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

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.

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

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

Andrew Tate reacts while speaking to media after checking in at a police station as part of his judicial control, which requires him to appear before judicial authorities in Romania when summoned, after returning from the United States, in Voluntari, Romania, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)2025-03-29T16:55:10Z Andrew Tate, a hugely successful social media influencer known for expressing misogynistic views online, is facing a new lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend accusing him of sexual assault and battery.It adds to existing legal trouble for Tate, whos charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in Romania. His brother, Tristan Tate, is also accused in that case.In her complaint, Tates ex-girlfriend, Brianna Stern, argues that his abusive treatment of her follows a long pattern of making blatant misogyny part of his brand. She said he initially acted effusively loving and generous to lure her into a relationship that later turned abusive.The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Los Angeles, details an encounter earlier this month at the Beverly Hills Hotel when Tate choked and beat her, according to the complaint. Stern said she was later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. Tates attorney, Joseph McBride, said his client denies all allegations of violence. McBride accused Stern and her lawyers of taking advantage of the recent controversy surrounding Tate, hoping it could win them a lucrative payout. This is a money grab, McBride said in a phone interview Saturday morning. This is the weaponization of the court system against an innocent man.The Tate brothers, who are dual U.S. and British citizens, were arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally indicted last year. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They deny all the allegations against them. Stern met Tate in July 2024 after the brothers invited her to Romania because they were looking for models to help promote their cryptocurrency meme coin, according to her lawsuit. She said he convinced her the media portrayals of him were untrue, that he was actually a supporter of women. It seemed like a dream come true, she said in the complaint. After she returned to the U.S., Tates communications became threatening and manipulative, including calling her his property, Stern alleges. He sent messages saying he wanted to beat and impregnate her: You have an attitude because youre not hit enough, he once wrote, according to the complaint.Tates attorney, however, called the messages doctored, edited and falsified, saying he doesnt believe theyll be admissible in court.None of it is true, McBride said. All of it is a lie.During their last encounter at the hotel, Stern alleges, Tate beat and choked her during sex.While doing so, Tate told her repeatedly that if she ever crossed him, he was going to kill her, the lawsuit says.Tate, 38, is a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed millions of followers online, many of them young men and boys drawn in by the luxurious lifestyle he projects. He previously was banned from TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for hate speech, including that women should bear responsibility for getting raped. He and his brother are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump.The Tate brothers checked in at a police station near Romanias capital last Monday, complying with judicial control requirements in the human trafficking case that ordered them to return after weeks in the U.S. The American trip was possible because a travel ban against them was lifted last month after a Romanian court found multiple legal and procedural irregularities a significant blow to the prosecution and a win for the Tates. Tate has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and claimed theres a political conspiracy to silence him.Days after they arrived in Florida, the states attorney general opened a criminal investigation into the brothers.Four British women are suing Tate in the U.K. after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute him on sexual violence and other abuse charges. Last March, the brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case after U.K. authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression dating back several years. The appeals court granted the U.K. request to extradite them, but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded. Stern said in a statement posted to social media that shes terrified of how Tate will respond to her public accusations.I considered many times just silently leaving Andrew and saying nothing, doing nothing, because I was scared and because it was honestly hard for me to accept that I was being abused, she wrote. But I can now see that doing so would be the cowardly approach.Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, praised her incredible courage to come forward and make her voice heard. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A protester holds a placard during a Tesla Takedown Global Day protest in front of a Tesla dealership, in Berlin, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)2025-03-29T18:13:54Z SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musks purge of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the worlds richest man.The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musks role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, where hes gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. Most of Musks estimated $340 billion fortune consists of the stock he holds in the electric vehicle company that he continues to run while also working alongside Trump.Earlier protests have been somewhat sporadic. Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automakers showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the companys sales. By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automakers home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media accounts showed protesters brandishing signs such as Honk if you hate Elon and Fight the billionaire broligarchy. The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protestors at more than 230 Tesla locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe werent as large as the crowds in the U.S., the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. About two dozen protesters held signs lambasting Musk outside a Tesla dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support.One of the signs displayed at the London protest showed a photo of Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration. A person in a tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musks straight-arm gesture that said, You thought the Nazis were extinct. Dont buy a Swasticar. We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that were facing, said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest.Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automakers vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack, and at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas.Im going to keep screaming in the halls of Congress. I just need you all to make sure you all keep screaming in the streets, Crockett said during a Tesla Takedown organizing call held earlier this month.Some people opposed to Musk have gone beyond protests and set the automakers vehicles on fire and committed other acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as domestic terrorism. Musk indicated he was dumbfounded by the attacks during a March 20 company meeting and said the vandals should stop acting psycho. Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance for Saturdays protests to remain peaceful. But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Tesla vehicles in northwestern Germany early Saturday morning. It was wasnt immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the Tesla Takedown protests. A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade in their cars while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from the billionaires efforts to prune or shut down government agencies.But Musk didnt appear concerned about an extended slump in sales of new Tesla cars in his March 20 address to employees. He reassured the workers that the companys Model Y, which is undergoing a refresh, would remain the best-selling car on Earth again this year. He also predicted Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about 7 million cars now. There are times when there are rocky moments, where there is stormy weather, but what I am here to tell you is that the future is incredibly bright and exciting, Musk said.After Trump was elected last November, investors initially saw Musks alliance with the president as a positive development for Tesla and its long-running efforts to launch a network of self-driving cars.That optimism helped lift Teslas stock by 70% in the period between Trumps Nov. 5 election and his Jan. 20 inauguration, creating an additional $560 billion in shareholder wealth. But virtually all those gains have evaporated amid investor worries about the Tesla backlash, lagging sales in the U.S., Europe and China, and Musk spending time overseeing DOGE.This continues to be a moment of truth for Musk to navigate this brand tornado crisis moment and get onto the other side of this dark chapter for Tesla, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a research note leading up to Saturdays protests. ___The Associated Press reporters Mustakim Hasnath contributed from London and Stefanie Dazio contributed from Germany. MICHAEL LIEDTKE Liedtke has been covering technology and wide range of other business topics for The Associated Press since the turn of the century. twitter mailto

The headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace are seen Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein).2025-03-29T20:06:49Z WASHINGTON (AP) Most employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a congressionally created and funded think tank now taken over by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, received email notices of their mass firing, the latest step in the Trump administrations government downsizing.The emails, sent to personal accounts because most staff members had lost access to the organizations system, began going out about 9 p.m. Friday, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal. One former senior official at the institute said among those spared were several in the human resources department and a handful of overseas staffers who have until April 9 to return to the United States. The organization has about 300 people.Others retained for now are regional vice presidents who will be working with the staff in their areas to return to the U.S., according to one employee who was affected. An executive order last month from President Donald Trump targeted the organization, which seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, and three other agencies for closure. Board members, who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and the institutes president were fired. Later, there was a standoff between employees who blocked DOGE members from entering the institutes headquarters near the State Department. DOGE staff gained access in part with the help of the Washington police. A lawsuit ensued, and U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell chastised DOGE representatives for their behavior but did not reinstate the board members or allow employees to return to the workspace. A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said in an email Saturday that the institute has failed to deliver peace and that Trump is carrying out his mandate to eliminate bloat and save taxpayer dollars. The letter to employees said that as of Friday, your employment with us will conclude, according to one longtime employee who shared part of the communication. A second email, obtained by the AP, said the terminations were at the direction of the president.Workers were given until April 7 to clear out their desks.Mary Glantz, a former foreign service officer who was working as a senior adviser at USIP, said she was not surprised by the late night firings, calling it part of DOGEs playbook.Glantzs studied how Russia has fomented conflicts around the world and analyzed options for resolving them. She hoped her research could be continued and used elsewhere. She said USIP plays a unique role because of its narrow focus on conflict resolution. We are the other tool in the tool box, she said. We do this work, so American soldiers dont have to fight these wars.George Foote, a former institute lawyer fired this month who is with one of the firms providing counsel in the current lawsuit, said lawyers were consulting Saturday to discuss possible next steps. He said employees are not part of the pending lawsuit, so they would have to file a separate case. ___Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer and Matthew Lee 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

In this undated handout photo released by the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, American Faye Dail Hall is pictured after being released Thursday, March 27, 2025, by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)2025-03-29T18:49:42Z WASHINGTON (AP) An American woman detained for weeks in Afghanistan by the Taliban has been released from custody, according to a person familiar with the matter and a social media post Saturday from a longtime U.S. diplomat.Faye Dail Hall, who was detained in February on charges of using a drone without authorization, was released as part of a deal that Qatari negotiators helped broker, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.The person said that Hall was taken to the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, thhe Afghan capital, and was in good health, and that arrangements were being made for her to return to the U.S.In a post on X, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, confirmed Halls release with a photograph of her and said she would soon be on her way home. He posted that she was now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home. Few details about Halls case or the release were immediately available Saturday, including why she was in Afghanistan or how long or the circumstances of her detention. The State Department did not immediately comment. Hall is believed to be the fourth American released from Afghanistan since January.Earlier this month, George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was freed after more than two years in custody. That release follows a separate deal, executed on the final day of the Biden administration and also mediated by the Qataris, that secured the releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty. Officials in Kabul said recently that the United States had lifted bounties on three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister, who also heads a powerful network blamed for attacks against Afghanistans former Western-backed government.A Foreign Ministry official, Zakir Jalaly, has said the Talibans release of Glezmann and the removal of bounties showed both sides were moving beyond the effects of the wartime phase and taking constructive steps to pave the way for progress in bilateral relations.___AP Middle East News Director Victoria Eastwood in Cairo contributed to this report. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People take part in a protest demanding the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)2025-03-29T21:00:55Z CAIRO (AP) The Hamas militant group said Saturday it has accepted a new Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar, but Israel said it has made a counter-proposal in full coordination with the third mediator, the United States.Egypt early in the week made a proposal to get the troubled ceasefire back on track, following Israels surprise resumption of fighting. It was not immediately clear whether the proposal changed before Khalil al-Hayyah, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, announced it had been accepted.Early in the week, an Egyptian official described the proposal to The Associated Press, saying Hamas would release five living hostages, including an American-Israeli, from Gaza in return for Israel allowing aid into the territory and a weekslong pause in fighting. Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media on the closed-door talks. On Saturday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no details about Israels counter-proposal, which it said was offered after Netanyahu held consultations on Friday. Israel a week and a half ago ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds of people. The White House blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting.Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns the 59 hostages it still holds 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel also wants Hamas to give up power, disarm and send its leaders into exile. On Saturday, Israel widened its ground operations in Gazas southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.Frustrated by the threat to remaining hostages in Gaza, families and others rallied again Saturday evening to call for a deal that would bring everyone home. The price of your war is the life of the hostages! some protesters chanted in Tel Aviv. Minor scuffles broke out with police.War will not bring our hostages home, it will kill them, Naama Weinberg, cousin of deceased hostage Itay Svirsky, told a weekly gathering of families in Tel Aviv.The war in Gaza 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. Israels bombardment and ground operations have caused vast destruction and at their height displaced some 90% of Gazas population of over 2 million people.Early this month, Israel again cut off all supplies to Gaza to pressure Hamas to accept new terms to the ceasefire that started in mid-January.Israel had balked at entering negotiations over the truces second phase, which were meant to begin in early February. Under the agreement, phase two was meant to bring the release of the remaining 24 living hostages, an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.___Frankel reported from Jerusalem.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto JULIA FRANKEL Frankel is an Associated Press reporter in Jerusalem. twitter mailto

2025-03-29T20:22:21Z BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) At least one person in a small plane traveling from Iowa to Minnesota died after the aircraft crashed into a house in a Minneapolis suburb Saturday, a city official said. The residents of the home were not hurt, Brooklyn Park spokesperson Risikat Adesaogun said. But the house was destroyed.It was not yet known how many people were aboard the single-engine SOCATA TBM7, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.The agency said the aircraft departed from the Des Moines International Airport with a destination of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, located in another Minneapolis suburb. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

President Donald Trump waves to supporters from his limousine as he arrives at Trump International Golf Club, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-03-30T00:03:57Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump on Saturday made his clearest commitment to not fire anyone over an embarrassing accidental leak of his administrations plans for an airstrike against the Houthis in Yemen.I dont fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts, Trump said in an interview with NBC News Kristen Welker.He also said that he had confidence in Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth, his Pentagon chief.Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis.During the chat, Hegseth included details on how the strike would unfold before it took place.Afterwards, The Atlantic published an article on the internal exchange, shocking the national security establishment. Trump is eager to avoid repeating some of the turnover that characterized his first term. Mike Flynn, his first national security adviser, was pushed out after only a few weeks during the early phase of the Russia investigation. Hes also shown resistance to bowing to outside pressure, especially if it comes from the news media.Asked if there were conversations about firing Waltz, Trump insisted, Ive never heard that. And nobody else makes that decision but me, and Ive never heard it. 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

Water runs out of a drain under an agricultural field, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Sabina, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)2025-03-29T13:51:45Z KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) In Ugandas Mbale district, famous for its production of arabica coffee, a plague of plastic bags locally known as buveera is creeping beyond the city. Its a problem that has long littered the landscape in Kampala, the capital, where buveera are woven into the fabric of daily life. They show up in layers of excavated dirt roads and clog waterways. But now, they can be found in remote areas of farmland, too. Some of the debris includes the thick plastic bags used for planting coffee seeds in nurseries.Some farmers are complaining, said Wilson Watira, head of a cultural board for the coffee-growing Bamasaba people. They are concerned those farmers who know the effects of buveera on the land, he said.Around the world, plastics find their way into farm fields. Climate change makes agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, even more unavoidable for some farmers. Meanwhile, research continues to show that itty-bitty microplastics alter ecosystems and end up in human bodies. Scientists, farmers and consumers all worry about how thats affecting human health, and many seek solutions. But industry experts say its difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of reuse and recycling programs. According to a 2021 report on plastics in agriculture by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, soils are one of the main receptors of agricultural plastics. Some studies have estimated that soils are more polluted by microplastics than the oceans.These things are being released at such a huge, huge scale that its going to require major engineering solutions, said Sarah Zack, an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Great Lakes Contaminant Specialist who communicates about microplastics to the public. Why researchers want to study plastics in farm fields Water runs out of a drain under an agricultural field, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Sabina, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File) Water runs out of a drain under an agricultural field, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Sabina, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Micro-particles of plastic that come from items like clothes, medications and beauty products sometimes appear in fertilizer made from the solid byproducts of wastewater treatment called biosolids which can also be smelly and toxic to nearby residents depending on the treatment process used. Some seeds are coated in plastic polymers designed to strategically disintegrate at the right time of the season, used in containers to hold pesticides or stretched over fields to lock in moisture. But the agriculture industry itself only accounts for a little over 3% of all plastics used globally. About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, including single-use plastic food and beverage containers.Microplastics, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines as being smaller than five millimeters long, are their largest at about the size of a pencil eraser. Some are much smaller.Studies have already shown that microplastics can be taken up by plants on land or plankton in the ocean and subsequently eaten by animals or humans. Scientists are still studying the long-term effects of the plastic thats been found in human organs. Early findings suggest possible links to a host of health conditions including heart disease and some cancers. A crew applies biosolids, also known as sewage sludge, to a field, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Wellston, Okla. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) A crew applies biosolids, also known as sewage sludge, to a field, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Wellston, Okla. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Despite significant research gaps, the evidence related to the land-based food chain is certainly raising alarm, said Lev Neretin, environment lead at the FAO, which is currently working on another technical report looking deeper into the problem of microplastic pollution in soils and crops.A study out this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that microplastics pollution can even impact plants ability to photosynthesize, the process of turning light from the sun into energy. That doesnt justify excessive concern but does underscore food security risks that necessitate scientific attention, wrote Fei Dang, one of the studys authors.Climate change making matters worse Alexandra Water Warriors volunteers cleanup the Juksei river in the heart of Alexandra township from plastic pollution in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File) Alexandra Water Warriors volunteers cleanup the Juksei river in the heart of Alexandra township from plastic pollution in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The use of plastics has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Plastic is ubiquitous. And most of the worlds plastic goes to landfills, pollutes the environment or is burned. Less than 10% of plastics are recycled.At the same time, some farmers are becoming more reliant on plastics to shelter crops from the effects of extreme weather. Theyre using tarps, hoop houses and other technology to try to control conditions for their crops. And theyre depending more on chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers to buffer against unreliable weather and more pervasive pest issues.Through global warming, we have less and less arable land to make crops on. But we need more crops. So therefore the demand on agricultural chemicals is increasing, said Ole Rosgaard, president and CEO of Greif, a company that makes packaging used for industrial agriculture products like pesticides and other chemicals.Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, also contributes to the breakdown and transport of agricultural plastics. Beating sun can wear on materials over time. And more frequent and intense rainfall events in some areas could drive more plastic particles running into fields and eventually waterways, said Maryam Salehi, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Missouri.Can agriculture escape the plastic problem? Muddy plastic bottles have flowed downstream and become lodged against fallen trees and within the dense foliage in Tisza River near Tiszaroff, Hungary, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File) Muddy plastic bottles have flowed downstream and become lodged against fallen trees and within the dense foliage in Tisza River near Tiszaroff, Hungary, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More This past winter, leaders from around the world gathered in South Korea to produce the first legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution. They didnt reach an agreement, but the negotiations are scheduled to resume in August.Neretin said the FAO produced a provisional, voluntary code of conduct on sustainable management of plastics in agriculture. But without a formal treaty in place, most countries dont have a strong incentive to follow it.The mood is certainly not cheery, thats for sure, he said, adding global cooperation takes time, but the problem does not disappear.Without political will, much of the onus falls on companies.Rosgaard, of Greif, said that his company has worked to make their products recyclable, and that farmers have incentives to return them because they can get paid in exchange. But he added its sometimes hard to prevent people from just burning the plastic or letting it end up in fields or waterways. We just dont know where they end up all the time, he said.Some want to stop the flow of plastic and microplastic waste into ecosystems. Boluwatife Olubusoye, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Mississippi, is trying to see whether biochar, remains of organic matter and plant waste burned under controlled conditions, can filter out microplastics that run from farm fields into waterways. His early experiments have shown promise.He said he was motivated by the feeling that there was never any timely solution in terms of plastic waste ending up in fields in the first place, especially in developing countries.Even for farmers who care about plastics in soils, it can be challenging for them to do anything about it. In Uganda, owners of nursery beds cannot afford proper seedling trays, so they resort to cheaply made plastic bags used to germinate seeds, said Jacob Ogola, an independent agronomist there.Farmers hardest hit by climate change are least able to reduce the presence of cheap plastic waste in soils. That frustrates Innocent Piloya, an agroecology entrepreneur who grows coffee in rural Uganda with her company Ribbo Coffee. Its like little farmers fighting plastic manufacturers, she said.___Walling reported from Chicago.___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. MELINA WALLING Walling covers the intersections of climate change and agriculture in the Midwest and beyond for The Associated Press. She is based in Chicago. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Community members fish along the Hartbeespoort Dam in South Africa, on March 17, 2025, near Hyacinth plants in the water. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)2025-03-30T02:32:32Z HARTBEESPOORT, South Africa (AP) Dozens of tiny black weevils cling onto a fern plant as it is tossed onto a leafy green mat coating the surface of South Africas Crocodile River.Those weevils arent tossed into the river by accident: scientists hope that the insects and their larvae will munch their way through the green mat, which is made up of an unwanted, invasive South American aquatic plant called Salvinia minima.The plant is steadily taking over freshwater bodies in the northern region of South Africa, suffocating aquatic life, including on the Crocodile River and the Hartbeespoort Dam it flows into.The weevils, which have been used effectively elsewhere in the world to fight water weeds, are now leading South Africas charge against the life-sucking plants threatening ecosystems in at least three northern provinces and creeping into neighboring countries. After the weevils helped control the spread of salvinia in parts of the United States, scientists from both countries worked together on a project to gather a starter population in South Africa. The 1-millimeter-long (0.03 inches) insects were brought over 8,700 miles from Louisiana. Rearing stations are being set up near several dams to grow the weevil population. Once released at an infested site, the beetles make themselves at home on the salvinia, the only thing they eat, without damaging the local ecosystem, scientists say. They lay eggs on this plant, feed on this plant and die on this plant. If this plant dies, they will die as well, said professor Julie Coetzee, the principal scientist at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. They damage certain tissues, those tissues become waterlogged and then those plants sink to the bottom. A floating menaceHartbeespoort Dam north of Johannesburg, the location for the pilot project, is an important source of irrigation for nearby farms and a popular recreation site.When we bought the property there was this beautiful little floating plant on the dam and I thought well thats quite nice, said 53-year-old resident and business operator Max Moller. Little did I realize this little floating fern was an absolute menace.Moller, the owner of Mogis hiking trail, said the salvinia have clogged up and damaged boat engines and also hurt fishing communities over the nine years that he has lived in the area.South Africas already vulnerable freshwater systems face a significant threat from salvinia, scientists say. The plants have had two major growth spurts in 2021 and 2022, surviving on the high nitrate contents in the water.The plant initially surfaced more than a decade ago at the dam, which has also long been battling with a water hyacinth invasion, another problematic species.If you pull the hyacinth away, this plant is lurking, said Coetzee. The invasive plants block out the sunlight, which means no oxygen in the water, she said. If there is no oxygen, theres no fish, theres no crab, theres no insects and so you completely destroy or alter the aquatic ecosystem, she said. Salvinia has a rapid growth rate and its spread has been most notable across Gauteng province, where South Africas biggest city of Johannesburg and its capital, Pretoria, are located. The plant is compounding existing water supply problems by depleting the oxygen and sapping the supply in a country thats already struggling with increasing demand and deteriorating water infrastructure.Concerns over the weevils impactWhile releasing the weevils will help combat salvinia, experts warn that there could be unintended side-effects.Anthony Turton, a water expert and researcher at South Africas University of the Free State, cautioned that their introduction could turn rivers and dams into more suitable homes for bacteria and dangerous organisms.That includes poisonous blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria, which flourish in nutrient-rich, contaminated waterways and already affect almost 60% of the nations dams.With more light and less competition for nutrients, those cyanobacteria will go into a condition known as a bloom, he said. This is exponential population growth that radically populates the entire water column. Turnton said simultaneous action to repair damaged sewage systems and limit agriculture fertilizer runoff are essential for a lasting solution.Unless there are efforts to reduce the inflow of nutrients from sewage flows, then we are only creating space for cyanobacteria to grow without competition from floating weeds, he said. Threat of spreading to other countriesThe weevils arent the first insects to be introduced to curb an invasive threat in South Africa. The country brought in a bug in the 1930s to control the spread of a hardy cactus native to Mexico that was hurting ecosystems. That project was viewed as a success.The speedy growth of the salvinia has put pressure on the government to act, particularly as researchers warn that neighboring countries also now face an invasion.Coetzee said that salvinia was popping up on the confluence of the Crocodile and Limpopo rivers in the far north of South Africa.That now poses a huge threat to our neighbors because this plant has been transported by our rivers onto our borders, she said. It is likely to go all the way along the Limpopo, along Botswana and Zimbabwes borders and into Mozambique.We really have a responsibility to control this plant, she added.___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

A Palestinian girl struggles as she and others try to get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-30T05:01:59Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Gazas bakeries will run out of flour for bread within a week, the U.N. says. Agencies have cut food distributions to families in half. Markets are empty of most vegetables. Many aid workers cannot move around because of Israeli bombardment.For four weeks, Israel has shut off all sources of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies for the Gaza Strips population of more than 2 million Palestinians. Its the longest blockade yet of Israels 17-month-old campaign against Hamas, with no sign of it ending.Aid workers are stretching out the supplies they have but warn of a catastrophic surge in severe hunger and malnutrition. Eventually, food will run out completely if the flow of aid is not restored, because the war has destroyed almost all local food production in Gaza.We depend entirely on this aid box, said Shorouq Shamlakh, a mother of three collecting her familys monthly box of food from a U.N. distribution center in Jabaliya in northern Gaza. She and her children reduce their meals to make it last a month, she said. If this closes, who else will provide us with food? The World Food Program said Thursday that its flour for bakeries is only enough to keep producing bread for 800,000 people a day until Tuesday and that its overall food supplies will last a maximum of two weeks. As a last resort once all other food is exhausted, it has emergency stocks of fortified nutritional biscuits for 415,000 people. Fuel and medicine will last weeks longer before hitting zero. Hospitals are rationing antibiotics and painkillers. Aid groups are shifting limited fuel supplies between multiple needs, all indispensable trucks to move aid, bakeries to make bread, wells and desalination plants to produce water, hospitals to keep machines running. We have to make impossible choices. Everything is needed, said Clmence Lagouardat, the Gaza response leader for Oxfam International, speaking from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza at a briefing Wednesday. Its extremely hard to prioritize. Compounding the problems, Israel resumed its military campaign on March 18 with bombardment that has killed hundreds of Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health officials. It has hit humanitarian facilities, the U.N. says. New evacuation orders have forced more than 140,000 Palestinians to move yet again. But Israel has not resumed the system for aid groups to notify the military of their movements to ensure they were not hit by bombardment, multiple aid workers said. As a result, various groups have stopped water deliveries, nutrition for malnourished children and other programs because its not safe for teams to move. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid, said the system was halted during the ceasefire. Now it is implemented in some areas in accordance with policy and operational assessments ... based on the situation on the ground, COGAT said, without elaborating. Rising prices leave food unaffordableDuring the 42 days of ceasefire that began in mid-January, aid groups rushed in significant amounts of aid. Food also streamed into commercial markets.But nothing has entered Gaza since Israel cut off that flow on March 2. Israel says the siege and renewed military campaign aim to force Hamas to accept changes in their agreed-on ceasefire deal and release more hostages.Fresh produce is now rare in Gazas markets. Meat, chicken, potatoes, yogurt, eggs and fruits are completely gone, Palestinians say.Prices for everything else have skyrocketed out of reach for many Palestinians. A kilo (2 pounds) of onions can cost the equivalent of $14, a kilo of tomatoes goes for $6, if they can be found. Cooking gas prices have spiraled as much as 30-fold, so families are back to scrounging for wood to make fires.Its totally insane, said Abeer al-Aker, a teacher and mother of three in Gaza City. No food, no services. I believe that the famine has started again. Families depend even more on aidAt the distribution center in Jabaliya, Rema Megat sorted through the food ration box for her family of 10: rice, lentils, a few cans of sardines, a half kilo of sugar, two packets of powdered milk.Its not enough to last a month, she said. This kilo of rice will be used up in one go. The U.N. has cut its distribution of food rations in half to redirect more supplies to bakeries and free kitchens producing prepared meals, said Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian agency, known as OCHA.The number of prepared meals has grown 25% to 940,000 meals a day, she said, and bakeries are churning out more bread. But that burns through supplies faster.Once flour runs out soon, there will be no bread production happening in a large part of Gaza, said Gavin Kelleher, with the Norwegian Refugee Council. UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, only has a few thousand food parcels left and enough flour for a few days, said Sam Rose, the agencys acting director in Gaza. Gaza Soup Kitchen, one of the main public kitchens, cant get any meat or much produce, so they serve rice with canned vegetables, co-founder Hani Almadhoun said.There are a lot more people showing up, and theyre more desperate. So people are fighting for food, he said.Israel shows no sign of lifting the siegeThe United States pressured Israel to let aid into Gaza at the beginning of the war in October 2023, after Israel imposed a blockade of about two weeks. This time, it has supported Israels policy. Rights groups have called it a starvation policy that could be a war crime.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told a news conference Monday that Israel is acting in accordance with international law.He accused Hamas of stealing aid and said Israel is not required to let in supplies if it will be diverted to combatants. He gave no indication of whether the siege could be lifted but said Gaza had enough supplies, pointing to the aid that flowed in during the ceasefire.Hunger and hopelessness are growingBecause its teams cant coordinate movements with the military, Save the Children suspended programs providing nutrition to malnourished children, said Rachael Cummings, the groups humanitarian response leader in Gaza.We are expecting an increase in the rate of malnutrition, she said. Not only children adolescent girls, pregnant women.During the ceasefire, Save the Children was able to bring some 4,000 malnourished infants and children back to normal weight, said Alexandra Saif, the groups head of humanitarian policy. About 300 malnourished patients a day were coming into its clinic in Deir al-Balah, she said. The numbers have plunged to zero on some days because patients are too afraid of bombardment, she said. The multiple crises are intertwined. Malnutrition leaves kids vulnerable to pneumonia, diarrhea and other diseases. Lack of clean water and crowded conditions only spread more illnesses. Hospitals overwhelmed with the wounded cant use their limited supplies on other patients.Aid workers say not only Palestinians, but their own staff have begun to fall into despair.The world has lost its compass, UNRWAs Rose said. Theres just a feeling here that anything could happen, and it still wouldnt be enough for the world to say, this is enough.___Magdy and Keath reported from Cairo, El Deeb from Beirut. AP correspondents Fatma Khaled in Cairo and Julia Frankel and Sam Mednick in Jerusalem contributed. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto SARAH EL DEEB El Deeb is part of the APs Global Investigative team. She is based in the Middle East, a region she covered for two decades twitter mailto LEE KEATH Keath is the chief editor for feature stories in the Middle East for The Associated Press. He has reported from Cairo since 2005. twitter mailto

A woman reacts after being informed that her husband had died at the site of a collapsed under construction high-rise building in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)2025-03-30T06:43:00Z BANGKOK (AP) Emergency rescue teams on Sunday began trickling into the area of Myanmar hardest hit by a massive earthquake that killed more than 1,600 people, their efforts hindered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war.The 7.7 magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, bringing down scores of buildings and damaging other infrastructure like the citys airport. Many of Mandalays 1.5 million people spent the night sleeping on the streets, either left homeless by the quake, which also shook neighboring Thailand and killed at least 17 people there, or worried that the continuing aftershocks might cause structures left unstable to collapse. Many areas still have not been reachedSo far 1,644 people have been reported killed in Myanmar and 3,408 missing, but many areas have not yet been reached, and many rescue efforts so far have been undertaken by people working by hand to try and clear rubble, said Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar.Its mainly been local volunteers, local people who are just trying to find their loved ones, Bragg said after bring briefed by her colleague in Mandalay. Ive also seen reports that now some countries are sending search and rescue teams up to Mandalay to support the efforts, but hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, theres a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water, Bragg added. The organization was sending a team by road on Sunday to assess peoples most pressing needs so that it could target its own response.With the Mandalay airport damaged and the control tower toppled in the capital Naypitaws airport, all commercial flights into the cities have been shut down. Foreign aid starts to arrive in MyanmarStill, two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft were able to land late Saturday at Naypitaw with a field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who were then to travel north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, according to the countrys Foreign Ministry. Other Indian supplies were flown into Yangon, Myanmars biggest city, which has been the hub of other foreign relief efforts. On Sunday, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay, after making the arduous journey by road from Yangon. The 650-kilometer (400-mile) journey has been taking 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic diverted from the main highway to skirt damage from the earthquake. At the same time, the window of opportunity to find anyone alive is rapidly closing. Most rescues occur within the first 24 hours after a disaster, and then survival chances drop as each day passes.An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned that a severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers. China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators, and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russias Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, and the countrys Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team to Myanmar. 17 people reported dead in ThailandIn neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked much of the county, bringing down a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) away from the epicenter.So far, 10 people have been found dead at the construction site near the popular Chatuchak market, where 83 people are unaccounted for and the latest body was recovered from the rubble early Sunday morning. A total of 17 people have been reported killed by the quake in Thailand so far. In Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, rescue efforts so far are focused on Mandalay and Naypyitaw, which are thought to have been the hardest hit, but many other areas were also impacted and little is known so far about the damage there. Were hearing reports of hundreds of people trapped in different areas, said Bragg. Right now were at 1,600 (known fatalities) and we dont have a lot of data coming out but youve got to assume it will be increasing in the thousands based on what the impacts are. This is just anecdotal information at this point. Rescue efforts in Myanmar complicated by civil warBeyond the earthquake damage, rescue efforts are complicated by the bloody civil war roiling much of the country, including in quake-affected areas. In 2001, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has since turned into significant armed resistance.Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.The government military has been fighting long-established militias and newly formed pro-democracy Peoples Defense Forces, and has heavily restricted much-needed aid efforts to the large population already displaced by war even before the earthquake.On Saturday, Myanmars opposition shadow National Unity Government, to which the PDF militias are loyal, announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts. The military did not immediately comment on the announcement and it continued airstrikes even after the earthquake. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, a group of three of Myanmars most powerful and well-armed militias that launched a combined offensive in October 2023 that broke a strategic stalemate with the military regime, didnt mention a ceasefire in a statement Saturday, but said it was ready to help.We will promptly provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake to the best of our ability, with a spirit of humanity, unit and brotherhood, the group said._____Jintamas Saksornchai contributed to this story. 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

Pope Francis 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)2025-03-30T05:01:09Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis frailty was on full view as he left Romes Gemelli hospital last Sunday after five weeks battling pneumonia that nearly killed him. He could barely lift his arms to bless the crowd. His eyes were sunken, face bloated. And he visibly gasped for breath as he was wheeled back inside from the balcony.Throughout history, the powerful have concealed their weaknesses. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, the most photographed figure of his era, took pains to hide his lame arm. Franklin Delano Roosevelt concealed the use of a wheelchair. More recently, former President Biden shook off concerns about his cognitive abilities.By contrast, Francis, a spiritual and not political leader, has never been shy about showing his weakness. For many, his willingness to be seen in all his infirmity serves as an example to young and old alike that fragility is part of the human condition and should be embraced. Who cares if he had sunken eyes, who cares if he looks bloated. It is part of his life story. He knows it is going to end. I saw him as living his life. He wants to keep doing what he does best, said S. Jay Olshansky, a gerontologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Francis frailty is integral to his ministry of inclusion, which preaches against treating people on the margins as disposable, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for Life. Fragility for us believers is not to be avoided or excluded. On the contrary it is a great teaching, Paglia said in an interview. It is in sharp contrast with an efficiency-oriented culture, with a performance culture.'This is not a state, or a company, it is a community of the faithful, a family. And in a family it is possible to give an authoratative leadership, also if not up to full physical strength,' Paglia said. He added that it was an important lesson also for young people who should understand that they too are fragile, otherwise they close themselves off. Paglia this week opened a longevity summit at the Vatican, during which he underlined that as the population of elderly grows, there must be an attitude shift so that the longer life span is to be lived to its fullest.We need to rethink the idea of retirement. These 20, 30 years more must have also a cultural, human and spiritual weight for all the other ages. They are not disposable, he said.Dr. Francesco Vaia, an advocate of rights for the disabled, also said the popes message is especially crucial in an aging world.The theme is not only to get older, but to be active, that is to give more quality to our longer lives, he said. We are moving towards an inclusive society, which is in contrast with a throw-away world in which the weak, the disabled, the elderly are pushed aside.'Lets overcome the superman and superwoman theory. We are men and women with our fragility, and disabilities, Vaia said. This pope can continue being pope. Even the fact of seeing Francis with the nasal breathing tubes as he was driven to the Vatican normalizes a fact of life for many elderly who live with oxygen tanks. We should not be ashamed of this, Vaia said. Pope John Paul II, too, was often praised for showing his suffering during his long bout with Parkinsons disease. But the Vatican also went to great lengths to conceal his frailty. He was never seen in a wheelchair, for example, instead he was pushed on a rolling wooden chair or upon a moving platform.Francis by contrast arrives at events in wheelchairs, and is seen lifted into a more formal seat for Masses or to address the faithful.He did not shy away from showing his weakened state from the hospital. An audio recording of his barely audible, labored voice was played in St. Peters Square three weeks into his hospitalization as a first sign of life. It was followed by a photograph of him co-celebrating Mass, taken from behind in his personal hospital chapel.While Francis appearance on the hospital balcony did not necessarily project vitality, the doctor who coordinated his hospital treatment saw it as a sign of his strength. You saw when he looked out, he is fragile. But his strength is that he could give, even with some difficulty, the blessing, Dr. Sergio Alfieri said. He looked at the square, and he welcomed the lady with the yellow flowers, as if to say, I am maintaining a good mood. He is strong in this sense, a strong spirit. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese rescuers arrive at the Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar on Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Haymhan Aung/Xinhua via AP)2025-03-30T08:26:32Z BANGKOK (AP) Emergency aid has streamed into Southeast Asia in the two days since a massive earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand. Relief efforts are focused on Myanmar, where the estimated death toll rose to 1,644 by Sunday afternoon.The number of dead from Fridays 7.7 magnitude quake is expected to increase, while the number of injured was at 3,408 and the missing figure rose was 139 on Sunday. The earthquakes epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city with 1.5 million people. In neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 17.While food, medicine and other vital supplies have reached Myanmar, a report issued Saturday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said rescue efforts have been hampered by a severe shortage of medical supplies including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicine and tents to house health workers. We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake, said Mohammed Riyas, the IRCs Myanmar director.Here is a look at some of the contributions in supplies, personnel and monetary support and the nations and groups providing assistance: Direct assistance by nationsOn Sunday, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay. China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits, generators, earthquake detectors and drones while pledging around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Hong Kong on Saturday dispatched 51 search-and-rescue personnel including firefighters and ambulance personnel as well as two search-and-rescue dogs. The group brought 9 tons (18,000 pounds) of equipment including life detectors and an automatic satellite tracking antenna system, according to a statement on the Hong Kong governments website. The Hong Kong government also will set aside HK$30 million ($3.9 million) from its Disaster Relief Fund to help Myanmar victims. Russias Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, Myanmars second-largest city, and Russias Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team that includes specialists in infectious diseases, resuscitation, traumatology and psychology, as well as search and rescue teams with canine units and devices that can search in rubble with depths as much as 4.5 meters (14.7 feet).Two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft on Saturday brought in a field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who traveled north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, the countrys Foreign Ministry said. India previously said it planned to send five aircrafts and four ships with relief supplies including rescue team and medical teams.Malaysias foreign ministry said the country would send 50 personnel to help identify and provide aid to the worst-hit areas.South Korea said it will provide $2 million in humanitarian aid through international organizations. New Zealands Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a post on X that his government would support relief efforts via the International Red Cross Movement.The European Commission said Friday it would release 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) in initial emergency assistance to assist with earthquake relief, bringing the European Unions total humanitarian aid for Myanmar to more than 35 million ($37.8 million) this year.Ireland announced Saturday the government would provide an aid package of 6 million ($6.49 million) with 3 million ($3.2 million) to support the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Myanmar Red Cross Society, 1.5 million ($1.6 million) each to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund and U.N. Refugee Agency Joint Response Plan.President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. would help with the response, but some experts were concerned about the promised effort given his administrations deep cuts in foreign assistance. Aid agencies contributingThe U.N. humanitarian affairs office said it has mobilized with other groups and $5 million has been allocated from a Central Emergency Response Fund for life-saving assistance.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released 2 million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) in emergency funds to support the organizations work in Myanmar, Jagan Chapagain, the organizations secretary general and CEO, said in a social media post Sunday.Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar, said relief efforts have largely consisted of local volunteers trying to find loved ones.Despite the influx of countries sending search and rescue teams, hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, theres a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water, Bragg said.

Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr prayer in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip , Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-30T07:40:27Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had little to celebrate on Sunday as they began marking a normally festive Muslim holiday with rapidly dwindling food supplies and no end in sight to the Israel-Hamas war.Many held prayers outside demolished mosques on the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Its supposed to be a joyous occasion, when families gather for feasts and purchase new clothes for children but most of Gazas 2 million Palestinians are just trying to survive.Its the Eid of Sadness, Adel al-Shaer said after attending outdoor prayers in the central town of Deir al-Balah. We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives, and our futures. We lost our students, our schools, and our institutions. We lost everything.Twenty members of his extended family have been killed in Israeli strikes, including four young nephews just a few days ago, he said as he broke into tears. Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the war earlier this month when the militant group refused to accept changes to the agreement reached in January. Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians, and Israel has allowed no food, fuel or humanitarian aid to enter for four weeks. Arab mediators are trying to get the truce back on track, and Hamas said Saturday that it had accepted a new proposal from Egypt and Qatar, the exact details of which were not immediately known. Israel said it had advanced its own proposal in coordination with the United States, which has also been mediating. There is killing, displacement, hunger, and a siege, said Saed al-Kourd, another worshipper. We go out to perform Gods rituals in order to make the children happy, but as for the joy of Eid? There is no Eid.The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Hamas is still holding 59 captives 24 of whom are believed to be alive after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other agreements. Israels offensive has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israels bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of Gaza and at their height displaced around 90% of the population.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen answers to the media during a gathering in support of detained Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, in Paris, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)2025-03-30T04:07:01Z PARIS (AP) Her political death. Thats how French far-right leader Marine Le Pen described whats at stake in a verdict expected Monday that could derail her plans to run in the next presidential election scheduled for 2027.A judge is set to rule on whether Le Pen and her National Rally party embezzled European Parliament funds. She and 24 other party officials are accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to instead pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, violating the 27-nation blocs regulations.Le Pen, 56, and other co-defendants denied wrongdoing during the nine-week trial that took place in late 2024.Le Pens greatest concern is that she could be declared ineligible to seek public office, if found guilty. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen reacts at the National Assembly before French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou delivers his general policy speech meant to outline his top priorities, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen reacts at the National Assembly before French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou delivers his general policy speech meant to outline his top priorities, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More How could the verdict affect Le Pens political career? In case of conviction, the court could impose a period where she is ineligible to run for office with immediate effect even if she files an appeal.The court would also decide whether to give Le Pen a prison sentence which would be suspended during any appeal.That could prompt another possible headache for the far-right leader. If she appeals, she will automatically be granted a new trial, but it will likely take place in 2026, just months before the presidential election. Le Pen appears to be anticipating a guilty verdict, telling the panel of three judges: I feel we didnt succeed in convincing you. During the trial, prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence for Le Pen and a five-year period of ineligibility. They want my political death, Le Pen then said. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More What does the Constitutional Council say?In a key decision on Friday, the Constitutional Council ruled that a period of ineligibility with immediate effect is in line with the French Constitution.But it also stressed that its up to the judges to assess the consequences of imposing such a ban right away and make sure the ruling is proportionate and takes into consideration the preservation of voters freedom.The Constitutional Council rendered its ruling in a separate case that has no direct link with Le Pens.Yet its conclusions have been scrutinized as they provide legal guidance that judges are likely to take into consideration.The Constitutional Council also underlined that the court can decide to not impose any period of ineligibility immediately. In that case, the ban would be suspended pending appeal.What makes Le Pen a key presidential contender? French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives with her legal team at the court house in Paris, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives with her legal team at the court house in Paris, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More For over a decade, Le Pen has worked at making her party more mainstream, dulling its extremist edge to broaden its appeal to voters. She led the National Rally from 2011 to 2021. She changed its name from the National Front, as part of her efforts to distance it from the period when her father ran it and it carried a heavy stigma of racism and antisemitism.Now a lawmaker in the National Assembly, the French parliaments powerful lower house, she has already positioned herself as a candidate to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, having twice finished runner-up to him. In 2022, Macron won with 58.5% of the vote to Le Pens 41.5% significantly closer than when they first faced off in 2017 and the best score ever of the French far right in a presidential bid.Ineligibility would have the effect of depriving me of being a presidential candidate, she pleaded during the trial. Behind that, there are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election.Who could replace her? Jordan Bardella, member of the European Parliament for the French Rassemblement National, attends a debate about Ukraine in the European parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File) Jordan Bardella, member of the European Parliament for the French Rassemblement National, attends a debate about Ukraine in the European parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Jordan Bardella, 29, succeeded Le Pen in 2021 at the helm of the party. He would likely be her prime minister if she were to become president.That makes him widely perceived as her natural successor if she were barred from running.Yet observers say theres no guarantee he would be able to convince as many voters as she does. In recent months, some inside the party have criticized his management as too focused on his personal career.Since joining the party at age 17, Bardella has risen quickly through the ranks, serving as spokesperson and president of its youth wing, before being appointed vice president and becoming the second-youngest member of the European Parliament in history, in 2019. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter

Rescue workers collect the body parts of a person killed in a Russian strike on a residential neighborhood of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)2025-03-30T08:02:36Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian drones hit a military hospital, shopping center, apartment blocks and other buildings in Kharkiv late Saturday, killing two people and wounding 30 others, Ukrainian officials said.Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were killed in the attack on Ukraines second-largest city.Ukraines General Staff denounced the deliberate, targeted shelling of the military hospital. Among the casualties were servicemen who were undergoing treatment, it said. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 111 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Sunday. It said 65 of them were intercepted and another 35 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russias Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian drones. According to Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlins negotiating position in ceasefire talks.

A local man drives a motorbike past damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)2025-03-30T11:26:14Z BANGKOK (AP) Fridays deadly earthquake rattled most of Myanmar and Thailand but certain areas sustained the heaviest damage, including flattened buildings and many lost lives.The death toll of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday rose quickly in Myanmar and was at 1,644 victims by Sunday. There were a further 3,408 people injured and 139 missing. In the greater Bangkok area, which took the brunt of the quake in Thailand, officials said Sunday the count was 18 dead, 33 injured and 78 people missing.Officials were still assessing the damage and any overall estimate remains incomplete. But two days later a clearer picture has emerged about the extent of the destruction.Myanmar sits on the major north-south Sagaing Fault, which separates the India and Sunda plates, and the widespread damage runs down a wide swath of the middle of the country. The area includes Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city with 1.5 million people that is located near the earthquakes epicenter. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed including the historic Ava Bridge connecting Sagaing and Mandalay, Mandalay University and various heritage sites, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement Sunday. Little information has come out so far from areas other than the main urban areas of Mandalay city and Naypitaw and the Red Cross said the airports remain closed in both areas. Significant damage also has been reported in the Sagaing, Naypyidaw, Magway, Bago and Shan State regions, while telecommunications outages continued to hamper emergency coordination in several regions, the Red Cross said. The Red Cross said it has launched an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss francs ($113.3 million) to assist 100,000 people in 20,000 households over the next 24 months. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a rally commemorating anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the late pro-U.S. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamic clerics to power, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP, file)2025-03-30T10:57:15Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Irans president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehrans first response to a letter President Donald Trump sent to the countrys supreme leader. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Irans response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. However, such talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew America from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. In the years since, regional tensions have boiled over into attacks at sea and on land. Then came the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which saw Israel target militant group leaders across Irans self-described Axis of Resistance. Now, as the U.S. conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Irans nuclear program remains on the table. We dont avoid talks; its the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far, Pezeshkian said in televised remarks. They must prove that they can build trust. The White House offered no immediate reaction to the announcement. Trumps letter came as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels something only done by atomic-armed nations. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb.Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. A report in February, however, by the U.N.s nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.Trump also ordered the attack that killed Irans top general in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020. 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

President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for Alina Habba as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-30T11:47:50Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump says Wednesday will be Liberation Day a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.The details of Trumps next round of import taxes are still sketchy. Most economic analyses say average U.S. families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them.Im certainly open to it, if we can do something, Trump told reporters. Well get something for it.At stake are family budgets, Americas prominence as the worlds leading financial power and the structure of the global economy.Heres what you should know about the impending trade penalties: What exactly does Trump plan to do?He wants to announce import taxes, including reciprocal tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.As he announced 25% auto tariffs last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America, Trump said. Were going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that theyve been taking over the years. Theyve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe. In an interview Saturday with NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because autos with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars, Trump said. I couldnt care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, theyre going to buy American cars.Trump has also suggested that he will be flexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States. But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports. The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper and lumber. He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deficit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says they will force other nations to show Trump respect. What could tariffs do to the US economy?Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing and other goods. Corporate profits could be lower and growth more sluggish. Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.Economist Art Laffer estimates the tariffs on autos, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator. The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year.Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a one-time price adjustment, rather than the start of an inflationary spiral. But Bessents conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy.There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to filter through to the pricing of services, said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree. Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longer-term effect on inflation.How are other nations thinking about the new tariffs? Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trumps tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has announced retaliatory tariffs.French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were not coherent and would mean breaking value chains, creating inflation in the short term and destroying jobs. Its not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian or Mexican economies. Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-for-tat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country.The Chinese government said Trumps tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identified by Trump.There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no countrys development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.How did Trump land on it being called Liberation Day?Based off Trumps public statements, April 2 is at least the third liberation day that he has identified.At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election, Nov. 5, would be Liberation Day in America. He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in his address: For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.I dont see anything positive about Liberation Day, said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management. Its going to hurt the U.S. economy. Other countries are going to retaliate. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-30T12:04:02Z WASHINGTON (AP) The executive order directed at one of the countrys most prestigious law firms followed a well-worn playbook as President Donald Trump roared down the road to retribution.Reaching beyond government, Trump has set out to impose his will across a broad swath of American life, from individuals who have drawn his ire to institutions known for their own flexes of power and intimidation.Which is how the Paul Weiss, a storied New York law firm that since its 1875 birth has advanced the cause of civil rights, shepherded the legal affairs of corporate power brokers and grown into a multi-billion-dollar multinational enterprise, came to learn it was in trouble. The reason: One of its former attorneys had investigated Trump as a Manhattan prosecutor.Trump ordered that federal security clearances of the firms attorneys be reviewed for suspension, federal contracts terminated and employee access to federal buildings restricted. Yet the decree was soon averted in the most Trumpian of ways: with a deal. After a White House meeting with the firms chairman yielded a series of commitments, including $40 million worth of legal work to support administration causes, the executive order was rescinded, but not without a backlash from a legal community that saw the resolution as a capitulation. The episode showed not only Trumps use of the power of the presidency to police dissent and punish adversaries but also his success in extracting concessions from law firms, academia, Silicon Valley and corporate boardrooms. These targets were suddenly made to fear for their futures in the face of a retribution campaign that has been a defining feature of his first two months in office. Just one day after Paul Weiss deal, Columbia University disclosed policy changes under the threat of losing billions of dollars in federal money. A week later, the venerable law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom cut a deal of its own before it could be hit by an executive order. Before that, ABC News and Meta reached multi-million-dollar settlements to resolve lawsuits from Trump. The more of them that cave, the more extortion that that invites, said Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer in Trumps first term who has since become a sharp critic. Youll see other universities and other law firms and other enemies of Trump assaulted and attacked into submission because of that.Some within the conservative legal community, by contrast, say the Republican president is acting within his right. Its the presidents prerogative to instruct the executive branch to do business with companies, law firms or contractors that he deems trustworthy and the converse is true too, said Jay Town, a U.S. attorney from Alabama during Trumps first term. The president, as the commander in chief, can determine who gets a clearance and who doesnt. Its as simple as that.Some targets have not given in, with two law firms since the Paul Weiss deal suing to block executive orders. Yet no matter their response, the sanctioned firms have generally run afoul of the White House by virtue of association with prosecutors who previously investigated Trump. If the negotiations have been surprising, consider that Trump telegraphed his approach during the campaign. For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution, he told supporters in March 2023. Less clear was: Retribution for what exactly? Against whom? By what means?The answers would come soon enough.One firm called Trump threat an existential crisisFresh off surviving four federal and state indictments that threatened to sink his political career, and investigations that shadowed his first term in office, Trump came straight for the prosecutors who investigated him and the elite firms he saw as sheltering them.His Justice Department moved almost immediately to fire the members of special counsel Jack Smiths team and some prosecutors who handled cases arising from the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.The White House followed up with an executive order that stripped security clearances from the lawyers at the law firm of Covington & Burling who have provided legal representation for Smith amid the threat of government investigations. Covington has said it looks forward to defending Mr. Smiths interests. A subsequent order punished Perkins Coie for its representation of then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign and its part in funding opposition research on Trump that took the form of a dossier containing unsubstantiated allegations about Trumps ties to Russia. Its business hanging in the balance, Perkins Coie hired Williams & Connolly, a Washington firm with an aggressive litigation style, to challenge the order. A federal judge said the administrations action sent chills down my spine and blocked portions of it from taking effect. That decision could have been a meaningful precedent for other beleaguered firms. Except thats not what happened next.The chairman of Paul Weiss said it, too, was initially prepared to sue over a March 14 order that targeted the firm in part because a former partner, Mark Pomerantz, had several years earlier overseen an investigation into Trumps finances on behalf of the Manhattan district attorneys office. But the firm also came to believe that even a courtroom victory would not erase the perception among clients that it was persona non grata with the administration, its chairman, Brad Karp, later told colleagues in an email obtained by The Associated Press.The order, Karp said, presented an existential crisis for a firm that has counted among its powerhouse representations the NFL and ExxonMobil. Some of its clients signaled they might abandon ship. The hoped-for support from fellow firms never materialized and some even sought to exploit Paul Weiss woes, Karp said.It was very likely that our firm would not be able to survive a protracted dispute with the Administration, he wrote.When the opportunity came for a White House meeting and the chance to cut a deal, he took it, pledging pro bono legal services for causes such as the fight against antisemitism as well as representation without regard to clients political affiliation. In so doing, he wrote, we have quickly solved a seemingly intractable problem and removed a cloud of uncertainty that was hanging over our law firm.The outcry was swift. Lawyers outside the firm ridiculed it. More than 140 Paul Weiss alumni signed a letter assailing the capitulation.Instead of a ringing defense of the values of democracy, we witnessed a craven surrender to, and thus complicity in, what is perhaps the gravest threat to the independence of the legal profession since at least the days of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the letter said.Within days, two other firms, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, were confronted with executive orders over their affiliation with prosecutors on Robert Muellers special counsel team that investigated Trump during his first term. Both sued Friday. WilmerHale, where Mueller is a retired partner, said the order was an unprecedented assault on the legal system. After hearing arguments, judges blocked enforcement of key portions of both orders.Yet that very day, the White House trumpeted a fresh deal with Skadden Arps in which the firm agreed to provide $100 million of pro bono legal services and to disavow the use of diversity, employment and inclusion considerations in its hiring practices.Trump has expressed satisfaction with his pressure campaign, issuing a directive to sanction lawyers who are seen as bringing frivolous litigation against the government. Universities, he marveled, are bending and saying Sir, thank you very much, we appreciate it. As for law firms, he said, Theyre just saying, Where do I sign? Nobody can believe it.One Ivy League university also acceded to Trumps demandsUptown from Paul Weisss Midtown Manhattan home base, another elite New York institution was facing its own crucible.Trump had taken office against the backdrop of disruptive protests at Columbia University tied to Israels war with Hamas. The turmoil prompted the resignation of its president and made the Ivy League school a target of critics who said an overly permissive campus environment had let antisemitic rhetoric flourish.The Trump administration this month arrested a prominent Palestinian activist and legal permanent resident in his university-owned apartment building and opened an investigation into whether Columbia hid students sought by the U.S. over their involvement in the demonstrations.In a separate action, the administration pulled $400 million from Columbia, canceling grants and contracts because of what the government said was the schools failure to stamp out antisemitism and demanding a series of changes as a condition for restoring the money or for even considering doing so.Two weeks later, the then-interim university president, Katrina Armstrong, announced that she would implement nearly all of the changes sought by the White House. Columbia would bar students from protesting in academic buildings, she said, adopt a new definition of antisemitism and put its Middle East studies department under new supervision.The universitys March 21 rollout of reforms did not challenge the Trump administrations coercive tactics, but nodded to what it said were legitimate concerns raised about antisemitism. The White House has yet to say if it will restore the money. The Columbia resolution was condemned by some faculty members and free speech advocates.Columbias capitulation endangers academic freedom and campus expression nationwide, Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement at the time.Armstrong on Friday night announced her exit from the position and her return to her post atop the schools medical center.Columbia is not Trumps sole target in academia. Also this month, the administration suspended about $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender swimmer who last competed for the school in 2022.Media companies have also been a targetTrump had not even taken office on Jan. 20 when one legal fight that could have followed him into office abruptly faded.In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million toward Trumps presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.The following month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump against the company after it suspended his accounts following the Jan. 6 riot.The agreement followed a visit by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Trumps private Florida club to try to mend fences. Such a trip may have seemed unlikely in Trumps first term, or after the Capitol siege made him, briefly, a pariah within his own party. But its something other technology, business and government officials have done.The administration, meanwhile, has taken action against news organizations whose coverage it disagrees with. The White House last month removed Associated Press reporters and photographers from the small group of journalists who follow the president in the pool and other events after the news agency declined to follow Trumps executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico; a suit by the AP is pending.And the administration has sought to dismantle Voice of America, a U.S. government-funded international news service. On Friday, a federal judge halted plans to fire more than 1,200 journalists, engineers and other staff who were sidelined after Trump ordered a funding cut. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

2025-03-30T12:52:41Z TOKYO (AP) A strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an alert saying hazardous waves could be possible but later said there was no longer a tsunami threat.Tsunami sirens could be heard after the 1:18 a.m. quake urging residents to move inland, according to the Talanoa o Tonga news site. There were no initial reports of damage. Residents in the Haapai island group had calmly moved to higher ground, the report said. Tonga is a country in Polynesia made up of 171 islands with a population of a little more than 100,000 people, most of whom live on the main island of Tongatapu.It is more than 3,500 kilometers (2,000 miles) off Australias east coast. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Elon Musk attends the finals for the NCAA wrestling championship, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)2025-03-30T12:47:12Z MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsins attorney general on Sunday asked the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court to stop billionaire Elon Musk from handing over $1 million checks to two voters, an appeal that came hours before President Donald Trumps ally planned the giveaway at an evening rally.An appeals court on Saturday rejected the legal challenge by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musks offer violates a state law prohibiting giving anything of value in exchange for a vote.Wisconsins tightly contested Supreme Court election, where ideological control of the court is at stake, is on Tuesday. Liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority.At Musks rally scheduled in Green Bay at 7:30 p.m. EST, he promised to hand over a pair of $1 million checks to voters who signed an online petition against activist judges. Trump and Musk are backing Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel in the Supreme Court race, while Democrats are behind Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. Trump and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help Schimel get elected. Crawfords campaign declined to comment Sunday on the appeal. The justices who are being asked to decide the matter include the liberal incumbent whose retirement this year set up the race for an open seat and control of the court. The contest has shattered national spending records for a judicial election, with more than $81 million in spending. Musks political action committee used a nearly identical tactic before the presidential election last year, offering to pay $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments. A judge in Pennsylvania said prosecutors failed to show the effort was an illegal lottery and allowed it to continue through Election Day.The appeals court said Saturday that the attorney general, in a minimally developed legal argument, failed to show that he was entitled to an order blocking Musk. The court also noted that Kaul alleged that the Columbia County Circuit Court had refused to hear his lawsuit, but he provided no details about the courts action. There is no entry for the county courts decision in the states online court database and neither Kauls office nor the state court office has provided any documentation to The Associated Press of the courts actions which came after business hours on Friday night.We are not permitted to be the first court to decide whether the respondents are engaged in the conduct that is alleged, or to decide the legal status of that conduct, the appeals court said.Musk on Friday initially said in a post on his social media platform, X, that he planned to personally hand over $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the race.Musk later posted a clarification, saying the money would go to people who will be spokesmen for an online petition against activist judges. After first saying the event would only be open to people who had voted in the Supreme Court race, he said attendance would be limited to those who have signed the petition. Also on Friday, Musks political action committee identified the recipient of its first $1 million giveaway a Green Bay man who had donated to the Wisconsin GOP and the conservative candidate in the court race, and who has a history of posting support for Trump and his agenda.The judicial election comes as Wisconsins highest court is expected to rule on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power and voting rules that could affect the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in the state. SCOTT BAUER Bauer is the APs Statehouse reporter covering politics and state government in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes music reviews. twitter mailto

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the U.S. Customs and Border Protection One app on his cell phone, at a migrant tent camp in Mexico City, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)2025-03-30T10:00:08Z SAN FRANCISCO (AP) U.S. immigration officials are asking the public and federal agencies to comment on a proposal to collect social media handles from people applying for benefits such as green cards or citizenship, to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump. The March 5 notice raised alarms from immigration and free speech advocates because it appears to expand the governments reach in social media surveillance to people already vetted and in the U.S. legally, such as asylum seekers, green card and citizenship applicants -- and not just those applying to enter the country. That said, social media monitoring by immigration officials has been a practice for over a decade, since at least the second Obama administration and ramping up under Trumps first term. Below are some questions and answers on what the new proposal means and how it might expand social media surveillance. What is the proposal? The Department of Homeland Security issued a 60-day notice asking for public commentary on its plan to comply with Trumps executive order titled Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats. The plan calls for uniform vetting standards and screening people for grounds of inadmissibility to the U.S., as well as identify verification and national security screening. It seeks to collect social media handles and the names of platforms, although not passwords.The policy seeks to require people to share their social media handles when applying for U.S. citizenship, green card, asylum and other immigration benefits. The proposal is open to feedback from the public until May 5. What is changing? The basic requirements that are in place right now is that people who are applying for immigrant and non-immigrant visas have to provide their social media handles, said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, managing director of the Brennan Centers Liberty and National Security Program at New York University. Where I could see this impacting is someone who came into the country before visa-related social media handle collection started, so they wouldnt have provided it before and now theyre being required to. Or maybe they did before, but their social media use has changed. This fairly widely expanded policy to collect them for everyone applying for any kind of immigration benefit, including people who have already been vetted quite extensively, she added. What this points to along with other signals the administration is sending such as detaining people and revoking student visas for participating in campus protests that the government deems antisemitic and sympathetic to the militant Palestinian group Hamas Levinson-Waldman added, is the increased use of social media to make these very high-stakes determinations about people. In a statement, a spokesperson for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service said the agency seeks to strengthen fraud detection, prevent identity theft, and support the enforcement of rigorous screening and vetting measures to the fullest extent possible. These efforts ensure that those seeking immigration benefits to live and work in the United States do not threaten public safety, undermine national security, or promote harmful anti-American ideologies, the statement continued. USCIS estimates that the proposed policy change will affect about 3.6 million people. How are social media accounts used now? The U.S. government began ramping up the use of social media for immigration vetting in 2014 under then-President Barack Obama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In late 2015, the Department of Homeland Security began both manual and automatic screening of the social media accounts of a limited number of individuals applying to travel to the United States, through various non-public pilot programs, the nonpartisan law and policy institute explains on its website. In May 2017, the U.S. Department of State issued an emergency notice to increase the screening of visa applicants. Brennan, along with other civil and human rights groups, opposed the move, arguing that it is excessively burdensome and vague, is apt to chill speech, is discriminatory against Muslims, and has no security benefit. Two years later, the State Department began collecting social media handles from nearly all foreigners applying for visas to travel to the U.S. about 15 million people a year. How is AI used? Artificial intelligence tools used to comb through potentially millions of social media accounts have evolved over the past decade, although experts caution that such tools have limits and can make mistakes. Leon Rodriguez, who served as the director of USCIS from 2014 to 2017 and now practices as an immigration attorney, said while AI could be used as a first screening tool, he doesnt think were anywhere close to where AI will be able to exercise the judgment of a trained fraud detection and national security officer or that of someone in an intelligence agency.Its also possible that I will miss stuff, he added. Because AI is still very much driven by specific search criteria and its possible that the search criteria wont hit actionable content. What are the concerns? Social media is just a stew, so much different information some of it is reliable, some of it isnt. Some of it can be clearly attributed to somebody, some of it cant. And it can be very hard to interpret, Levinson-Waldman said. So I think as a baseline matter, just using social media to make high-stakes decisions is quite concerning.Then theres the First Amendment.Its by and large established that people in the U.S. have First Amendment rights, she said. This includes people who are not citizens. And obviously, there are complicated ways that that plays out. There is also fairly broad authority for the government to do something like revoking somebodys visa, if youre not a citizen, then theres steps that the government can take but by and large, with very narrow exceptions, that cannot be on the grounds of speech that would be protected (by the First Amendment). BARBARA ORTUTAY Ortutay writes about social media and the internet for The Associated Press. mailto

This June 27, 2012, photo shows actor Richard Chamberlain in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, file)2025-03-30T13:54:17Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series Dr. Kildare who found a second career as an award-winning king of the miniseries, has died. He was 90.Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us, Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement. How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, Shattered Love.The actor became known as king of the TV miniseries in 1978 when he landed the starring role in Centennial, an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Micheners sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with Shogun, another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavells period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, The Thorn Birds, based on Colleen McCulloughs best-seller. He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in Shogun and The Thorn Birds. Years earlier, he received one for Dr. Kildare. When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theater, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of The Sound of Music.He reprised his role of de Bricassart in the 1996 TV movie The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.He also appeared in numerous films, including The Music Lovers (as Tchaikovsky), The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Towering Inferno and The Three Musketeers and its sequels.The Kildare series was based on a string of successful 1930s and 40s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role.Chamberlains hunky, All-American appearance made him an overnight star. Another medical show that debuted the same season, Ben Casey, also was a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too.The Ben Casey shirt became a fashion item, both shows theme songs made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called Dr. Kildare! Dr. Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation. But in his book, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality. He would escort glamorous actresses to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: Getting married would be great, but Im awfully busy now.When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten, he said in an NBC interview. I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it.The book also described a troubled childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally lifted a heavy emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he was no longer hiding his sexuality.I played a cat-and-mouse game with the press. Game over, said Chamberlain, who for years was involved with fellow actor Martin Rabbett.Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting. He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film The Secret of the Purple Reef, he won the Dr. Kildare role.When Dr. Kildare was canceled he initially found it difficult to shake the image of the handsome young physician.He moved to England for a time to find work and hone his acting skills. While there, he appeared in three of director Richard Lesters films, Petulia (1968), The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974). He reunited with Lester in 1989 for The Return of the Musketeers, once more playing Aramis. In 1969, Chamberlain played the title role in Hamlet at Englands Birmingham Repertory Company and repeated it in a TV adaptation that appeared on NBC in the United States. He also appeared as Octavius in a film version of Julius Caesar, which co-starred Charlton Heston and Jason Robards.He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel.___Bob Thomas, a longtime Associated Press journalist who died in 2014, was the principal writer of this obituary.

Gold medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates, of the United States, pose for a photos during a medal ceremony for ice dancing at the figure skating world championships, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)2025-03-30T13:40:11Z BOSTON (AP) Its hard to imagine a better world championships for the American figure skating team, which captured gold in three of the four disciplines over the weekend for the first time in its history, and will take all of that momentum into an Olympic year.But there is an old rival potentially returning to the mix that wasnt at worlds: the Russians.The country that has dominated Olympic figure skating over the past three-plus decades has been banned from competing in any international events since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its best skaters have been forced to defect to other countries or, for those unwilling to do so, compete in a series of domestic events far outside of the global spotlight.But late last year, the International Skating Union announced that it had developed a strict procedure whereby a small number of Russian athletes could qualify for the Milano-Cortina Games in February. The plan created at the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee involves Russia nominating a single athlete or pair in each of the disciplines to compete in a qualifying event in Beijing later this year, provided they go through a rigorous background check. The athletes would compete as neutral athletes, much like a small number did at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and only if they have no ties to the Russian or Belarusian military and have not publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine. The ISU has maintained its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine, the organization said in a statement. The plan was greeted by athletes at the world championships this week with a mixture of confusion and disappointment, support and rejection. But most athletes that discussed the situation with The Associated Press said they simply didnt care.They have competed against Russians in every other Olympics. They would be fine with doing it again. Its something weve grown accustomed to being in my four Olympics, and hopefully heading to a fifth, said Evan Bates, who along with his partner, Madison Chock, won their third consecutive ice dance championship on Saturday night.The last couple to accomplish that feat? Russians Oksana Grischuk and Evgeni Platov, who won four in a row from 1994-97.Its something completely out of our control. We can never control who is going to be let in, and what the political ramifications are, Bates continued. Its outside our control, and the more we focus on it, it distracts from where our focus needs to be.This isnt the first time that Chock and Bates have been through some uncertainty when it comes to the Russian team.They were part of the American squad that initially earned a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Games. But when Russian star Kamila Valieva was disqualified for a doping violation after a protracted investigation, the U.S. was elevated to gold, and Chock and Bates finally received their medals alongside their teammates at the Paris Games last summer.Along with its gold medal Saturday night, the U.S. also stood atop the worlds podium with Alysa Liu, who broke a nearly two-decade drought for American women, and in the mens competition with Ilia Malinin, who won a second straight title by more than 30 points to stamp himself as the overwhelming favorite for the Winter Games. Asked whether she thought the Russians should be at worlds, Liu replied simply: I dont know. Do you?Its difficult to predict which Russians will attempt to qualify for Milano-Cortina the ISU received a list of candidates to vet by its Feb. 28 deadline but whoever clears the threshold likely will contend in two events in particular: women and pairs.Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova gave Russia gold and silver for the second consecutive Winter Games in Beijing, and a Russian has stood atop the podium in the womens event for the past three Olympics. And in pairs, Russians have taken gold in five of the past eight Olympics, and its skaters took silver and bronze at the Beijing Games.The U.S. has not had a womens Olympic champion since Sarah Hughes in 2002. It has never won in pairs. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would try to ensure the participation of its athletes at the Winter Games, according to Russian news agency Tass. The statement came before the election of Kirsty Coventry as the new IOC president, and with her arrival came new hope for Russia that it could be allowed back into the Olympics.Already, it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to make inroads, offering the former swimmer his sincere congratulations on her win. Putin said in a statement issued by the Kremlin, The results of the vote convincingly attest to your high authority in the sporting world and the recognition of your outstanding personal achievements.We will defend the interests of our athletes and our Olympic team, said Peskov, when asked recently about Russias potential involvement in the Milano-Cortina Games. Settling this issue will require additional time and effort. That time and effort is for others to expend, though. For skaters, the focus is on preparing themselves for an Olympic year.Our Olympic experiences, theres been Russians at every Olympics so far, and looking to the next, should they be there, that will make the Olympic Games feel like theres no caveat, Bates said. And if we can execute our plan and fulfill the goals we set for ourselves and stand atop the podium, we wont worry about the rest of the field. Well just focus on the skating and the training and the preparation and enjoying what could be our last Olympic experience.___AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports DAVE SKRETTA Skretta is a Kansas City-based sports writer for The Associated Press. He covers the Royals, the Chiefs and college sports along with auto racing, the Olympics and other sports.

Gene Sorensen holds up a transgender flag in front of the Nebraska state Capitol during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally, March 31, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Larry Robinson/Lincoln Journal Star via AP, file)2025-03-30T04:34:36Z On the campaign trail, Donald Trump used contentiousness around transgender peoples access to sports and bathrooms to fire up conservative voters and sway undecideds. And in his first months back in office, Trump has pushed the issue further, erasing mention of transgender people on government websites and passports and trying to remove them from the military.Its a contradiction of numbers that reveals a deep cultural divide: Transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they have become a major piece on the political chess board particularly Trumps.For transgender people and their allies along with several judges who have ruled against Trump in response to legal challenges its a matter of civil rights for a small group. But many Americans believe those rights had grown too expansive.The presidents spotlight is giving Mondays Transgender Day of Visibility a different tenor this year. What he wants is to scare us into being invisible again, said Rachel Crandall Crocker, the executive director of Transgender Michigan who organized the first Day of Visibility 16 years ago. We have to show him we wont go back.So why has this small population found itself with such an outsized role in American politics? The focus on transgender people is part of a long-running campaignTrumps actions reflect a constellation of beliefs that transgender people are dangerous, are men trying to get access to womens spaces or are pushed into gender changes that they will later regret.The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and other major medical groups have said that gender-affirming treatments can be medically necessary and are supported by evidence. Zein Murib, an associate professor of political science and womens, gender and sexuality studies at Fordham University, said there has been a decades-old effort to reinstate Christian nationalist principles as the law of the land that increased its focus on transgender people after a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage nationwide. It took a few years, but some of the positions gained traction. One factor: Proponents of the restrictions lean into broader questions of fairness and safety, which draw more public attention.Sports bans and bathroom laws are linked to protecting spaces for women and girls, even as studies have found transgender women are far more likely to be victims of violence. Efforts to bar schools from encouraging gender transition are connected to protecting parental rights. And bans on gender-affirming care rely partly on the idea that people might later regret it, though studies have found that to be rare.Since 2020, about half the states passed laws barring transgender people from sports competitions aligning with their gender and have banned or restricted gender-affirming medical care for minors. At least 14 have adopted laws restricting which bathrooms transgender people can use in certain buildings.In February, Iowa became the first state to remove protections for transgender people from civil rights law.Its not just political gamesmanship. I think that whether or not thats a politically viable strategy is second to the immediate impact that that is going to have on trans people, Fordhams Murib said. Many voters think transgender rights have gone too farMore than half of voters in the 2024 election 55% said support for transgender rights in the United States has gone too far, according to AP VoteCast. About 2 in 10 said the level of support has been about right, and a similar share said support hasnt gone far enough.Nevertheless, AP VoteCast also found voters were split on laws banning gender-affirming medical treatment, such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy, for minors. Just over half were opposed to these laws, while just under half were in favor.Trump voters were overwhelmingly likely to say support for transgender rights has gone too far, while Kamala Harris voters were more divided. About 4 in 10 Harris voters said support for transgender rights has not gone far enough, while 36% said its been about right and about one-quarter said its gone too far. A survey this year from the Pew Research Center found Americans, including Democrats, have become more slightly more supportive of requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their sex at birth and more supportive on bans on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors since 2022. Most Democrats still oppose those kinds of measures, though.Leor Sapir, a fellow at Manhattan Institute, a right-leaning think tank, says Trumps and Republicans positions have given them a political edge. They are putting their opponents, their Democratic opponents, in a very unfavorable position by having to decide between catering to their progressive, activist base or their median voter, he said.Not everyone agrees.People across the political spectrum agree that in fact, the major crises and major problems facing the United States right now is not the existence and civic participation of trans people, said Olivia Hunt, director of federal policy for Advocates for Trans Equality.And in the same election that saw Trump return to the presidency, Delaware voters elected Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress. The full political fallout remains to be seenPaisley Currah, a political science professor at the City University of New York, said conservatives go after transgender people in part because they make up such a small portion of the population.Because its so small, its relatively unknown, said Currah, who is transgender. And then Trump has kind of used trans to signify whats wrong with the left. You know: Its just too crazy. Its too woke.But Democratic politicians also know the population is relatively small, said Seth Masket, director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, who is writing a book about the GOP.A lot of Democrats are not particularly fired up to defend this group, Masket said, citing polling.For Republicans, the overall support of transgender rights is evidence they are out of step with the times. The Democrat Party continues to find themselves on the wrong side of overwhelmingly popular issues, and it proves just how out of touch they are with Americans, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella said.Some of that message may be getting through. In early March, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, launched his new podcast by speaking out against allowing transgender women and girls competing in womens and girls sports.And several other Democratic officials have said the party spends too much effort supporting transgender rights. Others, including U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, have said they oppose transgender athletes in girls and womens sports.Jay Jones, the student government president at Howard University and a transgender woman, said her peers are largely accepting of transgender people.The Trump administration is trying to weaponize people of the trans experience to help give an archenemy or a scapegoat, she said. But I dont think that is going to be as successful as the strategy as he thinks that it will be.___Associated Press polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this article. Jesse Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. GEOFF MULVIHILL Mulvihill covers topics on the agendas of state governments across the country. He has focused on abortion, gender issues and opioid litigation. twitter mailto JESSE BEDAYN Bedayn is a statehouse reporter for The Associated Press based in Denver. He is a Report for America corps member. mailto

In the wake of President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, the LGBTQ+ community has faced increased challenges due to policy changes and societal shifts. Despite these adversities, maintaining visibility on social media has become a crucial strategy for empowerment, community building, and advocacy. Below are notable examples that illustrate the importance of this visibility in the context...

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the Midwest Region championship trophy after defeating Tennessee in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)2025-03-30T20:39:03Z 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. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Houstons relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021, with L.J. Cryer scoring 17 points in a 69-50 victory on Sunday.Emanuel Sharp scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime for top-seeded Houston (34-4) and was named the regions Most Outstanding Player.Houston extended the nations longest active winning streak to 17 games. The Cougars had been eliminated as a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16 in each of the past two years, but this time coach Kelvin Sampsons team has a shot at the programs first national title.The Cougars will face Cooper Flagg and five-time national champ Duke on Saturday in San Antonio just a 3 1/2-hour drive from campus.The Cougars have reached the national title game twice, losing in 1983 to North Carolina State and in 1984 to Georgetown in the Phi Slama Jama era. Sharp made four 3-pointers and Joseph Tugler, who made the assist on Fridays decisive basket against Purdue, had nine rebounds.Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey scored 17 points apiece for the second-seeded Volunteers (30-8), who again fell short of the programs first Final Four appearance. Coach Rick Barnes team was also eliminated in a regional final last year. Houston won this one with a familiar formula.The nations stingiest defense held the Vols to 15 first-half points, the fewest in an Elite Eight game since 1979. It also was the lowest first-half scoring total by any No. 1 or No. 2 seed in a March Madness game since seeding began in 1979. When the Vols had a chance to cut the deficit to single digits in the second half, the nations top 3-point shooting team made three straight from beyond the arc to extend the margin to 17.How bad was it for the Vols?They made only 6 of 28 shots in the first 20 minutes and missed their first 14 3s before Zakai Ziegler finally ended the drought with 38 seconds left, cutting the deficit to 34-15 far too big a deficit to come back from. Tourney teams that trailed by 19 or more points at halftime are now 0-244 all-time. Even in the second half, Tennessee struggled. The defense that outplayed Kentucky so thoroughly in the previous round couldnt get enough stops and while the offense improved, it wasnt good enough.Tennessees top scorers, Chaz Lanier and Zeigler, were a combined 5 of 27 from the field. Zeigler had five points and five assists.Points at a premiumGeorgetown had the previous lowest-scoring first half in March Madness with 16 points in a second-round victory over SMU in 1984. That Hoyas team went on to win the national title. The paltry first-half total was matched by Miami in a 2013 Sweet 16 loss to Marquette and by Michigan in a 2019 Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech.___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.

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, March 28, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-03-30T17:19:31Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump said Sunday that Im not joking about trying to serve a third term, the clearest indication he is considering ways to breach a constitutional barrier against continuing to lead the country after his second term ends at the beginning of 2029.There are methods which you could do it, Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News from Mar-a-Lago, his private club. He also said it is far too early to think about it.The 22nd Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times in a row, says no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.Any attempt to remain in office would be legally suspect and it is unclear how seriously Trump might pursue the idea. The comments nonetheless were an extraordinary reflection of the desire to maintain power by a president who had violated democratic traditions four years ago when he tried to overturn the election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy, said a statement from Rep. Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat who served as lead counsel for Trumps first impeachment. If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trumps ambitions for a third term. Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist who runs the right-wing War Room podcast, called for the president to run again during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month. We want Trump in 28, he said. Kayla Thompson, a 30-year-old former paralegal in Wisconsin, said she would absolutely like Trump to serve another term.America needs him. America is headed in the right direction and, if he doesnt do it, were probably headed backwards, said Thompson, who was attending a campaign event Sunday with Elon Musk in Green Bay for a state Supreme Court race. Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Bostons Northeastern University, said there are no credible legal arguments for him to run for a third term.NBCs Kristen Welker asked Trump if one potential avenue to a third term was having Vice President JD Vance run for the top job and then pass the baton to you.Well, thats one, Trump responded. But there are others too. There are others.Can you tell me another? Welker asked.No, Trump replied.Vances office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.Derek Muller, a professor of election law at Notre Dame, noted that the 12th Amendment, which was ratified in 1804, says no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.Muller said that indicates that if Trump is not eligible to run for president again because of the 22nd Amendment, he is not eligible to run for vice president, either.I dont think theres any one weird trick to getting around presidential term limits, Muller said. In addition, pursuing a third term would require extraordinary acquiescence by federal and state officials, not to mention the courts and voters themselves.He suggested that Trump is talking about a third term for political reasons to show as much strength as possible.A lame-duck president like Donald Trump has every incentive in the world to make it seem like hes not a lame duck, he said.Trump, who would be 82 at the end of his second term, was asked whether he would want to keep serving in the toughest job in the country at that point.Well, I like working, the president said.Trump suggested that Americans would go along with a third term because of his popularity. He falsely claimed to have the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years.Gallup data shows President George W. Bush reaching a 90% approval rating after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. His father, President George H.W. Bush, hit 89% following the Gulf War in 1991. Trump has maxed out at 47% in Gallup data during his second term, despite claiming to be in the high 70s in many polls, in the real polls.Trump has mused before about serving longer than two terms before, generally with jokes to friendly audiences. Am I allowed to run again? he said during a House Republican retreat in January.Representatives for the congressional leadership House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the AP.___Associated Press writers Tom Beaumont in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Gary Fields in Washington 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

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) reacts to play against Michigan State during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)2025-03-30T23:30:30Z 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) Johni Broome had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Auburn took command with 17 unanswered points in the first half to beat Michigan State 70-64 on Sunday and complete a sweep of No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four.Auburn (32-5) earned its second Final Four trip, while Michigan State (30-7) fell short in its bid to send coach Tom Izzo to his ninth national semifinal. Auburns only previous Final Four appearance came in 2019, also under coach Bruce Pearl.The South Region champion Tigers, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, became the last of the No. 1 seeds to advance to the Final Four joining Florida, Duke and Houston.Its the first time all top seeds have reached the Final Four since 2008, which was the only previous year of all No. 1-seeded semifinalists since seeding began in 1979. And higher-seeded teams went 12-0 in regional semifinals and finals for the first time since the tournament expanded in 1985. Auburn will face Florida, which beat Texas Tech 84-79 in the West Region final, in an all-Southeastern Conference semifinal on Saturday in San Antonio.Jaxon Kohler led the Spartans with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden Akins had 15 points. Broome fell on his right arm while attempting to block a shot with 10:37 remaining and left the game. Broome, the Associated Press SEC player of the year and a first-team All-America selection, appeared to hurt his right elbow on the fall. Broome returned with 5:29 remaining, drawing an immediate ovation from Auburn fans. He had the elbow wrapped and sank a 3-pointer less than a minute later.It was a scary moment, Broome said. I went down but my team had my back.Auburn was the only Elite Eight team to win each of its first three March Madness games by double digits, including its 78-65 Sweet 16 victory over Michigan. Michigan State rallied for a 73-70 win over Mississippi in the Sweet 16. The Spartans led 8-6 before the Tigers took command with the 17-0 run. The Spartans were held scoreless for 5:46 while missing 10 consecutive shots during the Auburn run. A 3-pointer by Broome, who did most of his scoring near the basket, capped the run for a 23-8 lead.Auburn led 33-24 at halftime. The Spartans pulled within five points at 35-30 early in the second half but got no closer.TakeawaysMichigan State: Coen Carr, who received his first career start against Ole Miss, was back in the lineup against the Tigers. The forward, a native of Stockbridge near Atlanta, earned the nod after scoring 15 points against Ole Miss, while 7-foot center Szymon Zapala, normally a starter, returned in a reserve role against Auburn after not playing against the Rebels. Carr scored four points against Auburn while Zapala had two points in 14 minutes.Auburn: Miles Kelly had three field goals in the 17-0 run. After making back-to-back jumpers to start the run, Kelly added a steal and 3-pointer. He finished with eight points. Tahaad Pettiford scored 10.___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. CHARLES ODUM Odum has been covering Atlanta professional sports for The Associated Press for more than 20 years. Odum also covers Georgia and Georgia Tech as well as other major events in the state, including NASCAR. twitter mailto

Rescuers work at the site of the Sky Villa Condo that collapsed In Friday's earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)2025-03-31T04:12:51Z MANDALAY, Myanmar (AP) The death toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar has risen to more than 1,700 as more bodies have been pulled from the rubble, the countrys military-led government said Monday.Government spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told state-run MRTV that another 3,400 have been injured and more than 300 were missing.He did not provide more specific figures.The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit at midday Friday, causing widespread damage, including in the capital Naypitaw and the second largest city, Mandalay.The earthquake, whose epicenter was near Mandalay, brought down scores of buildings and damaged other infrastructure like the citys airport.Relief efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country engaged in a civil war.In neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked much of the country and killed at least 18 people, many at a construction site in Bangkok where a partially built high-rise collapsed.

A currency trader works under an electronic stock board at a foreign currency trading firm in Tokyo Monday, March 31, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)2025-03-31T03:19:21Z HONG KONG (AP) Asian shares were sharply lower on Monday, with Tokyos Nikkei 225 falling more than 4% after another wipeout slammed Wall Street.Worries are building over a potentially toxic mix of worsening inflation and a U.S. economy slowing because households are afraid to spend due to the trade war.U.S. futures and oil prices were lower. Thailands SET lost 0.9% after a powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar rattled the region, causing widespread destruction in the country, also known as Burma, and less damage in places like Bangkok, though a high-rise office building under construction collapsed. Tokyos benchmark fell 4.1% to 35,615.15, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 1% to 23,200.65. The Shanghai Composite index declined 0.5% to 3,333.66.In South Korea, the Kospi fell 2.6% to 2,492.49, while Australias S&P/ASX 200 sank 1.6% to 7,856.80. Taiwans Taiex lost 3.4%. On Friday, the S&P 500 dropped 2% to 5,580.94, for one of its worst days in the last two years. It was its fifth losing week in the last six. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 715 points, or 1.7%, to 41,583.90, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2.7% to 17,322.99. Lululemon Athletica led the market lower with a drop of 14.2%, even though the seller of athletic apparel reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.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 5.7%. One of the main worries hitting Wall Street is that President Donald Trumps escalating tariffs 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 showed all types of U.S. consumers are getting more pessimistic about their future finances. Two out of three expect unemployment to worsen in the year ahead, according to a survey by the University of Michigan. Thats the highest reading since 2009, and it raises worries about a job market thats been a linchpin keeping the U.S. economy solid. A separate report also raised concerns after it showed a widely followed, underlying measure of inflation was a touch worse last month than economists expected. The Fed could return to cutting interest rates, like it was doing late last year, in order to give the economy and financial markets a boost. But such cuts would also push upward on inflation, which has been sticking above the Feds 2% target. The economy and job market have been holding up so far, but if they 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 customers feeling confident enough to spend, and not just on yoga wear or beach clothes. Delta Air Lines lost 5%. Casino operator Caesars Entertainment dropped 5%. Dominos Pizza sank 5.1%. The heaviest weights on the market were Apple, Microsoft and other Big Tech stocks, whose massive sizes give their movements more sway over indexes. They and other stocks that had gotten caught up in the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology have been among the hardest hit in Wall Streets recent sell-off. Their prices had shot up so much more quickly than their already fast-growing revenues and profits that critics said they looked too expensive. 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 2.2%. 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 each of the United States trading partners.In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 40 cents to $68.96 per barrel. Brent crude oil fell 36 cents to $72.40 per barrel.The U.S. dollar fell to 148.86 Japanese yen from 149.84 yen. The euro rose to $1.0838 from $1.0803. ___AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed.

A Muslim boy performs Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)2025-03-31T05:34:06Z Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a festive holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.Families gathered for special prayers followed by feasts and holiday sweets starting Sunday after a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting. Muslims typically mark the holiday with family visits and outings, and children get new clothes.Families also visit the graves of loved ones, and the suffering of Muslims in the Gaza Strip and other conflict zones was never far from peoples minds.In Gaza, Palestinians prayed among the ruins of mosques destroyed by Israeli strikes, and many went hungry as Israel maintained a nearly monthlong halt to the entry of food, fuel and humanitarian aid, part of its renewed war with the Hamas militant group.Elsewhere in the Middle East, Syrians are celebrating their first Eid al-Fitr since the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, as the country navigates a troubled transition after his familys half-century autocratic rule.In the United States, several supporters of Palestinian causes with ties to American universities have been detained in the Trump administrations crackdown on immigrants.This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Yahya Edward Hendrawan, who is also known as 'Yahya the Clown', gives an Islamic religious class during a Ramadan event at an elementary school in Tangerang, Indonesia, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)2025-03-31T03:11:20Z TANGERANG, Indonesia (AP) Wearing a colorful costume, red nose and a turban on his head, Yahya Hendrawan performs as a clown in Indonesian schools, teaching Islamic values to children and teenagers.He started out working birthday parties as a side hustle. But in 2010 his religious teacher encouraged him to become a modern-day Abu Nawas, a legendary Arabic poet known for his wit, wisdom, humor and clever wordplay, so he could bring a cheerful, lighthearted approach to teaching religion.Hendrawan, now known as Yahya Badut, or Yahya the Clown, has embraced that vision. He founded, along with some fellow clowns, the Sharia Clown Foundation, a neighborhood initiative that blends entertainment with religious education. Hendrawan teaches every weekday afternoon in a library at his house and occasionally at a school or orphanage with his clown partners. He often begins lessons with a cheerful song, encouraging children to share a smile. Other clowns open with magic tricks.There is a hadith that says: Your sweet smile in front of your brothers is charity. So we must prioritize smiles and greetings. When meeting friends, shaking hands, smile .. You are good. I am good. Thank God, Hendrawan said.By being funny and cheerful, Hendrawan says he hopes the children will quickly absorb his lessons about morals, manners and Islamic values.

In this image made from a video released by the Israeli Government Press Office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Israeli Government Press Office via AP)2025-03-31T06:12:07Z Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated a new domestic security chief, after he moved to fire the current one over a crisis of confidence that critics say was politically motivated.Netanyahu on Monday nominated former Navy commander Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit to lead the agency, which surveils and thwarts attacks from Palestinian militant groups.Earlier this month, Netanyahu moved to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, a step that sparked an uproar in Israel. Netanyahu said he lost faith in Bar over Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and disagreements over ceasefire negotiations. But critics said the dismissal undermined Israels independent state institutions and came at a problematic time, as Bar and the agency were investigating links between the Gulf state of Qatar and close advisers to Netanyahu.Israels High Court froze Bars dismissal pending further hearings but cleared the way for Netanyahu to interview candidates for the job. ___Heres the latest: Former Israeli hostage calls on Trump to end war in GazaA former Israeli hostage who learned upon his release that his wife and two young children were killed in captivity in Gaza called on U.S. President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war in Gaza.In his first media interview since being freed in a ceasefire last month, Yarden Bibas told CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday that Trump was the only one who can convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas to halt the renewed fighting.He said as a hostage, as he was held in Hamas underground tunnels, Israeli strikes were terrifying. Youre afraid for your life, he said. Everything could collapse at any moment. He said his captors, who had taunted him over his familys fate, told him youll get a new wife. New kids. Better wife. Better kids.Please stop the war and help bring all the hostages back, Bibas called on Trump. UN releases footage from Gaza operation to recover first responders killed by Israeli forcesThe United Nations has released footage from the operation to recover 15 first responders killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.The footage released Sunday showed members of the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government, exhuming a body from a mound of sand. The body was wearing the same orange vest as the rescuers.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called it the deadliest attack on its workers since 2017.Israel said its forces opened fire on several vehicles that raised suspicions by advancing without headlights or emergency signals. The military said a Hamas operative and eight other militants were among those killed.The United Nations humanitarian office said eight Red Crescent workers, six members of the Civil Defense and a U.N. worker were killed.The shooting occurred when Israeli forces launched a surprise ground incursion into the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah on March 23.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File)2025-03-31T06:43:01Z PARIS (AP) A Paris court is expected to deliver a verdict Monday in an embezzlement case that could shake up French politics and derail far-right leader Marine Le Pen s career.Le Pen and 24 other officials from her National Rally are accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation blocs regulations. Le Pen and her co-defendants deny wrongdoing.The biggest concern for Le Pen is that the court may declare her ineligible to run for office with immediate effect even if she appeals. That could prevent her from running for president in 2027. She has described such scenario as a political death.The Constitutional Council ruled Friday, in a separate case, that imposing the punishment immediately was constitutional. With so many defendants, the verdict could take several hours for the chief judge to read out, meaning Le Pen may not learn her fate immediately when the proceedings start. If found guilty, Le Pen and her co-defendants also face up to 10 years in prison a verdict they could appeal. That would lead to another trial. Le Pen, 56, was runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and her partys electoral support has grown in recent years.During the nine-week trial that took place in late 2024, she argued that ineligibility would have the effect of depriving me of being a presidential candidate and disenfranchise her supporters. There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election, she told the panel of three judges. Le Pen denied accusations she was at the head of a system meant to siphon off EU parliament money to benefit her party, which she led from 2011 to 2021. She argued instead that it was acceptable to adapt the work of the aides paid by the European Parliament to the needs of the lawmakers, including some highly political work related to the party, which was called the National Front at the time.While testifying, Le Pen told the court: I absolutely dont feel I have committed the slightest irregularity, the slightest illegal move.Hearings showed that some EU money was used to pay for Le Pens bodyguard who was once her fathers bodyguard as well as her personal assistant.Prosecutors asked the court to declare Le Pen guilty, requesting a two-year prison sentence and a five-year period of ineligibility. Le Pen said she felt they were only interested in preventing her from running for president.Prosecutors also requested a guilty verdict for all the other co-defendants, including various sentences of up to one year in prison and a 2-million-euro ($2.2 million) fine for the party. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter

Hassan Abu Sultan mourns over the body of her son Jehad, who, along with his wife and three children, was killed when an Israeli army strike hit their tent, as heir bodies lie on the floor at a hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, awaiting burial on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-31T06:54:36Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) The Israeli military on Monday issued sweeping evacuation orders covering most of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and ground war earlier this month. At the beginning of March it cut off all supplies of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to the territorys roughly 2 million Palestinians to pressure Hamas to accept changes to the truce agreement.The evacuation orders appeared to cover nearly all of the city and nearby areas. The military ordered Palestinians to head to Muwasi, a sprawl of squalid tent camps along the coast. The orders came during Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Israel launched a major operation in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, last May, leaving large parts of it in ruins. The military seized a strategic corridor along the border as well as the Rafah crossing with Egypt, Gazas only gateway to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel. Israel was supposed to withdraw from the corridor under the ceasefire it signed with Hamas in January under U.S. pressure, but it later refused to, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling.Israel has vowed to intensify its military operations until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages it holds 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel has also demanded that Hamas disarm and leave the territory, conditions that were not included in the ceasefire agreement and which Hamas has rejected. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would take charge of security in Gaza after the war and implement U.S. President Donald Trumps proposal to resettle Gazas population in other countries, describing it as voluntary emigration. That plan has been universally rejected by Palestinians, who view it as forcible expulsion from their homeland, and human rights experts say it would likely violate international law.Hamas, meanwhile, has insisted on implementing the signed agreement, which called for the remainder of the hostages to be released in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli pullout. Negotiations over those parts of the agreement were supposed to have begun in February but only preliminary talks have been held.The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, rampaging through army bases and farming communities and killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants took another 251 people hostage, most of whom have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. At its height, the war had displaced some 90% of Gazas population, with many fleeing multiple times.Large areas of Gaza have been completely destroyed, and its unclear how or when anything will be rebuilt.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 31 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00935-1Overcoming these obstacles in carbon markets can speed up decarbonization.

Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt talks to the media at the site of an under-construction high-rise building that collapsed after an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, March, 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)2025-03-31T08:34:53Z BANGKOK (AP) Thai authorities said Monday they are investigating why a single office tower under construction in Bangkok collapsed during an earthquake Friday that otherwise caused limited damage in the capital.Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited the site as heavy equipment pulled away rubble from the 30-story building in hopes of finding survivors among the 78 people still missing.He said it is most urgent to first concentrate on finding whoever might be saved. Even one life saved is worth all the effort, so I think we have to move on, carry on, he said.But in the longer run its important to ensure building safety in the city, which has millions of people living and working in thousands of high-rise buildings. The magnitude 7.7 quake centered more than 800 miles (1,200 kilometers) away killed more than 1,700 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in Thailand, most at the Bangkok construction site near the popular Chatuchak Market. Whats important in the long-term and medium-term, I think we need to find the root cause so at least we can learn some lessons and improve building regulations, he said. In the end, we will have some results that will improve safety in Bangkok. Shares in the property developer handling the project, Italian Thai Development, sank 27% on Monday as questions were raised about the high-rises design, enforcement of construction safety codes, and the state-run Chinese contractor building the structure, the State Audit Office building. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, whose family owns one of Thailands largest construction conglomerates, told reporters he ordered an investigation committee to be set up and to report the results back to him within seven days.He pointed to three possible factors: the designer, the inspectors or the builders.We will definitely find the true reasons as to why this building has collapsed, because its all scientific, Anutin said. Although it does not sit near a geologic fault, Bangkok is built on relatively unstable alluvial soil, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The city has long been sinking under the weight of its many tall buildings, leading authorities to restrict the use of groundwater to help reduce subsidence.The Myanmar quake Friday gave the city an unusually long and strong jolt, causing water from rooftop pools to cascade down skyscrapers, light-rail trains to rock on their tracks, and millions of people to flee homes and apartment buildings. Many people waited for hours to see if their homes and offices were safe.Most other damage in the city appeared to be superficial, such as fallen ceiling panels and fittings and cracked plaster. ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the APs business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto