty winds and low humidity, and youve got a pretty ripe situation for wildfires, Rippey said.In Hurricane Helene-devastated North Carolina, power lines downed by strong winds have been blamed for two of three large fires that have burned for more than a week in an area where the mean relative humidity this month has been the lowest on record, officials said. Impassable areas and lots of toppled trees are making it difficult to reach intense and erratic fires that are spreading rapidly because of high winds and dry weather.Many roads have either been covered with storm debris or they have just been completely washed away, said North Carolina Forest Service spokesman Philip Jackson, who said the fire danger could plague the state for years as more debris dries out.Much of Florida also is in drought, contributing to an earlier-than-normal fire season that included a massive brush fire in Miami-Dade County that at one point hindered travel to and from the Florida Keys. That fire is 95% contained while dozens of smaller fires continue to burn, according to the Florida Forest Service. Many counties are under red flag warnings, meaning conditions are favorable for fires to occur.West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina also report large wildfires.The greatest wildfire potential is in the southeast and the southern Plains, and will be significant into April in most of Texas and parts of New Mexico and Arizona, as well as several southeastern states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.La Nina a periodic cooling of the Pacific Ocean that can shift the jet stream and lead to cooler, drier air might have affected conditions in the southern U.S., said Tim Brown, director of the Western Regional Climate Center.But there also has been long-term drying in the southwest as temperatures overall increase with global warming, said Rippey, who has monitored drought for more than 25 years. Warmer temperatures have led to more erratic precipitation that tends to fall more heavily in short periods, leading much of it to run off rather than soak into the ground.I do think that contributes to more wildfires, he said. ___The Associated Press climate and environmental 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.

The building for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters building is empty of CFPB signage as seen Friday, March 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-03-28T20:47:54Z WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge agreed Friday to block the Trump administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that was targeted for mass firings before the courts intervention.U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed to issue a preliminary injunction that maintains the agencys existence until she rules on the merits of a lawsuit seeking to preserve the agency. The judge said the court can and must act to save the agency from being shuttered.Jackson ruled that, without a court order, President Donald Trumps administration would move quickly to shut down the agency that Congress created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.If the defendants are not enjoined, they will eliminate the agency before the Court has the opportunity to decide whether the law permits them to do it, and as the defendants own witness warned, the harm will be irreparable, Berman Jackson said in her order. Deepak Gupta, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the ruling blocks the unprecedented plan to dismantle the CFPB an agency that Congress created to protect Americans financial security. This ruling upholds the Constitutions separation of powers and preserves the Bureaus vital work. Were heartened by the decision and look forward to continuing to press our case in court, Gupta said.During a March 10 hearing, Jackson heard testimony about the chaos that erupted inside the agency after government employees were ordered to stop working last month. The bureaus chief operating officer, Adam Martinez, said the agency was in wind-down mode after Trump fired its previous director, Rohit Chopra, on Feb. 1. Trump installed a temporary replacement who ordered the immediate suspension of all agency operations, cancelled $100 million in contracts and fired 70 employees.Martinez said the agencys current leaders have adopted a more methodical approach than they initially did last month, when representatives of Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency arrived at its Washington headquarters. CFPB is responsible for protecting consumers from financial fraud and deceptive practices. It processes consumer complaints and examines banks to protect student loan borrowers.The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents more than 1,000 workers at the bureau, sued on Feb. 9 to block mass firings. Plaintiffs attorneys argue that the administration doesnt have the constitutional authority to eliminate an agency that Congress created by statute.The defendants unlawful action will have immediate consequences for the Americans that the CFPB was designed by Congress to protect, the lawyers wrote.Government lawyers have said the plaintiffs are seeking to impermissibly place the CFPB in a judicially managed receivership, with the court overseeing its day-to-day operations.Jackson started her 112-page ruling by quoting Trump and his allies own words about the bureau. Trumps billionaire adviser, Elon Musk, posted CFPB RIP on X, his social media platform, and added an emoji of a tombstone. White House budget director Russell Vought said it has been a woke and weaponized agency against disfavored industries and individuals for a long time. Trump called it a very important thing to get rid of. In sum, the Court cannot look away or the CFPB will be dissolved and dismantled completely in approximately thirty days, well before this lawsuit has come to its conclusion, Jackson wrote.Among the plaintiffs was 83-year-old Eva Steege, a Lutheran pastor in hospice care who had been working with CFPB to resolve her student loan debt before her death. The agency found she qualified for loan forgiveness and a $15,000 refund of overpayments, but the stop-work order went into effect before she could have a follow-up meeting and the official she was working with was fired.Steeges fear of leaving her surviving family members saddled with her student loan debt came to pass on March 15, when she died, the judge wrote.___Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

Nature, Published online: 28 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00924-4US researchers who must forage for their own salary by finding grants fear they will be the first to go as federal research dollars disappear.

Carlos Watson leaves Brooklyn federal court after testifying in his own defense in New York, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)2025-03-28T22:52:11Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Ozy Media co-founder Carlos Watson, a White House official said Friday, just before Watson was due to report to prison for a nearly 10-year sentence in a financial conspiracy case.Watson was convicted last year in a closely watched case that showcased the implosion of an ambitious startup company at a time of turmoil in the media industry. He had been ordered to surrender to prison on Friday.The commutation was confirmed by a senior White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the decision and spoke on condition of anonymity. A lawyer who represented Watson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump has aggressively used his presidential power to commute sentences and issue pardons for people who he believes were treated unfairly by the justice system. The president himself was convicted last year in a case involving hush money payments, part of what he has described as a politically motivated witch hunt against him. Watsons commutation was among a string of other acts of clemency revealed by the White House on Friday. They included Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle company Nikola, who had been sentenced to four years for fraudulently exaggerating the potential of his technology and was pardoned; and three entrepreneurs who founded and helped run the cryptocurrency exchange BITMEX, which was ordered to pay a $100 million fine earlier this year after prosecutors said it willfully flouted U.S. anti-money laundering laws to boost revenue. They had been sentenced to probation and were also pardoned. Ozy was founded in 2012 on a premise of providing a fresh, sophisticated-but-not-stuffy take on politics, culture and more billed as the new and the next while amplifying minority and marginalized voices. It announced it was shutting down in fall 2021 less than a week after a New York Times column raised questions about the media organizations claims of millions of viewers and readers while also pointing out a potential case of securities fraud. Watson was arrested in February 2023 after two of the companys top executives pleaded guilty to fraud charges.Prosecutors said Watson deceived investors and lenders by inflating revenue numbers and suggesting deals were final when they were not. At one point, Watsons co-founder pretended to be a YouTube executive on a phone call with potential investors, according to prosecutors. After Watsons sentencing, then-Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said the jury had determined that Watson was a con man who told lie upon lie upon lie to deceive investors into buying stock in his company.Ozy Media collapsed under the weight of Watsons dishonest schemes, Peace said. But Watson, who is Black, called the case a modern lynching and argued that he was the victim of selective prosecution.I made mistakes. Im very, very sorry that people are hurt, myself included, Watson said, but I dont think its fair. U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee said during sentencing that the quantum of dishonesty in this case is exceptional.Watson held degrees from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, worked on Wall Street, had on-air gigs at CNN and MSNBC, and boasted entrepreneurial chops. Ozy Media was his second startup, coming a decade after he sold a test-prep company that he had founded in his 20s.Mountain View, California-based Ozy produced TV shows, newsletters, podcasts and a music-and-ideas festival. Watson hosted several of the TV programs, including the Emmy-winning Black Women OWN the Conversation, which appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network.Ozy snagged big advertisers, clients and grants. But beneath the outward signs of success was an overextended company that struggled and dissembled to stay afloat after 2017, according to insiders testimony.The company strained to make payroll, ran late on rent and took out pricey cash advances to pay bills, former finance vice president Janeen Poutre told jurors. Meanwhile, Ozy gave prospective investors much bigger revenue numbers than those it reported to accountants, according to testimony and documents.___Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto

This contributed photo shows Rumeysa Ozturk on an apple-picking trip in 2021. (AP Photo)2025-03-28T23:29:10Z BOSTON (AP) A Tufts University doctoral student who was detained this week cant be deported to Turkey without a court order, a federal judge in Massachusetts said on Friday.Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was taken by masked immigration officials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on Tuesday. Ozturk was quickly moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in remote Basile, Louisiana, before her attorneys could secure a judges order blocking the transfer.On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper gave the government until Tuesday evening to respond to an updated complaint filed by Ozturks attorneys.To allow the Courts resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court, the judge wrote.Ozturk is among several people with ties to American universities who attended demonstrations or publicly expressed support for Palestinians during the war in Gaza and who have recently had visas revoked or been stopped from entering the U.S. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson has confirmed Ozturks detention and the termination of her visa, saying investigations found Oztruk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. The department did not provide evidence of that support. Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in an attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and during which about 250 hostages were seized. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 people, according to Gazas Health Ministry, and destroyed much of the enclave. Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an op-ed in The Tufts Daily last year that criticized the universitys response to student demands that Tufts acknowledge the Palestinian genocide, disclose its investments and divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.Friends have said Ozturk was not otherwise closely involved in protests against Israel. President Donald Trump s administration has cited a seldom-invoked statute authorizing the secretary of state to revoke visas of noncitizens who could be considered a threat to foreign policy interests.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump stands with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem during a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-03-29T04:00:43Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) As then-Gov. Kristi Noem crisscrossed the country stumping for President Donald Trump and boosting her political profile beyond her home state she refused to reveal what her extensive travel was costing taxpayers. In the weeks since Noem became Trumps Homeland Security secretary, that mystery has been solved: South Dakota repeatedly picked up the tab for expenses related to her jet-setting campaigning. An Associated Press analysis of recently released travel records found more than $150,000 in expenses tied to Noems political and personal activity and not South Dakota business. That included numerous trips to Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump resided before retaking office.Most of those costs covered the state-provided security that accompanied Noem, irrespective of the reason for her travel. Over her six years as governor, APs analysis shows, South Dakota covered more than $640,000 in travel-related costs incurred by the governors office. The expenditures include $7,555 in airfare for a six-day trip to Paris, where she gave a speech at a right-wing gathering, costs associated with a bear hunt in Canada with her niece and a book tour that included a stop in New York. An additional $2,200 stemmed from a controversial trip last year to Houston for dental work she showcased on Instagram. Expenses spark uproarThe expenses, released last month following a lawsuit by The Dakota Scout, have incensed Republicans in the deep-red state, with several GOP lawmakers accusing Noem of tapping state funds to fuel her own political ascendancy. The uproar comes as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in government and as Noem has taken over DHS, the third-largest federal agency, with a budget and workforce many times the size of South Dakotas.The spending offends a lot of people, said Dennis Daugaard, a former Republican South Dakota governor, who added that costs generated by Noems ambition for higher office couldve been paid with campaign funds. Taffy Howard, a GOP state senator who clashed with Noem over her refusal to disclose her travel expenses, expressed shock at the price tag. It seems like an incredible amount of money, Howard told AP. A spokesman for Noem, Tim Murtaugh, declined to answer detailed questions about the expenses but did not dispute that some of the travel lacked an apparent connection to state business. Theres no indication the former governor broke any laws having the state foot the bill for security expenses even on trips that critics said benefited her more than South Dakota taxpayers. Unfortunately, bad guys tend to make threats against high-profile public officials, Murtaugh said. When it was a political or personal trip, she paid for her own travel out of her political or personal funds.Josie Harms, a spokesperson for Noems gubernatorial successor, said security requirements were a matter of state business no matter where the governor may be. The scope of that security is not up to the governor, Harms added. During her years in office, Noem frequently said that releasing the travel expenses would jeopardize her safety. Lax disclosure requirementsSouth Dakota has relatively lax disclosure requirements for such travel expenses. Governors from both parties have used state funds to finance the travel expenses of their security details and staffers. Critics called on Washingtons Jay Inslee, a Democrat, to reimburse the state for similar costs resulting from his unsuccessful 2019 presidential run. And Ron DeSantis, Floridas GOP governor, also came under fire for racking up hefty travel tabs for his security detail during his bid for higher office. Murtaugh, a spokesman for Noem in her personal capacity, questioned why Democratic governors were not being scrutinized for their travel on behalf of former Vice President Kamala Harris, their partys 2024 presidential nominee.They maintained aggressive political schedules on behalf of Kamala Harris but somehow escape media attention for costs associated with that, while Kristi Noem is being held to a different standard? Murtaugh wrote in an email. The more than 3,000 pages of records released to the Scout by Noems successor included hotel receipts, restaurant bills and credit card statements. Some expenses have no link to state businessThe AP obtained the same records, as well as dozens of additional documents that show state officials acknowledged that campaigning for Trump is not an official duty of the governor in denying one of several requests to release her travel expenses. The receipts are heavily redacted, so its not always clear who incurred the expense. Only 30 items totaling $2,056.72 were charged on the governors state-issued Mastercard, according to her attorney. Some expenses seemingly had no link to state business, such as $21 hotel-room movie purchases. Its also unclear who attended meals that included unnamed federal officials. The state auditor questioned some of the charges, including the governors offices use of a luxury airline travel agency for a flight to Paris and a $2,000 change fee.The state also ran up more than $3,300 in late fees and interest. The record doesnt indicate how much was paid in overtime for staff and security accompanying Noem on her political excursions.Spending for security detail, as well as where and when they are deemed necessary, falls under the discretion of the governor, Jenna Latham, a supervisor in the state auditors office, wrote to AP in an email. Most of the expenses were incurred as Noem became a rising star in Trumps Make America Great Again universe and a contender to be his 2024 running mate. Her fortunes appeared to have suffered a blow after she revealed in a memoir that she shot and killed her farm dog, Cricket, after it scared away some game during a pheasant hunt. This is not the first time Noems travel has come under the microscope. A state government accountability board in 2022 had requested an investigation into her use of the state plane to attend political events, but a prosecutor found no grounds for charges.State known for frugalityThe records raise questions about the necessity of the travel and the secrecy surrounding the expenses. Noems office refused to release records related to a 2020 speaking engagement at AmpFest, a gathering of Trump supporters near Miami, telling a public-records requester the trip was not for the purpose of the governors official duties and no receipts existed. But the newly released records include several transactions in South Florida on those days, including a rental car and a stay at the posh Trump National Doral Miami. Days later, South Dakota picked up the tab for gasoline and hotel rooms for Noems security so she could speak at a Republican fundraiser in New Hampshire. Noems travel doesnt pass the smell test, said Viki Harrison, program director for Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that seeks to limit big money in politics. There should be a huge firewall between campaigning and official business.Noems predecessors traveled less frequently in a low-tax state that values frugality, both on the farm and from elected officials. Daugaard, whose official statue features him pinching a penny, said he reimbursed staff for purchases like ice cream.Former Gov. Mike Rounds, now South Dakotas junior U.S. senator, said he tried to keep partisan activity at arms length from state resources and was careful about what he put on the governments dime. Such thriftiness was required, he said, because his state is so tight on everything to begin with, just in terms of having enough money to pay the bills. __ Goodman reported from Miami and Mustian from New York. Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report. JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto JIM MUSTIAN Mustian is an Associated Press investigative reporter for breaking news. twitter mailto SARAH RAZA Raza covers South Dakota for The Associated Press. She is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. twitter mailto

