South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, Pool, File)2025-03-11T01:02:27Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas Constitutional Court could soon rule on whether to dismiss or reinstate impeached conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol. That doesnt mean the political crisis caused by Yoons short-lived imposition of martial law is over. South Koreas already-severe political divide between conservatives and liberals will likely intensify as Seoul grapples with major foreign policy challenges like U.S. President Donald Trumps America First foreign policy platform and North Koreas increasing military cooperation with Russia.Heres what to expect about the courts likely impending verdict on Yoons Dec. 3 martial law decree that is testing South Koreas democracy. What might the court do? The Constitutional Court has been deliberating whether to formally end Yoons presidency since the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly in December voted to suspend him. Yoon is also facing a separate criminal trial after his arrest and indictment by prosecutors in January for alleged rebellion in connection with his martial law decree.If the Constitutional Court rules against him, he will be officially thrown out of office and a national election will be held for a successor within two months.If the court rules for Yoon, he would return to presidential duties. It was earlier unclear whether or how soon he might return to work, because he had been in jail until Saturday. Yoon is South Koreas first president who has been arrested while in office, and there are no clear laws or past rulings that could guarantee his immediate return to office, analysts say. But he was eventually released from prison, after a Seoul court canceled his arrest and allowed him to stand his criminal trial without being detained. After hearing 16 witnesses, the court ended arguments on Feb. 25, but it hasnt announced when it will announce a verdict. Observers say it could come as early as this week, citing past cases where the court ruled on former presidents. The biggest issue is why Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police to the parliament after declaring martial law. Yoon says he wanted to maintain order, but some top military and police officers sent to the assembly have said that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to block an assembly vote about his decree or detain his political rivals.Lawmakers eventually managed to get in and vote down his decree. No violence and no arrests of politicians actually happened. What fallout is expected? Hundreds of thousands of people had earlier rallied near the assembly, calling for Yoons ouster. But those protests have since been scaled down after Yoons impeachment. Yoon supporters have also regularly staged major rallies in Seoul and other cities to denounce Yoons impeachment.Ousting Yoon from office would prompt his supporters to ramp up protests before a presidential byelection to boost prospects for a new conservative president. Reinstating him would rekindle huge liberal demonstrations demanding Yoons resignation, according to Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. No matter what decision the Constitutional Court comes up with, South Koreans division and extremely polarized politics cant help but to deepen, Choi said.Pro-Yoon rallies turned violent in January when protesters stormed the Seoul Western District Court after it approved Yoons formal arrest warrant. The protesters attacked police officers with bricks, steel pipes and other objects. The attack injured 17 police officers.What about Yoons rebellion trial? Investigative authorities have alleged that Yoons martial law enforcement amounted to rebellion, describing it as riots with the purpose of undermining the constitution. If hes convicted of rebellion, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.Results of Yoons criminal trial will likely be affected by the Constitutional Court ruling. The Constitutional Courts endorsement of Yoons impeachment would confirm his violation of the constitution and could help increase prospects for Yoons conviction of rebellion, said Park SungBae, a lawyer specializing in criminal law. But a rejection would mean that the Constitutional Court believed Yoons martial law decree wasnt serious enough to warrant dismissal, or maybe wasnt even illegal. Prosecutors would subsequently find it burdensome to raise Yoons alleged rebellion at the criminal trial, Park said.Prosecutors indicted Yoon only on charges of rebellion, because he has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution. Some could question whether his criminal trial should continue if his impeachment is overturned at the Constitutional Court.Even if the Constitutional Court reinstates Yoon, Choi said that Yoons authority has already been badly hurt, so South Koreas leadership vacuum will likely continue. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with the governor of Perm territory Dmitry Makhonin during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 10, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-03-11T03:52:07Z At least 60 Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital were shot down in a massive attack on Tuesday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.At least 11 of the drones were shot down in the Ramensky and Domodedovo districts of the Moscow region surrounding the Russian capital, Sobyanin said. He didnt specify where the other drones were shot down, noting only that they were flying towards Moscow.Flights have been restricted in and out of two Moscow airports, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. No casualties have been reported, but the attack caused minor damage to the roof of a building in Moscow, Sobyanin said in an online statement.The attack, the biggest one targeting Moscow in months, came on the day of U.S.-Ukraine negotiations in Saudi Arabia.

Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte speaks inside the Southorn Stadium during a thanksgiving gathering organized by Hong Kong-based Filipino workers for the former populist president in Hong Kong on March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vernon Yuen, File)2025-03-11T03:25:53Z MANILA, Philippines (AP) Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by police at Manilas international airport Tuesday on order of the International Criminal Court in connection with a case of crime against humanity filed against him, the Philippine government said.Duterte was arrested after arriving from Hong Kong and police took him into custody on orders of the ICC, which has been investigating the massive killings that happened under the former presidents deadly crackdown against illegal drugs, President Ferdinand Marcos office said in a statement.Upon his arrival, the prosecutor general served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant to the former president for the crime of crime against humanity, the government statement. Hes now in the custody of authorities.The surprise arrest sparked a commotion at the airport, where lawyers and aides of Duterte loudly protested that they, along with a doctor and lawyers, were prevented from coming close to him after he was taken into police custody. This is a violation of his constitutional right, Sen. Bong Go, a close Duterte ally. told reporters. The Manila office of the International Police received an official copy of the arrest warrant from the global court, the government said. It was not immediately clear where Duterte was taken by the police. The government said the 79-year-old former leader was in good health and was examined by government doctors. The ICC began investigating drug killings under Duterte from Nov. 1, 2011, when he was still mayor of the southern city of Davao, to March 16, 2019, as possible crimes against humanity. Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the Rome Statute in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability.The Duterte administration moved to suspend the global courts investigation in late 2021 by arguing that Philippine authorities were already looking into the same allegations, arguing the ICC a court of last resort didnt have jurisdiction. Appeals judges at the ICC ruled in 2023 the investigation could resume and rejected the Duterte administrations objections. Based in The Hague, the Netherlands, the ICC can step in when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute suspects in the most heinous international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022 and became entangled in a bitter political dispute with the former president, has decided not to rejoin the global court. But the Marcos administration has said it would cooperate if the ICC asks international police to take Duterte into custody through a so-called Red Notice, a request for law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and temporarily arrest a crime suspect. JIM GOMEZ Gomez is The AP Chief Correspondent in the Philippines. twitter mailto

Ukrainians hold Ukrainian and European flag as the Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the colors of Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of the country, in Paris, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, file)2025-03-11T04:03:29Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine has key questions it wants answered as army chiefs from over 30 countries arrive Tuesday in Paris for talks on creating an international force to deter future Russian aggression once a ceasefire is established. They include troop size, location and crucially, military options in the event of a transgression.The Paris meeting is the most significant culmination so far of French and British efforts to rally nations under a so-called coalition of the willing to safeguard Ukraine by establishing a reassurance and deterrence force to dissuade Russia from invading again.The talks will include nearly all 32 countries of the NATO alliance notably without the United States as well as Commonwealth nations and Asian powers Japan and South Korea, said a French military official. Participants will be invited to spell out what their militaries might be able and willing to contribute be that troops, weapons or other assistance. Some Ukrainian officials are wary of any deal without clearly identified security guarantees. For them, a key question is how such a coalition will respond if Russia violates any future ceasefire agreement. What kind of military response would follow a large-scale offensive by Russia and how quickly will that response materialize? Western and Ukrainian officials said that, while there is plenty of thinking and resolve, there is no definitive plan for military options yet. First, they must assess what willing countries might be able to offer. The Associated Press spoke to Western and Ukrainian officials in Kyiv, as well as French officials in Paris and British officials in London. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to speak openly about sensitive matters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the proposal but expressed skepticism, telling The AP in an interview in February that foreign troops alone would not be a sufficient guarantee of security for his country, and that such a plan should be backed up by weapons from the U.S. and Europe, and support for Kyiv to develop its own defense industry.Diplomats are discussing, military officials are discussing, but we still dont have real proposals, said a senior Ukrainian official about the plan. The talks are not in the first stage, we did a lot in the first stage, but we still dont have a real solid approach. What means of deterrence?As President Donald Trump has appeared to nix the idea of U.S. security guarantees and other U.S. officials said this will fall on Europe to enforce, the French-British plan looks to create a force equipped with enough military might to dissuade Russia from attacking Ukraine again. That is the crux of it, said a Western official in Kyiv.The force being envisaged by France and Britain would aim to reassure Ukraine and deter another large-scale Russian offensive after any ceasefire, a French military official told AP. It could include heavy weaponry and weapons stockpiles that could be rushed within hours or days to aid in Ukraines defense in the event of a Russian attack that shatters any truce, the official said. The Western official in Kyiv, offering another idea on the table, said they could incorporate direct and immediate strikes on Russian assets in the event of a violation.Details of the contours of the proposal have emerged piecemeal in recent weeks as technical discussions have been ongoing between Western diplomatic and military officials in Ukraine and other European capitals.Political leaders have convened key summits in the past two months to establish common ground. It was discussed at a summit of more than a dozen mostly European leaders in London on March 2, and at a virtual planning meeting on March 5 called by the U.K. and attended by officials from about 20 countries.France and Britain are now casting the net even wider in their search for nations willing to back the blueprint and provide the force with teeth. The Paris talks on Tuesday will include not just NATO and European Union nations but also Asian and Oceania countries. Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea will dial into the discussions remotely, the French military official said. Turkey, which has the largest army in NATO and a robust defense industry and shared stakes in the Black Sea, will attend. NATO nation Canada will also be represented.The United States NATOs most militarily powerful member was not invited because European nations want to show that they are able to shoulder a large part of the job of safeguarding Ukraine once a truce is in effect, the French military official said. The contours of a planLast month, some Western officials described a small Europe-dominated reassurance force of less than 30,000 troops, rather than an ambitious army of peacekeepers posted along the 600-mile (1,000 kilometer) front line.But other officials have said the numbers were under discussion. According to one version of the proposal, troops would be posted away from the front line at key infrastructure sites such as nuclear power plants and backed by Western air and sea power. The front line would largely be monitored remotely, with drones and other technology. Air power, including U.S. air power based outside Ukraine, perhaps in Poland or Romania, would be in reserve to deter breaches and reopen Ukrainian airspace to commercial flights.Allied navies could also play a role in the Black Sea clearing mines and patrolling to keep international waters safe.The idea is to aggregate the capabilities those countries are ready to provide in order to be able to offer security guarantees to make sure the peace deal is robust and verifiable, with the aim to get some U.S. backstop, another French official said.To get signals on the U.S. backstop, the able and willing European countries must be able to aggregate their capabilities and demands, he said.Cautious Ukrainian optimismSome Western officials cautioned that there will be several stages to a peace plan and a broader range of countries could join the coalition later on. The first step could be a one-month freeze, as proposed by Zelenskyy and European leaders, as a confidence building measure.The Ukrainian officials said they were optimistic about the coalition of the willing, conceding they have few other options with NATO off the table.I fully believe its very possible, said one senior Ukrainian official. Trump is comfortable with the idea, the idea is very positive for us, and if Europe wants to be a real player, they should do this.If they lose this opportunity, we will be in a very difficult situation, he added. ___Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Jill Lawless and Emma Burrows in London, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte arrives inside the Southorn Stadium during a thanksgiving gathering organized by Hong Kong-based Filipino workers for the former populist president in Hong Kong on Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vernon Yuen)2025-03-11T04:56:05Z MANILA, Philippines (AP) Philippine ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who left a savage legacy over his deadly anti-drugs crackdown, was arrested on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for the thousands killed in a war he waged against drugs in a political career spanning decades. His detention capped an international investigation into killings, which unfolded for more than a dozen years..Duterte again came under the spotlight during a weekend trip to Hong Kong when the trip sparked speculation that he may have gone into exile while on a trip to Hong Kong to evade a looming international arrest warrant. He had appeared as the main speaker on Sunday at a gathering of thousands of cheering and flag-waving Filipino expatriates, who jammed Southorn Stadium in downtown Wan Chai district.Now 79 and in poor health, Duterte campaigned for his political partys senatorial candidates ahead of the May 12 mid-term elections in the Philippines. He said he was aware the International Criminal Court had issued a warrant for his arrest over his campaign against illegal drugs that left thousands of suspects dead. He again tried to justify the brutal crackdown and the crowd cheered him on. Police arrested him as he got off the plane at Manilla International Airport based on an ICC warrant.Heres more about Duterte, his ICC case and what lies ahead for one of Asias most unorthodox leaders in his time: Why was Duterte popular at home but condemned internationally?Duterte, a former prosecutor, congressman and longtime mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, built a political name with his expletive-laced outbursts against the elites, the dominant Roman Catholic church and the West. He was also seen as pro-poor and a populist, but he is perhaps best remembered for his brutal approach to criminality, particularly illegal drugs.Under his police-enforced crackdown in Davao at the start of the millennium, an estimated 1,000 mostly poor suspects were gunned down extrajudicially. One police officer involved in the Davao killings who later defected from Duterte told The Associated Press that up to 10,000 suspects were killed by his and other police and civilian hit squads under Duterte. The death toll in the crackdown was alarmingly high for years, gaining Duterte nicknames like the Punisher and Duterte Harry, after the Western movie police character with little regard for the law. Human rights activists said people were afraid to testify against Duterte in court.In 2016, Duterte won the presidency on an audacious but failed promise to eradicate illegal drugs and corruption within three to six months, in a country long weary of crime and corruption scandals. All of you who are into drugs, you sons of bitches, I will really kill you, Duterte told a huge crowd in a 2016 campaign stop in Manila. I have no patience, I have no middle ground. Either you kill me or I will kill you idiots.The United States, the European Union and other Western governments raised alarms over the anti-drugs campaign, prompting Duterte in 2016 to tell then-President Barack Obama you can go to hell as he threatened to break up with America. What case does Duterte face before the ICC?The ICC launched an investigation into drug killings under Duterte from Nov. 1, 2011, when he was still mayor of Davao, to March 16, 2019, as possible crimes against humanity. Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the Rome Statute in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability over the killings. The Duterte administration moved to suspend the global courts investigation in late 2021 by arguing that Philippine authorities were already looking into the same allegations, arguing the ICC a court of last resort didnt have jurisdiction. Appeals judges at the ICC ruled in July 2023 the investigation could resume and rejected the Duterte administrations objections. Based in The Hague, the Netherlands, the ICC can step in when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute suspects in the most heinous international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022 and became entangled in a bitter political dispute with the former president, has decided not to rejoin the global court. But the Marcos administration has said it would cooperate if the ICC asks international police to take Duterte into custody through a so-called Red Notice, a request for law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and temporarily arrest a crime suspect.China, which controls Hong Kong, and the Philippines do not currently belong to the ICC, but both are members of Interpol. The global court may issue a warrant for Dutertes arrest through Interpol. A prominent Philippine politician closely involved in the ICC cases against Duterte told the AP over the weekend the global court had issued a warrant for Dutertes arrest through Interpol. The politician spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss the sensitive issue publicly. Neither the ICC nor Interpol have yet confirmed the issuance of an arrest warrant. What will happen to Duterte?In his rambling speech on Sunday before mostly Filipino workers in Hong Kong, Duterte again justified his deadly anti-drugs campaign, saying it safeguarded Filipino people. Duterte has denied authorizing extrajudicial killings, but he openly and repeatedly threatened to kill suspected drug dealers when he was in office.What was my sin? Duterte asked in Hong Kong. I did everything in my time so Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquility. He said he was prepared to go to jail but told the crowd in jest to make donations for the construction of a monument of him which he suggested with a gesture of his hand should show him holding a gun. Duterte had said he retired from politics after his stormy presidential term ended in 2022. But in another turnaround from his earlier remarks, he registered to run for mayor of Davao with one of his sons running with him for vice mayor in elections in May.In Davao, additional police forces were deployed at the international airport and extra checkpoints were set up in what authorities said were meant to be prepared for any contingency ahead of the mid-term elections. The forces in Davao and elsewhere could step in if Dutertes arrest were to ignite unrest, which the Marcos administration said it could deftly handle. JIM GOMEZ Gomez is The AP Chief Correspondent in the Philippines. twitter mailto

A woman reads her ballot during an early voting for Greenlandic parliamentary elections at the city hall in Nuuk, Greenland, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-03-11T05:04:27Z NUUK, Greenland (AP) The single polling station in Greenland s capital city is ready.This big Arctic island with a tiny population holds early parliamentary elections Tuesday that are being closely watched. U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he wants to take control of the region that occupies a strategic North Atlantic location and contains rare earth minerals key to driving the global economy.Trumps overtures arent on the ballot, but they are on everyones minds.This self-governing region of Denmark is home to 56,000 people, most from Indigenous Inuit backgrounds. It has been on a path toward independence since at least 2009. Now, Greenlanders are debating the best way to ensure they control their future.I think most of us have been scared since the new year because of (Trumps) interest, Pipaluk Lynge, a member of parliament from the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit, or United Inuit party, told The Associated Press. So were really, really looking to Europe right now to see if we could establish a stronger bond with them to secure our sovereign nation. Opinion polls show most Greenlanders favor independence. Most say they dont dislike Americans, pointing to the good relations they have with the local Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Force Base, where U.S. military personnel have been stationed since 1951.But Greenlanders show no sign of wanting to become Americans. Even some of Trumps biggest fans cling to the principle that they should control their destiny. That includes Gerth Josefsen, a 53-year-old fisherman from Nuuk who sports a MAGA hat and is proud to have visited Mar-a-Lago, Trumps Florida home. Their mantra is that Greenland is open for business, but not for sale.The situation has changed because of Trump and because of the world, said Doris Jensen, representative of the social democratic Siumut party who said she has always favored independence, So we have decided in our party that we have to do (it) more quickly. Trumps attention has transformed the deeply local process of democracy. Suddenly, the presence of journalists from as far away as Japan and Croatia are reminders that these are far from normal times.After candidates final televised debate at a school auditorium in Nuuk, Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede was greeted by about 75 supporters who were almost outnumbered by photographers and cameramen.All these reporters are frightening to us, said Aviaja Sinkbaek, who works at the school. It means that something must be happening soon.She added: I wonder what Trump has up his sleeve.Politics in Greenland have a different rhythm. Debates during campaigning rarely got heated. People who became too animated were asked to step outside. Issues included building a skilled workforce and how to decorate the new airport, which opened a runway long enough to handle jumbo jets in November.On Tuesday, the capitals lone polling station at the Nuuk sports hall will have political parties pitching tents outside, with campaigners offering hot drinks and Greenlandic cake -- a raisin-laced bread served with butter -- in hopes of swaying voters. A bus will circle the city of about 20,000 people, offering rides.Unofficial election results should be available soon after polls close, but they wont be certified for weeks as ballot papers make their way to the capital from remote settlements by boat, plane and helicopter.Thats because there are no roads connecting communities across the islands 2.16 million square kilometers (836,330 square miles), which make Greenland the worlds 12th biggest country.Now the vast size has drawn outsize attention.Greenlanders know what they have. They hope the rare earth minerals will help diversify an economy where government jobs account for 40% of employment.But the government has imposed strict rules to protect the environment on the island, most of which is covered by ice year-round. The harsh atmospheric conditions raise questions about whether extracting them is commercially feasible.Hurricane-strength gusts over the weekend triggered warnings for boats and building materials to be securely tied down. As the wind howled like a revving jet engine, local people retreated to their homes to play board games.

Bottles of The Bard product are seen in the reflection of a new column still that is not yet in use at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)2025-03-11T04:54:03Z This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors. Labeling on the head of a bourbon barrel is seen near bottles of product at the Brough Brothers Distillery which is under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Labeling on the head of a bourbon barrel is seen near bottles of product at the Brough Brothers Distillery which is under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery, removes the cover from an empty barrel of bourbon in the under construction facility in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery, removes the cover from an empty barrel of bourbon in the under construction facility in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Bourbon barrels with product in them are seen inside of the Brough Brothers Distillery that is under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Bourbon barrels with product in them are seen inside of the Brough Brothers Distillery that is under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery holds of bottle of the companys product in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery holds of bottle of the companys product in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The bung of a bourbon barrel is seen at the Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) The bung of a bourbon barrel is seen at the Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Bourbon barrels with product in them are seen inside of the Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Bourbon barrels with product in them are seen inside of the Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Bourbon barrels with product in them are seen inside of the Brough Brothers Distillery that is under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Bourbon barrels with product in them are seen inside of the Brough Brothers Distillery that is under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More An employee pours a glass of The Bards product in what will be a new production area at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) An employee pours a glass of The Bards product in what will be a new production area at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery walks through the under construction facility in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery walks through the under construction facility in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More An employee pours a glass of The Bards product in what will be a new production area at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) An employee pours a glass of The Bards product in what will be a new production area at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Various vapor gauges are seen near a new column still that is not yet in use at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Various vapor gauges are seen near a new column still that is not yet in use at The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Unused corks are stored in the bottling area of The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Unused corks are stored in the bottling area of The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Bottles of product are stored in crates in the bottling area of The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Bottles of product are stored in crates in the bottling area of The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Bottles and decorations are seen in the tasting area of The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Bottles and decorations are seen in the tasting area of The Bard Distillery in Graham, Ky., Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Victor Yarbrough, CEO, of the Brough Brothers Distillery poses for a photo near empty bourbon barrels under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Victor Yarbrough, CEO, of the Brough Brothers Distillery poses for a photo near empty bourbon barrels under construction in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More

A nun attends a Rosary prayer for Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)2025-03-11T05:15:50Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis has written and spoken at length about sickness, aging and death, and personally directed that his doctors provide the fairly detailed daily updates that have punctuated his own battle with pneumonia.On Monday, they reported good news: Francis was no longer in imminent danger of death but needed to remain hospitalized for several more days to receive treatment.The 88-year-old pope is merely responding to the sometimes morbid interest in the health of popes over centuries, and is making his own the somewhat-mixed legacy of St. John Paul II. The Polish pope suffered from Parkinsons disease, and his decline was on public view for years. But the Vatican never admitted he had the disease until after he was dead.Francis candor with his own fragility is very much in keeping with a decision he made early on in his papacy to be up front about his health: He granted an unprecedented tell-all interview to an Argentine doctor who published a book in 2021 detailing Francis physical and mental health history. And last week, Francis recorded an audio message from the hospital that laid bare the weakness of his voice, and the labored, breathless effort it took for him to utter just a few words.Here are a few of Francis past musings on sickness, ageing and death and how they might affect the future of his pontificate. On growing old:Francis has long complained about the way society treats old people, saying they are part of todays consumerist throwaway culture when they are deemed no longer productive. For that reason especially, he insisted that Pope Benedict XVI continue to be part of the life of the church during his 10-year retirement.Francis views on ageing have been consistent, even as he himself has aged and become dependent on a wheelchair and walker to get around.In the 2010 book On Heaven and Earth, written alongside his friend the Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Francis denounced the cruelty that confronts elderly people. He shamed families who shut their grandparents away in nursing homes and neglect to visit them.The elderly are sources of the transmission of history, the people who give us memories, they are the memory of the people, of a nation, of the family and of the culture, religion, said Francis, who at the time was the archbishop of Buenos Aires. On death in general:In the same book, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio recalled that his grandmother Rosa, who helped raise him, had the words of an adage framed on her bedside table that stayed with him all his life: See that God sees you, see that he is watching you, see that you will die and you dont know when.He referred to the saying again in 2018 in a speech to priests, and that his grandmother had instructed him to recite it every day so you will remember that life has an end.I didnt understand much at the time, but that verse, since I was three years old, has stuck with me, he told the priests. And it helped me. The thing was kind of bleak, but it helped me. On his own health problems:The Argentine journalist and physician, Dr. Nelson Castro, revealed in his 2021 book The Health of Popes, that Francis had reached out to him within a few months of his 2013 election with a suggestion that he write a book about the history of the health of the popes, including his own.Castro was granted access to the Vatican Secret Archives to research the lives and deaths of past popes and had a sit-down interview with Francis on Feb. 19, 2019, during which the reigning pope spoke at length and in detail about his various ailments over the years: The respiratory infection that resulted in the removal of the upper lobe of his right lung, the gangrenous gallbladder he had removed when he was provincial superior of the Jesuits, the compressed vertebrae, flat feet and fatty liver he has lived with.The most noteworthy revelation was that Francis said he saw a psychiatrist weekly during six months of Argentinas military dictatorship. He had sought out help to manage his anxiety when he was trying to hide people from the military and ferry them out of Argentina. In those six months she helped me with respect to how to manage the fears of that time, he told Castro. If you can imagine what it was like to transport someone hidden in the car covered by a blanket and pass through military controls. It created an enormous tension in me. He said the therapy also helped him to maintain a sense of equilibrium in making decisions of all kinds, and that in general he believes all priests must understand human psychology.We should offer a mate to our neuroses, he said, referring to the South American tea. They are our companions for life. On his own death:As early as 2014 Francis was already assuming his papacy would be short-lived and that his own death was not far off.I realize that this is not going to last long, two or three years, and then off to the house of the Father, he told reporters in 2014 while traveling home from one of his early foreign trips, to South Korea.He told Castro later that he thought about death a lot but that it didnt scare him one bit.Francis made plans, too: He decided his tomb will be in St. Mary Major basilica, not in the Vatican, so he can be near his favorite icon of the Madonna, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome), which is located there.More recently, he has taken to speaking about upcoming events that he is pretty sure he wont be around for, and indicating who might.In 2023, speaking to reporters about the Vaticans warming relations with Vietnam, Francis concurred that the country warranted a papal visit.If I dont go, surely John XXIV will, he said chuckling, referring to a future pope who might be named for the progressive, Vatican II-era pontiff, John XXIII.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A sweeper cleans as smog envelops the area and reduces visibility in Lahore, Pakistan, Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)2025-03-11T04:06:07Z BENGALURU, India (AP) Most of the world has dirty air, with just 17% of cities globally meeting air pollution guidelines, a report Tuesday found. Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir analyzed data from 40,000 air quality monitoring stations in 138 countries and found that Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India had the dirtiest air. India had six of the nine most polluted cities with the industrial town of Byrnihat in northeastern India the worst.Experts said the real amount of air pollution might be far greater as many parts of the world lack the monitoring needed for more accurate data. In Africa, for example, there is only one monitoring station for every 3.7 million people. More air quality monitors are being set up to counter the issue, the report said. This year, report authors were able to incorporate data from 8,954 new locations and around a thousand new monitors as a result of efforts to better monitor air pollution. But last week, data monitoring for air pollution was dealt a blow when the U.S. State Department announced it would no longer make public its data from its embassies and consulates around the world. Breathing in polluted air over a long period of time can cause respiratory illness, Alzheimers disease and cancer, said Fatimah Ahamad, chief scientist and air pollution expert at Malaysia-based Sunway Centre for Planetary Health. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution kills around 7 million people each year. Ahamad said much more needs to be done to cut air pollution levels. The WHO had earlier found that 99% of the worlds population lives in places that do not meet recommended air quality levels.If you have bad water, no water, you can tell people to wait for half an hour a day, the water will come. But if you have bad air, you cannot tell people to pause breathing, she said. Several cities like Beijing, Seoul, South Korea, and Rybnik in Poland have successfully improved their air quality through stricter regulations on pollution from vehicles, power plants and industry. Theyve also promoted cleaner energy and invested in public transportation.Another notable effort to curb severe air pollution was the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreement on transboundary haze pollution. Even though its had limited success so far, ten countries in the region pledged to work together to monitor and curb pollution from large forest fires, a common occurrence in the region during dry seasons.Shweta Narayan, a campaign lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, said many of the regions witnessing the worst air pollution are also places where planet-heating gases are released extensively through the burning of coal, oil and gas. Slashing planet-warming emissions to slow the heating up of the planet can also improve air quality, she said.Air pollution and climate crisis are two sides of the same coin, she said. ___Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123___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. SIBI ARASU Sibi reports on climate change from India and South Asia twitter mailto

South Sudan's president Salva Kiir, left, and vice-president Riek Machar, right, shake hands after meetings in Juba, South Sudan, on Oct. 20, 2019, to discuss outstanding issues to the peace deal. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)2025-03-11T08:33:14Z KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Uganda has deployed an unknown number of troops to South Sudan in a bid to protect the fragile government of President Salva Kiir as a tense rivalry with his deputy threatens a return to civil war in the east African nation. Ugandan special forces have been deployed to Juba, the South Sudanese capital, to support the government of South Sudan against a possible rebel advance on the city, said Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, a spokesperson for the Ugandan military. We sent a force there two days ago, he said. We are not there for peacekeeping.In deploying Ugandan soldiers to Juba, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni moved as a guarantor of the peace process that keeps Kiir and Machar together in a delicate government of national unity, Kulayigye told The Associated Press Tuesday. Kiir and Museveni are allies, and Museveni has in the past intervened in the South Sudan conflict to keep Kiir in power. The deployment of Ugandan troops to South Sudan underscores rising tensions in the oil-producing country that has been plagued by political instability and violence since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. The U.S. on Sunday ordered nonemergency government personnel to leave Juba. The U.N. is warning of an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress in South Sudan. The latest tensions stem from fighting in the countrys north between government troops and a rebel militia, known as the White Army, thats widely believed to be allied with Machar. Last week a South Sudanese general was among several people killed when a United Nations helicopter on a mission to evacuate government troops from the town of Nasir, the scene of the fighting in Upper Nile state, was shot at. Earlier in the week, after the White Army overran the military garrison in Nasir, government troops surrounded Machars home in Juba and several of his allies were arrested. Deputy army chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, who is seen as loyal to Machar, was among those detained. Kiir had angered Machars group earlier in the year by firing officials seen as loyal to Machar, who has charged that persistent violations through unilateral decisions and decrees threaten the very existence of their peace pact.Kiir urged calm after last weeks helicopter incident, saying in a statement that his government will handle this crisis and we will remain steadfast in the path of peace.Civil war erupted in South Sudan in late 2013 when a rift between Kiir and Machar escalated into fighting along ethnic lines. Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, accused a group of soldiers loyal to Machar, an ethnic Nuer, of trying to take power by force. Machar escaped Juba, and later rebels loyal to him came close to capturing Juba but were repulsed by a combined force of South Sudanese soldiers loyal to Kiir and Ugandan special forces. More than 400,000 people were killed in the 5-year civil war that followed. With the support of regional leaders and the international community, Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in 2018 and Machar returned to Juba as South Sudans first vice president. But the political rivalry between South Sudans top two leaders with Kiir suspicious of his deputys ambitions and Machar calling Kiir a dictator remains an obstacle to lasting peace. Both men have been accused of violating multiple ceasefires.Kiir and Machar are under pressure from the U.S. and others to more quickly implement the 2018 peace deal and prepare for elections.Challenges include the governments failure to implement promised reforms such as completing the unification of the army command.Presidential elections, repeatedly postponed, are now scheduled for 2026.

Nuns attend a Rosary prayer for Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)2025-03-11T08:09:03Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis woke up Tuesday to good news from his doctors: They upgraded his prognosis and say he is no longer in imminent danger of death as a result of the double pneumonia that has kept him hospitalized for nearly a month in the longest and gravest threat to his 12-year papacy.The 88-year-old pope isnt out of the woods yet, however. Doctors are still cautious and have decided to keep him hospitalized for several more days to receive treatment, not to mention a period of rehabilitation he will likely need.But the doctors said he remains stable and has consolidated improvements in recent days, according to blood tests and his good response to treatment. Francis, who has chronic lung disease, is still using supplemental oxygen during the day and a ventilation mask at night to help him breathe.In an early update Tuesday, the Vatican said Francis woke up around 8 a.m. after a quiet night. The Argentine Jesuit has regularly been sleeping in while at Gemelli hospital, given his usual wakeup time at the Vatican is around 4:30 a.m. Late Monday, doctors lifted their guarded prognosis for the pope, meaning they determined he was no longer in imminent danger as a result of the original respiratory infection he arrived with on Feb. 14. But their caution remained, given Francis fragility and risks of other complications. In view of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented on admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital setting for additional days, the Vatican statement said. In a sign of his improved health, Francis followed the Vaticans weeklong spiritual retreat via videoconference on Monday in both the morning and afternoon sessions, something he was likely to continue to do through the week.The retreat, an annual gathering that kicks off the Catholic Churchs solemn Lenten season leading to Easter, continues through Friday. The Vatican has said Francis would participate in spiritual communion with the rest of the hierarchy, from afar. Francis could see and hear the Rev. Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, but the priests, bishops, cardinals and nuns gathered for the retreat in the Vatican auditorium could not see or hear him. Pasolini is delivering a series of meditations this week on The hope of eternal life, a theme that was chosen well before Francis was admitted to Romes Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 with a complex lung infection.Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, had what was just a bad case of bronchitis when he was hospitalized last month. The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis and raised questions about the future.He was still keeping his eye on things, however. The Vatican said he had been informed about the floods in his native Argentina, sent a telegram of condolences and expressed his closeness to the affected population. ___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Journalists wait for the arrival of delegates at Tiananmen Square before the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, China, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)2025-03-11T05:33:07Z BEIJING (AP) China wrapped up its biggest political event of the year on Tuesday leaving one question unanswered: How far will it go to try to revive economic growth in 2025?A recurring theme throughout the weeklong meeting of the nearly 3,000-member National Peoples Congress was the need to boost investment and consumer spending. How much will be done to translate words into action will only become clear in the months ahead as the ruling Communist Party juggles priorities. What is clear is that a trade war with the United States has left the outlook for the coming months uncertain.The meeting ended Tuesday in the absence of top political leader Zhao Leji, who serves as chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress. Zhao, who was supposed to host the congress closing ceremony, was suffering from a respiratory infection and had to take a leave of absence, according to Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the political body. Li chaired the closing session in his place.The rubber-stamp parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the government work report, with 2,882 votes for, one vote against and one abstention. Similar near-unanimous votes were recorded to pass the budget, the Supreme Court report and an amendment to a law on deputies to the congress, among other items. At stake is the health of the worlds second largest economy, a major exporter of products to countries around the world and an important market for foreign companies from Apple to Volkswagen. A prolonged property crisis has sapped consumer and business confidence, depriving the economy of its past vitality. Now, a tariff war unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump is compounding those problems. China holds back on major stimulus for nowThe Congress opened with the announcement of an economic growth target of about 5% for this year, a level that analysts said would be difficult to achieve with the measures detailed during this years Congress.They include borrowing more money for a slew of initiatives, such as giving 300 billion yuan ($41.3 billion) in rebates to consumers who trade-in old cars and appliances for new ones. But much of the borrowing will go to supporting the housing market and local governments weighed down by debt.It is unclear how much of a jolt this budget will provide to underlying domestic demand and reflation efforts, despite the sizeable rise in the deficit, Jeremy Zook, the lead China analyst for Fitch Ratings, said in a report.The ambitious 5% growth target signaled to analysts that more stimulus may be coming. Last year, the government surprised stock markets with various moves beginning in September to push growth up to 5%, also the target in 2024.Finance Minister Lan Foan told journalists covering the Congress that the government had sufficient tools in reserve to deal with external or domestic uncertainties. Xi seeks private sector help, within limitsChinese President Xi Jinping seems bent on reinvigorating private businesses, which provide a large share of growth and jobs in the countrys state-dominated economy. Years of regulatory crackdowns have shaken the confidence of entrepreneurs and other investors. The Congress reviewed comments on a law meant to improve the environment for private enterprises by regulating aspects of market access, financing, competition and property rights protection, among others. The proposed law was not put to a vote.Xi aims to send a message to entrepreneurs, but also to local governments and regulators, that the private sectors important and its necessary, Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said ahead of the congress. Private companies will also gain access to a higher share of loans than before, and financing for private businesses raised through bond issuance will be expanded, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in his work report.The foreign minister says the US shouldnt bullyMuch rides on how far Trump pursues his trade wars with China and other countries.China has diversified its export markets in recent years, but the U.S. remains a vital trading partner. The greater fear is not the tariffs themselves but the health of the U.S. economy and demand for Chinese products, said Alicia Garcia Herrero, the chief Asia-Pacific economist for Natixis investment bank. Trump has raised tariffs on imports from China twice since taking office in January. China has shown no sign of backing down.If the American side goes further down this wrong path, we will fight to the end, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told journalists during the Congress.Asked about Trumps America First policy, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the law of the jungle would reign if all countries adopted a my country first approach.A big country should honor its international obligations and fulfill its due responsibilities, he said to journalists at the Congress. It should not put selfish interests before principles, still less wield its power to bully the weak. A Chinese buzzword makes a comebackThe government said in its annual report that it would address what it considers unproductive rat-race competition, invoking a term that was a buzzword in China five years ago among stressed-out younger workers.The government is applying the term neijuan more commonly translated as involution to companies and local governments rather than workers. A proliferation of green energy firms, for example, has led to gluts in solar panels and other equipment and fierce price wars that ultimately harm the industry.Their strategies are similar, which leads to extremely cruel competition, Chinese tech leader Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi and a delegate to the Congress, told state media.The solutions are unclear, experts say, noting that government subsidies for green energy helped create the problem by encouraging so many start-ups.___Associated Press writer Fu Ting in Washington and researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing contributed. KEN MORITSUGU Moritsugu covers political, economic and social issues from Beijing for The Associated Press. He has also reported from New Delhi, Bangkok and Tokyo and is the APs former news director for Greater China and for Japan and the Koreas. twitter SIMINA MISTREANU Mistreanu is a Greater China reporter for The Associated Press, based in Taipei, Taiwan. She has reported on China since 2015. twitter mailto

An electronic stock board shows Japan's stock prices in Tokyo Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)2025-03-11T03:47:27Z TOKYO (AP) Asian benchmarks skidded on Tuesday, as worries grew about ripple effects of President Donald Trumps tariffs on regional economies and companies. Japans benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 0.8% to 36,793.11, its lowest close in six months but up from a more than 2% loss earlier in the day. Chinas Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% higher, to 3,368.41 as the countrys annual national congress prepared to wrap up its annual session with some measures to help boost the slowing economy. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 0.6% to 23,634.20.Australias S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.9% to 7,890.10. South Koreas Kospi declined 1.2% to 2,539.94. Heightened anxiety surrounds both existing and incoming U.S. tariffs, along with retaliatory measures from trading partners, and Chinas newly effective tariffs will continue to weigh on equities, said Anderson Alves, a trader at ActivTrades. Also Tuesday, Japan slightly lowered its October-December economic growth rate to an annual rate of 2.2%, revised from the 2.8% growth given last month, because of revisions in consumer spending and private inventories.The stock fall in Asia echoed a sell-off Monday on Wall Street, where investors are raising questions on how much pain Trump will let the economy endure through tariffs and other policies in order to get what he wants. The S&P 500 dropped 2.7%, closing 9% below its all-time high, which was set just last month. At one point, the S&P 500 was down 3.6% and on track for its worst day since 2022. Thats when the highest inflation in generations was shredding budgets and raising worries about a possible recession that ultimately never came. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.1%, after paring an earlier loss of more than 1,100, while the Nasdaq composite skidded 4%. It was the worst day yet in a scary stretch where the S&P 500 has swung more than 1%, up or down, seven times in eight days because of Trumps on -and- off -again tariffs. The worry is that the whipsaw moves will either hurt the economy directly or create enough uncertainty to drive U.S. companies and consumers into an economy-freezing paralysis. The economy has already shown some signs of weakening, mostly through surveys showing increased pessimism. And a widely followed collection of real-time indicators compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta suggests the U.S. economy may already be shrinking. Asked over the weekend whether he was expecting a recession in 2025, Trump told Fox News Channel: I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what were doing is very big. Were bringing wealth back to America. Thats a big thing. He then added, It takes a little time. It takes a little time.Trump says he wants to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, among other reasons hes given for tariffs. His Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has also said the economy may go through a detox period as it weans off an addiction to spending by the government. The White House is trying to limit federal spending, while also cutting the federal workforce and increasing deportations, which could hinder the job market. The U.S. job market is still showing stable hiring at the moment, to be sure, and the economy ended last year running at a solid rate. But economists are marking down their forecasts for how the economy will perform this year. The worries hitting Wall Street have so far been hurting some of its biggest stars the most. Big Tech stocks and companies that rode the artificial-intelligence frenzy in recent years have slumped sharply. Nvidia fell another 5.1% Monday to bring its loss for the year so far to more than 20%. Its a steep drop-off from its nearly 820% surge over 2023 and 2024.Elon Musks Tesla fell 15.4% to deepen its loss for 2025 to 45%. After getting an initial post-election bump on hopes that Musks close relationship with Trump would help the electric-vehicle company, the stock has slumped on worries that its brand has become intertwined with Musk. Protests against the U.S. governments efforts to cull its workforce and other moves have targeted Tesla dealerships, for example. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 9 cents to $66.12 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 18 cents to $69.46 a barrel. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 147.27 Japanese yen from 147.14 yen. The euro cost $1.0862, up from $1.0834. YURI KAGEYAMA Kageyama covers Japan news for The Associated Press. Her topics include social issues, the environment, businesses, entertainment and technology. twitter instagram facebook mailto

The sun sets behind the buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)2025-03-11T10:09:33Z Israeli fire has killed four people and wounded 14 in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Palestinian officials said, even as a fragile ceasefire with Hamas has largely held. Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the army says had approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas in violation of the January truce. Israel last week suspended supplies of goods and electricity to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians as it tries to pressure the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended March 1. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefires more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.Heres the latest: Israeli official says violence in Syria amounts to ethnic cleansing Israels deputy foreign minister said Tuesday that deadly sectarian violence in neighboring Syria amounted to ethnic cleansing and said Israel was working to prevent a threat along its border from Syrias new jihadi regime.Israel is committed to preventing what we saw in Syria this weekend from happening on our border, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said at a news conference in Jerusalem.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said 1,130 people were killed in the clashes, including 830 civilians, most of them from ousted leader Bashar Assads Alawite community. The Associated Press could not independently verify these numbers.Since Islamist-led insurgents ousted Assad in December, Israel has voiced concern that the group could seize Syrian military assets and use them against it, or that instability could spill over into its territory.Israel has deployed troops inside a buffer zone and vowed to prevent the new Syrian forces from entering the area south of Damascus. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said its fighter jets struck military targets in southern Syria, including radars and equipment. 3 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the West BankThe Palestinian Health Ministry says three Palestinians, including a 58-year-old woman, were killed by Israeli fire in the volatile West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday.The Israeli military said troops killed two militants in an exchange of fire in Jenin and arrested 10 others. It said its forces eliminated a third militant who had fired at them during the operation and destroyed two vehicles loaded with weapons.Israel launched a large-scale military operation centered on Jenin shortly after reaching a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in January. Troops have destroyed homes and infrastructure, and tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes across the northern West Bank. 4 killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours, Palestinian officials sayThe Gaza Health Ministry says four people have been killed by Israeli fire and another 14 wounded over the past 24 hours.The ministry said Tuesday that rescuers had also retrieved 32 bodies from under the rubble.The four killed included three brothers hit by a drone strike in central Gaza on Monday and a woman killed by a drone strike Tuesday in the southern city of Rafah, the ministry said.The latest deaths brought the overall Palestinian death toll from the war to 48,503. More than 110,000 people have been wounded, according to the ministry.The ministry says women and children make up most of the dead but does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its toll. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Emergency officials walk next to a bus that overturned on a highway in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, killing multiple people and injuring some. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)2025-03-11T09:04:39Z JOHANNESBURG (AP) A bus overturned on a South African highway Tuesday and passengers were thrown out of it, killing at least 12 people and injuring 45 in Johannesburg, emergency services said.Emergency crews were trying to lift the bus back onto its wheels to see if any more victims were trapped underneath it, said William Nthladi, a spokesperson for the citys Ekurhuleni Emergency Management.On arrival we found patients lying across the road, Nthladi said. The bodies of some of the victims lay on the highway near the bus and were covered with silver blankets. Two bodies were still trapped in the wreckage, Nthladi said. Handbags, a lunch box and a water bottle were visible among the belongings.We are lost for words. This is a disaster, said Andile Mngwevu, a local city councillor who went to the scene. To see so many bodies lying around is quite saddening, and the city really feels for the families who would have expected to see their loved ones return home later today. Our hearts are extremely heavy right now. The early-morning crash happened on a highway near Johannesburgs main O.R. Tambo International Airport. The bus was lying on its side near the edge of the highway. It had been transporting people from the township or Katlehong, east of Johannesburg, officials said. Nthladi said 12 people were declared dead at the scene of the crash by paramedics. A fire engine, ambulances and pathology vans were deployed. Nthladi said he couldnt give exact details on the extent of the injuries but said they ranged from serious to critical. The driver was among those taken to the hospital.No other vehicle was involved in the crash and officials werent yet able to determine the cause. ___Associated Press video journalist Alfonso Nqunjana contributed to this report.___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen near sunset in Washington, Oct. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)2025-03-11T11:03:17Z WASHINGTON (AP) In fewer than 500 carefully chosen and somewhat opaque words, the Supreme Court has now weighed in twice on President Donald Trumps rapid-fire efforts to remake the federal government.The justices did not give Trumps administration what it sought. The court rejected the Republican administrations position that it had the immediate power to fire the head of a watchdog office. In the other, the court slowed the effort to block the release of up to $2 billion in foreign aid.In the end, the short-term losses for the administration may mean little, and the courts actions arguably reflect less about whether Trump was right or wrong in either case.Instead, they may stand for an important, but less showy, commitment to regular order from the top of a judicial system that has emerged as a key check on Trumps power with the Republican-controlled Congress largely supportive or silent. Jack Goldsmith, a Justice Department official during President George W. Bushs administration, said there may be benefits for the court in taking small steps and delaying, which brought the court advantage by achieving emergency outcomes it wanted without having to tip its hand prematurely on the merits of the cases. Trumps unparalleled flex of presidential power seems destined for several dates at a Supreme Court that he helped shape with three appointees during his first term. But even a conservative majority that has a robust view of presidential power and granted him broad immunity from criminal prosecution might balk at some of what the president wants to do.His push to end birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are in the U.S. illegally, for instance, would discard more than 100 years of practice and a relatively settled understanding of the 14th Amendments guarantee of citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. Challenges to the citizenship order are among more than 100 lawsuits that have been filed, and lower-court judges have hit pause on the administrations plans more than 30 times.The Supreme Courts early forays have largely not been about the substance of what the president wants to do but about the procedures used by federal judges who have the first crack at evaluating the lawfulness of the administrations actions.Trump allies, most notably his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, have railed at judges slowing his agenda, threatening impeachment and launching personal attacks. The Federal Judges Association, the largest such organization, issued a rare public statement decrying irresponsible rhetoric shrouded in disinformation that could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.Though Trump has said he would obey the courts, Vice President JD Vance, Musk and others have suggested the administration could defy a court order, which would spark a constitutional crisis. Trump has vowed to appeal decisions he doesnt like, something his administration has done quickly in several cases even as some plaintiffs question whether the government is fully following judges orders. It seemed to me that theyre playing pretty fast and loose, said Jeffrey Schmitt, a professor at the University of Dayton School of Law. They dont want to be seen as blatantly disrespecting the courts and refusing to follow their orders. They also dont want to change their behavior.The Supreme Court, meanwhile, is getting drawn into the fray in fits and starts. That could change soon, as more lawsuits reach a stage at which they can be appealed to the high court. It strikes me that the court is trying to signal that the normal processes should take place, said Kent Greenfield, a Boston College law professor who is the main author of a letter signed by roughly 1,000 scholars contending that the nation already is in a constitutional crisis as a result of Trumps actions.A progressive group, Court Accountability, said the courts more recent order, in the foreign aid freeze case, may have been reported as a setback for the administration. But a closer look at the majoritys short order reveals that the Chief Justice actually gave Trump everything he wanted, the group wrote on its blog, explaining that additional delays only make it harder for people and groups hurt by the freeze to recover.Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law, wrote on The Volokh Conspiracy blog that the high court has ducked urgent constitutional issues it should have decided about the extent of the presidents power. Instead, he wrote, district judges are now confident they can issue any order they wish against the executive branch, and the Supreme Court will not stop them. This is the judiciary run amok.But while they sparked online outrage in some quarters of the presidents base, the events of the past few days could be seen as validation for the justices cautious approach. On Feb. 21, a Supreme Court order temporarily kept Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, in his job despite efforts by Trump to fire him.In fact, the justices didnt rule either way on the administrations request to throw out an order in Dellingers favor. The high court held the matter in abeyance, pending further proceedings in the lower court.On Thursday, Dellinger ended his legal fight after a federal appeals court ruled against him but not before he stalled the firing of 5,000 federal workers slated for layoffs.The Supreme Court finally acted on the administrations request, hours after Dellinger dropped out, dismissing it as moot.The scale of the federal layoffs that the new administration wants to carry out could also put federal employment law in front of the high court. While experts say the justices appear inclined to allow the president more power to hire and fire agency heads, the outlook is less clear for civil service protections for other federal workers. In the foreign aid freeze case, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali narrowed his payment order to require the administration to immediately pay only those organizations that had originally filed the lawsuit. But with nearly a dozen lawsuits filed over moves to freeze federal funding abroad and at home so they can align spending with Trumps agenda, the fight over power of the purse seems bound to return to the Supreme Court. The justices have played a limited role so far, but Trumps presidency is less than two months old.___Follow the APs coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court. 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

House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., holds the gavel before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-03-11T11:06:39Z WASHINGTON (AP) Republicans will face a critical test of their unity when a spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies funded through September comes up for a vote.Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is teeing up the bill for a vote as soon as Tuesday despite the lack of buy-in from Democrats, essentially daring them to oppose it and risk a shutdown that would begin Saturday if lawmakers fail to act. Republicans will need overwhelming support from their members in both chambers and some help from Senate Democrats to get the bill to President Donald Trumps desk. Its one of the biggest legislative tests so far of the Republican presidents second term.The CR will pass, Johnson told reporters Monday, using Washington shorthand to describe the continuing resolution. No one wants to shut the government down. We are governing, doing the responsible thing as Republicans. Its going to be up to Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats to do the right thing. The strategy has the backing of Trump, who is calling on Republicans to remain UNITED NO DISSENT Fight for another day when the timing is right. House Republicans said the bill would trim $13 billion in non-defense spending from the levels in the 2024 budget year and increase defense spending by $6 billion, which are rather flat changes for both categories when compared with an overall topline of nearly $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending. The bill does not cover the majority of government spending, including Social Security and Medicare. Funding for those two programs is on auto pilot and not regularly reviewed by Congress. Democrats are mostly worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. They are already alarmed by the administrations efforts to make major cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, run by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk. And they say the spending bill would fuel the effort. This is not a clean CR. This bill is a blank check, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. Its a blank check for Elon Musk and President Trump.Spending bills typically come with specific funding directives for key programs, but hundreds of those directives fall away under the legislation, according to a memo released by Senate Democrats. So the administration will have more leeway to reshape priorities. President Trump has endorsed this full-year CR because he understands what is in it for him: more power over federal spending to pick winners and losers and devastate Democratic states and priorities, the memo warned. For example, the Democratic memo said the bill would allow the administration to steer money away from combating fentanyl and instead use it on mass deportation initiatives.Normally, when it comes to keeping the government fully open for business, Republicans have had to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. Thats because Republicans almost always lack the votes to pass spending bills on their own. This time, Republican leaders are pushing for a vote despite Democratic opposition. Trump is showing an ability this term to hold Republicans in line. He met with several of the House chambers most conservative members last week.Now, House Republicans who routinely vote against spending bills said they would support this one. The House Freedom Caucus, which includes many of the Houses most conservative members, issued a statement of support saying contrary to Congress longtime abuse of this legislative tool, this CR is a paradigm shift.Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is still a holdout, though. He says hell vote no.I guess deficits only matter when were in the minority, said Massie, when asked why colleagues werent listening to his concerns.Trump went after Massie on social media, calling him a GRANDSTANDER, whos too much trouble.HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him, Trump posted online. Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, acknowledged the continuing resolution was not the outcome he was seeking but said it was time to end the cycle of short-term extensions Congress has been passing to keep the government open. This will be the third for the current budget year.Congress does have other things to do, said Cole, of Oklahoma. Its got a lot on its plate this year.Meanwhile, House Democratic leaders have come out strongly against it. Less clear is how strongly theyll push members in competitive battleground districts to follow their lead.House Democrats will not be complicit in the Republican efforts to hurt the American people, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said. Senate Democrats generally seem to be emphasizing patience at this stage, waiting to see if Republicans can muscle the bill through the House before taking a stand. No comment, said top Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York as he rushed through the hallway outside the Senate chamber.Still, several rank-and-file Democrats criticized the measure. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was stunned that Republicans were trying to jam through something that is their way or the highway.If the bill does move to the Senate later this week, support from at least eight Democratic senators will likely be needed for it to advance to passage.Itll be up to the Democrats whether they want to deliver the votes and keep the government from shutting down, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.Democrats also introduced an alternative bill Monday night funding the government through April 11. The bill could serve as a Plan B if the GOP-led effort falters.The spending bill could also have major ramifications for the District of Columbias government. City officials voiced their concerns during a news conference outside the Capitol on Monday, and district residents later in the day flooded the hearing room and surrounding hallway where lawmakers were considering debate rules for the measure.The bill would limit the district to last years funding levels, though its already spending at 2025 levels. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said the proposal would require the district to cut $1.1 billion in spending in the next six months since it has already passed a balanced budget and is midway through its fiscal year. That means, officials said, cuts to critical services such as education and public safety.The mayor also emphasized that the districts 2025 budget focused on boosting three priorities: public safety, public education and economic growth. If the Congress goes through with this action, it will work against a priority that President Trump and I share, and that is to make Washington, D.C., the best, most beautiful city in the world, Bowser said.___Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Gary Fields and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

NASA paid for access to Clearview AIs Investigator Tool + Cloud Database, according to a set of procurement documents obtained by 404 Media under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).Clearview is a controversial facial recognition company which was the first to cross the rubicon of allowing third parties to search for someones face and then link that to their online activity, such as their social media profiles. Since gaining attention at the start of the decade, its facial recognition tool, built on a massive database of scraped images, has become a staple in law enforcement and federal government agencies.Clearview AI is an OSINT [open source intelligence] platform used to aid in the identification and investigations of persons of interest, by allowing users to search its database of 50+ billion facial images sourced from public-only web sources, including news media, mugshot websites, public social media, & many other open sources, one part of the documents reads. 404 Media previously reported NASAs purchase of the technology, but previously cited procurement records only said the agency bought a Clearview AI license.It is the largest known public only database of its kind and provides high level security and auditing functions better than other platforms. Clearview AI is the only technology platform available in the U.S. that offers its unique combination of web crawling and facial recognition capabilities while being in full compliance with data privacy laws, the documents continue.Do you know anything else about Clearview AI? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at +44 20 8133 5190. Otherwise, send me an email at joseph@404media.co.The documents, while detailing the process of NASA buying the technology, do not explicitly say why NASA believes it needs that technology.Previously, NASA told 404 Media that that license was purchased on behalf of the agencys Office of Inspector General (OIG). OIGs are bodies that investigate fraud and waste inside the U.S. government. NASAs OIG also investigates allegations of crime, cyber-crime, fraud, abuse, and misconduct having an impact on NASA programs, personnel, and resources, according to the OIGs website. The OIG previously said it had no comment on its purchase of Clearviews technology.You can read the obtained documents here.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-03-11T14:21:34Z WASHINGTON (AP) With Elon Musk facing escalating political blowback and financial troubles, President Donald Trump said he would buy a Tesla vehicle from his company, an unusual show of support from the president to his most powerful adviser.It was the latest example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration. The Republican president announced early Tuesday that he was going to buy a new Tesla as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.Musks electric vehicle company is being battered by sagging sales and plunging stock prices. He continues to run the automaker as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX while also serving as Trumps adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal government. Elon Musk is putting it on the line in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! Trump wrote on social media. But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the Worlds great automakers, and Elons baby, in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for. The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trumps plans, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept. Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show. But regardless of the practicality of Trumps purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines by bringing Musk into his administration.Musk is the worlds richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. Hes also exerting sweeping influence over Trumps administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president. During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk how are you running your other businesses while also advising Trump.With great difficulty, he said. But theres no turning back, you say? Kudlow responded.Im just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud, Musk said. Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle. At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that hell make mistakes along the way.For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs. Most of the federal spending is entitlements, Musk said in the interview. Thats the big one to eliminate.The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as lying hacks and told Democrats to spare us the fake outrage about reducing benefits. He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs, the White House posted. 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

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-11T13:57:24Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump says that he will double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States northern neighbor.Trump says the increase of the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States.I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social.The U.S. stock market promptly fell following the social media post. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY WITH UPDATES TO FOLLOW___After a brutal stock market selloff because of his tariff threats, President Donald Trump faces pressure on Tuesday to show he has a legitimate plan to grow the economy instead of perhaps pushing it into a recession.Trump was set to deliver an afternoon address to the Business Roundtable, a trade association of CEOs that during the 2024 campaign he wooed with the promise of lower corporate tax rates for domestic manufacturers. But his plans for tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, steel, aluminum with more to possibly come on Europe, Brazil, South Korea, pharmaceutical drugs, copper, lumber and computer chips would amount to a massive tax hike. The stock markets vote of no confidence over the past two weeks puts the president in a bind between his enthusiasm for taxing imports and his brand as a politician who understands business based on his own experiences in real estate, media and marketing. Harvard University economist Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary for the Clinton administration, on Monday put the odds of a recession at 50-50.All the emphasis on tariffs and all the ambiguity and uncertainty has both chilled demand and caused prices to go up, Summers posted on X. We are getting the worst of both worlds - concerns about inflation and an economic downturn and more uncertainty about the future and that slows everything. The investment bank Goldman Sachs revised down its growth forecast for this year to 1.7% from 2.2% previously. It modestly increased its recession probability to 20% because the White House has the option to pull back policy changes if downside risks begin to look more serious.Trump has tried to assure the public that his tariffs would cause a bit of a transition to the economy, with the taxes prodding more companies to begin the years-long process of relocating factories to the United States to avoid the tariffs. But he set off alarms in an interview broadcast on Sunday in which he didnt rule out a possible recession.I hate to predict things like that, Trump said on Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures. There is a period of transition, because what were doing is very big. Were bringing wealth back to America. Thats a big thing. And there are always periods of it takes a little time. It takes a little time. But I dont I think it should be great for us. I mean, I think it should be great. The promise of great things ahead did not eliminate anxiety, with the S&P 500 stock index tumbling 2.7% on Monday in an unmistakable Trump slump that has erased the market gains that greeted his victory in November 2024. The S&P 500 index continued to fall in Tuesday morning trading.The White House after the markets closed on Monday highlighted that the tariffs were prompting companies such as Honda, Volkswagen and Volvo to consider new investments in U.S. factories.It issued a statement that Trumps combination of tariffs, deregulations and increased energy production had led industry leaders to promise to create thousands of new jobs.The significance of thousands of additional jobs was unclear, as the U.S. economy added 2.2 million jobs last year alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

A hyperbaric chamber at the Oxford Center in Brighton, Mich., is shown Feb. 8, 2024. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP, file)2025-03-11T15:24:14Z Four people have been charged in the death of a 5-year-old boy who was killed inside a pressurized oxygen chamber that exploded at a suburban Detroit medical facility.Thomas Cooper from Royal Oak, Michigan, was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother was standing next to the chamber and suffered injuries to her arms when it exploded Jan. 31 at the Oxford Center in Troy.Online court records show the centers founder and chief executive, Tamela Peterson is charged with second-degree murder. The other defendants are Gary Marken, 65, and Gary Mosteller, 64, charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter; and Aleta Moffitt, 60, charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false medical information on a medical records chart.Arraignments were scheduled Tuesday afternoon in Troy District Court, Lt. Ben Hancock said. The case is being prosecuted by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and details were expected to be released during a late morning news conference. Raymond Cassar, Markens attorney, said the second-degree murder charge comes as a total shock to him and his client.For fairness, he is presumed innocent, Cassar said. This was a tragic accident and our thoughts and our prayers go out to the family of this little boy. I want to remind everyone that this was an accident, not an intentional act. Were going to have to leave this up to the experts to find out what was the cause of this. Moffitts lawyer, Ellen Michaels, declined to comment before Tuesdays arraignment. The Associated Press left a telephone message Tuesday morning seeking comment from Petersons attorney. An attorney was not listed for Mosteller.A voicemail was left seeking comment from an attorney representing the Oxford Center. The AP also left a message seeking comment from the center.The Oxford Center had said in an email following the explosion that a fire started inside the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority, the center said. Nothing like this has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy. We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place.Hyperbaric therapy increases delivers pure oxygen to a persons body inside the pressurized chamber. Thats up to five times the amount of oxygen in a normal room, Troy Fire Lt. Keith Young said following the explosion.The presence of such a high amount of oxygen in a pressurized environment can make it extremely combustible, Young said. We did some initial investigation. This is very uncommon, so were not sure what led up to it.

Get ready to be swept away, because the trailer for Lilies Not For Me is here, and this beautiful, sexy, and haunting gay period romance is taking shape as one you cannot miss. The film, which comes from the producers of Call Me By Your Name, is set in 1920s England and recounts a gay mans history of passionate love affairs. At its center is Owen (Fionn OShea), a gay novelist who has come to be institutionalised for his queer identity. As part of his treatment, he has doctor-prescribed dates with his psychiatric nurse, Dorothy (Erin Kellyman). However, the two form a friendship and as their conversations unfold, Owen reveals a passionate and frightening story of his forbidden love affair with a doctor named Phillip (Robert Aramay). Phillip is convinced that their desires can be cured, and their romance takes a dark turn as they opt to participate in a risky procedure meant to cure their desire for one another. The film highlights a dark and underseen moment in British history, and is a reminder of the importance of knowing, understanding, and fighting to never repeat parts of our queer history. It all sounds aching, heartwrenching and profoundly moving.Starring alongside OShea and Kellyman are Jodi Balfour and Louis Hofmann, and the film marks Will Seefrieds feature debut.Lilies Not For Me arrives on digital soon. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below. - YouTube

Dylan Mulvaney has been the name on everyone's lips for the last few years and with good reason. Not only has her willingness to share her transition with the world made her an inspiration to queer folks but it also made the trans activist, influencer, singer, actor, and now author a lightning rod of the right. But through it all Mulvaney has stayed positive and unapologetic in her transness weathering the praise, scrutiny, and derision exceptionally well. Not only that, Mulvaney used it all as a springboard to share her brand of strength, kindness, and vulnerability to the world. And yet, we're still just getting to know to know her with the help of new memoir Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, out March 11. In a revealing new interview with our sister site, The Advocate Mulvaney discussed "Beergate," why she's thrilled to be considered "Mother" to many of her queer and trans fans, and interestingly, why she's ready to shed parts of her "squeaky clean reputation. SIXDO by Do Manh Cuong Black Embellished Floral Ball Gown; Joseph Saidan & Sons Onyx and Diamond Earrings;Alexandre Birman Anastasia Black Patent Leather Sandals with Crystal Embellished Buckled StrapsJon StarsThis is evidenced by a part of her memoir Mulvaney describes realizations she came to while on an ayahuasca trip. I feel like some people see me as this very buttoned up, squeaky clean person, she told The Advocate. but Im actually pretty weird and wacky. It was also during this experience that realized she had a purpose in life: To be a mother. By that, she means standing up and being visible to the queer youth who look up to her. If I could be that for someone, I think its a hundred percent worth it, and Im honored, she smiles. The first time I heard the term mother [applied to me], I thought, Oh, my God, are they calling me old? But, no, apparently, its a compliment.Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, is on shelves March 11. Read the full interview with Mulvaney on Advocate.com. Talent: Dylan Mulvaney @dylanmulvaneyPhotographer: Jon Stars @jonstarsPhotography Assistant: Mike Taveira @miketaveiraStylist: Annie Easton @annieleaston; @annieandnoraStylist Assisant: Madalyn @gonemad_vintageHair: Angelina Panelli @angelinapanelliMakeup: Armando Kole @kole_muaVideo: Miguel Torres @mtrider91

The seal of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve System is displayed in the ground at the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, Feb. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)2025-03-11T17:33:19Z WASHINGTON (AP) Stock markets are plunging, consumers and businesses have started to sour on the economy, and economists are marking down their estimates for growth this year, with some even seeing rising odds of a recession. Its a sharp shift from just a month ago, when stock indices were at record highs and consumer sentiment was rapidly improving. Many business executives were optimistic that President Donald Trump would cut taxes and pursue deregulation, which they expected would bolster growth. Instead, Trump has aggressively implemented tariffs and tariff threats against the United States largest trading partners. On Tuesday, Trump boosted import taxes on steel and aluminum from Canada to 50%, from 25%, in response to Ontarios imposition of duties on electricity it sends to the United States. For now, the economy appears to be stable. Stock prices often fluctuate and sharp, temporary drops typically dont harm the economy. Most analysts still think the chances of a recession are fairly small. Goldman Sachs expects slower growth this year than last but still puts the odds of a recession at just 20%. Still, fears of a downturn are rising as investors, economists, and business executives are realizing that Trumps import taxes are much more at the forefront of his economic policy this time than his last term in the White House. Tax cuts and deregulation appear for now to be on the back-burner. During Trumps first term, tax cuts came before the import duties. Tariffs can slow the economy in a variety of ways: By rising prices for consumers, they can slow spending. Businesses may pull back on investing in new projects if they face higher costs from tariffs. And the uncertainty from Trumps on-again, off-again approach can also cause firms to delay hiring and investment. The longer the tariffs stay on, the more the risk of recession grows, says Luke Tilley, chief economist at M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust. Here are some questions and answers about recessions: Are there any signs a recession is imminent? Not really. But one development that has sparked widespread fears is a real-time economy tracker maintained by the Federal Reserves Atlanta branch. Last week it showed a sharp downshift and is now projecting that the U.S. economy will shrink at an annual rate of 2.4% in the first three months of this year. The Atlanta Feds tracker is not technically a forecast but instead a running tally that is updated as economic data is released. It turned negative after trade data showed a surge in imports in January, which likely reflected an effort by businesses to get ahead of tariffs. Most economists still expect the U.S. economy to expand in the first quarter, though at a slower pace. JPMorgan sees growth slowing to just 1% at an annual rate in the first quarter, down from 2.3% in last years fourth quarter. What else has caused the stock markets to drop?Trump helped spark the sharp market selloff Monday by refusing to rule out a recession during a Sunday interview on Fox Business News. When asked whether he expected a recession this year, Trump said, I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what were doing is very big. ... It takes a little time.Some of Trumps advisers, however, have dismissed recession concerns and have said the economy should continue to grow. Why didnt Trumps tariffs spark recession fears last time?The import taxes Trump is threatening to impose this time are far more sweeping than the duties he put in place in 2018-2019, which were mostly focused on China and a few targeted items, such as steel, aluminum, and washing machines. Now, Trump has placed 20% duties on all imports from China, has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico the United States two largest trading partners and also says the U.S. will place reciprocal tariffs on all countries that have tariffs on U.S. exports, including Europe, India, and Japan. All told, Jan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, estimates that the average U.S. tariff on imported items could rise 10 percentage points as a result, five times the increase he imposed in his first term. And most economists say that Trumps 2018-2019 duties did cause a downturn in the manufacturing sector. The Federal Reserve ended up cutting its benchmark interest rate three times in 2019 to shore up the economy. What signals would suggest that a recession has begun? The clearest signal would be a steady rise in job losses and a surge in unemployment. Companies generally stop hiring, and sometimes lay off workers, if they see their business shrinking. The unemployment rate did tick up last month, to 4.1% from 4%, though that is still quite low. But employers added 151,000 jobs, a sign that businesses are still seeking to add workers.Many economists monitor the number of people who seek unemployment benefits each week, a gauge that indicates whether layoffs are worsening. Weekly applications for jobless aid remain quite low by historical standards. Who decides when a recession has started?Recessions are officially declared by the obscure-sounding National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of economists whose Business Cycle Dating Committee defines a recession as a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.The committee considers trends in hiring. It also assesses many other data points, including gauges of income, employment, inflation-adjusted spending, retail sales and factory output. It assigns heavy weight to a measure of inflation-adjusted income that excludes government support payments like Social Security.Yet the organization typically doesnt declare a recession until well after one has begun, sometimes as long as a year afterward. ___ CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)2025-03-11T16:52:43Z Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus thats airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.Heres what you need to know about measles in the U.S.How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized. New Mexico health officials announced Friday that there were 30 cases in Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak. A school-age child died of measles in Texas last month, and New Mexico reported its first measles-related death in an adult last week. Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases and there have been three clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025. In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. Do you need an MMR booster?The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions. Adults with presumptive evidence of immunity generally dont need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts dont always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary. Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s dont need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from killed virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who dont know which type they got.What are the symptoms of measles?Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. How can you treat measles?Theres no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.Why do vaccination rates matter?In communities with high vaccination rates above 95% diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called herd immunity. But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60. Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.___AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. DEVI SHASTRI Shastri is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Milwaukee. She covers housing access, the social safety net, medical misinformation and other topics that influence the health of communities broadly. twitter mailto

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has a huge roster of talented wrestlers and loves celebrating their queer stars!While out gay pro wrestler Anthony Bowens has made headlines for his scissoring bit (and as one of PRIDEs grand marshals for last years Pride Month celebration), there are also queer women and nonbinary wrestlers who fill out the AEW roster. From stars Diamante and Kiara Hogan who have an IRL romance going to The Latina Sensation to the very goth Abadon, the Sapphic side of the AEW has us seated for all future matches.DiamanteSee on InstagramDiamante is a Cuban-American professional wrestler who has been with the AEW since 2020, and signed a full-time deal in 2023. She is also part of Ring of Honor, AEWs sister promotion, where last year she competed in the Womens World Championship and beat Kiera Hogan, whom she has been in a relationship with since 2019.Kiera HoganSee on InstagramKiera Hogan, who has been dating fellow AEW wrestler Diamante since 2019, is a former Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champion who signed with AEW in 2021.Mercedes MartinezSee on InstagramMarried lesbian wrestler Mercedes Martinez, AKA The Latina Sensation, is a former WWE wrestler who left to join AEW in 2019. Martinez then returned to the WWE before leaving to do a brief stint with Impact Wrestling before rejoining AEW in 2021.Nyla RoseSee on InstagramBlack and Native Oneida wrestler Nyla Rose has been breaking down barriers throughout her career. In 2019, she became the first out trans wrestler in history to sign to a major American wrestling promotion when she joined AEW and then made history as the first trans wrestler to win a title in an America wrestling promotion when she became the AEW Women's World Championship in 2020.She also starred in OutTVs Canadian television series The Switch and co-wrote the comic Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1.AbadonAbadon is a nonbinary wrestler who joined the AEW in 2020. They are called the Living Dead Girl, and their billed weight is 1,000 lost souls, and have fought in Halloween-themed matches because of their in-ring persona. In 2023, Abadon became the number one contender for the AEW Women's World Championship, after defeating Anna Jay, Skye Blue, and Willow Nightingale in a four-way match.SarayaSee on InstagramFormer WWE Raw wrestler Saraya signed with AEW in 2022 after a neck injury forced her out of the ring in 2017. She was the youngest female champion in the WWE, is a two-time WWE Divas Champion, and a former AEW Women's World Champion. Her life story was turned in the biographical sports comedy Fighting with My Family, starring Florence Pugh as Saraya.Toni StormSee on InstagramNew Zealand-Aurtrailian former WWE wrestler Toni Storm joined AEW in 2022. After losing the AEW Womens World Championship, Storm rebranded herself as Timeless Toni Storm, creating a new persona of a demanding and paranoid Golden Age of Hollywood starlet and changing her hair and makeup to look like Marilyn Monroe.Storm came out as bisexual in 2021 when she took over the WWE NXT Instagram account for Pride Month.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, accompanied by investigator in charge Brice Banning, left, speaks about the recent mid-air collision of an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, at a news conference in Washington, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-03-11T18:34:26Z Federal investigators looking for the cause of the January collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people recommended a ban on some helicopter flights Tuesday to improve safety.A military helicopter collided with the American Airlines jet as it was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport over the Potomac River on Jan. 29. Among the victims were 28 members of the figure skating community.National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the board determined that the existing separation distance between planes and helicopters at Reagan National Airport is insufficient and poses an intolerable risk to aviation safety.It shouldnt take tragedy to require immediate action, she said.Under the current practice helicopters and planes can be as close as 75 feet apart from each other during landing, Homendy said. Investigators have identified 15,214 instances of planes getting alerts about helicopters being in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024, she said. Following the crash, the FAA took steps to restrict helicopter flights around Reagan National Airport to ensure that planes and helicopters are no longer sharing the same airspace. Now flights are put on hold temporarily when helicopters need to pass by the airport. Investigators have said the helicopter may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers. The collision likely occurred at an altitude just under 300 feet (91 meters), as the plane descended toward the helicopter, which was well above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location. The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another communication, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a different runway, Homendy said last month. The helicopter was on a check flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on using night vision goggles, Homendy said. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nations capital.Within just a months time earlier this year, there were four major aviation disasters in North America, including the midair collision over the Potomac and most recently in mid-February when a Delta flight flipped and landed on its roof at Torontos Pearson Airport, injuring 21 people. Those accidents and close calls left some worried about the safety of flying even though fatal crashes are rare and the track record of U.S. airlines is remarkably sound.President Donald Trump blamed the midair collision over Washington, D.C., on what he called an obsolete air traffic control system and promised to replace it. He also faulted the helicopter for flying too high. Federal officials have been raising concerns about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements. JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers all the major freight railroads including Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian National and CPKC. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway and has been attending Buffetts Woodstock for Capitalists annual meeting every spring in Omaha, Nebraska, for 19 years. twitter mailto JOHN SEEWER Seewer covers state and national news for The Associated Press and is based in Toledo, Ohio. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Smoke billows from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in England. (Dan Kitwood/Pool Photo via AP)2025-03-11T08:58:46Z LONDON (AP) British police arrested a man Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter as they searched for answers about why a cargo ship hit a tanker transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military off eastern England, setting both vessels ablaze. One sailor was presumed dead in the collision, which sparked fears of significant environmental damage.Humberside Police said the 59-year-old was detained on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision. The man, who was not named by police, has not been charged. The government said the cause of the collision was being investigated, but there was no indication of foul play.U.K. officials were watching for damage to birds and sea life after jet fuel poured into the North Sea when the Portugal-registered container ship Solong broadsided the U.S.-flagged tanker MV Stena Immaculate on Monday. The collision sparked explosions and fires that burned for more than 24 hours. AP AUDIO: UK police arrest a man on suspicion of manslaughter over North Sea ship collision AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports British officials are concerned about environmental damage after a cargo ship carrying a toxic chemical hit a tanker transporting jet fuel off eastern England. Footage filmed from a helicopter on Tuesday morning showed the fire appeared to largely be out on the tanker, which had a large gash on its port side.The U.K. coast guard agency said Tuesday that the Solong was still alight. It said the cargo ship, whose front end was crushed and blackened, was drifting south, away from the tanker, and a 1 kilometer (around a mile) exclusion zone had been put in place around both ships. No sign of pollution from vessels is observed at this time, Transport minister Mike Kane told lawmakers in the House of Commons. But he cautioned that it was a fast-changing situation, and said the cargo ship is likely to sink. The government said air quality readings were normal and the risk to public health onshore was very low.The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels in the foggy North Sea.All but one of the 37 crew members from the two vessels were brought safely ashore in the port of Grimsby, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of London, with no major injuries. One crew member was missing, and the coast guards called off the search late Monday. Our working assumption is that, very sadly, the sailor is deceased. Kane said.The U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun gathering evidence of what caused the Solong, bound from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands, to hit the stationary tanker, which was anchored about 10 miles (16 kilometers) off the English coast.The investigation will be led by the U.S. and Portugal, the countries where the vessels are flagged.The 183-meter (596-foot) Stena Immaculate was operating as part of the U.S. governments Tanker Security Program, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. Its operator, U.S.-based maritime management firm Crowley, said that it was carrying 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 fuel in 16 tanks, at least one of which was ruptured. The company said that it was unclear how much fuel had leaked into the sea.The owner of the Solong, shipping company Ernst Russ, said that contrary to earlier reports, the vessel wasnt carrying containers of sodium cyanide, which can produce harmful gas when combined with water. It said that four empty containers had previously contained the chemical. Our team is actively engaged with all local authorities, and we will work with cleanup teams to ensure every effort is made to mitigate further impacts on the marine environment, the company said in a statement.Greenpeace U.K. said that it was too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage from the collision, which took place near busy fishing grounds and major seabird colonies.Environmentalists said that oil and chemicals posed a risk to sea life, including whales and dolphins and to birds, including puffins, gannets and guillemots that live on coastal cliffs.Tom Webb, senior lecturer in marine ecology and conservation at the University of Sheffield, said that wildlife along that stretch of coast is of immense biological, cultural and economic importance. Alex Lukyanov, who models oil spills at the University of Reading, said that the environmental impact would depend on multiple factors, including the size of the spill, weather conditions, sea currents, water waves, wind patterns and the type of oil involved.This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water, he said. The environmental toll could be severe. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto

Elon Musks trans daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson has heavily implied that her father used sex-selective in vitro fertilization (IVF) when she was conceived in an attempt to guarantee a boy. In a post on Threads on Monday, Wilson who is estranged from her father and frequently calls him out on social media accused Musk of viewing her as going against the product that was sold when she came out as trans.My assigned sex at birth was a commodity that was bought and paid for, Wilson wrote. So when I was feminine as a child and then turned out to be transgender, I was going against the product that was sold. That expectation of masculinity that I had to rebel against all my life was a monetary transaction. A monetary transaction. A MONETARY TRANSACTION.But what Musk clearly doesn't understand is that you can't pre-select your child's gender identity. It just doesn't work like that.Musk has made headlines over the years for his controversial approach to fatherhood, including his decision to have 14 children in large part because he is concerned with population decline, according to Walter Isaacsons biography Elon Musk.Now, Wilson is suggesting that Musk is focused on having boys through IVF. Out of his 14 children, he only has two cisgender daughters and one trans daughter, the rest are boys. How the fk is this legal, Wilson commented on her own post. But what is sex-selective IVF because it seems like Musk might need a refresher course?What is sex-selective IVF?During in vitro fertilization, embryos are created and then can be evaluated at the earliest stages of development for a preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which can determine the sex of each embryo. Then, the healthiest embryo of the parents chosen sex can be placed in the mothers uterus.According to the National Library of Medicine, 2%-5% of all newborns in developed nations are conceived using IVF, and the rates of patients using PGD have increased from 4.5% in 2011 to 44.9% by 2018. Like Musk, more patients choose to have male embryos implanted, with 164 males born for every 100 females.Is sex-selective IVF banned in other countries?While sex-selective IVF is legal in the U.S., many countries have banned the practice. Canada, most of Australia, and more than half of all European countries have banned sex-selective IVF because of ethical concerns.Why do people get sex-selective IVF?According to the Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles, people opt for sex-selective IVF for many reasons, including family balancing, where parents choose the sex to balance the number of each sex they have in their family. Other people choose to use the procedure if they are at risk for gender-based genetically transmitted diseases so that they can choose to have a boy or a girl depending on which disorder they are trying to avoid. Some people may also choose to undergo gender selection because they dont feel psychologically equipped to parent one gender over the other.Does sex-selective IVF guarantee gender identity?Dear Elon Musk, while sex-selective IVF is nearly 100% accurate, it only allows you to choose the genetic sex of the embryo and does not guarantee that your child will continue to identify as that gender. Regardless of sex-selective IVF being used, your child may still be trans.

Peacock producers... listen up!Bravoholics quickly binged four chaotic seasons of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which saw women from various cities all coming together to partake in plenty of shenanigans on a lavish vacation.The popular spin-off aired from 2021 to 2023 on Peacock, but a recently filmed fifth season in Morocco seems to have been shelved since the drama on set resulted in a lawsuit involving Caroline Manzo and Brandi Glanville over accusations of inappropriate behavior.Along with Manzo and Glanville, Gretchen Rossi joined Camille Grammer, Alex McCord, Vicki Gunvalson, Eva Marcille, and Phaedra Parks to make up the ensemble cast."I really hope it [airs]! It was an awesome show. It would be amazing if it ever airs. I just hope it does, but I don't know if they will. Please, Bravo! Bring it back. Make it happen," Rossi tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Rossi's fianc Slade Smiley echoed the reality star's plea with a little more confidence that the new season will air at some point. "I feel like NBC and Bravo will figure it out. Everybody is talking about that show. Even the producers were like, 'That was one of our best seasons ever.' They will find a way to bring it back," Smiley says.Although the future of RHUGT is up in the air, Bravo fans are looking forward to seeing both Rossi and Smiley make their grand return to The Real Housewives of Orange County on the upcoming 19th season."I love my Bravo family! I'm excited to be back. I think it's going to fun, messy, and interesting. You'll have to watch and find out," Rossi shares.Fans can binge The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip on Peacock. To see the full interview with Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley, check out the video at the top of the page.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones runs with the ball against the Indianapolis Colts during an NFL football game, Jan. 1, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, file)2025-03-11T15:27:01Z INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indianapolis Colts wanted someone to challenge quarterback Anthony Richardson for the starting job.They opted for Daniel Jones. The former New York Giants starter agreed Tuesday to a one-year, $14 million contract with the Colts, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because free agents cant sign until Wednesday, said Jones deal is worth up to $17.7 million.Colts general manager Chris Ballard projected this sort of move was in the works when he told reporters at the NFLs annual scouting combine Indy would have an open competition for the job.I think its good for the team, I think its good for Anthony, Ballard said in late February. Look, we drafted Anthony high, knowing it was going to take some time, and we knew there was going to be some hiccups along the way. Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 by the Giants who went 24-44-1 in New York with one playoff victory, will get a chance to prove he can still be a starter in the league. He finished last season as a backup for the Vikings after the Giants released him. Minnesota appears set to start J.J. McCarthy, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury. Sam Darnold, who led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in the regular season, agreed to a deal with Seattle on Monday.Richardson was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft but has struggled with both injuries and accuracy in his first two NFL seasons. Hes just 8-7 as a starter and last season had the lowest completion rate, 47.7%, of any starting quarterback in the NFL. In two seasons, Richardson also has 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Coach Shane Steichen also benched Richardson for two games after he took himself out of a game for one play because he was tired. Some teammates publicly criticized Richardsons decision. He was reinstated as the starter when Steichen said he saw Richardson had showed the growth Steichen was seeking. I think consistency is the biggest thing, Steichen said in February when asked where he wanted to see Richardsons biggest improvement in 2025. Weve had these conversations, myself and him, about being consistent. Hes played 15 games, he played 11 last year and did some really good things, but were just looking for the consistency, right?Even if Richardson wins the competition, though, Jones still may get an opportunity to prove himself all over again. Richardson played only four games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder, which required surgery.He missed four additional games with injuries last season.It wouldnt be the first time a Colts quarterback took advantage of such a chance.Gardner Minshew nearly led the Colts to the playoffs in 2023, made the Pro Bowl roster and then signed a free agent deal with Las Vegas.Last season, the Colts brought in 39-year-old Joe Flacco, the 2023 AP Comeback Player of the Year. He went 2-4 in six starts and relieved Richardson in two other games. The Colts also had four-year veteran Sam Ehlinger on the roster and undrafted rookie Jason Bean on the practice squad in 2024. Ehlinger now is a free agent.While Ballard and Steichen each have said they believe Richardson still can fulfill the potential they saw in the strong-armed 6-foot-4, 244-pound star at Florida, they also think a real competition and a healthy offseason could expedite Richardsons learning process.I know we all want to see a finished product right now, Ballard said at the combine. I do, you do, fans do. We all do. But I think as he continues to progress, adding competition, I think, will help up everybodys game.___AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Ian McKellen is encouraging famous queer people to come out of the closet and not everyone is taking too kindly to the suggestion.The legendary actor recently spoke with The Times about about Christopher Marlowes Edward II. The play, which is on the cusp of revival by the Royal Shakespeare Company, explores a relationship between the titular king and Piers Gaveston. McKellen himself tackled the latter back in 1969, nearly two decades prior to publicly coming out as gay himself.The conversation revolved around the queer history of the play, the actors (many queer themselves) who have brought it to life over the years, and how putting on an explicitly gay production has differed from decade to decade.At several points, McKellen ruminated about the idea of famewhether as a monarch, an actor, or another type of public figure entirelyand coming out. He recalled Sir Alec Guinness apprehensively equating McKellens coming out to "getting involved in politics," while another actor of his generation, Simon Callow, "saw no point in the closet at all.""I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they cant come out," the X-Men star admitted. "Being in the closet is silly theres no need for it." (@) Its an excellent soundbite, making it no surprise that the quote went viral sans context. It wasnt long before some people started pushing back or, at least, thinking thats what they were doing."Well, they should come out on their own terms," reads one response."you cant say something like this and also claim gay people are still being discriminated against and disowned," another person wrote. "i know his heart was in the right place but it feels tone deaf."Another X user whose bio declares himself an "anti-woke supporter of FREE SPEECH" replied with, "WHY? Were all entitled to a private life.""his heart was in the right place but its not easy at all to just come out in general whether youre famous or not," said another. "a lot of people still struggle with their sexuality."None of these things are actually at odds with McKellens advice. He notes in the interview that LGBTQ+ "always have to be alert" regarding possible oppression, and is keenly aware that our rights are currently coming under fire throughout the world.But hes also been on this earth for 85 years. Hes had an acting career for 66 of those years, and has been out to the public for 37. McKellen has perspective that very few do. Hes watched things shift over the decades, including the professional repercussions and benefits of coming out as LGBTQ+ as a public figure.Hes also observed the personal repercussions of making the conscious decision to remain in the closet. And the greater context of his quote involved questioning who benefits from queer celebrities hiding their sexuality. Spoiler alert: its not the celebrities."I would imagine young footballers are probably, like actors, getting very bad advice from agents who are worried about their own incomes. But the first Premier League footballer to come out will become the most famous footballer in the world, with all the agencies begging for his name on their products," McKellen said."I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it," he continued. "I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they cant come out. Being in the closet is silly theres no need for it. Dont listen to your advisers, listen to your heart. Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine."Nobody is obligated to come out before theyre ready. And of course there are scenarios in which it isnt safe or wise to do so. But McKellen is so clearly speaking from the perspective of a man who lived through an era where staying closeted was the standard advice for anyone touched by fame and who gave that advice the middle finger and went on to live a successful, fulfilling life out in the open.Suggesting celebrities "listen to [their] heart" rather than the money-hungry voices whispering in their ear isnt a demand. Its a gift of encouragement directed at a small subset of people who may need to hear from someone with a unique understanding of what theyre facing, and what they stand to gain from being true to themselves.

Tiger Woods flips his club after his shot to the 10th green during the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)2025-03-11T20:09:33Z PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Tiger Woods announced he had a less invasive surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday, yet another injury that would seem likely to keep him out of the Masters and perhaps other major championships this year.Woods posted the development on his social media accounts without detailing how long he expected to be out.As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured, Woods said.He said he had minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon that the doctor said went smoothly. Such surgeries involve smaller incisions, and the recovery time is quicker. But most recoveries take a month before someone can even put weight on their foot.Woods said he would focus on rehab and recovery.The Masters is April 10-13. Woods set the Masters record last year by making the cut for the 24th time in a row. But he has not competed outside of his indoor league except for 18 holes of the Seminole Pro-Member last week since missing the cut in the British Open last summer.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf DOUG FERGUSON Doug Ferguson has been the APs golf writer since 1998. He is a recipient of the PGA Lifetime Achievement in Journalism award. twitter mailto

This Is It!, the oldest continuously running gay bar in Wisconsin and a staple of Milwaukees LGBTQ+ nightlife, announced its closure on Sunday, March 9, leaving many patrons stunned and saddened. Co-owned by Trixie Mattel, the Drag Race superstar and Milwaukee native, and longtime owner George Schneider, the bar had been an essential gathering place for the queer community for over five decades.Source

Protesters demonstrate in support of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at Washington Square Park, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2025-03-11T20:54:57Z NEW YORK (AP) The White House complained Tuesday that Columbia University is refusing to help federal agents find people being sought as part of the governments effort to deport participants in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, as the administration continued to punish the school by yanking federal research dollars.Immigration enforcement agents on Saturday arrested and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident and Palestinian activist who played a prominent part in protests at Columbia last year. He is now facing possible deportation.President Donald Trump has vowed additional arrests. In a briefing with reporters in Washington, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said federal authorities have been using intelligence to identify other people involved in campus demonstrations critical of Israel that the administration considered to be antisemitic and pro-Hamas. She said Columbia had been given names and was refusing to help the Department of Homeland Security to identify those individuals on campus. As the president said very strongly in his statement yesterday, he is not going to tolerate that, Leavitt said. A Columbia spokesperson didnt immediately return a message seeking comment.Last week, the Trump administration announced it was pulling $400 million in grants and contracts from Columbia, accusing the school of failing to stop antisemitism on campus. As part of those cuts, the National Institutes of Health late Monday it was cutting more than $250 million in funding, which included more than 400 grants. X. Edward Guo, director of Columbias Bone Bioengineering Laboratory, posted a screenshot on X of an email he received notifying him that one of his NIH awards had been canceled. We understand this may be shocking news, the email reads.The university was wracked last spring by large demonstrations by students calling for an end to Israeli military action in Gaza and a recognition of Palestinians human rights and territorial claims. The university ultimately called in police to dismantle a protest encampment and end a student takeover of an administration building. Khalil, 30, had been a spokesperson for the protesters. He hasnt been charged with any crimes, but Leavitt said the administration had moved to deport him under a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that gives the secretary of state the power to deport a non-citizen if the government has reasonable ground to believe the persons presence could have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.As of Tuesday, Khalil was being held at an immigration detention center in Louisiana.Civil rights groups and Khalils attorneys say the government is unconstitutionally using its immigration-control powers to stop him from speaking out. A federal judge set a hearing for Wednesday and ordered the government not to deport him in the meantime.Trump, a Republican, has suggested that some protesters support Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israel responded with bombardment and other military offensives that have left over 48,000 Palestinians dead in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Israel says more than 17,000 were militants. Trump heralded Khalils arrest as the first of many to come, vowing on social media to deport students the president described as engaging in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.Immigration agents also tried to arrest another international student at Columbia, but they werent allowed into an apartment where she was, according to a union representing the student.Khalil, who finished his requirements for a Columbia masters degree in December, and protest leaders have said they are anti-war, not antisemitic. They note that some Jewish students and groups have joined the demonstrations. A Columbia disciplinary body recently told Khalil it was investigating whether he violated a new harassment policy by calling a school official genocidal. Leavitt didnt detail specific wrongdoing by Khalil. But she said he had organized protests that disrupted classes, harassed Jewish students and distributed pro-Hamas propaganda, fliers with the logo of Hamas.Born in Syria, Khalil is a grandson of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homeland, his lawyers said in a legal filing. It didnt address his citizenship but said his relatives have been displaced anew amid Syrias civil war and are now in other countries.Khalil is married to a U.S. citizen, who is expecting their first child.For everyone reading this, I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby, his wife, who has not been publicly identified, wrote in a statement provided by his lawyers. I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world.

Hormona Lisa took to an unexpected place this week to open up about something personal, but that choice has fans cheering.On Reddits r/rupaulsdragrace subreddit, the Drag Race star shared a post entitled The rumors are true, in which she opened up about being neurodivergent. I briefly mentioned this after my elimination, but I want to officially share that I have been diagnosed with autism, she began. I received my diagnosis nearly 7 years ago, and it really helped explain a lot of my life experiences, like never quite fitting in, no matter how much I wanted to, or people not quite understanding me. It can be frustrating at times, especially when I feel like Im expressing something one way, but others dont see it the same way. Still, its a part of who I am, and I wouldnt change it! Hormona explained that shed seen people on Reddit asking questions about it and she wanted to personally set the record straight. The response to her sharing was immediate and full of gratitude. Be kind to yourself, Im a 51-year-old woman and only received my diagnosis last year! wrote one user. I love seeing more people get out there that have autism as someone who is autistic as well. I agree that it can be frustrating sometimes but I also wouldnt change myself either so I totally get the sentiment, wrote another. However, it was a user who wrote, You have an incredible opportunity to be an autistic superhero. Take advantage of your platform to advocate for us! Help break down the bias, bullying, and stigma against our community, that really got to the heart of why Hormona decided to speak up about her diagnosis. I really hope that by sharing my story, I can give others with autism the courage to embrace who they are, even when it feels like the world doesnt quite get them, Hormona tells PRIDE. See on Instagram That doesnt mean it was easy for the drag star, however. Sharing my diagnosis has always been something Ive been hesitant about, but Ive come to realize that being open about it is important not just for me, but for others who might feel alone in their own struggles, she explains. Ultimately, she decided now was the time to really say something, because of how those whove spoken up in the past have impacted her own journey As Ive navigated life with autism, Ive found that the more people are willing to open up about it, the more we can break down misunderstandings and stigma, she shares.In the end, she wanted to help her fans feel seen and less alone. I wanted to share my experience in hopes of helping others who might feel isolated, and also to encourage more understanding of what its like to navigate a world that often feels overwhelming or alienating.I want fans to know that theyre not alone, that its okay to struggle, and that our differences dont make us any less deserving of love and respect. My hope is that by being open about my own experience, I can encourage more empathy and create a space where people feel comfortable sharing their stories too.And that she already has; the Reddit thread is full of fans sharing their experiences and connecting and relating with one another. Hormona is proving yet again that she truly is a queen for the people.

(@) President Donald Trump on Tuesday used the White House lawn for his very own dog and pony show when he announced he was buying a Tesla in a bizarre bid to boost business for Elon Musks company, which saw its stock price plummet this week.Trump pledged to buy a Tesla, turning the South Lawn into a showroom where he inspected fire different Tesla models and sat in a red car with Musk and posed for photographs, telling reporters that the Tesla CEO has been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people.This performative shopping trip came after Tesla stock dropped 15% on Monday, the worst day on the market for the company in five years, CNBC reports. In response, Trump took to Truth Social to call out the Radical Left Lunatics for trying to Illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, calling Tesla Musks baby and said he planned to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk.Trump said that he hoped what was clearly a promotional event for the billionaire-owned brand, would boost Teslas sales, Politico reports. While Trump is hoping his political stunt will work in Musks favor, the internet has used his social media posts as a way to roast both men mercilessly. People joked that Trump and Musk "might as well just fk atp and called them that annoying couple that wont stop making out in public. Other people quipped about clapping when his new Tesla eventually explodes while trump is in it, while someone else encouraged Trump to take the Tesla for a spin, writing, Please drive it, it'll be fun and it's SO safe!!!!"Keep scrolling to see the most hilarious reactions to Trump trying to support his "boyfriend." (@) "Trump buying a fucking Telsa because the boycott is hurting Elon's feelings? Seriously?" (@) "theyre that annoying couple that wont stop making out in public" (@) "They might as well just fuck atp" (@) "when the tesla explodes while trump is in it" (@) "Elonius must have been crying to daddy about how mean everyone has been. But yes, go but teslas magats that way you're all easily identifiable in the wild." (@) (@) "Trump doesn't buy anythinghe grifts and scams his way into freebies." (@) "Definitely nothing to do with the massive stock plunge. Certainly not against the hatch act or any conflict of interest provisions" (@) "He's not an American" (@) "this is textbook insider trading and basically illegal but ok" (@) "Why did he feel the need to tell us" (@) "He is trying his best to make his boyfriend happy." (@) "can they just fuck and leave us alone" (@) "can they kiss and ride off into the sunset together already this is getting to be too much " (@) "Great - just what the world needs - an 80 year man driving an electric truck in the Walmart parking lot." (@) "A fascist dictator is buying a fascist vehicle from a fascist + Elon is not American" (@) "Yall should just make out already damn" (@) "I love there public toxic relationship" (@) "Please drive it, it'll be fun and it's SO safe!!!!" (@) "Doing anything but being a good president or person. My god." (@) "Oh i love when boyfriends support each other"

Sir Ian McKellen, the legendary actor known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings and X-Men, has stirred a debate after encouraging famous queer people to come out of the closet, asserting that there is no need for anyone in the public eye to remain closeted. While McKellens comments were widely shared, they also sparked some pushback from those who feel the pressure to come out is not asSource

The United States has been added to a global human rights watchlist, a decision that highlights growing concerns over civil freedoms under the leadership of President Donald Trump. Non-profit organization CIVICUS, known for its advocacy on human rights, placed the U.S. on its 2025 Monitor Watchlist, citing threats to civil liberties and a growing erosion of democratic norms during Trumps tenure.Source

Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, attends a hearing of the Health, Education, and Labor Committee on her nomination, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-03-11T22:03:05Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Education Department plans to lay off over 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees as part of a reorganization thats seen as a prelude to President Donald Trumps plan to dismantle the agency.Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agencys ability to continue usual operations. The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies. The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, said Rachel Oglesby, the departments chief of staff. She said the changes would not affect the agencys Office for Civil Rights or its functions mandated by Congress, such as the distribution of federal aid to schools. The Trump administration had already been whittling the agencys staff, though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesdays layoffs, the Education Departments staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,000, Oglesby said. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told employees to brace for profound cuts in a memo issued March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate. She said it was the departments final mission to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the agencys authority to states. The department sent an email to employees Tuesday telling them its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday, with access forbidden, before reopening Thursday. The only reason given for the closures was unspecified security reasons. Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, saying it had been overtaken by radicals, zealots and Marxists. At McMahons confirmation hearing, she acknowledged only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganization. Whether the cuts will be felt by Americas students as Democrats and advocates fear is yet to be seen. Already there are concerns the administrations agenda has pushed aside some of the agencys most fundamental work, including the enforcement of civil rights for students with disabilities and the management of $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.McMahon told lawmakers at her hearing that her aim is not to defund core programs, but to make them more efficient.Even before the layoffs, the Education Department was among the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. Its workforce included 3,100 people in Washington and an additional 1,100 at regional offices across the country, according to a department website.The departments workers had faced increasing pressure to quit their jobs since Trump took office, first through a deferred resignation program and then through a $25,000 buyout offer that expired March 3. The buyout offer came with a warning that there would be significant layoffs in the near future.___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. COLLIN BINKLEY Binkley covers the U.S. Education Department and federal education policy for The Associated Press, along with a wide range of issues from K-12 through higher education. twitter mailto

Sapphic queen Sarah Paulson just became a runway model at age 50!The American Horror Story actress and wife of Holland Taylor made her runway debut on the last day of Paris Fashion Week when she walked in Miu Mius fall/winter 2025 show. Paulson walked the runway in an off-the-shoulder satin button-up dress, unbuttoned low enough to show off the white bra she wore underneath. She also wore a black bucket hat, knee-high socks, and green snakeskin high heels. Its not a big deal, you guys. Its totally fine. It was a very relaxing experience. I wasnt at all nervous, Sarah told i_d sarcastically before saying, This is a joke.She added, Im obsessed with Mrs. Prada and Im obsessed with the Miu Miu brand, so it just was like the biggest honor of my life. So cool!See on InstagramThe Emmy-winning actress wasnt the only queer woman to strut down the catwalk, Towa Bird musician and Rene Rapps girlfriend also modeled for the show in pants, a black and white t-shirt, and a black bucket hat. (@) Paulson was also joined on the runway by model Gigi Hadid, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urbans 16-year-old daughter Sunday Rose, The Brutalist actress Raffey Cassidy, and actress Laura Harrier.The audience was also packed with A-listers. Sydney Sweeney sat in the front row and A$AP Rocky, Alix Earle, Emma Corrin, and Joey King were all in attendance, too. Hopefully, this will just be the first of many modeling gigs for Paulson because wed love to see more queer rep and Sapphic stars on the runway!

If David Beckham can insure his legs, then why can't Reno Gold insure his famous derrire?The OnlyFans star has built quite an empire off of his sexy content online. With millions of followers across social media, the top-earning content creator is making sure his body can keep up with the demands of being a sex worker.Now, Gold is trying to do something no one in the adult industry (and possibly entertainment industry) has ever done before: insure his famous backside for a cool $1 million.Its not just vanity... its business! Last year while filming an explicit acrobatic stunt, Reno attempted a naked cartwheel and crashed onto a glass table, splitting open his butt cheek. See on Instagram The injury required stitches and cosmetic surgery, forcing Gold to take a break from content creation. Now, he wants to protect himself in case another mishap happens again."Hand models insure their hands, athletes insure their legs why wouldnt I insure the thing that makes me money? My ass is my biggest asset," Reno tells PRIDE.However, securing an insurance policy on his sexy booty is no easy task. Several insurance agencies have rejected the proposal outright, citing "unconventional risk factors." However, a handful have expressed interest, and Gold remains hopeful.If he succeeds, the entertainer could set a new precedent in the adult content world, proving that in todays digital age, anything including an iconic butt can be worth a million bucks. Fans can keep up with Reno Gold by following him on Instagram here.

Chappell Roan is taking a wardrobe mishap in stride after a cheeky incident at Paris Fashion Week. The singer, known for her hit Pink Pony Club, shared a series of photos from her time at the iconic event, describing it as a dream come true. Roan, who attended several shows during Fashion Week, expressed her gratitude on social media, thanking designers Ludovic de Saint SerninSource

Seven people, including Sam Nordquists former partner, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a slew of charges related to the brutal killing of the 24-year-old Black transgender man, who authorities say was tortured and held captive in an upstate New York hotel room for over a month before succumbing to his injuries. Nordquists former partner, Precious Arzuaga, 38, and six others Thomas Eaves, 21Source

SIX Various: Part rock concert, part musical theatre, SIX introduces us to the six wives of Henry VIII. The sixqueensintroduce themselves throughbiographicalpop songsand explain that their bands lead singer will be whoever they determine had the worst experience at the hands of their shared ex-husband. Before I saw it, I discounted it as an []The post CV Reps Judas is Easy on the Eyes appeared first on GEDmagazine.

Good people and places are never forgotten. Such is the case of Dr. Kinji Hawthorne and his HIV/AIDS practice at DAP Health. If you walked DAP Healths halls in any capacity between 2008 and 2014, you may recognize the friendly face and pleasant bedside manner of Kinji Hawthorne, MD, MPH. He was a travel doctor []The post From Humble Beginnings Come Great Things appeared first on GEDmagazine.

A coalition of drag performers and their allies gathered outside the Kennedy Center on Friday to protest Donald Trumps controversial takeover of the historic cultural institution. The protest, which began at Washington Circle before moving to the Kennedy Center, was sparked by Trumps recent dismissal of the former president and 17 other board members, as well as his appointment of himself asSource

Dylan Mulvaney, the trailblazing trans icon and social media star, takes center stage in the March/April 2025 issue of The Advocate, offering a deeply personal look at her rise to fame, the challenges shes faced, and her reflections on lifes journey. Known for her viral Days of Girlhood video series, Mulvaney continues to inspire and advocate for the transgender community, and nowSource

Roman Mercury, a popular adult film star, has passed away at the age of 45. The news of his death was confirmed by his close friend and fellow adult performer, Greg Dixxon, who shared the heartbreaking information with Out magazine. Dixxon, who had worked alongside Mercury in numerous adult films, also revealed personal details about the talented performer, shedding light on his character andSource

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)2025-03-12T01:37:23Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Yemens Houthi rebels warned shippers early Wednesday that any Israeli vessel traveling through nearby Mideast waters is now a target as Israel continues to block aid to the Gaza Strip. The warning from the Houthis again throws into chaos a crucial maritime waterway between Asia and Europe, threatens revenue from Egypts Suez Canal and possibly will halt aid shipments to war zones. The rebels in the past have also had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.The statement from the Houthis Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center follows a four-day deadline set by the rebels for Israel to resume aid shipments. We hope it is understood that the actions taken by the (Houthi military) ... stem from a deep sense of religious, humanitarian and moral responsibility toward the oppressed Palestinian people and aim to pressure the Israeli usurper entity to reopen the crossings to the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid, including food and medical supplies, the statement said. It described the warning as taking hold in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea. The statement added: Any Israeli vessel attempting to violate this ban will be subject to military targeting in the declared operational area.There was no immediate sign of an attack on ships. Israel had no immediate comment. The rebels secretive leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels would resume within four days if Israel didnt let aid into Gaza. That deadline passed Tuesday. The rebels had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. 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