The National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall is seen on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-03-29T04:01:56Z ATLANTA (AP) President Donald Trumps order accusing the Smithsonian Institution of not reflecting American history notes correctly that the countrys Founding Fathers declared that all men are created equal. But it doesnt mention that the founders enshrined slavery into the U.S. Constitution and declared enslaved persons as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of the Census. Civil rights advocates, historians and Black political leaders sharply rebuked Trump on Friday for his order, entitled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. They argued that his executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution is his administrations latest move to downplay how race, racism and Black Americans themselves have shaped the nations story.It seems like were headed in the direction where theres even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery even existed, or that Jim Crow laws and segregation and racial violence against Black communities, Black families, Black individuals even occurred, said historian Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a professor at Morehouse College, the historically Black campus in Atlanta. The Thursday executive order cites the National Museum of African American History and Culture by name and argues that the Smithsonian as a whole is engaging in a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nations history. Instead of celebrating an unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness, the order argues that a corrosive divisive, race-centered ideology has reconstructed the nation as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed. It empowers Vice President JD Vance to review all properties, programs and presentations to prohibit programs that degrade shared American values or divide Americans based on race. Trump also ordered Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine if any monuments since January 2020 have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history or inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures. Trump has long criticized the removal of Confederate monuments, a movement that gained steam after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. Critics argued the order is the latest move by the Trump administration to quash recognition of Black Americans contributions to the nation and to gloss over the legal, political, social and economic obstacles they have faced.Trumps approach is a literal attack on Black America itself, Ibram X. Kendi, the race historian and bestselling author, said. The Black Smithsonian, as it is affectionately called, is indeed one of the heartbeats of Black America, Kendi argued, and also one of the heartbeats of the nation at large.Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., suggested that Trump wants to distort the national narrative to racist ends. We do not run from or erase our history simply because we dont like it, she said in a statement. We embrace the history of our country the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trump once praised the Black Smithsonian The African American museum, one of 21 distinct Smithsonian entities, opened along the National Mall in 2016, the last year that President Barack Obama held office as the nations first Black chief executive. The museum chronicles chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation and its lingering effects, but also highlights the determination, successes and contributions of individual Black Americans and Black institutions throughout U.S. history.Former NAACP President Ben Jealous, who now leads the Sierra Club, said museums that focus on specific minority or marginalized groups enslaved persons and their descendants, women, Native Americans are necessary because historical narratives from previous generations misrepresented those individuals or overlooked them altogether.Attempts to tell the general history of the country always omit too much ... and the place that weve come to by having these museums is so we can, in total, do a better job of telling the complete story of this country, he said. And, indeed, Trump sounded more like Jealous when he visited the African American museum in 2017, at the outset of his first term, and declared it a national gem.Im deeply proud that we now have a museum that honors the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage, especially when it comes to faith, culture and the unbreakable American spirit, Trump said following a tour that included Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, both of whom are Black.I know President Obama was here for the museums opening last fall, Trump continued. Im honored to be the second sitting president to visit this great museum. Trumps war on woke targets historyTrump won his comeback White House bid with a notable uptick in support from non-white voters, especially among younger Black and Hispanic men. He ratcheted up attacks during his campaign on what he labeled woke culture and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, not just in government but the private sector. He also used racist and sexist tropes to attack Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold national office, and regularly accused her and other liberals of hating our country.Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has banned diversity initiatives across the federal government. The administration has launched investigations of colleges public and private that it accuses of discriminating against white and Asian students with race-conscious admissions programs intended to address historic inequities in access for Black students.The Defense Department, at one point, temporarily removed training videos recognizing the Tuskegee Airmen and an online biography of Jackie Robinson. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Joint Chiefs Gen. C.Q. Brown, a champion of racial diversity in the military who spoke about his experiences as a Black man after the murder of George Floyd. The administration has fired diversity officers across government, curtailed some agencies celebrations of Black History Month, and terminated grants and contracts for projects ranging from planting trees in disadvantaged communities to studying achievement gaps in American schools. Warnings of a chilling effectCivil rights advocates and historians expressed concern about a chilling effect across other institutions that study Black history.Kendi noted that many museums and educational centers across the country such as San Franciscos Museum of the African Diaspora, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama, and the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina exist with little to no federal or other governmental funding sources. Some already are struggling to keep their doors open.To me, thats part of the plan, to starve these institutions that are already starving of resources so that the only institutions that are telling Americas history are actually only telling political propaganda, Kendi said. ___Associated Press journalists Aaron Morrison in New York and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report. BILL BARROW Bill Barrow covers U.S. politics. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto

A barber shaves a client at his newly opened barbershop in Daraya, Syria, Monday, March 17, 2025. Part of rural Damascus, Daraya was one of the centers of the uprising against Bashar Assad and suffered killings and saw massive damage during fighting. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)2025-03-29T05:03:21Z DARAYA, Syria (AP) When Mariam Aabour learned of the ouster of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, she shed tears of joy. But as the time came to return to her homeland from Lebanon where she fled years earlier Aabour felt torn. She was happy about the homecoming, but sad to leave behind a son and a stepson who remained in Lebanon to work and pay off family debts. Months before her return, Aabours father died in Syria without her seeing him. Her Syrian home has been destroyed and theres no money to rebuild, she said. Thus its been bittersweet experiencing her first Ramadan the Muslim holy month since her return. Weve all lost dear ones, she said. Even after our return, we still cry over the tragedies that weve lived through. As they spend their first Ramadan in years in their homeland, many Syrians whove recently trickled back in from abroad have been celebrating the end of the Assad familys rule in December after a fast-paced rebel offensive. They are relishing some new freedoms and savoring some old traces of the lives they once knew. They enjoy family reunions but many also face challenges as they adjust to a country ravaged by a prolonged civil war and now grappling with a complex transition. As they do, they grieve personal and communal losses: Killed and missing loved ones, their absence amplified during Ramadan. Destroyed or damaged homes. And family gatherings shattered by the exodus of millions. A time for daily fasting and heightened worship, Ramadan also often sees joyous get-togethers with relatives over food and juices. Aabour one of the more than 370,000 Syrians the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, says have returned to the country since Assads ouster delights in hearing the call to prayer from mosques signaling the end of the daily fast. In her Lebanon neighborhood, she said, there were no nearby mosques and she relied on phones to know when to break the fast. The hardest part, she added, is sitting for the fast-breaking meal known as iftar without some loved ones, including her father and a son, who she said was killed before the family fled Syria. She bitterly recalled how her child, who she said was about 10 when killed, liked a rice and peas dish for iftar and would energetically help her, carrying dishes from the kitchen. I used to tell him, Youre too young, but he would say, No, I want to help you, she said, sitting on the floor in her in-laws house which her family now shares with relatives. Faraj al-Mashash, her husband, said hes not currently working, accumulating more debt and caring for an ill father. The family borrowed money to fix his fathers home in Daraya. It was damaged and looted, but still standing. Many Daraya homes arent. Part of Rural Damascus and known for its grapes and its furniture workshops, Daraya was one of the centers of the uprising against Assad. The conflict devolved into armed insurgency and civil war after Assad crushed what started as largely peaceful protests; this Ramadan, Syrians marked the 14th anniversary of the civil wars start. Daraya suffered killings and saw massive damage during fighting. It endured years of government besiegement and aerial campaigns before a deal was struck between the government and rebels in 2016 that resulted in the evacuation of fighters and civilians and control ceded to the government. Today, in parts of Daraya, children and others walk past walls with gaping holes in crumbling buildings. In some areas, a clothesline or bright-colored water tank provides glimpses of lives unfolding among ruins or charred walls. Despite it all, al-Mashash said, its home. Isnt Daraya destroyed? But I feel like I am in heaven. Still, theres sadness, he added. A place is only beautiful with its people in it. Buildings can be rebuilt, but when a person is gone, they dont come back. In Lebanon, al-Mashash struggled financially and was homesick for Daraya, for the familiar faces that used to greet him on its streets. Shortly after Assads ouster, he returned. This Ramadan, hes re-lived some traditions, inviting people for iftar and getting invited, and praying at a mosque where he has cherished memories. Some of those who had left Daraya, and now returned to Syria, say their homes have been obliterated or are in no condition for them to stay there. Some of them are living elsewhere in an apartment complex that had previously housed Assad-era military officers and is now sheltering some families, mostly ones whove returned from internal displacement. The majority of those whove returned to Syria since Assads removal came from countries in the region, including Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, said Celine Schmitt, UNHCRs spokesperson in Syria. A main security fear for returnees is unexploded mines, Schmitt said, adding UNHCR provides mine awareness sessions in its community centers. It also offers legal awareness for those needing IDs, birth certificates or property documents and has provided free transportation for some who came from Jordan and Turkey, she said. The needs of returnees, so far a fraction of those whove left, are varied and big from work and basic services to house repairs or construction. Many, Schmitt said, hope for financial help to start a small business or rebuild, adding that more funding is needed.Were calling on all of our donors, she said. Theres an opportunity now to solve one of the biggest displacement crises in the world, because people want to go back.Many of those who havent returned cite economic challenges and the huge challenges they see in Syria as some of the reasons, she said. In January, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said living conditions in the country must improve for the return of Syrians to be sustainable. Umaya Moussa, also from Daraya, said she fled Syria to Lebanon in 2013, returning recently as a mother of four, two of whom had never seen Syria before. Moussa, 38, recalls, at one point, fleeing an area while pregnant and terrified, carrying her daughter and clutching her husbands hand. The horrors have haunted her. Id remember so many events that would leave me unable to sleep, she said. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would scream and cry and have nightmares. In Lebanon, she lived for a while in a camp, where she shared the kitchen and bathroom with others. We were humiliated ..., but it was still better than the fear weve lived through. Shed yearned for the usual Ramadan family gatherings. For the first iftar this year, she broke her fast with her family, including brothers who, she said, as fighters against the Assad government, had previously moved to then rebel-controlled Idlib province. Missing from the Ramadan meal was her father who died while Moussa was away. Like Moussa, Saeed Kamel is intimately familiar with the pain of a joy incomplete. This Ramadan, he visited the grave of his mother who had died when he was in Lebanon. I told her that weve returned but we didnt find her, he said, wiping away tears. And it wasnt just her. Kamel had been hopeful that with Assad gone, they would find a missing brother in his prisons; they didnt. Kamel had vowed never to return to a Syria ruled by Assad, saying he felt like a stranger in his country. His home, he said, was damaged and looted. But despite any difficulties, he held out hope. At least, he said, the next generation will live with dignity, God willing. Kamel fondly recalled how before their worlds changed his family would exchange visits with others for most of Ramadan and neighbors would send each other iftar dishes. Ramadan is not nice without the family gatherings, he said. Now, one can barely manage. He cant feel the same Ramadan spirit as before. The good thing, he said, is that Ramadan came while were liberated.___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

Houthi supporters chant slogans during a weekly anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday March, 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)2025-03-29T03:35:52Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Suspected U.S. airstrikes pounded Yemen overnight into Saturday, reportedly killing at least one person as the American military acknowledged earlier bombing a major military site in the heart of Sanaa controlled by the Houthi rebels. The full extent of the damage and possible casualties wasnt immediately clear, though the attacks followed an intense night of airstrikes early Friday that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15. An Associated Press review has found the new American operation under President Donald Trump appears more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities. Meanwhile, an AP analysis of satellite photos show the American military also has moved long-range stealth B-2 bombers to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean a base far outside of the range of the rebels that avoids using allies Mideast bases. New strikes come as US releases video of one bombingThe strikes into Saturday targeted multiple areas in Yemen under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa, and in the governorates of al-Jawf and Saada, rebel-controlled media reported. The strikes in Saada killed one person and wounded four others, the Houthi-run SABA news agency said. SABA identified the person killed as a civilian. Houthi fighters and their allies often arent in uniform. However, analysts believe the rebels may be undercounting the fatalities given the strikes have been targeting military and intelligence sites run by the rebels. Many of the strikes havent been fully acknowledged by the Houthis or the U.S. military while the rebels also tightly control access on the ground. One strike early Friday, however, has been confirmed by the U.S. militarys Central Command, which oversees its Mideast operations. It posted a black-and-white video early Saturday showing an airstrike targeting a site in Yemen. While it didnt identify the location, an AP analysis of the footages details corresponds to a known strike Friday in Sanaa. The footage shows the bomb striking the militarys general command headquarters held by the Houthis, something the rebels have not reported. Meanwhile, the Houthi-controlled Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry in Sanaa said U.S. strikes Friday destroyed broadcasting stations, communication towers and the messaging network in Amran and Saada governorates. The strikes in Amran around the Jebel Aswad, or Black Mountain, had appeared particularly intense. US campaign follow Houthi shipping threats The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis now say have killed at least 58 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.The attacks greatly raised the Houthis profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemens decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) celebrates during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Michigan, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)2025-03-29T04:23:03Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness.Get the AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. ATLANTA (AP) With Auburns season on the brink, Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones suddenly became unstoppable.On to the Elite Eight for the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.Pettitford and Jones scored 20 points apiece to lead a second-half barrage that rallied the Tigers to a 78-65 victory over Michigan in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.The Tigers (31-5) wiped out a nine-point deficit, outscoring No. 5 seed Michigan 39-17 over the final 12 1/2 minutes to advance to the Elite Eight for only the third time in school history. They also became the fourth Southeastern Conference team to reach a regional final, with the SEC joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (2016) and Big East (2009) as the only leagues to do that.Just the kids will to win, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. Denver got heated up. Tahaad got heated up. We went to them, and they delivered. Auburn will face Michigan State in the South Region final on Sunday, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Spartans held off Mississippi 73-70 in the first game of the night in Atlanta.Johni Broome scored 22 points to go along with 16 rebounds, but it was Pettiford, a freshman, and Jones, a senior, who took control when Auburn needed them most. The Wolverines (27-10) built their biggest lead, 49-38, and seemed headed for their most improbable performance yet in a remarkable comeback season under first-year coach Dusty May. But Pettiford sparked the comeback with a step-back jumper from beyond the 3-point stripe, Jones knocked down two straight from long range before scoring on a drive to the hoop, and Pettiford finished off Michigan with two stunning shots: a trey after briefly losing the ball but getting it back, followed by a three-point play when he knocked one down before landing flat on his back after being fouled. I saw one go in, and I just saw the basket get bigger and bigger, Jones said. So I just kept shooting. Danny Wolf led No. Michigan with 20 points, but no one else on the Wolverines managed more than 10.Still, the Wolverines had plenty of reasons to be proud after bouncing back from an 8-24 debacle a year ago that set a school record for losses in a season and led to the firing of former Fab Five star Juwan Howard.They left a legacy, May said. They established an identity. They should be very, very proud of their body of work.The first half was played at a frantic but sloppy pace, with both teams plagued by turnovers and struggling to hit shots.One sequence epitomized the opening 20 minutes. Tre Donaldson threw the ball away with a lazy pass, but Auburn gave it right back when Chad Baker-Mazaras unnecessary behind-the-back effort was picked off by Roddy Gayle Jr. The Wolverines took off the other way, only to have Donaldson turn it over again with an errant lob that sailed way out of bounds. In just nine seconds, the teams combined for three turnovers.Auburn led 30-29 at halftime despite hitting just 12 of 37 shots (32.4%) from the field, including a 3-of-16 showing from beyond the 3-point arc, to go along with 10 turnovers. The Tigers gave themselves plenty of second and third chances, and even a fourth on one possession. They finished with 48-33 edge on the boards, including 19 rebounds at the offensive end. Broome and the rest of Auburns frontcourt held up just fine against Michigans two 7-footers, Wolf and Vladislav Goldin.We took the game personal, Broome said. Thats a great front line, but we wanted to challenge ourselves to make it tough on them.Home, sweet homeIt felt a bit like an Auburn home game with the Tigers playing only 110 miles from their campus just across the state line in eastern Alabama.The crowd, largely clad in orange and blue, broke into a Lets go Auburn! chant shortly after the tipoff at State Farm Arena. They really erupted when the Tigers rallied in the second half.It obviously helped to elevate their play, Pearl said. If youre the overall No. 1 seed, you should be able to play close enough to home so the fans can see it. It definitely felt like a road game to the Wolverines, who were cheered on by a much smaller contingent.Obviously in the second half, they hit a few shots and the crowd erupted, Wolf said. That was a huge momentum swing.TakeawaysAuburn: The Tigers lost in their first trip to the Elite Eight in 1986. They reached their lone Final Four in 2019, when a setback to eventual champion Virginia ended their season. ... Pearl did not like one line in particular on the stat sheet 15 turnovers. If Michigan can turn us over 15 times, Michigan State could turn us over 25 times, the coach said. Thats a concern.Michigan: Goldin was held to 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting. He also led the Wolverines with nine rebounds. ... Nimari Burnett scored 10 points as well. ... Michigan shot just 35.6% from the field (21 of 59), including 5 of 17 from outside the stripe. ... The Wolverines had only six assists, compared to 15 for Auburn.___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-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.

A youth walks a dog past a Last Energy prototype of a microreactor on display at the corner of 10th and V Street NW in Washington, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)2025-03-29T04:03:37Z HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) With the promise of newer, cheaper nuclear power on the horizon, U.S. states are vying to position themselves to build and supply the industrys next generation as policymakers consider expanding subsidies and paving over regulatory obstacles.Advanced reactor designs from competing firms are filling up the federal governments regulatory pipeline as the industry touts them as a reliable, climate-friendly way to meet electricity demands from tech giants desperate to power their fast-growing artificial intelligence platforms.The reactors could be operational as early as 2030, giving states a short runway to roll out the red carpet, and they face lingering public skepticism about safety and growing competition from renewables like wind and solar. Still, the reactors have high-level federal support, and utilities across the U.S. are working to incorporate the energy source into their portfolios. Last year, 25 states passed legislation to support advanced nuclear energy and this year lawmakers have introduced over 200 bills supportive of nuclear energy, said Marc Nichol of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade association whose members include power plant owners, universities and labor unions.Weve seen states taking action at ever-increasing levels for the past few years now, Nichol said in an interview. Smaller, more flexible nuclear reactors Smaller reactors are, in theory, faster to build and easier to site than conventional reactors. They could be factory-built from standard parts and are touted as flexible enough to plunk down for a single customer, like a data center or an industrial complex.Advanced reactors, called small modular reactors and microreactors, produce a fraction of the energy produced by the conventional nuclear reactors built around the world for the last 50 years. Where conventional reactors produce 800 to 1,000 megawatts, or enough to power about half a million homes, modular reactors produce 300 megawatts or less and microreactors produce no more than 20 megawatts.Tech giants Amazon and Google are investing in nuclear reactors to get the power they need, as states compete with Big Tech, and each other, in a race for electricity. States are embracing nuclear energyFor some state officials, nuclear is a carbon-free source of electricity that helps them meet greenhouse gas-reduction goals. Others see it as an always-on power source to replace an accelerating wave of retiring coal-fired power plants.Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee last month proposed more than $90 million to help subsidize a Tennessee Valley Authority project to install several small reactors, boost research and attract nuclear tech firms.Long a proponent of the TVAs nuclear project, Lee also launched Tennessees Nuclear Energy Fund in 2023, designed to attract a supply chain, including a multibillion-dollar uranium enrichment plant billed as the states biggest-ever industrial investment.In Utah, where Gov. Spencer Cox announced Operation Gigawatt to double the states electricity generation in a decade, the Republican wants to spend $20 million to prepare sites for nuclear. State Senate President J. Stuart Adams told colleagues when he opened the chambers 2025 session that Utah needs to be the nations nuclear hub. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared his state is ready to be No. 1 in advanced nuclear power as Texas lawmakers consider billions in nuclear power incentives.Michigan lawmakers are considering millions of dollars in incentives to develop and use the reactors, as well as train a nuclear industry workforce.One state over, Indiana lawmakers this month passed legislation to let utilities more quickly seek reimbursement for the cost to build a modular reactor, undoing a decades-old prohibition designed to protect ratepayers from bloated, inefficient or, worse, aborted power projects.In Arizona, lawmakers are considering a utility-backed bill to relax environmental regulations if a utility builds a reactor at the site of a large industrial power user or a retired coal-fired power plant. Big expectations, uncertain futureStill, the devices face an uncertain future.No modular reactors are operating in the U.S. and a project to build the first, this one in Idaho, was terminated in 2023, despite getting federal aid.The U.S. Department of Energy last year, under then-President Joe Biden, estimated the U.S. will need an additional 200 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity to keep pace with future power demands and reach net-zero emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The U.S. currently has just under 100 gigawatts of nuclear power operating. More than 30 advanced nuclear projects are under consideration or planned to be in operation by the early 2030s, Nichol of the NEI said, but those would supply just a fraction of the 200 gigawatt goal.Work to produce a modular reactor has drawn billions of dollars in federal subsidies, loan guarantees and more recently tax credits signed into law by Biden.Those have been critical to the nuclear industry, which expects them to survive under President Donald Trump, whose administration it sees as a supporter. Supply challenges and competition from renewablesThe U.S. remains without a long-term solution for storing radioactive waste, safety regulators are under pressure from Congress to approve designs and there are serious questions about industry claims that the smaller reactors are efficient, safe and reliable, said Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists.Plus, Lyman said, the likelihood that those are going to be deployable and instantly 100% reliable right out of the gate is just not consistent with the history of nuclear power development. And so its a much riskier bet.Nuclear also has competition from renewable energies.Brendan Kochunas, an assistant professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, said advanced reactors may have a short window to succeed, given the regulatory scrutiny they undergo and the advances in energy storage technologies to make wind and solar power more reliable.Those storage technologies could develop faster, bring down renewables cost and, ultimately, make more economic sense than nuclear, Kochunas said.The supply chain for building reactors is another question. The U.S. lacks high-quality concrete- and steel-fabrication design skills necessary to manufacture a nuclear power plant, Kochunas said.That introduces the prospect of higher costs and longer timelines, he said. While foreign suppliers could help, there also is the fuel to consider.Kathryn Huff, a former top Energy Department official who is now an associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said uranium enrichment capacity in the U.S. and among its allies needs to grow in order to support reactor production.First-of-their-kind reactors need to get up and running close to their target dates, Huff said, in order for anyone to have faith that a second or third or fourth one should be built.___Follow Marc Levy on X at: https://x.com/timelywriter. MARC LEVY Levy covers politics and state government in Pennsylvania for The Associated Press. He is based in Harrisburg. twitter

Female Marines go through one of the obstacles in the so-called confidence course at Parris Island Recruit Depot, S.,C., on May 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Lolita Baldor, File)2025-03-29T04:03:29Z WASHINGTON (AP) The defense secretarys decision to review military standards on combat and physical fitness and appearance opens a Pandoras box of widely differing rules among the services. And it will raise a crucial question: Should there be a cookie-cutter approach, or should service differences, evolving social norms and recruiting realities play a role in policy decisions?Pete Hegseth has been very public about his opposition to women in combat jobs and his belief that standards were lowered to accommodate women, and he warned there would be reviews to address the issues. He is a staunch proponent of making all standards the same, regardless of gender, and military officials are braced for changes as reviews continue.In a memo March 12, Hegseth said the undersecretary for personnel must gather information on military standards pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards. We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the worlds most lethal and effective fighting force, he wrote. The effort is seen as a broadside against women serving on the frontlines which they have been doing successfully for years. Hegseths memo calls for a review of how standards have changed and the impact of those shifts since Jan. 1, 2015 the year the Defense Department opened all combat jobs to women. And it raises questions about whether he wants to make all fitness tests the same for the services and make them all gender- and age-neutral or whether he will set minimum standards and allow the services to require more stringent requirements as desired. Eliminating the current policy of scoring annual fitness tests based on age and gender could hurt retention and recruitment if troops are suddenly told to meet a new, dramatically harder requirement. Such changes are generally phased in over time.Heres a look at the current standards. Physical fitness testsThe military has long had what is largely a two-part system for physical fitness standards: Routine annual fitness tests with different requirements based on gender and age. More grueling standards for specific combat, special operations, infantry, armor, parajumpers and other jobs that are the same for everyone in that occupation, and are not adjusted for age or gender.Right now, the fitness tests are a hodgepodge.Each service has basic tests that all service members must pass once or twice a year. For every service, the tests vary. Scoring is adjusted for gender and age. For example: A 20-year-old man must complete a run in a faster time than a woman or a 30-year-old man in order to receive the maximum score.Fitness tests used to be simpler: a run, push-ups and sit-ups. They evolved over time and now can include options. For example, Air Force service members can do either a 1 1/2-mile run or a sprint. Other services will at times allow biking or rowing as a cardio substitute for the run; planks are now more widely used than sit-ups. The Army and Marines have more extensive fitness tests..The Army, in a major overhaul several years ago, expanded its fitness test to six events, including a dead lift, run, planks, push-ups, standing power throw and a combination sprint/drag/carry. The events were meant to mimic real-world military circumstances. An early plan to make that test gender and age neutral was scrapped after studies showed problems.The Marine Corps has two tests a year. In the first half, Marines take a physical fitness test that includes a three-mile run, pull-ups and planks. In the second half of the year, they take a combat fitness test that includes an 880-meter run in combat boots, an ammo-can lift and an exercise that mimics troops maneuver under fire.The maneuver portion includes an obstacle course with a low crawl, high crawl and sprint, as well as dragging a person and using the firemans carry. Job-specific courses and standardsSpecific military jobs like special operations, infantry, armor and parajumping require different, higher-level physical and often mental and psychological tests, requirements and qualification courses.Those standards require everyone to meet the same gender- and age-neutral requirements. For example, an Army soldier who wants to be a Green Beret or a sailor who wants to be a SEAL must pass those grueling months-long qualification courses.Also, after the Pentagon allowed women to be in all combat jobs, the Army set specific fitness standards for each military occupation that are the same regardless of sex or age. Recruits who want to serve in an infantry or armor job must pass a specific physical assessment that has higher, more significant demands, in order to sign a contract for that specialty. Other standardsOver the years, a wide array of standards and requirements have been adjusted for reasons ranging from religious tolerance to recruiting and evolving societal trends. In large part, they are driven by recruiting struggles and the need to woo those from a changing universe of American young people, including those with less academic schooling or people from states where marijuana is legal. The Navy, for example, began in 2022 to enlist more recruits who score very low on the Armed Services Qualification Test. That was to help meet recruiting goals. A year later it began to bring in people who didnt graduate from high school or get a GED. Both were shifts that the other services have largely avoided. The Navy argued that it needed those lower-scoring recruits to fill jobs that involve intense manual labor.Hegseth has said little about that type of standard and has focused on physical rather than mental fitness.In addition, several services have changed policies on hair and beards. They now allow different buns and ponytails for women, and beards in certain circumstances for either medical or religious reasons. And most of the services have relaxed policies on marijuana in recent years.Similarly, they have all loosened restrictions on the size and placement of tattoos, opening the door to full-sleeve tattoos. Most now allow small ones on the neck or finger. LOLITA C. BALDOR Baldor has covered the Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005. She has reported from all over the world including warzones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. twitter mailto

In this provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, servicemen of 3rd mechanized battalion, practice on the training ground at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)2025-03-29T04:03:43Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize the pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlins negotiating position in ceasefire talks, Ukrainian government and military analysts said.The move could give Russian President Vladimir Putin every reason to delay discussions about pausing the fighting in favor of seeking more land, the Ukrainian officials said, renewing their countrys repeated arguments that Russia has no intention of engaging in meaningful dialogue to end the war.With the spring fighting season drawing near, the Kremlin is eyeing a multi-pronged push across the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line, according to the analysts and military commanders.Citing intelligence reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is getting ready for new offensives in the northeast Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizizhia regions. Theyre dragging out the talks and trying to get the U.S. stuck in endless and pointless discussions about fake conditions just to buy time and then try to grab more land, Zelenskyy said Thursday in a visit to Paris. Putin wants to negotiate over territory from a stronger position. Two G7 diplomatic officials in Kyiv agreed with that assessment. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting, and the feasibility of a partial ceasefire on the Black Sea was thrown into doubt after Kremlin negotiators imposed far-reaching conditions. Battlefield success is clearly in Putins mind.On the entire front line, the strategic initiative is completely in the hands of the Russian armed forces, Putin said Thursday at a forum in the Arctic port of Murmansk. Our troops, our guys are moving forward and liberating one territory after another, one settlement after another, every day. Kremlin forces keep pressing forwardUkrainian military commanders said Russia recently stepped up attacks to improve its tactical positions ahead of the expected broader offensive.They need time until May, thats all, said Ukrainian military analyst Pavlo Narozhnyi, who works with soldiers and learns about intelligence from them.In the north, Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of an essential bargaining chip by retaking most of Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian soldiers staged a daring incursion last year. Battles have also escalated along the eastern front in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.A concern among some commanders is whether Russia might divert battle-hardened forces from Kursk to other parts of the east.It will be hard. The forces from Kursk will come on a high from their wins there, said a Ukrainian battalion commander in the Donetsk region, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe his concerns.They are preparing offensive actions on the front that should last from six to nine months, almost all of 2025, said Ukrainian military analyst Oleksii Hetman, who has connections to the militarys general staff. Fighting intensifies on parts of the front lineRussia entered negotiations with a clear advantage in the war. Now, after recapturing 80% of its territory in the Kursk region ahead of talks, its forces have intensified their fighting across other parts of the front line.The number of clashes on the front line is not decreasing, Hetman said. If they wanted to stop the war, their actions certainly dont show it.Russia ramped up reconnaissance missions to find and destroy firing positions, drone systems and other capabilities that could impede a future onslaught, two Ukrainian commanders said.These can be all signs that an attack is being prepared in the near future, Hetman said.Fighting also intensified in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region. Its capture would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire region.The Russians were significantly exhausted over the past two months. During 10 days of March, they took a sort of pause, military spokesman Maj. Viktor Trehubov said of the situation in Pokrovsk. In mid-March, the attack resumed. This means the Russians have simply recovered. Russia increases reconnaissance missionsA Ukrainian soldier with the call sign Italian said Russia was conducting intensive reconnaissance in his area of responsibility in the Pokrovsk region. Radio intercepts and intelligence show a buildup of forces in the area around Selidove, a city in the Pokrovsk region, and the creation of ammunition reserves, he said.The buildup includes large armored vehicles, and the many new call signs overheard in radio transmissions suggest that fresh forces are coming in, he said.Further south, a military blog run by Mikhail Zvinchuk, a former officer of the Russian Defense Ministrys press section, noted last week that Russian troops recently unleashed a new offensive west of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region. The offensive will allow Russian forces to move toward the city of Zaporizhzhia and force the enemy to redeploy its troops from other sectors, leaving Robotyne and Mala Tokmachka badly protected, the blog known as Rybar said, adding that the new offensive could be the first step toward the liberation of the Zaporizhzhia region.On Friday, Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, said the situation in the region is fraught after Russia amassed more forces to conduct assaults with small groups of infantry.The tactic of using these small groups brings results to Russia in other parts of the front line, he said.Russian analysts project optimism that a future offensive will succeed.Both sides are actively preparing for the spring-summer campaign, Sergey Poletaev, a Moscow-based military analyst, wrote in a recent commentary. Theres a growing sense that the Ukrainian forces may be struggling to prepare for it adequately. Despite being worn down from combat, the Russian army has a real chance of achieving decisive success in the next six months to a year. This could lead to the collapse of Ukrainian defenses.Little progress reported at negotiating tableMeanwhile at the negotiating table, Russian demands have curtailed the results of much-anticipated negotiations brokered by the U.S.Earlier this month, after Russia effectively turned down the U.S. proposal for a complete, monthlong halt in the fighting, Moscow tentatively agreed to a partial ceasefire on Black Sea shipping routes.But that agreement was quickly cast into doubt by Russias insistence on far-reaching conditions that its state bank be reconnected to the SWIFT international payment system, something Kyiv and the EU rejected outright.Along the front line, the reported ups and downs of the talks fuel frustration and worry.No one believes in them, said the Ukrainian soldier known as Italian, who spoke on the condition that he be identified only by his call sign in keeping with military protocol. But there is still hope that the conflict will move in another direction. Everyone is waiting for some changes in the combat zone because it is not good for us now. We really dont want to admit that.___Associated Press journalists Volodymyr Yurchuk and Dmytro Zhyhinas contributed to this report. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto

In this image provided by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, Myanmar's military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, center, inspects victims caused by an earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)2025-03-29T04:19:39Z BANGKOK (AP) The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has jumped to nearly 700, according to the government, state-run media reported Saturday.MRTV reported that 694 people have now been found dead and another1,670 injured, with 68 others injured, according to a statement from the military-led government.The earthquake struck midday Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, Myanmars second biggest city, sending buildings in many areas toppling to the ground and causing other widespread damage. DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto

A protestor waves a Palestinian flag at the University of New Mexico Palestine solidarity encampment in Albuquerque, N.M., on May 14, 2024. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File)2025-03-29T04:11:24Z NEW YORK (AP) When a protester was caught on video in January at a New York rally against Israel, only her eyes were visible between a mask and headscarf. But days later, photos of her entire face, along with her name and employer, were circulated online.Months of them hiding their faces went down the drain! a fledgling technology company boasted in a social media post, claiming its facial-recognition tool had identified the woman despite the coverings.She was anything but a lone target. The same software was also used to review images taken during months of pro-Palestinian marches at U.S. colleges. A right-wing Jewish group said some people identified with the tool were on a list of names it submitted to President Donald Trumps administration, urging that they be deported in accordance with his call for the expulsion of foreign students who participated in pro-jihadist protests. Other pro-Israel groups have enlisted help from supporters on campuses, urging them to report foreign students who participated in protests against the war in Gaza to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. The push to identify masked protesters using facial recognition and turn them in is blurring the line between public law enforcement and private groups. And the efforts have stirred anxiety among foreign students worried that activism could jeopardize their legal status. Its a very concerning practice. We dont know who these individuals are or what theyre doing with this information, said Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Essentially the administration is outsourcing surveillance.Its unclear whether names from outside groups have reached top government officials. But concern about the pursuit of activists has risen since the March 8 arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student of Palestinian descent who helped lead demonstrations against Israels conduct of the war. Immigration officers also detained a Tufts University student from Turkey outside Boston this week, and Trump and other officials have said that more arrests of international students are coming.Now theyre using tools of the state to actually go after people, said a Columbia graduate student from South Asia who has been active in protests and spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about losing her visa. We suddenly feel like were being forced to think about our survival.Uncertainty about the consequencesAyoub said he is concerned, in part, that groups bent on exposing pro-Palestinian activists will make mistakes and single out students who did nothing wrong.Some groups pushing for deportations say their focus is on students whose actions go beyond marching in protests, to those taking over campus buildings and inciting violence against Jewish students.If youre here, right, on a student visa causing civil unrest ... assaulting people on the streets, chanting for peoples death, why the heck did you come to this country? said Eliyahu Hawila, a software engineer who built the tool designed to identify masked protesters and outed the woman at the January rally. He has forwarded protesters names to groups pressing for them to be deported, disciplined, fired or otherwise punished. Have a news tip?Contact APs global investigative team at [emailprotected]. For secure and confidential communications, use the free Signal app +1 (202) 281-8604. If we want to argue that this is freedom of speech and they can say it, fine, they can say it, Hawila said. But that doesnt mean that you will escape the consequences of society after you say it.Pro-Israel groups that circulated the protesters photo claim that she was soon fired by her employer. An employee who answered the phone at the company confirmed that the woman had not worked there since early this year. In a brief phone conversation, the protester, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing, declined to comment on the advice of an attorney. Calls to report students to the governmentThe unearthing and spreading of personal information to harass opponents has become commonplace in the uproar over the war in Gaza. The practice, known as doxing, has been used to expose both activists in the U.S. and Israeli soldiers who recorded video of themselves on the battlefield.But the use of facial-recognition technology by private groups enters territory previously reserved largely for law enforcement, said attorney Sejal Zota, who represents a group of California activists in a lawsuit against facial recognition company ClearviewAI.Were focused on government use of facial recognition because thats who we think of as traditionally tracking and monitoring dissent, Zota said. But there are now all of these groups who are sort of complicit in that effort.The calls to report protesters to immigration authorities have raised the stakes.Please tell everyone you know who is at a university to file complaints about foreign students and faculty who support Hamas, Elizabeth Rand, president of a group called Mothers Against Campus Antisemitism, said in a Jan. 21 post to more than 60,000 followers on Facebook. It included a link to an ICE tip line. Rands post was one of several publicized by New York Universitys chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Rand did not respond to messages seeking comment. NYU has dismissed criticism that she had any influence with its administrators.In early February, messages from a different group were posted in an online chat group frequented by Israelis living in New York.Do you know students at Columbia or any other university who are here on a study visa and participated in demonstrations against Israel? one message said in Hebrew. If so, now is our time!An accompanying message in English by the group End Jew Hatred included a link to the ICE hotline. The group did not respond to requests for comment.Facial recognition looms over protestsWeeks before Khalils arrest, a spokesman for right-wing Jewish group Betar said the activist topped a list of foreign students and faculty from nine universities it submitted to officials, including then-incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who made the decision to revoke Khalils visa.Rubio was asked this week how the names of students targeted for visa revocation were reaching his desk and whether colleges or outside groups were providing information. He declined to answer.Were not going to talk about the process by which were identifying it because obviously were looking for more people, he told reporters late Thursday during the return flight from a diplomatic trip to Suriname.In a one-sentence statement, the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said the immigration agency is not working with Betar, nor has it received any hotline tips from the group. But DHS declined to answer specific questions from The Associated Press about how it was treating reports from outside groups or the usage of facial recognition.Betar spokesman Daniel Levy said that some people on its list were identified using the facial-recognition tool called NesherAI created by Hawilas company, Stellar Technologies, which was launched from his Brooklyn apartment. The software takes its name from the Hebrew word for eagle.Demonstrating the software for a reporter recently, Hawila paused repeatedly to tweak computer code to account for what he said was the just-completed ingestion of thousands of additional photos scraped from social media accounts.After some delay, the software matched a screenshot of a fully masked protester seen on video confronting Hawila at a recent march with publicity photos of a woman who described herself online as a New York artist. He said he would report her to the police for assault.Hawila, a native of Lebanon, is no stranger to controversy. He was the subject of news stories in 2021 when, after marrying an ultra-orthodox woman in New York, he was confronted with accusations that he lied about being Jewish. Religious authorities have since confirmed that his mother was Jewish and certified his faith, he said.Hawila said he no longer works directly with Betar but continues to share protesters names with it and other pro-Israel groups and said he has discussed licensing his software to some of them. He showed an email exchange with one group that appeared to confirm such contact.Technology, when used in good ways, makes the world a better place, he said.Trump promised to crack down during campaignAs a candidate, Trump campaigned on a promise to crack down on campus antisemitism and threatened to deport activists with student visas that he called violent radicals.Soon after the election, Betar claimed on social media that it was working to identify and report international student protesters to the incoming administration.Entire university departments have been corrupted by jihadis, Levy said in a recent e-mail exchange with the AP.Days before his arrest, Khalil said in an interview that he was aware of Betars call for his deportation and that it and other groups were trying to use him as a scapegoat.Students protesting Israels conduct in Gaza have been unsure what to make of Betar, which the Anti-Defamation League recently added to its list of extremist groups. The ADL has also voiced support for revoking the visas of foreign student activists.At the University of Pittsburgh, leaders of Students for Justice in Palestine said they spoke with police in November after an online message from Betar that said it would be visiting the school to give you beepers an apparent reference to Israels detonation of thousands of electronic pagers last fall to kill and wound members of Lebanons Hezbollah militia.Ross Glick, who was Betars executive director at the time, said that the message was a tongue-in-cheek dark joke, not a threat.Both sides said police eventually decided no action was warranted. Months later, Betar said that Pitt students were among those on its deportation list.Students dependent on visas fear being targetedThe efforts to target protesters have fueled anxiety among international students involved in campus activism.Theyve abducted someone on our campus, and that is a key source of our fear, said the Columbia student from South Asia.She recounted cancelling spring break plans to travel to Canada, where her husband lives, for fear she would not be allowed to reenter the U.S. She has also shut down her social media accounts to avoid drawing attention to pro-Palestinian posts.And, because her apartment is off campus, she said she offered accommodation to other international students who live in university housing and are wary of visits by immigration officers.Leaders of Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at George Washington University and Pittsburgh said some international students have asked to have their email addresses and names removed from membership lists to avoid scrutiny.A Columbia graduate student from the United Kingdom said that when he joined a pro-Palestinian encampment last year, he never considered whether it might affect his immigration status.Now hes rethinking an incident in October, when someone scattered fliers in a campus lounge celebrating the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war. A classmate who supports Israel accused him and others in the room of being responsible for the fliers and snapped their photos, according to the student, who said he had nothing to do with the material distributed.My main worry is that he shared those photos and identified us and shared it with a larger group of people, the student said.Other students have been dismayed by an atmosphere that encourages students to inform on their classmates.It really bothered me because this cultivates this environment of reporting on each other. It kind of gives memories of dictatorship and autocratic regimes, said Sahar Bostock, who was among a group of Israeli students at Columbia who wrote an open letter criticizing efforts to report pro-Palestinian protesters.I had to say, Do you think this is right?___Associated Press reporters Jake Offenhartz and Noreen Nasir in New York and Matthew Lee in Miami contributed to this report. ADAM GELLER Geller is an Associated Press national writer based in New York. He is part of a team focused on in-depth enterprise reporting. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A Pakistani browses children's clothes at a market as he shops for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)2025-03-29T08:44:35Z CAIRO (AP) Muslims around the world are bidding farewell to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and will soon start celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Eid is typically greeted with joy and excitement and is marked with congregational prayers and festivities that usually include family visits, gatherings, outings and new clothes.For some Muslims, this years Eid comes amid significant changes in their communities. In Gaza, this will be the second Eid al-Fitr to fall during the Israel-Hamas war. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza by launching a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds of people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to free half of the remaining hostages as a precondition for extending the ceasefire. Earlier this month, Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza. The resumption of war changed the fortunes of Palestinians in Gaza who had started observing Ramadan under a fragile ceasefire. Israels campaign in Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The war was sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel in which Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Elsewhere in the Middle East, Syrians will celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr since the end of more than half a century of the Assad familys iron-fisted rule. The countrys first Ramadan since the ouster of Bashar Assad, who was the president, saw many Syrians relieved, but has also witnessed a bloody and worrisome bout of violence amid a complex transition.In the United States, several supporters of Palestinian causes with ties to American universities have been detained in the Trump administrations crackdown on immigrants. What is Eid al-Fitr?Its an Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the month when devout Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is a time for increased worship, charity, and good deeds. It also typically sees festive gatherings to break the fast.Eid al-Fitr means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast. When is Eid al Fitr?Islam follows a lunar calendar and so Ramadan and Eid cycle through the seasons. This year, the first day of Eid al-Fitr is expected to be on or around March 30; the exact date may vary among countries and Muslim communities.What are some common Eid greetings?Eid Mubarak, or Blessed Eid, and Happy Eid.What are some of the traditions and customs associated with Eid al-Fitr?In Indonesia, many people embark on an exodus to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with loved ones in a homecoming tradition known locally as mudik.In recent Eid celebrations, Indonesians have packed airports or crammed into trains, ferries, buses and onto motorcycles as they poured out of major cities amid severe traffic congestion to return to their villages to celebrate the holiday with families.Before the holiday, popular markets teem with shoppers buying clothes, shoes, cookies and sweets. In Malaysia, Muslims also have a homecoming tradition for Eid. The first day usually begins with a morning prayer in the mosque, seeking forgiveness from family and friends, and visiting loved ones graves. Theres an open house spirit that sees friends and families trading visits to celebrate Eid and enjoy traditional delicacies such as ketupat, rice cooked in a palm leaf pouch, and rendang, a meat dish stewed in spices and braised in coconut milk.Older Muslims give money in green packets to children and guests who visit their homes.In Egypt, families partake in Eid prayers amid a festive atmosphere. Many visit relatives, friends or neighbors and some travel to vacation spots. Children, usually wearing new Eid outfits, receive traditional cash gifts known as eidiya.Making or buying Eid cookies dusted with powdered sugar is another fixture of marking the holiday in the country.In the United States, where Muslims make up an ethnically and racially diverse minority, many come together for Eid prayers and for festivals featuring fun activities for children and families. These often include such things as face painting and balloon twisting. ___Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed.___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

Vice President JD Vance arrives at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)2025-03-29T10:56:02Z NUUK, Greenland (AP) The Danish foreign minister on Saturday scolded the Trump administration for its tone in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the U.S.Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen, make the remarks in a video posted to social media after U.S. Vice President JD Vances visit to the strategic island.Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course we are open to criticism, Rasmussen said speaking in English. But let me be completely honest: we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies. And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.Vance on Friday said Denmark has underinvested in Greenlands security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump pushes to take over the Danish territory. Vance visited U.S. troops on Pituffik Space Base on mineral-rich Greenland alongside his wife and other senior U.S. officials for a trip that was ultimately scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were not consulted about the original itinerary. Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland, Vance said Friday. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change. Vance said the U.S. has no option but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States, Vance said. We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think theyd fare a lot better economically as well. The reaction by members of Greenlands parliament and residents has rendered that unlikely, with anger erupting over the Trump administrations attempts to annex the vast Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back on Vances claim that Denmark isnt doing enough for defense in the Arctic, calling her country a good and strong ally.And Greenlandic lawmakers on Thursday agreed to form a new government, banding together to resist Trumps overtures. Four of the five parties elected to Greenlands parliament earlier this month have agreed to form a coalition that will have 23 of 31 seats in the legislature.Lkke Rasmussen, in his video, reminded viewers of the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations on the island, he said, to the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest with some 200 soldiers today.The 1951 agreement offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland, the foreign minister said. If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.Lkke Rasmussen added that Denmark has increased its own investment into Arctic defense. In January, Denmark announced 14.6 billion Danish kroner (US$2.1 billion) in financial commitments for Arctic security covering three new naval vessels, long-range drones and satellites. __Grieshaber reported from Berlin and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report. KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Grieshaber is a Berlin-based reporter covering Germany and Austria for The Associated Press. She covers general news as well as migration, populism and religion. mailto AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Chairperson Park Sun Young, right, comforts adoptee Yooree Kim during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)2025-03-29T12:11:06Z A South Korean commission found the country violated its childrens human rights by facilitating a foreign adoption program rife with fraud and abuse.The landmark report released Wednesday followed complaints from hundreds of adoptees in Europe, the United States, and Australia, and represented the most comprehensive investigation into a foreign adoption program that sent some 200,000 South Korean children abroad.The report aligns with what The Associated Press documented in an investigation last year. That investigation described how birth mothers were pressured or deceived into giving up their children while adoption agencies bribed hospitals to route babies their way. Fabricated documents and stolen children Many adoptees have grown up to discover their documents were fabricated, the AP found. Some whod been told they were abandoned learned that they had actually gone missing or been taken, and their parents back in Korea had searched for them for decades without knowing they were sent abroad. The reporting showed t hat Koreas government worked to make foreign adoptions as easy as possible to offload its social welfare costs. Humanitarian workers warned in real time that adoption agencies were aggressively competing for babies. Yet Western nations ignored these problems sometimes even pressuring South Korea to keep the kids coming as they focused on satisfying intense domestic demands for babies. The commission determined that the state violated the human rights of adoptees protected under the constitution and international agreements, by neglecting its duty to ensure basic human rights, including inadequate legislation, poor management and oversight, and failures in implementing proper administrative procedures while sending large numbers of children abroad, the commission said in a statement. Adoptees search for truth The AP has heard from dozens of adoptees since the project published, including a documentary made with Frontline (PBS), and many of them asked for help finding their own origin story. The AP has compiled some resources here.The search for many is an intimidating and emotional ordeal. Both the AP investigation and the commissions report this week found that children were routinely listed as abandoned, even when they had known family. Childrens identities were often switched: if a child intended for adoption died, became too sick to travel or was taken back by their birth family, agencies would swap in another child to avoid starting the process from scratch. Those practices often make family roots difficult or impossible to trace. Government data obtained by The Associated Press shows less than a fifth of 15,000 adoptees who have asked South Korea for help with family searches since 2012 have managed to reunite with relatives.Whats next Multiple European countries have launched investigations into their own culpability in abuse in the Korean adoption system. The United States, which has taken in more children than any other nation, has not yet done so.Sang Hoon Lee, one of the Korean commissions standing commissioners, told the AP that a more systemic evaluation would require a closer look at adoptions to the United States, which by far was the largest recipient of Korean children. U.S. adoptees accounted for a smaller number of complaints received by the commission, most of which were filed by adoptees in Europe. The Korean commission recommended the country, among other things, apologize to the children it sent away. Some experts, including lawyer Choi Jung Kyu, who has handled various human rights lawsuits against the government, criticized the commissions recommendations as too vague and lacking specific measures for reparations. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Welcome back to the Abstract!Youve probably been reading a lot about humans this week. Most of the news seems to revolve around humans. Fair enough, we do seem to get up a lot of hijinx.But now, were going to check in on what some other Earthlings have been doing with their time. Some are eating bat poop in the dark underwater caves. Some are getting swole to fight viruses in ponds. Some are literally attracting lightning strikes on purpose. As bizarre as our own antics have been of late, we have nothing on the adaptive genius of our planetary fellows.Then, once youve walked in the shoes (or fins, or branches) of these species, its time to get obliterated. Oh, not in a celebratory way. In a torn-into-cosmic-oblivion way. Have fun!All Hail the Blind Grumpy Poop-Eating Fish HermitSekulovski, Britney and Miller, Noam. Mechanisms of social behaviour in the anti-social blind cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus). Proceedings of the Royal Society B.Sometimes in life, it can seem tempting to retreat from all social activity and hole up in a cave alone for the rest of your mortal existence. I wouldnt recommend this path for a human, given that social isolation is as deadly to us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But solitary life has worked out very well for the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), also known as the blind cave fish, which split off from its more gregarious relatives about 20,000 years ago by opting for a quiet life alone in pitch-black underwater caves.Eyes? Who needs them? Not the Mexican tetra, which navigates instead with lateral sensory lines along its sides. Friends? Nah. More trouble than they're worth. In fact, according to a new study this week, the Mexican tetra is not just an asocial loner, but an actively anti-social curmudgeona finding that provides new insights into the benefits and drawbacks of various social structures in the wild.The evolution of social behavior in Astyanax mexicanus (AM), which exists as a sighted, surface-dwelling morph and a blind, cave-dwelling morph, provides a model for understanding how environmental pressures shape social behaviors, said authors Britney Sekulovski and Noam Miller of Wilfrid Laurier University.To investigate whether the loss of shoaling in blind AM represents an adaptive strategy rather than a physiological constraint, we examined the shoaling tendencies of surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling AM morphs alongside zebrafisha well-studied schooling species used as a control, the team said.In other words, the researchers wanted to probe whether blind tetras avoid their own kin because they have lost the ability to detect and coordinate with them (physiological constraint hypothesis) or because they simply dont want to hang (adaptive strategy hypothesis). To assess the difference, the team studied the three species under various laboratory conditions, including when they were hungry, fed, and dosed with prosocial hormones that are analogous to oxytocin in humans.The results revealed that the blind cavefish not only fail to form shoals, but actively avoid conspecifics, with hunger further diminishing their social cohesion. While dosing the blind fish with certain hormones made them slightly more approachable, the findings in total suggest that the loss of shoaling in blind AM results more from a decrease in their motivation to shoal than an inability to aggregate. In other words: They just dont wanna.Overall, the study validates the hypothesis of adaptive strategy over physiological constraint in explaining the antisocial behavior of blind tetras. But it is also filled with other amazing details about this aquatic introvert and its unusual approach to life.Blind AM populations underwent a host of morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptationsthat are believed to have been driven not only by the complete absence of light but also by the lack of predators and extreme scarcity of food in their cave habitats, note Sekulovski and Miller.In such habitats, blind AM feed on low-nutrition organic matter that occasionally drifts into the caves, such as detritus, algae, fungi, bat guano, and the remains of other cave-dwelling organisms, they added. Many populations of blind AM, such as Pachn cave populations, are characterized by their relentless pursuit of food and have been suggested to be insatiable.Delightfully disgusting diets? Insatiably ravenous? Shunning all light? Truly, these are the fish versions of Dracula. And as the chefs kiss (performed with guano-tinged fingers), it turns out that the mechanism that drives their eyes to atrophy is named the sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene. What more could you want? The next time you feel like you need some time to yourself, this is the spirit animal to channel.They Grow Up So Fast (Infected Tadpoles, Obviously)Billet, Logan and Skelly, David. Sublethal effects of a mass mortality agent: pathogen-mediated plasticity of growth and development in a widespread North American amphibian. Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science.Tadpoles are incredibly adaptable swimmers that are highly sensitive to their environments. Indeed, scientists have presented new evidence that tadpoles can fight deadly pathogenslike the tadpole-killing ranavirusby growing much faster to try to stave off infection.A team studied hundreds of wood frog tadpoles in a sample of Connecticut ponds with different levels of ranavirus load. The results revealed that tadpoles from Infected ponds were larger at the time of the initial sample and maintained this difference through time, hinting that the tadpoles in infected ponds can sense they are in a survivalist race against time.Our study provides evidence that the presence of ranavirus affects the growth, development, and resource allocation of wood frog tadpoles, said authors Logan Billet and David Skelly of Yale University. Specifically, relative to ponds without ranavirus infection, the presence of ranavirus infection in a pond was associated with modest increases in tadpole allocation (size per developmental stage), tadpole growth (size per unit time), and tadpole development (developmental stage per unit time) early in the larval period.Locations of ponds (a), dead and dying tadpoles during a ranavirus die-off event (b) Redness in the legs (c) and the body cavity (d) of dead tadpoles caused by hemorrhaging due to ranavirus. Image: Billet, Logan and Skelly, David (2025).Its yet another reminder that tadpoles are blessed with all kinds of inbuilt evasive maneuvers. The study also gets bonus points for the real scientific term explosive breeders to describe the prolific reproductive capacity of wood frogs. Imagine being so good at producing offspring, it can only be described as some kind of pyrotechnic denotation. Respect.These Trees Are in for a ShockGora, Evan et al. How some tropical trees benefit from being struck by lightning: evidence for Dipteryx oleifera and other large-statured trees. New Phytologist.Most living things would prefer not to be struck by lightning. It is, after all, an efficient way to become a dead thing. But it turns out theres an exception to even this rule: The large rainforest tree Dipteryx oleifera, also known as the eboe, choib, Tonka Bean or almendro tree, which may have actually evolved to be living lightning rods.Reaching heights of 130 feet, these trees are not only robust enough to survive direct lightning strikes, they can actually benefit as the bolts kill off competitors and lianas (a type of vine) that infest the trees.Lightning strikes are exceptionally powerful phenomena that kill hundreds of millions of trees annually, said researchers led by Evan Gora of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Here, we use data from a unique lightning location system to show that some individual trees counterintuitively benefit from being struck by lightning.A Dipteryx oleifera tree struck by lightning in 2019 (left) not only survived, it had lost many of its parasitic vines and neighbors by 2021 (right). Evan Gora / Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesThe team identified 93 trees that were struck by lightning in Panamas Barro Colorado Nature Monument, including nine D. oleifera individuals. All nine survived their strikes with minimal damage, whereas 64 percent of the other tree species died within two years. The strikes on D. oleifera also reduced the number of parasitic lianas infesting their crowns by 78% and killed multiple rival trees around them.Not only do D. oleifera trees apparently benefit from lightning, but their unusual heights and wide crowns increase the probability of a direct strike by 49-68% relative to trees of the same diameter with average allometries, the team said. These patterns suggest that lightning plays an underappreciated role in tree competition, influencing selection on tree life histories and tree allometries with implications for species coexistence.In other words, getting hit by lightning is a spa day for these trees. Its also a reminder that, though forests seem peaceful, they are actually arboreal combat zones where trees wage war against each other with ingenious weapons. I mean, D. oleifera has learned how to reach up into the sky to deliberately attract bolts of plasma to zap its parasites and rivals. In the immortal words of Werner Herzog, the harmony of the rainforest is a harmony of overwhelming and collective murder.Welcome to the STAR GRINDERHaas, Jaroslav et al. The star grinder in the Galactic centre Uncovering the highly compact central stellar-mass black hole cluster. Astronomy & Astrophysics.Time to journey to the center of the galaxy. Its crazy there! Theres a supermassive black hole, called Sagittarius A*, with the mass of four million Suns! Its orbited by a bunch of smaller black holes, dust clouds, and stars, all in close proximity! Were sitting out here on the galactic exurbs, but its downtown rush-hour all the time around the galactic core. And it turns out the congestion price in this region is death by STAR GRINDER.Yes, in what may be the most epic term coined this week, researchers proposed the existence of a star grinder at the galactic core. This grinder is powered by a speculative population of black holes that were formed from the deaths of massive stars, known as O-type and B-type stars, that are tens of times more massive than the Suns. Stars that enter this region of densely packed black holes risk being torn asunder by the corpses of the old stars (ie. the black holes).A population of stellar-mass black holes surrounding Sagittarius A* thus acts like a star grinder, with any new star being destroyed by collisions with the black holes, said researchers led by Jaroslav Haas of Charles University. We find that the collisions of the stars and the black holes can lead to the depletion of the most massive starson a timescale of a few million years.The star grinder is basically the stellar version of those gorey scenes showing zombies ripping humans to pieces. Life on Earth can seem pretty chaotic at times, but the universe, as always, is great at providing some perspective.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

President Donald Trump, left, greets justices of the Supreme Court, from left, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, before addressing a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-03-29T12:52:51Z WASHINGTON (AP) As losses mount in lower federal courts, President Donald Trump has returned to a tactic that he employed at the Supreme Court with remarkable success in his first term.Three times in the past week, and six since Trump took office a little more than two months ago, the Justice Department has asked the conservative-majority high court to step into cases much earlier than usual.The administrations use of the emergency appeals, or shadow docket, comes as it faces more than 130 lawsuits over the Republican presidents flurry of executive orders. Many of the lawsuits have been filed in liberal-leaning parts of the country as the court system becomes ground zero for pushback to his policies.Federal judges have ruled against the administration more than 40 times, issuing temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, the Justice Department said Friday in a Supreme Court filing. The issues include birthright citizenship changes, federal spending, transgender rights and deportations under a rarely used 18th-century law. The administration is increasingly asking the Supreme Court, which Trump helped shape by nominating three justices, to step in, not only to rule in its favor but also to send a message to federal judges, who Trump and his allies claim are overstepping their authority. Only this Court can stop rule-by-TRO from further upending the separation of powers the sooner, the better, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote Friday in the deportations case, referring to the temporary restraining orders. Stephen Vladeck, the Georgetown University law professor who chronicled the rise of emergency appeals in his book, The Shadow Docket, wrote on the Substack platform that these cases, especially together, reflect the inevitable reckoning just how much is the Supreme Court going to stand up to Trump? In the first Trump administration, the Justice Department made emergency appeals to the Supreme Court 41 times and won all or part of what it wanted in 28 cases, Vladeck found.Before that, the Obama and George W. Bush administrations asked the court for emergency relief in just eight cases over 16 years.Supreme Court cases generally unfold over many months. Emergency action more often occurs over weeks, or even a few days, with truncated briefing and decisions that are usually issued without the elaborate legal reasoning that typically accompanies high court rulings.So far this year, the justices have effectively sidestepped the administrations requests. But that could get harder as the number of appeals increase, including in high-profile deportation cases where an extraordinary call from the president to impeach a judge prompted a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts. Heres a look at the appeals on the courts emergency docket: Trumps deportation order will be a critical test Immigration and the promise of mass deportations were at the center of Trumps winning presidential campaign, and earlier this month, he took the rare step of invoking an 18th-century wartime law to speed deportations of Venezuelan migrants accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang.Lawyers for the migrants, several of whom say they are not gang members, sued to block the deportations without due process. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, the chief judge at the federal courthouse in Washington, agreed. He ordered deportation flights to be temporarily halted and planes already making their way to a prison in El Salvador be turned around. Two planes still landed, and a court fight over whether the administration defied his order continued to play out even as the administration unsuccessfully asked the appeals court in the nations capital to lift his order. In an appeal to the Supreme Court filed Friday, the Justice Department argued that the deportations should be allowed to resume and that the migrants should make their case in a federal court in Texas, where they are being detained. Mass firings of federal workers have generated lawsuitsThousands of federal workers have been let go as the Trump administration seeks to dramatically downsize the federal government.The firings of probationary workers, who usually have less time on the job and fewer protections, have drawn multiple lawsuits. Two judges have found the administration broke federal laws in its handling of the layoffs and ordered workers reinstated. The government went to the Supreme Court after a California-based judge said some 16,000 workers must be restored to their positions. The judge said it appeared the administration had lied in its reasons for firing the workers. The administration said he overstepped his authority by trying to force hiring and firing decisions on the executive branch. Anti-DEI teacher training cuts have been blocked, at least temporarily Trump has moved quickly to try and root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the government and in education. Eight Democratic-led states argued in a lawsuit that the push was at the root of a decision to cut hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training. A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the cuts, finding they were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage. After an appeals court kept that order in place, the Justice Department went to the Supreme Court. The administration argues that judges cant force it to keep paying out money that it has decided to cancel. Trump wanted to end birthright citizenship. So far, courts have disagreed On Inauguration Day, Trump signed an executive order that, going forward, would deny citizenship to babies born to parents in the country illegally.The order restricting the right enshrined in the Constitution was quickly blocked nationwide. Three appeals court also rejected pleas to let it go into effect while lawsuits play out. The Justice Department didnt appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn those rulings right away, but instead asked the justices to narrow the court orders to only the people who filed the lawsuits. The government argued that individual judges lack the power to give nationwide effect to their rulings, touching on a legal issue thats concerned some justices before. LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court, legal affairs and criminal justice for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. Past stops include Salt Lake City, New Mexico and Indiana. twitter mailto

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump walks after a news conference at Trump National Golf Club, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)2025-03-29T12:58:54Z TRENTON, N.J. (AP) The most important Republican in New Jerseys race for governor this year might well be a part-time resident of Bedminster who burnished his reputation and his brand near the Atlantic City Boardwalk.Donald Trump is the X factor in this GOP primary, said Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship. His endorsement right now could make or break, depending on to whom he gives it.But in a state that has long leaned Democratic, the presidents endorsement in the June 10 primary could complicate things in a general election, where the winner of a six-person Democratic field awaits. That may explain why one Republican candidate, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, has criticized Trump over his pardons for those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, and why two other leading contenders have sought the presidents support without much fanfare. Still, in one of only two states with a race for governor this year Virginia is the other the general election will be closely watched for clues about whether blue state voters have been won over or repelled by Trumps leadership. Trump, who built his brand as an Atlantic City casino owner and still owns property in New Jersey, including the Bedminster golf club, narrowed the margin between 2020 and 2024 but still lost the state, and Democrats maintain firm control. Some Republicans think thats changing. The GOP field dwindled from five candidates to four this past week when Ed Durr, a former state senator and vocal Trump supporter, dropped out. Durr made national news in 2021 when he shocked state Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, by winning in their southern New Jersey district. A furniture truck driver new to elected office, Durr said in a statement he was ending his campaign so radio host and fellow Trump supporter Bill Spadea could defeat never Trumpers in the race. Both Spadea and Jack Ciattarelli, the 2021 GOP nominee for governor who lost by roughly three percentage points to term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, have said critical things of Trump in the past, but both have embraced him lately.Ciattarelli met with the president last week. Chris Russell, his campaign strategist, declined to discuss details of the meeting, but said Ciattarelli welcomes the presidents support if he should give it. A message seeking comment was left with Spadeas campaign.Mario Kranjac, the former two-term mayor of the suburban New York City town of Englewood Cliffs and a recent entrant into the race, said he thinks he is the most Trump-aligned candidate because he never wavered in his support for Trump during the presidents first term.The residents and citizens and taxpayers of New Jersey need a governor with fixed values and beliefs, and thats me -- in terms of everything that I stand for and that President Trump stands for, he said in a phone interview. They shouldnt have to worry that when something happens, their candidate is going to abandon President Trump, which I would never do. Part of the challenge for Republicans is that the value of Trumps support is a moving target. The first two months of his second term as president may have alienated some voters but won others over. Anticipating how much value Trump could add to the campaign when voters cast their primary ballots is guesswork, with circumstances changing by the day. In the pre-Trump era, some Republicans successfully navigated the shoals between the primary and the general elections. While Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey in more than five decades, they have enjoyed more success in governors races. The last three Republicans elected governor Thomas Kean Sr., Christine Todd Whitman and Chris Christie all won two consecutive terms. But their brand of politics included business-friendly conservatism, hardly the same as Trumps aggressive populism.Democrats remain the dominant party in the state, but some Republicans say that hold is slipping. Russell, Ciattarellis strategist, points to the registration gains the GOP has made, shaving the Democrats advantage from 1 million more voters to 834,000 more. He said Democrats should not be overconfident in their traditional advantages.I think theyre missing the lesson of the 2024 election in New Jersey, which is Donald Trump did exceedingly well in New Jersey, he said.The weight of Trumps influence lingers as one of the lessons the GOP took from 2024. That much seemed evident in Durrs withdrawal from the race.In his statement announcing the decision, Durr said he was ending his campaign so Spadea could prevail. Soon after, Durr said his statement was not actually an endorsement. Steve Kush, a Durr spokesperson, explained the distinction and, in the process, reflected who the big dog is in the primary.He doesnt want to use the word endorse because he doesnt want to get ahead of President Trump, Kush said. MIKE CATALINI Catalini covers government, elections and news primarily in New Jersey for The Associated Press. He focuses on accountability and how policy affects people. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Pope Francis gestures as he appears at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025, where he has been treated for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)2025-03-29T14:10:26Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis has shown a truly surprising improvement since returning to the Vatican to convalesce after surviving a life-threatening bout with double-pneumonia, the doctor who coordinated the pontiffs five-week hospitalization said Saturday.I find him very lively, Dr. Sergio Alfieri said, after visiting the pope at his apartment in the Santa Marta Domus on Wednesday, three days after his release from Romes Gemelli hospital. I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before.Francis appeared frail and weak as he greeted a crowd of well-wishers from a hospital balcony on Sunday. His voice was waning as he praised a woman in the crowd for bringing yellow flowers. He was able to only partially lift his arm to bless the people and he gasped for air as he was wheeled back inside.Alfieri said the popes voice was regaining strength, and that his reliance on supplemental oxygen has decreased. The limited mobility of his arm was due to an unspecified trauma he sustained before being hospitalized, and that will take time to heal, Alfieri said. The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized on Feb. 14 after a long bout with bronchitis that left him breathless at times, and which quickly developed into double pneumonia and revealed a polymicrobial (viral, bacterial and fungal) respiratory infection. Throughout the ordeal, doctors emphasized the complexity of his condition, given his age, lack of mobility requiring a wheelchair, and the removal of part of a lung as a young man. Alfieri repeated that he didnt think the pope would make it after a severe respiratory crisis a week after being hospitalized, and he informed the pope that a decisive treatment necessary to save him would put his organs at risk. He gave his consent, and then he looked a Massimiliano Streppetti, whom he named his personal health assistant who assumed the responsibility, to say, We approve everything, also at the price of coming out with damaged kidneys or bone marrow that produces damaging red blood cells, said Alfieri. Alfieri preferred to describe the treatment as decisive, and not aggressive, and emphasized that no extraordinary, life-extending measures were ever taken. The Feb. 22 incident was one of several critical moments when the popes life hung in the balance, the doctor said. While Francis beat the double pneumonia in the hospital, Alfieri said he is continuing to treat the fungal infection, which he said will take months to resolve. The pope is also receiving physical, respiratory and speech therapy.Alfieri continues to consult the popes personal medical team daily, and will visit Francis in the Vatican every week.The pope demonstrated his trademark humor in this weeks visit, responding to a comment by Alfieri that the 88-year-old pontiff had the mentality of a 50- or 60-year-old. As I leaned in, he said, Not 50, 40, Alfieri recalled. So his good sense of humor is back.Doctors have ordered the pope to rest for at least two months and to avoid crowds. But after seeing the popes improvements and knowing his work ethic, Alfieri warned that if he recovers so quickly, they will have to put on the brakes. TRISHA THOMAS Thomas covers events throughout Southern Europe, Italy, and the Vatican for The Associated Press based in Rome. twitter instagram mailto

A perfectly executed inbounds play gave No. 1 Houston a 62-60 win over Purdue and a spot in the Elite Eight.

Lauren Betts had 31 points and 10 rebounds as UCLA rolled past Ole Miss 76-62 to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018.

Christopher Prue, president of the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut, right, moves new voting tabulators out of his office at the Registrars of Voters to be redistributed to other towns, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Vernon, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)2025-03-29T14:51:49Z ATLANTA (AP) President Donald Trumps executive order seeking to change how U.S. elections are run is creating uncertainty for state and local election officials and worries about voter confusion before the next federal election, the 2026 midterms.Election officials were already dealing with the loss of some cybersecurity assistance from the federal government and now face the potential for major changes that include a new voter registration requirement, decertification of certain voting systems and stricter ballot deadlines for many states.In Connecticut, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas is hopeful that ballot scanners the state just bought for $20 million will be acceptable under the executive order, but she worries about other states.Its not like states have millions and millions of dollars that they can just upgrade their election equipment every couple of years, said Thomas, a Democrat. Imagine people purchased new equipment and now it no longer can be used. There is no remedy for that in the order. Because Trumps order is likely to face legal challenges, its unclear what will be required and when. That means more uncertainty for election officials.I have no idea what the timeline is for things in the executive order, said Joseph Kirk, who oversees elections in Bartow County, Georgia. I really hope we have some clarity on some of this stuff soon because no matter what the answers are, I need to take care of my voters. Order inserts the federal government into state election operationsIn the order Tuesday, Trump criticized the work of election officials across the country and praised how other nations conduct their elections. Trump has long questioned the integrity of U.S. elections, falsely claiming after his White House win in 2016, when the Republican won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton, that his support would have been higher if not for large numbers of noncitizens voting in California.Trump continues to claim his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of a rigged election. There is no evidence of widespread fraud and no evidence that voting systems were manipulated, with multiple reviews in the states where Trump challenged the outcome confirming his loss.In the years since, election officials in many parts of the U.S. have endured harassment and threats, a barrage of record requests by groups skeptical of their work and legislative changes pushed by state lawmakers who argue new restrictions are necessary to restore public confidence.Trumps order, combined with recent decisions by his administration to pause certain cybersecurity work and pull funding for a dedicated information-sharing network for election offices, have prompted concern about the role of the federal government in elections moving forward.States run our elections, but the federal government has been an important partner in assisting election officials, said Larry Norden, an election security expert with the Brennan Center for Justice. To be a partner, you have to be trusted. You have to provide consistency and certainty. The last few months have utterly destroyed that. Concerns about requirement to prove US citizenshipOne of the major changes outlined in the executive order is a requirement for people to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when they register to vote. That is something Republicans in Congress pushed last year at Trumps urging, but the effort stalled amid Democratic opposition in the Senate.House Republicans plan to try again with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act. A House committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on Monday.After the executive order, several Republicans who are top state election officials issued statements praising provisions that direct federal agencies to help states verify voter eligibility and citizenship. Their Democratic counterparts have been more critical.Voting rights groups are raising concerns about the citizenship requirement. They say millions of Americans do not have easy access to their birth certificates, only about half have U.S. passports, and married women would need multiple documents if they have changed their name. While voting by noncitizens does occur, it typically involves a tiny fraction of ballots and is more often an individual mistake rather than an intentional and coordinated attempt to subvert an election. It also can lead to felony charges and deportation. Under Trumps order, the burden would fall to election officials to implement this requirement. Experts say that would be expensive and theres no additional federal money to help pay for it.Its creating an entirely new bureaucracy in every single state for the collection of that data, for the storage of that data, and for the retrieval of that data, said David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer who leads the Center for Election Innovation & Research. You dont wave a magic wand and do that. Increasing risk of voter confusionKate Sweeney Bell, who oversees elections in Indianas Marion County, said she does not expect major problems in her state because it has restrictive voting laws that she says have resulted in some of the lowest voter turnout in the country. She worries, though, about the rest of the U.S. and the amount of public education that will be needed to ensure voters are aware of whatever changes are made.I feel for every other state that doesnt have the prohibitive laws that Indiana does, because its a rough couple of election cycles when changes like this are made, Sweeney Bell said.One challenge is the likelihood that protracted legal battles will delay clarity for both election officials and the public.If election officials are uncertain about the rules, there is no doubt that voters will not understand them creating distrust in the process and ultimately in the validity of the outcome, said Ryan Macias, an election security and voting systems expert.The uncertainty comes as election officials are preparing for the 2026 elections. Dean Logan, who oversees elections in Los Angeles County, said running a successful election depends on extensive planning, a trained workforce and proper equipment.Last-minute changes or unilateral mandates significantly increase the risk of voter confusion and operational inconsistencies and can erode voter confidence, he said.Order could lead to changes in voting machines, without paying for itTrumps order also targets voting systems in a way that could require some counties to change machines without offering additional money to help them pay for it. It directs the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent and bipartisan agency created by Congress, to amend voluntary standards for voting systems to prohibit devices that use a barcode or QR code on ballots, with an exception for ones designated for voters with disabilities.The order calls for the commission within 180 days to review, recertify where appropriate and rescind all previous certifications of voting equipment based on prior standards. Beyond the legality of the order, experts say federal law outlines specific procedures and public comment periods for updating the standards.While there are voting systems that do not use barcodes, the process for states to replace equipment takes time, said Mark Lindeman, policy and strategy director with Verified Voting, which focuses on election technology. Election offices must get approval to spend for new voting systems, go through a procurement process, wait for manufacturers to deliver the equipment and eventually train workers on how to use it.Its hard for any state to procure and obtain and test new voting systems, and if there was some mad rush for many states to replace their voting systems at once, we dont know how many systems manufacturers could supply, Lindeman said.___Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this story.

The emotions spilled out of Mookie Betts following Friday's walk-off homer, which capped an emotional start to the season in which an illness caused him to shed almost 20 pounds.

Follow along as we track the first four games of the Sweet 16 in the women's NCAA tournament.

Alan Mentser, in foreground at left, from West Palm Beach, Fla., joins other supporters of President Donald Trump outside the Trump International Golf Club, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in West Palm Beach. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-03-29T16:28:07Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) The sun was shining outside President Donald Trumps West Palm Beach golf course on Saturday morning when Alan Mentser got a call letting him know that police were shutting down a road nearby. It was almost time to show the boss a little love.Mentser, 65, and a group of hard-core supporters have spent years gathering at the same spot to welcome Trump when he comes to play golf, and they have the routine down. They monitor flight trackers to know when Air Force One arrives and traffic cameras to see if the presidential motorcade is on the move. Its an intense commitment of time and resources for a brief glimpse of their political hero. Mentser pointed to a gigantic banner showing Trump giving a thumbs up against an American flag backdrop. He said each one costs $300, and he has about eight of them.But Mentser said its worth it at a time when supporters view Trump as a man under siege from his enemies and fabricated controversies. It might give him 30 seconds of seeing, theres my people, he said. But that 30 seconds matter.Now it was time to do it again. The cue was a siren as a police vehicle blocked the road in front of the golf club. Here we go! Mentser said. When he glimpsed the motorcade in the distance, he announced, attention on deck.A member of the group switched the soundtrack on a portable speaker from country music to YMCA, the Trump campaign anthem. The convoy of black cars rolled down the street and turned into the golf club. Trump was wearing his typical red Make America Great Again hat and white polo shit, and he reached across his chest to wave to the crowd with his left hand.President Trump! We love you! shouted Brady Collier, 31, who wore the same hat as the president.It was over in less than 30 seconds. A woman with white hair pulled up shortly afterward with her windows down and a dog in the passenger seat. She waved one middle finger at the golf club and another at Trumps supporters. Someone called her a baby killer before she drove off. The moment didnt dampen Colliers enthusiasm. Despite all the times that hes witnessed Trumps motorcade, he said today was special. This time, the limo seemed to roll slower and closer to the sidewalk, giving Collier a better glimpse of the president. Theres nothing cooler than that, he said. Other than Jesus Christ.Collier, 31, is from Indiana but spent the winter in Florida, where hes doing landscaping and food deliveries. Its also an opportunity to show his support for Trump as often as possible.Jared Petry, 24, has been doing the same thing. Hes from Ohio and is one of the Front Row Joes, a group of superfans that traveled the country supporting Trump at campaign rallies. Petry was in Butler, Pennsylvania, last summer when the president was fired upon in an assassination attempt.I heard popping. I didnt know what was going on, he said.Petry was near the front of the audience, and he captured video of Trump, surrounded by Secret Service agents, lurching to his feet and pumping his fist in the air. I knew he was OK, he said.Now, Petry is outside the golf course every weekend. He never forgets his supporters, he said. He waves at us.The group chatted about going to a nearby restaurant where Fox News host Sean Hannity is sometimes spotted, but something different happened this time. A group of staff members from the golf club came over to invite them in for a meal.Mentser said that had never happened before. They ate freshly made omelets and blueberry muffins and walked out to the veranda, where they could see Trump playing one of the holes on his golf course.The group refrained from trying to get Trumps attention, Mentser said.You dont want to have the president post on Truth Social that I was lining up my putt and my supporters threw off my game, he joked. The whole experience, Mentser said, was tremendous.Its a small way for him to say thank you, I see you, he said. ___ CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said he is happy at the south coast side amid speculation linking the Spaniard with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has caught the eye of Arsenal, Man United, Milan and Bayern. Transfer Talk has the latest news, gossip and rumors.

Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research within the Food and Drug Administration testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine an update from Federal officials on efforts to combat COVID-19, Tuesday, May 11, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via AP, File)2025-03-29T16:12:19Z WASHINGTON (AP) The top vaccine official with the Food and Drug Administration has resigned and criticized the nations top health official for allowing misinformation and lies to guide his thinking behind the safety of vaccinations. Dr. Peter Marks sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner on Friday saying that he would resign and retire by April 5 as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. In his letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Marks said he was willing to work to address the concerns expressed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about the safety of vaccinations. But he concluded that wasnt possible.It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies, he wrote.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment. Marks was offered the choice of resigning or being fired by Kennedy, according to a former FDA official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didnt have permission to discuss the matter publicly. Kennedy has a long history of spreading anti-vaccine misinformation, although during his Senate confirmation hearings he seemed to say he would not undermine vaccines. He promised the chair of the Senate health committee that he would not change existing vaccine recommendations. Since becoming secretary, Kennedy has vowed to scrutinize the safety of childhood vaccinations, despite decades of evidence they are safe and have saved millions of lives.Marks oversaw the agencys rapid review and approval of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.Marks is credited with coining the name and concept for Operation Warp Speed, the effort under President Donald Trump to rapidly manufacture vaccines while they were still being tested for safety and efficacy. The initiative cut years off the normal development process. Despite the projects success, Trump repeatedly lashed out at the FDA for not approving the first COVID shots even sooner. Trump told confidants after his 2020 loss that he would have been re-elected if the vaccine had been available before Election Day.Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, criticized what he called the firing of Marks.RFK Jr.s firing of Peter Marks because he wouldnt bend a knee to his misinformation campaign now allows the fox to guard the hen house, Offit said. Its a sad day for Americas children.Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said the issues raised in Marks resignation letter should be frightening to anyone committed to the importance of evidence to guide policies and patient decisions.I hope this will intensify the communication across academia, industry and government to bolster the importance of science and evidence, he wrote. The resignation follows news Friday that HHS plans to lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country. In a post on social media Thursday, Kennedy criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient sprawling bureaucracy. He also faulted the departments 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans health.The resignation is the latest blow to the beleaguered health agency, which has been rocked for weeks by layoffs, retirements and a chaotic return-to-office process that left many staffers without permanent offices, desks or other supplies. Last month, Jim Jones, the FDAs deputy commissioner for foods, resigned, citing the indiscriminate firing of nearly 90 staffers in his division, according to a copy of his resignation letter obtained by the AP. Marks, who could not be reached for comment, also raised concerns in his letter about efforts currently being advanced by some on the adverse health effects of vaccination are concerning as well as the unprecedented assault on scientific truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation. He went on to detail the historic benefits of vaccinations dating back to George Washington and pointed to the ongoing measles outbreak as proof of what can happen when doubts about science take hold.The ongoing multistate measles outbreak that is particularly severe in Texas reminds us of what happens when confidence in well-established science underlying public health and well-being is undermined, he wrote.The measles outbreak, which could go on for months, has now spread to Kansas and Ohio after sickening more than 370 in Texas and New Mexico. If it hits other unvaccinated communities across the U.S., as may now be the case in Kansas, the outbreak could endure for a year and threaten the nations status as having eliminated the local spread of the vaccine-preventable disease, public health experts said.___Casey reported from Boston. Perrone reported from Washington, D.C. MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

Telekom Bonn coach Tuomas IIsalo directs his team during the final of the Champions League Final Four Basketball tournament between Telecom Baskets Bonn and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem in Malaga, Spain, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Marrero, File)2025-03-29T17:17:25Z MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman said Saturday the decision to fire coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games remaining in the regular season with the franchise firmly in the playoff chase was mine and mine only and in the Grizzlies best interests.Kleiman spoke to reporters after the Grizzlies pregame shootaround for Saturday nights game against the Los Angeles Lakers barely 24 hours after Memphis announced firing Jenkins in his sixth season with the Grizzlies. Memphis named Tuomas Iisalo as the interim coach with the Helsinki, Finland, native in his first season coaching in the NBA.I came to the conclusion this was in the best interest of the team, and urgency is a core principle of ours so decided to go on with the move, Kleiman said.The Memphis GM spoke for less than three minutes, and no Grizzlies spoke after the shootaround. They wont be available until later Saturday at the usual pregame open locker room session when Iisalo speaks to the media for the first time in his new role. Asked if he hopes making this move now with the Grizzlies currently fifth in the Western Conference starting a stretch with eight of the final nine opponents either playoff clubs or contending for a play-in spot helps Memphis salvage the season, Kleiman said he is focused on how the Grizzlies operate. Its still possible, at least mathematically, that Memphis could get back to No. 2 in the West, and its highly unlikely that the Grizzlies will fall into the play-in tournament range. Im responsible for everything, Kleiman said. Im responsible for coaching. Im responsible for the roster. Im not trying to absolve myself of anything. Im excited to see what this team can do the rest of the way, but this was the conclusion that I came to that this was in the best interest of the team and we push forward with this group. Kleiman said no players were consulted about the move to fire Jenkins. Kleiman helped hire Jenkins in June 2019 after his own promotion to executive vice president of basketball operations. The GM also did not answer a question about what he wants from Memphis next coach. Jenkins had been the fifth longest-tenured coach with his current club in the league, behind only San Antonios Gregg Popovich, Miamis Erik Spoelstra, Golden States Steve Kerr and Denvers Michael Malone all of them having won NBA titles. In this season with a maturing roster, the Grizzlies results against the NBAs best werent good.The Grizzlies were 0-4 against Oklahoma City, losing those games by 24, 13, 17 and 21 points. Theyre 3-6 so far this season against Houston, Denver and the Lakers, the next three teams ahead of them in the West. All season, the Grizzlies were 33-9 against teams at or below .500 and 11-20 against winning clubs.Jenkins, with a career record of 250-214, was the winningest coach in franchise history for a team that launched in 1995. He had the longest tenure for a Grizzlies coach since Lionel Hollins took over in the 2008-09 season before his contract was not renewed after reaching the Western Finals in 2013 with a 56-26 record. But Jenkins has been criticized for continuing to use too many players at a point in the schedule when the rotation needed to be tightened and questioned for his late-game timeouts and other decisions. Asked about reports of two-time All-Star Ja Morants frustration over the Memphis offense, Kleiman repeated this was his decision.Morant, who has missed the last six games with a left hamstring strain, now is listed as questionable for Saturday nights game with the Lakers.Now Iisalo takes over after coming to the NBA as a Grizzlies assistant for this season, becoming the first Finnish-born coach in the NBA. Iisalo played and coached in Europe, including in 2024 when he was head coach of Paris Basketball, winning the EuroCup and honors as that leagues coach of the year. He also coached Telekom Baskets Bonn between 2021-23 and Crailshem Merlins between 2016 and 2021.Looking forward to seeing what hes able to do with this group, Kleiman said of Iisalo. Theres realistic expectations. Theres not going to be time to install a bunch of things this time of year. My expectations are clarity of direction and well see what we can do, well see what we can execute.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba