Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov smiles following his meeting with Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)2025-03-17T11:31:48Z Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said Monday that he has travelled from France to Dubai as French authorities continue to investigate criminal activity on his messaging app.Durov revealed his whereabouts in a post on his Telegram channel. He had been detained last year after arriving in Paris, where French authorities handed him preliminary charges for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform.After his arrest, Durov was barred from leaving France pending further investigation, and was required to report to a police station twice a week,As you may have heard, Ive returned to Dubai after spending several months in France due to an investigation related to the activity of criminals on Telegram, Durov wrote. The process is ongoing, but it feels great to be home. French investigators say Telegram was used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that the platform refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law. In his post, Durov thanked the investigative judges for letting this happen. Investigators detained Durov last August when he arrived at Le Bourget airport outside Paris and questioned him for four days as part of a sweeping probe. Durov said in his post that when it comes to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime, for years Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations.He insisted last year after his arrest that Telegram is not some sort of anarchic paradise, and blamed surging numbers of Telegram users, which caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform.

This photo provided by the Jackson County (Ill.) Historical Society shows the Logan School in Murphysboro, Ill., after a tornado tore through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri in March 1925. (Jackson County (Ill.) Historical Society via AP)2025-03-17T11:25:44Z MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (AP) From Logan Schools top floor, 11-year-old Othella Silvey should have been able to see her house easily it was less than two blocks away.But after a monstrous tornado ripped through the Illinois town of Murphysboro on March 18, 1925, Othella saw nothing but flattened wasteland.She couldnt tell which direction was home, said Othellas daughter, 81-year-old Sylvia Carvell. Deadliest twister in recorded U.S. historyThe deadliest twister in recorded U.S. history struck 100 years ago Tuesday, touching down in southeastern Missouri and tearing up everything in its 219-mile (352-kilometer) path for nearly four hours through southern Illinois and into Indiana.It left 695 people dead and more than 2,000 injured, not counting the casualties from at least seven other twisters that the main storm spawned which spun off through Kentucky and into Alabama.Modern standards qualify the so-called Tri-State Tornado as an F5, a mile-wide funnel with wind speeds greater than 260 mph (418 kph). Perhaps the best evidence of its destructive handiwork was found on the Logan School grounds: A wooden board measuring 4 feet (1.22 meters) long by 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) wide driven so deeply into the trunk of a maple tree that it could hold the weight of a man.Its on display this month as part of the Jackson County Historical Societys centennial commemoration of the disaster. You know the numbers: 200 mph winds. It was a mile wide. But the force that it took to put that pine board into that maple tree, it really puts it all in perspective, said Mary Riseling, coordinator of the six-day remembrance. To have one item that was witness to the force of those winds, its a story all its own. Perfect atmospheric mix for ferocious stormThe atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm. A surface low pressure system located over the Arkansas-Missouri border moved northeast, blending with a warm front moving north, said Christine Wielgos, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service. That churn provided the warmth, the instability, the moisture which, when married perfectly, produce long-track, violent tornadoes, Wielgos said. Adding to the terror was the lack of notice. There was no reliable storm forecasting in 1925 and no warning system anyway. All they had was they looked off to the West and went, Looking a little dark out there, and didnt even know what it was until it was right up on them and then youre scrambling to find shelter, Wielgos said. Towns were obliteratedThe storm took out 40% of the city of Murphysboro, 97 miles (156 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis. Its 234 deaths were the most of any municipality, with entire neighborhoods flattened. Other towns were virtually obliterated, too, including Annapolis, Missouri; Gorham, Illinois; and Griffith, Indiana.The Mobile & Ohio Railroad yards, employing close to 1,100, were wiped out. At the twisters next stop, it ravaged the DeSoto School, killing 38 children. Sheet music for After the Tornado is Over, a morbid dirge written locally, reflects the mood of the odious aftermath: I once had a Home Sweet Home here/With families so kind and dear/The Red Cross tells me they are dead/Among the debris straight ahead/Death seems to come to every door/The strong and weak, the rich and poor.In Murphysboro, Pullman rail cars arrived to house visiting medical professionals and cleanup crews. The Red Cross supplied tents for the homeless. With reports that the Silvey family had been killed and their home destroyed, Othella and her younger sister, Helen Silvey, 7, were shipped to Carbondale as orphans. However, it was their grandparents who lived a block away who had died, Carvell said. The sisters were eventually reunited with their parents. Commemoration celebrates resilienceThe city rebuilt. Othella Silveys family erected a home identical to the one that had been leveled. First, they built a chicken coop, which supplied not only their primary dietary staple for months, but their shelter until the primary residence was finished, Carvell said. To this day, the west side of Murphysboro is peppered with small backyard structures that were temporary quarters until families could rebuild larger homes at the front of their lots. Dozens of families who toughed it out remain in Murphysboro, Riseling said. Jackson County Historical Society President Laura Cates Duncan said the commemoration honors those who died but also celebrates the resilience of those who carried on. They could have gone elsewhere, but they wanted to stay here, Duncan said. Their roots were here.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and wife Diana Fox Carney arrive in Paris, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-17T07:09:10Z PARIS (AP) New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Paris Monday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking support from one of Canadas oldest allies as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to attack Canadas sovereignty and economy.This is Carneys first official foreign trip since he was sworn in on March 14. He will next land in London where he will sit down with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, the head of state in Canada. Why Paris and London?Carney has deliberately chosen the two European capital cities that shaped Canadas early existence. During his swearing-in ceremony, he noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples, French, English and Indigenous, and said Canada is fundamentally different from America and will never, ever, in any way shape or form, be part of the United States.Since Trump came to office, he has imposed whopping tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and repeatedly commented on turning Canada into the 51st state, infuriating Canadians and sparking a call to boycott U.S. products across the country. He is threatening to impose tariffs on all Canadian products on April 2. On Monday, a senior Canadian government official briefed reporters on the plane before picking up Carney in Montreal, saying the purpose of the trip is to double down on partnerships with London and Paris. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to speak publicly, said Canada is a good friend of the United States but we all know what is going on. Carney will visit the Notre-Dame Cathedral before meeting with Macron at the Palais de llyse. However, Macron isnt expected to hold a joint news conference with Carney, a sign the French president might not want to upset Trump by siding with Canada. Before returning to Ottawa on Tuesday, Carney will travel to the edge of Canadas Arctic to reaffirm Canadas Arctic security and sovereignty. The choice of this itinerary for Prime Minister Carneys first official trip emphasizes the strong connection of Canada with the Arctic as well as with the two former colonial powers Canada remains attached to, through the Commonwealth on the U.K. side and La Francophonie on the France side, said Daniel Bland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.The fact that Canada never broke away from the U.K. in a violent fashion is a key historical and institutional difference between the United States and Canada, a constitutional monarchy rather than a republic that has adopted and retained a U.K.-style parliamentary system.The trip to London will be a bit of a homecoming, as Carney became the first non-British governor in the Bank of Englands 319-year history when he took over the top job on July 1, 2013. He served until March 15, 2020. No Washington trip plannedCarney, a former central banker who turned 60 on Sunday, has said hes ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty. He said he doesnt plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon. His government is also reviewing the purchase of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets in light of Trumps trade war. Meanwhile, Macron has been ramping up efforts to persuade Frances allies to move away from purchases of American military hardware, which dovetails with Canadas rethink on F-35s and also coincides with mounting questions and concerns in Europe that European defenses are overly dependent on U.S. weaponry, technical support and goodwill.Carney spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a call late Sunday and invited him to the G7 summit this summer, which Canada is hosting. Trump said he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine.Carney is expected to call an election by the end of the week, to take place in late April or early May. Canadas governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war. Now, the party and its new leader could come out on top.___Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris and Danica Kirka in London contributed this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Lumber is piled at a housing construction site, Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Middleton, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)2025-03-17T10:26:44Z Shopping for a new home? Ready to renovate your kitchen or install a new deck? Youll be paying more to do so.The Trump administrations tariffs on imported goods from Canada, Mexico and China some already in place, others set to take effect in a few weeks are already driving up the cost of building materials used in new residential construction and home remodeling projects.The tariffs are projected to raise the costs that go into building a single-family home in the U.S. by $7,500 to $10,000, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Such costs are typically passed along to the homebuyer in the form of higher prices, which could hurt demand at a time when the U.S. housing market remains in a slump and many builders are having to offer buyers costly incentives to drum up sales.We Buy Houses in San Francisco, which purchases foreclosed homes and then typically renovates and sells them, is increasing prices on its refurbished properties between 7% and 12%. Thats even after saving $52,000 in costs by stockpiling 62% more Canadian lumber than usual.The uncertainty of how long these tariffs will continue has been the most challenging aspect of our planning, said CEO Mamta Saini. Bad timing for buildersThe timing of the tariffs couldnt be worse for homebuilders and the home remodeling industry, as this is typically the busiest time of year for home sales. The prospect of a trade war has roiled the stock market and stoked worries about the economy, which could lead many would-be homebuyers to remain on the sidelines. Rising costs due to tariffs on imports will leave builders with few options, said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. They can choose to pass higher costs along to consumers, which will mean higher home prices, or try to use less of these materials, which will mean smaller homes.Prices for building materials, including lumber, have been rising, even though the White House has delayed its tariffs rollout on some products. Lumber futures jumped to $658.71 per thousand board feet on March 4, reaching their highest level in more than two years. The increase is already inflating costs for construction projects. Dana Schnipper, a partner at building materials supplier JC Ryan in Farmingdale, New York, sourced wooden doors and frames for an apartment complex in Nassau County from a company in Canada that cost less than the American equivalent.Half the job has already been supplied. But once the tariff goes into effect it will be applied to the remaining $75,000, adding $19,000 to the at-cost total. Once JC Ryan applies its mark up, that means the customer will owe $30,000 more than originally planned, Schnipper said.He also expects the tariffs will give American manufacturers cover to raise prices on steel components.These prices will never come down, Schnipper said. Whatever is going to happen, these things will be sticky and hopefully were good enough as a small business, that we can absorb some of that. We cant certainly absorb all of it, so I dont know. Its going to be an interesting couple of months. Sidestepping the tariffs by using an alternative to imported building materials isnt always an option.Bar Zakheim, owner of Better Place Design & Build, a contracting business in San Diego that specializes in building accessible dwelling units, or ADUs, said Canada remains the best source for lumber.By sticking with imported lumber, Zakheim had to raise his prices about 15% compared with a year ago. He also has 8% fewer jobs lined up compared with last year.Im not about to go out of business, but its looking to be a slow, expensive year for us, he said.Tariffs rollercoasterOn March 6, the Trump administration announced a one-month delay on its 25% tariffs on certain imports from Mexico and Canada, including softwood lumber. Tariffs of 20% on imports from China are already in effect. A 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports 50% on those from Canada kicked in on March 12.Tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods slated to go into effect next month will raise the cost of imported construction materials by more than $3 billion, according to the NAHB. Those price hikes would be in addition to a 14.5% tariff on Canadian lumber previously imposed by the U.S., ratcheting up tariffs on Canadian lumber to 39.5%. On Air Force One, President Donald Trump said he was pushing forward with his plans for tariffs on April 2 despite recent disruption in the stock market and nervousness about the economic impact.April 2 is a liberating day for our country, he said. Were getting back some of the wealth that very, very foolish presidents gave away because they had no clue what they were doing.Building materials costs overall are already up 34% since December 2020, according to the NAHB.Builders depend on raw materials, appliances and many other components produced abroad. About 7.3% of all products used in single-family home and apartment building construction are imported. Of those, nearly a quarter come from Canada and Mexico, according to the NAHB. Both nations also account for 70% of the imports of two key home construction materials: lumber and gypsum. Canadian lumber is used in everything from framing to cabinetry and furniture. Mexican gypsum is used to make drywall.Beyond raw materials, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and an array of other home components are manufactured in Mexico and China, which is also a key source of steel and aluminum.The tariffs will mean higher prices for home improvement shoppers, said Dent Johnson, president of True Value Hardware, which operates more than 4,000 independently owned hardware stores.The reality is that many products on the shelves of your local hardware store will eventually be affected, he said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. Chilling effectConfusion over the timing and scope of the tariffs, and their impact on the economy, could have a bigger chilling effect on the new-home market than higher prices.If consumers cant plan, if builders cant plan, it gets very difficult to know how to price product because you dont know what price you need to move it, said Carl Reichardt, a homebuilding analyst at BTIG. If people are worried about their jobs, worried about the future, its very difficult to make the decision to buy a new home, whatever the price.The uncertainty created by the Trump administrations tariffs policy will probably result in increased volatility for home sales and new home construction this year, said Robert Dietz, the NAHBs chief economist.Still, because it can take several months for a home to be built, the larger impact of from building materials costs are going to happen down the road, Dietz said.The impact tariffs are having on consumers is already evident at Slutsky Lumber in Ellenville, N.Y. There are not as many people getting ready for spring like they usually are, said co-owner Jonathan Falcon. It seems like people are just cutting back on spending.Falcon also worries that smaller businesses like his will have a tough time absorbing the impact of the tariffs.This is just like another thing thats going to be harder for small lumber yards to handle than the big guys and just sort of keep driving businesses like us to not make it, he said.-__Reporter Anne DInnocenzio contributed. MAE ANDERSON Anderson reports for The Associated Press on a wide range of issues that small businesses face. She is based in New York. twitter mailto

Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) looks to drive on UCLA forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)2025-03-17T10:10:06Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. There was concern that attendance and overall interest in womens college basketball would drop this year with the departure of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars for the WNBA. Both took a dip -- but only a dip.With JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers and a host of other standout players leading the way, attendance across the country was just short of last seasons record numbers in womens hoops and still the second-highest ever. More networks showed more games on TV this season and ratings were strong heading into March Madness that starts this week. ESPN will have the lions share of tournament games again, but Fox increased its footprint in the sport with five games in primetime on Saturday nights and 18 total on the network. There are great stars, great brands, weve done more than we have done before and were not alone in doing that, Fox Sports President of Insights and Analytics Mike Mulvihill said. The 3-5-10 year trend clearly is an upward trend. While the networks overall ratings are down from last seasons record mark that was due in large part to Clark being on Fox a lot, Mulvihill is happy with where they are. To go from zero exposures a few years ago to 18 on our biggest platform speaks to the growth and interest in the sport, he said. Theres growing confidence in this building that we can put it on broadcast and justify it. I love that we are able to put games on in primetime. It means something to the coaches and players. Having great matchups helps. The game between Watkins USC and Bueckers UConn on Dec. 21 was shown in primetime after an NFL game and averaged 2.2 million viewers, peaking at nearly 3.8 million. That was the second-most watched womens game on the network behind only Clarks game last year when she set the NCAA scoring record.The network also helped spearhead two new tournaments this year with the Champions Classic and the Coretta Scott King Invitational. Both were renewed for next season. CBS showed the third matchup of the season between UCLA and USC, two of the top teams in the country, in the Big Ten title game and it drew 1.44 million viewers, trailing only last seasons league championship which saw Clark and Iowa win.ESPN had big numbers with regular-season ratings up 3% from last year and 41% from two seasons ago. This was the most watched year for the network before the NCAAs since 2008-09 (the network didnt have many of Clarks regular-season games at Iowa last season).A doubleheader on Feb. 16 was huge for ESPN: UConn vs. South Carolina drew 1.8 million viewers while LSU vs. Texas had 1.7 million. In all, 15 games on ESPN networks averaged over 500,000 viewers, the most in a single year. ESPN, which owns the rights to the NCAA Tournament and shows womens games every week during the season, has faith that March Madness will deliver. Womens basketball programming director Dan Margulis knows that the network had a perfect storm last season to achieve the record ratings that saw the womens championship game outdraw the men. Clark, a generational player, had guided Iowa back to the championship game where they were facing an undefeated South Carolina team looking for its own place in history. Were looking at early rounds and everything growing going into it, Margulis said. Compared to two years ago, we see that growth.It wasnt just the championship game that drew huge numbers. A rematch between Reese and Clark in the Elite Eight game was massive as well.Certainly the floor has risen dramatically, said lead ESPN announcer Rebecca Lobo. The expectation for this years tournament, Final Four or national championship shouldnt be what we saw a year ago. Will it be better than pre-Caitlin? That floor should be much higher than it was.While there isnt an undefeated team this year or a generational player like Clark on her last run, there is more parity in the sport. People arent just watching on TV, but also showing up at games. The power conferences had strong attendance marks. The SEC led the way, setting numerous conference records, including total for its tournament and the mark in both the semis and the finals. The Big Ten had its second-highest average attendance in the last 15 years.Granted we get to see some of the best ones, but the energy was different throughout the country, Lobo said. The South Carolina-LSU game on a Thursday night with 2,500 students has a different energy. The increase from students across the country has made for incredible environments.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP womens college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) bats against the Hanshin Tigers during the third inning in an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)2025-03-17T10:00:07Z TOKYO (AP) Shohei Ohtani is widely regarded as the best player in Major League Baseball, and Ichiro Suzuki enters the Hall of Fame later this year, reminders that some of the top talent in American baseball is now Japanese. Thats a point of pride at home, but also a reason to worry.What happens to baseball in Japan, to the countrys pro league, if the stars all leave for the United States?About a dozen Japanese played in MLB last season, headlined by Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They came up through Nippon Professional Baseball and waited for free agency under the Japanese system, or were allowed to go earlier by their clubs.But times are changing.Two young stars 19-year-old Rintaro Sasaki and 18-year-old Shotaro Morii have moved directly to American baseball, bypassing NPB restrictions and unwritten societal norms of playing first in Japan. Sasaki is a freshman at Stanford, while Morii has a minor league contract with the Athletics. Yamamoto signed a $325 million, 12-year deal last offseason and was asked a few weeks ago at spring training in Arizona if the loss of great players could hurt Japanese baseball.Thats a good question, a difficult question, Yamamoto said through an interpreter. There are lots of different opinions about it. The outflow from JapanA slugging first baseman, Rintaro Sasaki skipped the NPB draft last year and signed to play college baseball at Stanford. He attended Hanamaki Higashi High School, the same high school as Ohtani and where Sasakis father, Hiroshi, is the baseball coach. Sasaki will be eligible for the MLB draft in 2026.I dont know how I will influence Japanese high school baseball players, but Im just going on my path, my way, he said speaking in English to The Associated Press.His father has acknowledged pointing his son toward MLB rather than being the likely No. 1 draft choice in Japanese baseball. Sasaki can now earn money through name, image and likeness deals, just as other college athletes. Sasaki has such deals, all in Japan. College athletes in the United States are also in line for millions more in revenue-sharing money.Morii signed a $1.5 million minor-league deal in January with the As, a potential two-way player a shortstop and pitcher.I didnt want to regret about my decision when I think about my whole life and whole career, Morii said through an interpreter after signing. A third player Japans top pitcher Roki Sasaki just left the Chiba Lotte Marines after four seasons to join the Dodgers. In general, Japanese players stay nine seasons before being granted free agency, though clubs can let them go earlier.The 23-year-old Sasaki agreed in January to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus. Under the rules, had he waited two more years, he might have landed a nine-figure contract and the club would have picked up a hefty fee.Its not clear why his Japanese club let him go early, seeming to take a financial hit. Some reports in Japan suggest he had an undisclosed contract that forced the clubs hand. Nippon Professional Baseball says local interest remains highIn a written statement to The Associated Press, NPB expressed confidence that baseball in Japan will remain popular despite the outflow of talent. It said its long history and traditions bolstered local support and cited improved game production and fan service as another factor in boosting attendance.We believe that this has maintained the appeal of the league as a whole even after star players have moved to MLB, NPB said. It added that the success of young players has attracted attention, which has led to the popularity of NPB without any loss of interest from fans.The AP asked NPB what it might do to keep talented players like Sasaki and Morii inside the Japanese system. Some have suggested a change to Japans free agency rules might help.NPB is currently working with the 12 teams to further improve the development system and training environment, which are highly regarded overseas, it said. In addition, the Japanese national team won the 2023 WBC, which has also increased interest in Japanese baseball among younger generations. MLB wants top Japanese talent developing at homeChris Marinak, MLBs chief operations officer, told The Associated Press in an interview that MLB prefers that local players develop at home; essentially not to do what Sasaki and Morii have done in circumventing the local system.Our general philosophy is to have locally born players play in their local professional leagues, Marinak said. Anything we can do to encourage that would be consistent with our approach.He described Japanese baseball as being in a renaissance era and said scouts have described the level as the best theyve ever seen.Having Ohtani also has many benefits on the field and in marketing.It helps to have a generational talent like Ohtani essentially the best player in the game to be from a different market, Marinak said. It changes how you can communicate about the game in different markets. Marinak, who works on the business side rather than the legal side, said he was not aware of any direct conversations with NPB about changing the current system to allow earlier free agency in Japanese baseball or to alter the posting system.Marinak said MLB has an active dialogue with NPB and other leagues to share technology, best-business practices, rule changes and so forth. He argued that strong play by the Japanese in MLB has not hurt local baseball, but instead was driving interest.The more players that different countries are developing and ultimately coming to Major League Baseball or wherever thats good for that local league and thats good for Major League Baseball, he said.Where is this going? Brazilian soccer might offer a hintFive Japanese are on the rosters of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs when the teams open the MLB season on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome. Japanese pro baseball has the potential of becoming Brazilian domestic football, where the best players go play in Europe and the kids play at home until theyre good enough to play in Europe, said Jim Allen, who covered Japanese baseball for 12 years for the Japanese news agency Kyodo, and 12 more for the Daily Yomiuri newspaper.Allen is the rare foreigner allowed to vote for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.The talent flow could go from being a garden hose to a fire hydrant if they dont do something to prevent it, Allen said.___AP Baseball Writers David Brandt, Ronald Blum and Janie McCauley contributed to this report.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb STEPHEN WADE Wade has written about sports and the politics of sports around the globe for The Associated Press. He has covered nine Olympics and five soccer World Cups and has been based for AP in Madrid, London, Beijing, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, before moving to Tokyo. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, a prison guard transfers deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP)2025-03-17T15:02:12Z Plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed to halt deportations under a rarely-used 18th century wartime law invoked by President Donald Trump asked a federal judge Monday to force officials to explain under oath whether they violated his court order by removing more than 200 people from the country after it was issued and celebrating it on social media.The motion marks another escalation in the battle over Trumps aggressive opening moves in his second term, several of which have been temporarily halted by judges. Trumps allies have raged over the holds and suggested he does not have to obey them, and some plaintiffs have said it appears the administration is flouting court orders.On Saturday night, District Judge James E. Boasberg ordered the administration not to deport anyone in its custody over the newly-invoked Alien Enemies Act, which has only been used three times before in U.S. history, all during congressionally-declared wars. Trump issued a proclamation that the 1798 law was newly in effect due to what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Trumps invocation of the act could allow him to deport any noncitizen he says is associated with the gang, without offering proof or even publicly identifying them. The plaintiffs filed their suit on behalf of several Venezuelans in U.S. custody who feared theyd be falsely accused of being Tren de Aragua members and improperly removed from the country. Told there were plans in the air headed to El Salvador, which has agreed to house deported migrants in a notorious prison, Boasberg said he, and the government, needed to move fast. You shall inform your clients of this immediately, and that any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States, Boasberg told the governments lawyer Saturday night. According to the filing, two planes that took off from Texas detention facility when the hearing started more than an hour earlier were in the air at that point, and they apparently continued to El Salvador. A third plane apparently took off after the hearing and Boasbergs written order was formally published at 7:26 pm eastern time. El Salvadors President, Nayib Bukele, on Sunday morning tweeted Oopsie...too late above an article referencing Boasbergs order and announced that more than 200 deportees had arrived in his country. The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, reposted Bukeles post with an admiring GIF.Later Sunday, a widely-circulated article in Axios said the administration decided to defy the order and quoted anonymous officials who said they concluded it didnt extend to planes outside U.S. airspace. That drew a quick denial from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said in a statement the administration did not refuse to comply with a court order. Leavitt also stated the administration believed the order was not lawful and it was being appealed. The administration argues a federal judge does not have the authority to tell the president whether he can determine the country is being invaded under the act, or how to defend it. The Department of Justice also filed a statement in the lawsuit saying that some people who were not in United States territory at the time of the order had been deported and that, if its appeal was unsuccessful, it wouldnt use Trumps proclamation as grounds for further deportations.Boasberg scheduled a 4 p.m. hearing on Monday and said the government should be prepared to answer a series of questions about the flights laid out in the plaintiffs motion.Boasbergs order is only in effect for up to 14 days as he oversees the litigation over Trumps unprecedented use of the act, which is likely to raise new constitutional issues that can only ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. He had scheduled a hearing Friday for further arguments, but the two organizations that filed the initial lawsuit, the ACLU and Democracy Forward, urged him to force the administration to explain in a declaration under oath what happened. The governments statements, the plaintiffs wrote, strongly suggests that the government has chosen to treat this Courts Order as applying only to individuals still on U.S. soil or on flights that had yet to clear U.S. airspace as of 7:26pm (the time of the written Order). If that is how the government proceeded, it was a blatant violation of the Courts Order, they added.

Pedestrians make their way past a building housing the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Jan. 30, 2019, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Jennifer McDermott, File)2025-03-17T14:03:20Z BOSTON (AP) A doctor from Lebanon who arrived at the Boston airport was deported over the weekend without explanation, despite having a U.S. visa and a job teaching at Brown University. A judge had ordered she not be sent back until there was a hearing, but government lawyers said customs officials did not get word in time.Its the latest deportation of a foreign-born person with a U.S. visa in the past week, after a student at Columbia who led protests of the Gaza war was arrested, and another students visa was revoked. The Trump administration also transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations.Dr. Rasha Alawieh, 34, had been granted the visa on March 11 and arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday, according to a complaint filed on her behalf by a cousin in federal court. Alawieh, who had worked and lived Rhoe Island previously, was detained at least 36 hours, through Friday, and was going to be sent back to Lebanon, the complaint said. Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist, was to start work at Brown University as an assistant professor of medicine. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin issued an order on Friday that an in-person hearing be scheduled Monday, with Alawieh brought to court. Whether or not she is in custody of the United States, the court anticipates proceeding with this hearing, he wrote. But by Saturday, the cousin filed a motion that customs officials willfully disobeyed the order by sending Alawieh back to Lebanon. Lawyers for the government explained in a court filing Monday that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Boston Logan International Airport did not receive notice of the order until she had already departed the United States, the judge noted. They asked that the petition be dismissed. The judge put a hearing on her case on hold, to give Sorokins lawyers time to prepare. Alawieh has worked at Brown prior to the issuance of her H1B visa, the complaint said. It said she has held fellowships and residencies at three universities in the United States. A spokesperson for Brown said Alawieh is an employee of Brown Medicine with a clinical appointment to Brown. Brown Medicine is a not-for-profit medical practice that is its own organization and serves its own patients directly. It is affiliated with Brown Universitys medical school. My colleagues and I are outraged over Dr Alawiehs deportation. She is a valued colleague and we hope for justice and her return to Rhode Island, said George Bayliss, an associate professor of medicine at Brown University. U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo of Rhode Island, a Democrat, said in a statement over the weekend that is committed to getting answers from the Department of Homeland Security to provide Dr. Alawieh, her family, her colleagues, and our community the clarity we all deserve.A rally was planned to support her Monday night at the Rhode Island statehouse. This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of the doctors last name throughout. Her name is Rasha Alawieh, not Rasha Alawiech. MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

Consider, for a moment, that this AI-generated video of a bizarre creature turning into a spider, turning into a nightmare giraffe inside of a busy mall has been viewed 362 million times. That means this short reel has been viewed more times than every single article 404 Media has ever published, combined and multiplied tens of times. 0:00 /0:11 1 This is what my Instagram Reels algorithm looks like now: 0:00 /0:36 1 Any of these Reels could have been and probably was made in a matter of seconds or minutes. Many of the accounts that post them post multiple times per day. There are thousands of these types of accounts posting thousands of these types of Reels and images across every social media platform. Large parts of the SEO industry have pivoted entirely to AI-generated content, as has some of the internet advertising industry. They are using generative AI to brute force the internet, and it is working.One of the first types of cyberattacks anyone learns about is the brute force attack. This is a type of hack that relies on rapid trial-and-error to guess a password. If a hacker is trying to guess a four-number PIN, they (or more likely an automated hacking tool) will guess 0000, then 0001, then 0002, and so on until the combination is guessed correctly.Do you know anything else about AI slop or social media algorithms that enable it? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at jason.404. Otherwise, send me an email at jason@404media.co.As you may be able to tell from the name, brute force attacks are not very efficient, but they are effective. An attacker relentlessly hammers the target until a vulnerability is found or a password is guessed. The hacker is then free to exploit that target once the vulnerability is found.The best way to think of the slop and spam that generative AI enables is as a brute force attack on the algorithms that control the internet and which govern how a large segment of the public interprets the nature of reality. It is not just that people making AI slop are spamming the internet, its that the intended audience of AI slop is social media and search algorithms, not human beings.What this means, and what I have already seen on my own timelines, is that human-created content is getting almost entirely drowned out by AI-generated content because of the sheer amount of it. On top of the quantity of AI slop, because AI-generated content can be easily tailored to whatever is performing on a platform at any given moment, there is a near total collapse of the information ecosystem and thus of "reality" online. I no longer see almost anything real on my Instagram Reels anymore, and, as I have often reported, many users seem to have completely lost the ability to tell what is real and what is fake, or simply do not care anymore. 0:00 /0:47 1 There is a dual problem with this: It not only floods the internet with shit, crowding out human-created content that real people spend time making, but the very nature of AI slop means it evolves faster than human-created content can, so any time an algorithm is tweaked, the AI spammers can find the weakness in that algorithm and exploit it.Human creators making traditional YouTube videos, Instagram Reels, or TikToks are often making videos that are designed to appeal to a given platforms algorithm, but humans are not nearly as good at this as AI. In Mr. Beasts leaked handbook for employees, he reveals an obsession with the metrics that the YouTube algorithm values: I spent basically 5 years of my life locked in a room studying virality on YouTube, he writes. The three metrics you guys need to care about is Click Thru Rate (CTR), Average View Duration (AVD), and Average View Percentage (AVP).Mr. Beast has to care very deeply about these things and needs to have an intuitive understanding of how they work because his videos are very expensive and time consuming to make, and a video that fails to perform is a huge waste of money and effort. Adjusting to what is working on a platform at any given moment is more art than science, and it's a slow process, because human beings have a limited ability to feed the social media content machine. It takes us hours or days to write a single article; a human running an AI can generate dozens of images, photos, or articles in a matter of seconds. This allows a creator using AI to not necessarily have to worry about the quality of their videos, because these metrics (or any metric on any social media platform) can be brute forced. If a video fails it does not matter, because you can make 10 more of them in a matter of seconds.This means that people running AI-generated accounts can have hundreds or thousands of entries into the algorithmic lottery every day, and can hammer the algorithm once they find something that works. Brute force.If you can figure out how to post content at scale, that means you can figure out how to exploit weaknesses at scale, a former Meta employee who worked on content policy told me when I asked them about the AI spamming strategy for an article in August.The McDonald's Theory of YouTube Success"Brute force" is not just what I have noticed while reporting on the spammers who flood Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Google with AI-generated spam. It is the stated strategy of the people getting rich off of AI slop.Every single day, I get marketing emails from a 17-year-old YouTube hustler named Daniel Bitton. His message, uniformly, is that it makes no financial sense to spend time making quality YouTube videos, and that making a large quantity of AI-generated Shorts is far more lucrative: "While others spend 5-6 hours making ONE perfect video...We're cranking out 8-10 shorts in under 30 minutes. How? By combining two simple ingredients: 1) Cutting-edge AI tools that do 90% of the work. 2) My simple 3-step formula that tells the AI exactly how to create viral Shorts. Total time I spend on average creating a potentially viral Short? 2-4 minutes. Max.Another: YouTube doesn't care about your production value. They care about FEEDING their audience. And their audience is hungry for SHORT content Ready to start feeding the algorithm what it's actually hungry for?Where Facebooks AI Slop Comes FromFacebook itself is paying creators in India, Vietnam, and the Philippines for bizarre AI spam that they are learning to make from YouTube influencers and guides sold on Telegram.404 MediaJason KoeblerAnother: The great thing about posting Shorts is AI. See, it practically does 90% of the work for you. All you need to do is give it a few pointers, press a few buttons, let it create videos for you, and let the algorithm do its thing.A screengrab of one of Bitton's emailsIn another email, Bitton likens going viral on YouTube to the repeating patterns serial killers follow: Serial killers have patterns. YT viewers also follow patterns. YT algorithm catches that pattern and pushes the right content. AI knows how to predict this pattern. We're using AI to spot these viral patterns before they happen. And we let it create Shorts that YTs algorithm LOVES. And once AI finds something that goes viral? We can replicate them. Over and over. Like clockwork.In another email, Bitton says YouTube's Shorts algorithm is "broken," and that you can "exploit" it while it's broken "using simple AI-generated clips.""sounds about right bro"Bitton's colleague, Musa Mustafa (who I wrote about a year ago), advertises his own "Media Metas" strategy and community for spamming TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. In recent months, the entirety of his marketing has focused on using AI: "The 2025 creator is just chilling, using AI to generate a week's worth of content in 30 mins," Mustafa wrote in a recent marketing email. "Since AI is literally trained on the BEST contentIt gets you BETTER results. If youre looking to make money online by creating content, Use AI. Simple as that."Both Mustafa and Bitton tell users that it makes no sense trying to become the next Mr. Beast, who they see as a singular figure. All these premium channels with perfect production? They're slowly dying. Why? Because they need a $5,000 camera, studio lighting, professional editing, days to produce... And for what?, Bitton writes. To compete with Mr Beast and barely get 1000 views? Heck even if they get 100k views, it would still not be worth it. Because it doesn't even compare with what creators who pump out consistent Shorts make.I spoke briefly to Mustafa, and asked him if he was using AI tools for "brute-forcing social media algorithms." He said "sounds about right bro. I think that line of thought is correct. I agree with it."Mustafa recommends the "'sad hot dog' method to going viral," likening both social media algorithms and users to hungry people going to 7-Eleven at 2 a.m. looking for anything to eat: "when you're hungry at 2am, even a sad-looking hot dog tastes BETTER than any Michelin meal that only gives you 2 bites. Well, TikTok works pretty much the same way. Your audience isn't expecting (or even wanting) perfectly polished videos.""When's the last time you saw a viral TikTok and thought: 'Wow, the color grading on this is incredible!' Never. Because nobody cares. Which is actually GOOD news for you because it means you can make thousands focusing on quantity, NOT quality."Bitton, meanwhile, posits the "McDonald's Theory of YouTube Success," and the "Gas Station Sushi" approach to content, which suggest that AI slop is good enough, and that human beings doting over quality videos are wasting their time and are destined to fail."I think the brute force metaphor works well because it really is a game of numbers. If you have a Gen AI, you can make content at scale where you change the script slightly and then just play this cat-and-mouse game with people who are detecting the fraud," Alex Hanna, Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute told me. "You're really able to exploit any blind spots in the algorithm, then kind of spam that type of content."The Platforms Are Brute Forcing ThemselvesMy brute force attack metaphor isnt perfect, because with a brute force attack, the ones being attacked try to stop whats happening. In this case, the platforms are both paying spammers to brute force their platforms and increasingly have realized that they themselves can brute force their users with AI-generated ads that they can help companies make and optimize.In that sense, there isn't even a cat-and-mouse game occurring. Platforms and new types of startup companies aren't trying to stop this spam. They benefit from it, enable it, and worst of all, are finding ways to supercharge it. Brute forcing the algorithms with AI is not just a trick that entrepreneurial teenagers have discovered. The social media giants who themselves make the algorithms that are under attack are not only paying AI spammers to slopify their platforms, they are building tools that will help them spam more profitably. This means that, unlike most security vulnerabilities that are urgently fixed, there is no indication that any help is coming.A/B testing is a strategy where two (or more) types of content run concurrently, and the one that performs better in an algorithm is then pushed. Some news outlets do this with headlines and images, where they will use a tool that lets them post something on social media with multiple headline and image combinations, and then the one that performs better becomes the main one that is being pushed. Advertisers do this too, where they might try different versions of an ad, see which one gets more clicks or creates more sales with a certain audience, and then they spend more money pushing the ones that perform best. 0:00 /0:40 1 For years, advertisers were able to make several different versions of a given ad with slightly different calls to action, different images, different captions and different targeting. But Meta recently released a tool called "Advantage+" where, instead of making a few different versions of an ad, an advertiser can use generative AI to make orders of magnitude more versions of ads that are even more microtargeted to different users. A/B testing has become A/B/C/D/E/F/G etc testing, and advertisers can then spend money only on ads that have been perfectly calibrated to perform well.While Meta's own user-facing generative AI tools have been relentlessly mocked, it credits its advertiser-facing AI targeting and generative AI tools as being behind much of its revenue growth over the last few quarters."Advantage+ creative is another area where were seeing momentum. More than 4 million advertisers are now using at least one of our generative AI ad creative tools, up from one million six months ago," Meta CEO Susan Li said in a January earnings call. "There has been significant early adoption of our first video generation tool that we rolled out in October, Image Animation, with hundreds of thousands of advertisers already using it monthly. And so, in the Core Ads business, the Gen AI tools that we have built here that will help us enable businesses to make ads significantly more customized at scale, which is going to accrue to ad performance, thats a place where, again, were already seeing promising results in both performance gains and adoption."In January, The Information reported that Meta is working directly with ad agencies to create additional generative AI tools. And Meta's Advantage+ allows advertisers to "bulk create up to 50 ads at one time," and to use "Generative AI enhancements" that tweak images, backgrounds, image aspect ratios, image animations, text variations, and calls to action: "When you apply Advantage+ creative in Meta Ads Manager and Meta Business Suite, your images and videos are optimized to versions your audience is more likely to interact with," Meta tells advertisers.I have also been served ads from startups who say they will help companies generate hundreds of variations of ads from Google Drive dumps of a brand's assets and to put money behind the ones that perform best. A company called Blaze AI tells companies that it helps them "steal their competitors' content" with an "AI tool that helps you replicate your competitors' top-performing posts and tailoring it directly to your brand" as an Instagram Reel, TikTok, blog post, LinkedIn post, etc. "The AI does the work for you," they say. "The AI learns your brand voice so that every piece of media feels authentic ... it's infinite." A company called Go Mega AI advertises that it can help you generate "hundreds of articles a month without doing anything" by analyzing Reddit posts, YouTube videos, and a brand's own website. "24 hours later, I had a month of content already scheduled," the ad says.Content for Algorithms, Not HumansEven though many of the AI images and reels I see have millions of views, likes, and comments, it is not clear to me that people actually want this, and many of the comments Ive seen are from people who are disgusted or annoyed. The strategy with these types of posts is to make a human linger on them long enough to say to themselves what the fuck, or to be so horrified as to comment what the fuck, or send it to a friend saying what the fuck, all of which are signals to the algorithm that it should boost this type of content but are decidedly not signals that the average person actually wants to see this type of thing. Its brute forcing a weakness in the Instagram algorithm that takes any engagement at all as positive signals, and the people creating this type of content know this. 0:00 /0:24 1 Decentralized, upstart social media platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon are becoming more popular because of a backlash to algorithmified, monopolistic social media platforms. My friends, many of whom are journalists or who work in adjacent industries, are increasingly spending more time in group texts talking to real humans, or supporting independent, newsletter-centric media outlets like ours. RSS is coming back, to some degree. But the problem here is one of scale. From our perspective, 404 Media has been a huge success, our articles are widely shared, and our business is sustainable. But it is nearly impossible for me to fathom the scale of platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, and the hold that these platforms have on billions of people, which is how it becomes the case that an AI video of a spider demon transformation in a mall reaches orders of magnitude more people in a week than I have with all of the reporting Ive ever done in my entire life.Whenever I write articles about AI slop, people ask me where this is going, and what the end goal of this is for, let's say, a company like Meta. First, I think we as a society need to realize that a huge portion of what is being done with generative AI tools is for the type of thing I have described in this article, or for nonconsensual, AI-generated intimate imagery. It is possible that generative AI will bring some of the work efficiencies and breakthroughs that venture capitalists and big tech have been hyping for years, but we must grapple with the fact that the main ways that people encounter generative AI is as brute force internet pollution.For Meta, I do not think its plan is too hard to figure out, because Mark Zuckerberg has been clear about his intentions: He believes that the future of "social media" is a bunch of human beings scrolling through and arguing about AI-generated content on his many platforms. In many ways, that future is already here. But here is what I think comes next:Meta is an ads business that makes the most money when it can keep people on its platform and engaged for as long as possible. Advertisers spend more money when their ads are more effective, and their ads are more effective when they are very narrowly targeted to a person's interests. The best way to do this is to learn as much about its users, and to then deliver both content and advertisements that precisely target any individual user.There are billions of people on Meta's platforms making billions of pieces of content, but even that is not enough. The goal is to move toward a world where a never-ending feed of hyper niche content can be delivered directly to the people who are into that type of content.We are already seeing this in the AI influencer and AI porn space on Instagram, which, per usual, is far ahead of the curve of other industries. I have stumbled on accounts where old, AI-generated men worship hot, young, AI-generated women's feet; accounts where AI-generated octopuses make out with AI-generated women and a separate account where AI-generated fish make out with AI-generated women; AI orcs get married to AI-generated waifus, etc. Any fetish or interest that any person could possibly have, AI can generate endlessly, and a social media algorithm can deliver directly to you. As Sam wrote when we launched 404 Media, AI porn is pushing to the edge of knowledge, and the rest of the AI content industry is following suit.Better still, AI-generated content that is generated directly on Meta's own platforms will have content tags, metadata, and prompting data that will more easily allow the algorithm to deliver cute AI-generated golden retrievers to golden retriever owners alongside pet food ads that have golden retrievers in them for the golden retriever owners and rat terriers in them for rat terrier owners. It will deliver AI-generated doomsday, conspiracy, and natural disaster content to people who linger on AI-generated videos of wildfires and hurricanes, interspersed with AI-generated ads for preppers. Brave teens will get AI-generated creepypasta and jumpscare content. Religious people will get AI Jesus, the devil, and the Pope. Trump fans will get Elon Musk inspiration porn interspersed with AI-generated ads for Trump coins.The combinations and possibilities are endless, and this type of thing is already happening. Social media algorithms are being brute forced with AI content and soon our very reality will be, too.

57% of queer American adults identify as bisexual, the most common LGBTQ+ identity marker for Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z alike. With each subsequent generation, more individuals statistically identify as bisexual, with 15% of Gen Z reporting this identity. The particular challenges for this community are nuanced, and Dr. Mimi Hoang, known professionally as Dr. Mimi, has devoted her career to advancing awareness of these issues.As a psychologist, Dr. Mimi, who is Chinese and Vietnamese American, owns a private practice, where she specializes in working with LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) folks. I interact with lots of other queer, Asian-American women in my line of work, which is wonderful, she says.In her sessions, she addresses issues of identity, healthy relationships, and social anxiety. Ive worked with so many bi+ folks in the community. As a psychologist, I was always working with multicultural groups. I started to merge the two areas of my organizing and my work.Outside of her office, Dr. Mimi serves as the program coordinator of the LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy Center at Airport Marina Counseling Services and is a therapy professor at the University of Southern California.She also serves on the board of Los Angeles BI+ Task Force, which she co-founded in 2008. The Task Force promotes education, advocacy, and cultural enrichment for the greater Los Angeles community. On May 3, the LA Bi+ Task Force will host the annual B+ Well Conference, a space for collective healing work for the bisexual-plus community. Dr. Mimis expertise also supports the review board of Fluid Health, an online sexual health platform for queer and trans folks needing information about their sexual well-being.I love keeping things interesting and having a variety of projects, she says with a smile.Reflecting on her own coming out journey, Dr. Mimi remembers, it wasnt easy. I came out in the late 90s and there was much less bisexual visibility back then.Dr. Mimi HoangIn response to this challenge, Dr. Mimi cofounded amBi, a bisexual social community, in 2006the first of its kind in Los Angeles. She credits her familiarity with leadership in school with the inspiration to start the group.Through this initiative, bisexual folks came together over shared struggles. They feel very invisible, especially if they are mostly monogamous or in a heterosexual-presenting relationship. It can result in a lot of self doubt and insecurity.When asked what she would say to folks struggling with biphobia, whether internal or external, Dr. Mimi encourages self-acceptance. Your identity, your attractions, are inside you, she says.In 2013, Dr. Mimi attended the first bisexual community roundtable at the White House. This was the first time an administration independently recognized issues facing the bisexual community. These issues are wide-ranging, including mental, physical, and sexual health disparities.Even today, coming out continues to be a primary concern for the bisexual community. Younger folks are getting a lot more exposure, and so people are coming out at earlier ages. Still, the stigma persists. You might be aware that there is a B in LGBTQ+, but it doesnt necessarily mean that it will be an easy road for you.The stigmatization extends to folks who practice non-monogamy or come out later in life. As of 2018, about 22% of bisexual folks surveyed regarding their relationships identified as non-monogamous. 71% of LGBTQ+ individuals surveyed by a 2024 Gallup poll came out before the age of 30, although among bisexuals, there is an age disparity among folks who are openly out as bisexualthose over 45 are less likely (18%) to be out to those close to them.It can especially be challenging if bisexual individuals come out while already in a monogamous relationship, says Dr. Mimi, which can lead to impostor syndrome.External biphobia is still very real. That can come from the workplace, friends, and even our romantic partners, explains Dr. Mimi. This can lead to depression and anxiety, and oftentimes abuse and body image issues, including eating disorders.You might be aware that there is a B in LGBTQ+, but it doesnt necessarily mean that it will be an easy road for you.Dr. Mimi HoangDr. Mimi also addresses the darker side of biphobia. There are issues of power and control in relationships, our sexuality is fetishized, theres jealousy, or theres slut-shaming, she says. People sometimes think that its fun and trendy to be bi, but we get stigmatized and sometimes even mistreated by our romantic partners. There is a higher risk of suicidality for bi and pan folks and higher rates of intimate partner violence for bi+ womenespecially with partners of different genders.This work, while admirable, does not come without challenges. Its hard to fight when you dont feel well, says Dr. Mimi, who emphasizes the importance of rest and community support in successful advocacy work.Dr. Mimi encourages the larger bisexual community to do the same. Find an affirmative therapist, find community. This is such an important time to go out and not be isolated. Call somebody, join a group, or start a group if you feel like youre strong enough to do it.I truly believe in mentoring and community and working on your mental health, Dr. Mimi says with confident optimism. Ive been able to continue my social justice work because Ive always done it with other people. I mentor others and I have been mentored myself. Having that guidance and wisdom passed along is helpful I can pass along my insights to others. That way, I can have a replacement when I need to take a step back and rest.Dr. Mimis works to make mental healthcare a safer and more accessible experience for queer clients by training new therapists on LGBTQ+ affirming care and providing sliding scale services to her clients.She is especially passionate about intersectionality in terms of health, wellness, and community. A lot of bi+ women are women of colormore representation of WOC in the bi+ community even though it may not seem that way in the media. While women make up the majority of bisexual individuals in the United States, women of color, particularly young, Black women, make up a significant portion of this group. This also accounts for a drastic increase in bisexual identification in the late 2010s.Being a bisexual woman of color comes with minority stresses layered on each other, Dr. Mimi explains. Its important to be aware of. Our community also comes with so much resilience and strength. There is so much we can learn from the badass bisexual of color who own who they are and resist, and embrace their own beauty and joy.Dr. Mimi offers two life coaching courses for bisexual+ folks looking to fully embrace themselves and their identity. Bi on Life and Bi on Love blend individual and community empowerment to create lifelong confidence and connections.Of the future of the bisexual-plus community, Dr. Mimi remains hopeful. It all starts from knowing who you are and coming to terms with that.The post Dr. Mimi Hoang on bisexual+ mental health, visibility and community support appeared first on News Is Out.

Get ready for a wedding, Andrew Ahn style!The director of Fire Island is back with an all-new rom-com, The Wedding Banquet, starring a lineup of some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.The Wedding Banquet is a reshaping of the 1993 Ang Lee classic, co-written by the original film's writer James Schamus. The new version brings together three of today's biggest queer stars with some film legends and an exciting new face in a cast that delivers on both laughs and love.It stars Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Angela, Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) as Lee, Bowen Yang as Chris, and Korean actor Han Gi-chan in his English-language debut as Min, as well as Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung (Minari) and Joan Chen (Saving Face).See on Instagram"Angela and her partner Lee have been unlucky with their IVF treatments, but cant afford to pay for another round. Meanwhile their friend Min, the closeted scion of a multinational corporate empire, has plenty of family money but a soon-to-expire student visa," the synopsis reads. "When his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris rejects his proposal, Min makes the offer to Angela instead: a green card marriage in exchange for funding Lees IVF. But their plans to quietly elope are upended when Mins skeptical grandmother flies in from Korea unannounced, insisting on an all-out wedding extravaganza."The trailer introduces the plot of the film and shows some of the laughs audiences can expect, as well as scenes from a traditional Korean wedding ceremony.In Out's review of the film at the Sundance Film Festival, we called it Ahn's career best work and said it takes a "radical approach to love, connection, and joy."The Wedding Banquet is in theaters April 18.Watch the trailer below.

Ronen Bar, chief of Israel's domestic Shin Bet security agency, attends a ceremony marking Memorial Day for fallen soldiers of Israel's wars and victims of attacks at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl military cemetery, May 13, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool photo via AP, File)2025-03-17T15:49:05Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus has fired or forced out a string of top officials since the deadly Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza. The countrys domestic security chief is the newest target.Netanyahu says he is motivated by a crisis of confidence and a need to get rid of officials who failed to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, disaster.But Netanyahus many critics say the dismissals are part of a broader campaign aimed at undermining independent government institutions. They say he is doing that to boost his reputation and maintain power while on trial for alleged corruption and facing public pressure to accept his own responsibility for policy failures in the lead-up to Oct. 7. The announcement by Netanyahu on Sunday that he would seek to fire the director of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, came as the security service investigates ties between Netanyahu advisers and the Gulf state of Qatar. Months of tensions preceded Bars firingTensions between Netanyahu and Bar had been building for months.Bar, who was appointed to lead the Shin Bet in 2021 by a previous prime minister, accepted responsibility for his agencys failure to halt the Oct. 7 attack ahead of time. He already has said he planned to step down before the end of his term in late 2026.But the Shin Bet investigation into its Oct. 7 failures also pointed blame at Netanyahu for formulating a policy that focused on containing Hamas, while ignoring a growing threat. Bar had been a key player in negotiations to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas. But he and Netanyahu differed on how to proceed. That led Netanyahu to replace him with Cabinet minister Ron Dermer, a Netanyahu confidant. Critics of Netanyahu said the move highlighted a growing tendency by Netanyahu to surround himself with loyalists.A pair of Shin Bet investigations recently launched against advisers of Netanyahu appeared to be a tipping point. One is examining a Netanyahu spokesperson who allegedly leaked to a German news outlet classified documents that appeared to give the prime minister political cover in ceasefire negotiations. The other is looking into claims that Qatar reportedly hired close Netanyahu aides to launch a public relations campaign in Israel.Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, was also the source of millions of dollars in cash sent to Gaza, with Netanyahus approval. The money, ostensibly meant for poor families, is seen as having helped Hamas bolster its military capabilities ahead of Oct. 7.The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good governance group, said Bars dismissal while the probes are ongoing raises concerns that the move was made out of political considerations. The blame game over Oct. 7 has begunIf Bars dismissal is approved by the government, he will become the first Shin Bet chief in Israeli history to be fired. But he will also be just the latest in a series of defense officials to exit under pressure from Netanyahu during the war.In November, Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, saying he had lost trust in him. Gallant had repeatedly prodded Netanyahu to set out a postwar plan for Gaza.Gallant, a former top general, was replaced by Israel Katz, a longtime Netanyahu backer with little military experience who then pressured the military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, to step down earlier this month. Halevis replacement then sacked the militarys spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a popular figure with the public who was rebuked by Israeli leaders for commenting on the leaked documents case.With many top defense officials linked to the Oct. 7 failures out of office, the blame game over the deadliest attack in Israels history begins in earnest.Netanyahu has repeatedly tried to pin responsibility on his security chiefs, saying he was never warned about Hamas intentions and was guided by their advice that Hamas was deterred.Netanyahu has resisted growing calls for a state commission of inquiry that would examine the government policies that led to Hamas attacks. Such a commission could directly implicate Netanyahu.Commentator Nadav Eyal wrote in the Yediot Ahronot daily that Netanyahu is firing the witnesses to his failures leading up to Oct. 7 and, by so doing, is creating for himself a perfect alibi. Anything they say from now on will be because they were fired. Netanyahu has been challenging state institutions for yearsBars dismissal comes against the backdrop of a yearslong fight by Netanyahu against Israels state institutions, which he believes are out to get him.Since he was indicted for corruption charges in 2019, Netanyahu has lashed out against the police, the judiciary and the media, denying any wrongdoing and accusing them of conspiring in a politically motivated witch hunt.He took that battle a step further in early 2023. Thats when Netanyahu launched a sweeping overhaul of Israels justice system that he said was meant to weaken the courts and restore power to elected officials. The overhaul sparked mass protests, strikes and threats by military reservists not to serve a country whose democratic fundamentals were being eroded. Israeli media have reported that many top security officials, including Bar, warned that the internal strife sent a message of weakness to Israels enemies. Many critics believe it was a factor in the timing of the Hamas attack.Another Netanyahu target is Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has objected to Netanyahus effort to fire Bar. The dispute is likely to end up in the Supreme Court. With the stage set for a showdown between the judiciary and Netanyahu, his allies have already begun planning for Baharav-Miaras removal.Netanyahu is surrounding himself with loyalistsThe next election is scheduled for late 2026, but Netanyahus coalition, propped up by ultranationalist and ultra-religious parties, could collapse prematurely. They face a raft of hurdles -- including over the future of the war in Gaza, the court-mandated draft of ultra-Orthodox men and the state budget.With his political fortunes stagnating and many Israelis saying he should resign, the longtime Israeli leader similar to his ally President Donald Trump is looking to place loyalists in key positions.That might make implementing his wishes easier, but it will likely deepen opposition to him and complicate his legacy.Bar, in his response to being dismissed, said his loyalty was to the people of Israel.The prime ministers expectation of a duty of personal loyalty, he wrote, is a fundamentally wrong expectation. TIA GOLDENBERG Goldenberg is an Associated Press reporter and producer covering Israel and the Palestinian territories. She previously reported on East and West Africa from Nairobi. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)2025-03-17T15:25:56Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were barely known outside space circles when they strapped in for what was supposed to be a quick test flight of Boeings Starliner capsule last June. Nine months later, theyve captured the worlds attention and hearts as NASAs stuck astronauts.Their homecoming is imminent now that a new crew has arrived at the International Space Station to replace them after launching from Florida last week. Theyll fly back with SpaceX as soon as Tuesday, their problem-plagued Starliner having returned to Earth empty months ago, leaving them behind in orbit. Heres a look at Suni and Butch and their drama-filled mission: Who are the stuck astronauts?The two test pilots came to NASA via the Navy. Wilmore, 62, played high school and college football in his home state of Tennessee before joining the Navy. Williams, 59, grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, a competitive swimmer and distance runner. Wilmore racked up 663 aircraft carrier landings, while Williams served in combat helicopter squadrons. NASA picked Williams as an astronaut in 1998 followed by Wilmore in 2000. Each had two spaceflights behind them including monthslong stints at the space station before signing up as Starliners first crew. While they accepted their repeated homecoming delays, they noted it was much harder on their families. Wilmores wife Deanna has held down the fort, according to her husband. Their oldest daughter is in college and their youngest in her last year of high school. Williams husband, Mike, a retired federal marshal, has been caring for their two Labrador retrievers. She said her mother is the worrier. What are the stuck astronauts looking forward to on Earth?Besides reuniting with loved ones, Wilmore, an elder with his Baptist church, cant wait to get back to face-to-face ministering and smelling fresh-cut grass. Wilmore kept in touch with members of his congregation over the months, taking part in occasional prayer services and calling ailing members via the space stations internet phone. Williams looks forward to long walks with her dogs and an ocean swim.Several other astronauts have spent even longer in space so no special precautions should be needed for these two once theyre back, according to NASA.Every astronaut that launches into space, we teach them dont think about when youre coming home. Think about how well your missions going and if youre lucky, you might get to stay longer, NASAs space operations mission chief and former astronaut Ken Bowersox said last week. Why were the stuck astronauts in a political dust-up? Wilmore and Williams found themselves in the middle of a political storm when President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced at the end of January they would accelerate the astronauts return and blamed the Biden Administration on keeping them up there too long. NASA officials stood by their decision to wait for the next scheduled SpaceX flight to bring them home, targeting a February return. But their replacements got held up back on Earth because of battery work on their brand new SpaceX capsule. SpaceX switched capsules to speed things up, moving up their return by a couple of weeks. The two will come back in the capsule thats been up there since last fall.Its great to see how much people care about our astronauts, Bowersox said, describing the pair as professional, devoted, committed, really outstanding. Why did the stuck astronauts switch space taxis? Astronauts almost always fly back in the same spacecraft they launched in. Wilmore and Williams launched aboard Boeings Starliner and will return in SpaceXs Dragon. Their first flights were aboard NASAs space shuttle, followed by Russias Soyuz capsule. Both the Starliner and Dragon are completely autonomous but capable of manual command if necessary. As test pilots, they were in charge of the Starliner. The Dragon had fellow astronaut Nick Hague in command; he launched in it last September with a Russian and two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams. Whats the future of Boeings Starliner? Starliner almost didnt make it to the space station. Soon after the June 5 liftoff, helium leaked and thrusters malfunctioned on the way to the orbiting lab.NASA and Boeing spent the summer trying to figure out what went wrong and whether the problems would repeat on the flight back, endangering its two test pilots. NASA ultimately decided it was too risky and ordered the capsule back empty in September. Engineers are still investigating the thruster breakdowns, and its unclear when Starliner will fly again with astronauts or just cargo. NASA went into its commercial crew program wanting two competing U.S. companies for taxi service for redundancys sake and stand by that choice.___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.

LGBTQ+ individuals have long faced significant health disparities, but in 2025, the fight for equitable healthcare has taken on an even greater urgency. With the Trump administration rolling back protections and increasing attacks on queer and trans rights, National LGBTQ Health Awareness Weekrunning from March 17 to March 21isnt just about visibility. Its about survival.This years theme, Health Equity NOW!, is a demand for better access, better care, and better outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. But in an era where lawmakers are stripping away protections, how can queer and trans individuals prioritize their health? How do we fight back against a system that is actively working against us? PRIDE had a chance to chat with some experts who weighed in on how self-care, community support, and activism are all essential to resisting oppression. Heres what they had to say.Mental health and resilience in a hostile climateFor many LGBTQ+ people, mental well-being has more to do with survival than self-care.The onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, coupled with increased social hostility, has led to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma among queer and trans individuals.When living in a climate of increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, mental well-being is not just self-careits survival, says Elika Dadsetan, CEO and Executive Director of VISIONS, Inc, a nonprofit committed to building inclusive communities and fostering resilience in the face of systemic barriers. Resilience doesnt mean ignoring fear and exhaustion. Instead, it means building intentional practices that allow you to keep going despite them.Some of these practices include regulating the nervous system to counteract chronic stress. Grounding techniques, deep breathing, and movement-based practices like walking or stretching can help regulate stress responses, Dadsetan advises. Another key step? Limit exposure to harmful media. Staying informed is important, but doomscrolling fuels anxiety. Set boundaries around news consumption and curate social media feeds to include affirming and joyful content.Finding healthcare in a system designed to exclude youThe rollback of protections for LGBTQ+ healthcare access has made it even more difficult for queer and trans people to find affirming medical providers. In states enacting bans on gender-affirming care or restricting reproductive healthcare, access is disappearing.When I work with LGBTQ+ clients, particularly transgender individuals, one of the most distressing topics that comes up is access to affirming healthcare, says Cory Schneider, a psychotherapist specializing in LGBTQ+ mental health. People are terrified that they wont be able to get gender-affirming care or that their current providers will lose funding. And these fears are valid.Despite these barriers, resources still exist. Kiki Fehling, a licensed psychologist and expert in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), highlights several directories that connect LGBTQ+ individuals with affirming care. The LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory is a comprehensive directory with primary care physicians, dentists, therapists, OBGYNs, and more, she says, noting you can filter by gender, race, sexual orientation, location, and whether or not they accept insurance.Additionally, Inclusive Therapists focuses on serving LGBTQI+, neurodivergent, and disabled BIPOC individuals. Services like Folx Health and Plume also provide telehealth options for those in states with restrictive policies and work to ensure gender-affirming care remains accessible. Both Schneider and Fehling recommend these platforms.The power of community support and mutual aidWhen government institutions fail, LGBTQ+ people must turn to each other. Chosen family, community-based care, and mutual aid are more than survival strategiesthey are acts of resistance, says Dadsetan.Schneider agrees, emphasizing that queer people cannot endure this fight alone. When I train parents and educators, I hear the same concern: How do we create safety when the law is failing us? The answer is always community. Mutual aid is another critical aspect of survival. In uncertain times, financial and emotional mutual aid networks help redistribute resources and create safety nets for the most vulnerable, says Dadsetan. Whether its assisting with healthcare costs, housing, or legal fees, community support can make all the difference.Protecting LGBTQ+ youth from systemic harmLGBTQ+ youth are among the most vulnerable in this political climate, facing attacks on their rights in schools, healthcare settings, and even within their own homes.One of the biggest fears I hear from LGBTQ+ adults, especially parents and teachers, is: What happens to the next generation? says Schneider. With attacks on LGBTQ+ education and bans on gender-affirming care for youth, their well-being is at risk. But LGBTQ+ identities cannot and will not be erased.Fehling highlights the importance of intergenerational support. LGBTQ+ youth need trusted adults who can provide guidance, advocacy, and safe spaces for self-exploration, she says. Additionally, resources like GLSEN, PFLAG, and The Trevor Project continue to provide essential support for LGBTQ+ youth facing discrimination and isolation.Legal advocacy and knowing your rightsDespite federal rollbacks, LGBTQ+ legal protections still exist in many states, and organizations are fighting back against discriminatory policies.When clients come to me panicked about their rights being taken away, I remind them that while federal protections are under attack, state and local advocacy still matters, says Schneider. Organizations like Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and the National Center for Transgender Equality offer resources to navigate these challenges.For those in hostile states, preparing for legal and medical uncertainties is crucial. Now is the time to secure legal documents, Schneider warns. These next four years will require strategy, resilience, and unwavering support.Queer joy is an act of defianceIn times of oppression, finding joy can feel impossible, but experts insist it is one of the most powerful tools for resilience.Joy is not a privilegeit is a necessary counterbalance to oppression, says Dadsetan. Celebrating LGBTQ+ identity, culture, and history is an act of defiance against those who seek to erase it.Fehling echoes this, emphasizing that joy isnt just about feeling good. Research suggests that being part of a queer community significantly benefits mental health., she says. Its about surrounding yourself with people who love and accept you in all of your queerness.For those struggling in unsafe environments, even small acts of self-expression, like listening to queer music or reading queer literature, can be powerful. Preparing for the next four yearsThe next four years will be challenging, but LGBTQ+ communities have always been resilient. Experts stress the importance of balancing activism with self-care, ensuring that individuals dont burn out in the fight for their rights.Activism and mental health are inseparable, says Schneider. Dan Savage reminds us, During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night Keep fighting, keep dancing.This National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week is a reminder that taking care of ourselves is an act of resistance. From prioritizing mental health to securing affirming healthcare, from strengthening community ties to finding joy amidst struggle, every step we take toward our own well-being is a step toward collective liberation.

President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)2025-03-17T15:59:09Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday explicitly linked the actions of Yemens Houthi rebels to the groups main benefactor, Iran, warning Tehran would suffer the consequences for further attacks by the group. The comments by Trump on his Truth Social website further escalate his administrations new campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels, which killed at least 53 people this weekend alone and appear poised to continue. Meanwhile, Iran continues to weigh how to respond to a letter Trump sent them last week trying to jump-start negotiations over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program. Describing the Houthis as sinister mobsters and thugs, Trump warned any attack by the group would be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there. Iran has played the innocent victim of rogue terrorists from which theyve lost control, but they havent lost control, Trump alleged in his post. Theyre dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, Intelligence. Its unclear what sparked Trumps post. However, the head of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sought to separate the Houthis actions from those of Tehran this weekend. The Houthis also launched drones and missiles targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, though none reached the ship as it continues flight operations in the region. Iran did not immediately comment on the post. Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire! Trump added. 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

Family friend Trey Bridges, 16, climbs a mountain of tornado debris to help the Blansett family recover items not destroyed by Saturday's tornado, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)2025-03-17T15:59:17Z Crammed into their two-door Toyota Celica with three huskies, Hailey Hart and her fiance Steve Romero hugged and prayed as a tornado rolled the car upside down before tossing it on its wheels again. They heard screams for help minutes after the twister ripped apart their home in Tylertown, Mississippi. It was a bad dream come true, Romero said. Next door, Harts grandparents crawled out from the rubble of their house where they had sought shelter in a bathroom on Saturday. They all escaped with just a few scratches and aches.Throughout the South and Midwest, residents and work crews were beginning to clean up Monday and survey the destruction after severe weather across seven states kicked up a devastating combination of wildfires, dust storms and tornadoes, claiming at least 39 lives since Friday. Wildfires in Oklahoma Wind-driven wildfires across Oklahoma destroyed more than 400 homes, including more than 70 in and around Stillwater, home to Oklahoma State University. Four deaths were blamed on the fires or high winds, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said Sunday.Crews trying to control the fires were quickly overwhelmed while going up against the high winds and low humidity fueling the flames on Friday, said Stillwater Fire Chief Terry Essary.Its an insurmountable task, he said. Tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and MissouriIn Mississippi, six people died and more than 200 were displaced by a string of tornadoes across three counties, said Gov. Tate Reeves. Within about an hour of each other, two big twisters tore through the county thats home to hard-hit Tylertown on Saturday, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service.At least three people, including an 82-year-old woman, were killed in central Alabama. In Troy, parks officials said a recreation center where many residents had taken refuge had to be closed due to damage. No one was injured. Scattered twisters killed at least a dozen people in the Missouri, authorities said.Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing trapped neighbors found five bodies in rubble Friday night outside what remained of his aunts house in Wayne County, Missouri. In Arkansas, officials confirmed three deaths.Dust storms in Kansas and Texas The high winds spurred dust storms that led to almost a dozen deaths in car crashes Friday. Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.___Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Sara Cline in Tylertown, Mississippi, Jeff Martin in Atlanta, Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeff Roberson in Wayne County, Missouri contributed. JOHN SEEWER Seewer covers state and national news for The Associated Press and is based in Toledo, Ohio. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In recent days, various high profile commentators have been having a conniption about the fact that the Trump administration and the National Archives have not yet released new records about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy after Trump signed an executive order to create a plan to declassify and release new documents.This hit a fever pitch last week when Tucker Carlson suggested that a very serious force was acting on the administration to prevent the release of the documents. In reality, a source at the National Archives, which is working on uploading new records, tells 404 Media that one of the mysterious forces slowing the release of new records is the tedium and care associated with cataloguing, scanning, and digitizing paper documents from more than 60 years ago without damaging them. And the Archives official line is that scanning the documents is painstaking work that necessarily takes a long time and is ongoing.There's no conspiracy, just a shitton of staples to remove, a National Archives source familiar with the process told 404 Media. The conspiracies are funny, everyone is acting like not getting instant responses for complicated, broad searches is malice. A lot of it is just very unexciting. [Scanning] five practically identical copies of a report for 30 different reports, that kind of thing. 404 Media granted this source anonymity because they werent authorized to speak to the press.Digitizing two-sided paper records takes longer because fronts and backs have to be included with no creases that might hide text, so if a scanner can only do one side at a time, that's doubling the scanning time, they added. It is possible to spend an entire day removing staples and not be done with a single box. Not all of them are that bad, but prep can take a ton of time depending on the records. It's just time consuming and there are various inevitable bottlenecks in getting stuff out.There is still a declassification process, which itself is ongoing, but actually digitizing any new records (and previously declassified ones that are not online yet) is incredibly time consuming.Compare this very reasonable explanation with the way Carlson and others have been talking about the JFK records in recent days, and you will perhaps learn something about our information ecosystem and the ease with which someone like, say, Elon Musk is able to paint the entire government workforce as a bunch of incompetent and/or malicious losers whose expertise can be replaced by a mix of AI and workers he plucked from his companies.Less than two months ago, you have a sitting member of the United States Senate whose main goal is to keep those files secret. And then you have to ask yourself, why?, Carlson said on his podcast on March 10. We have the file numbers of most of the files that have not been disclosed, so it's like Trump issues an executive order on January 23 saying we're gonna release this stuff. They kind of can't not release it. And yet now it's the first week of March and they haven't released it.So pressure is currently being applied on the administration not to release those files, he added. All I'm saying is we can say with certainty that there is a force that is acting on these peoplea very serious force to the point that they are embarrassing themselves because they promised they would release this and they havent.Carlson was referring to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) who said Carlson's claim is completely made up and that he does not oppose releasing the JFK files. NewsNation published an article with the subhed Pressure being applied to keep Kennedy files from being released. Jacob Hornberger, who runs the libertarian Future of Freedom Foundation, has sown further doubt with an article in which he posits that the CIA simply will not permit Trump to release those long-secret records and that Trump is too embarrassed to let people know that the national-security establishment (e.g., the CIA), not the president, is ultimately in charge of running the federal government.Actual experts, meanwhile, say that there is a declassification process, a records-keeping process, a digitization and archiving process, and more that needs to happen. The records do not just magically appear online, especially when considering that one of the agencies responsible for doing so has had its leadership fired by the administration. In fact, the Archives has been engaged in a years-long effort to digitize and upload the more than 6 million JFK assassination records that have already been declassified, and that process is not even fully done yet. Meanwhile, the FBI says that it has found thousands of new documents relating to JFK in the last few months.Since Trump signed the executive order, the National Archives created a landing page of previously released records and says that as part of the process it will work to upload new records.The National Archives began a concerted effort to digitize all records in the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection in 2023. Those efforts are ongoing and have been prioritized since the issuance of Executive Order 14176, the page says. The National Archives is ready to receive and process any further declassification decisions made by President Trump or by other agencies of the United States Government. As determinations are made and records are digitized, the National Archives will post the records online, at this webpage, on a rolling basis.The JFK document scanning process highlights, like many things we have seen over the last two months, that one man cannot snap his fingers and magically fix everything, and that it is important to have civil servants with expertise and who care about doing things correctly around to handle important tasks.NARA did not respond to a request for comment.

For years, Maitland Ward was best known for her role as Rachel McGuire on Boy Meets World. However, since making the leap into adult films in 2019, the former Disney star says her career shift has led to more respectboth in Hollywood and beyond.I really think people treat me with more respect now, honestly, especially even in Hollywood right now, Ward told Fox News Digital. Im pitching my memoir into a TV format and talking with people. Theyre so respectful, and theyre so positive about my story, especially younger people and different people that I speak to in Hollywood and stuff.While some might expect backlash from transitioning from a Disney-backed sitcom to adult entertainment, Ward insists the reaction has been overwhelmingly supportive. See on InstagramI didnt get anybody coming out hating me for it or anything, she said. I really got a lot of positivity overall, which shocked everyone I knew. Everybody thought people were just going to rip me apart, and I was going to be judged and raked across the coals, but I got so much positivity.See on InstagramWard, who struggled with body image early in her career, says her experience in adult entertainment has empowered her in ways she never expected. She's also not the only Disney star to turn to adult entertainment, as Wizard's of Waverly Place actor Dan Benson turned to OnlyFans a few years ago after people sold his nudes as a way to take control of his own story. At the time, he said, Ive been having a tremendous amount of fun. Ive met a lot of really great people in the adult entertainment industry and its changed my life for the better.With that said, Benson also quit the platform in February 2025, saying, "Thank you to everyone who has supported me this whole time. I might go back to acting. I might just go and try and get a normal job and disappear. Just be a normal person. I dont really know. I hope I can remove some of the stuff that is already out there. So if youre thinking about doing this, just be thoughtful, because I know its going to be really hard.McGuire, on the other hand, has been in the industry since 2019 and doesn't seem to have any interest in slowing down.See on Instagram"Just to be naked by myself and be confident in my body and myself, I would never have been able to do that [before], she said in the Fox News interview. Porn has really given that to me, that empowerment, to be able to stand in my own skin, to be able to create projects that I want to create and be proud of, to go against the mold and do something that other people havent done or have been too scared to do and to have the courage and confidence to do that.Her work in the industry has also allowed her to take creative control over her career. Im creating full-length movies. Im doing things like making projects that I really feel passionate about, Ward explained. I work with a female director, who has been amazing. And I think people are always surprised by that, that two women are creating these long erotic, pornographic art pieces. And I think thats really special.Despite her past in mainstream television, Ward has made it clear that her future is fully in her own hands. Im able to create my own brand, my own content, the way I want to create it, she said. And for her, that sense of controland the respect that has come with itis more valuable than anything she found in Hollywood.

In this combination of file photos, President Donald Trump, left, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, are seen at the Elysee Palace, Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, and President Vladimir Putin, right, addresses a Technology Forum in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, left and center, Pavel Bednyakov, right)2025-03-17T18:03:35Z A ceasefire in Russias 3-year-old war in Ukraine hinges on Moscow accepting the U.S. proposal of a 30-day pause in fighting as a confidence-building measure for both sides to hammer out a longer-term peace plan.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will look to delay such a temporary truce with conditions meant to divert the peace process and lengthen the war. Ukraine, which faced pressure to accept the ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump blocked military aid and intelligence sharing, expects that he will threaten more sanctions on Moscow to push Putin into accepting the terms.As he disclosed that he will talk to Putin on Tuesday, Trump said that land and power plants are part of the conversation around bringing the war to a close, a process he described as dividing up certain assets. But beyond the temporary ceasefire, both sides seem unwilling to make large concessions to the other, and both have red lines that they insist cannot be crossed.A look at the issues: What are Russias demands?When Putin launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, he demanded that Ukraine renounce joining NATO, sharply cut its army, and protect Russian language and culture to keep the country in Moscows orbit.Now, he also demands that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the four regions Moscow illegally annexed in September 2022 but never fully occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.Russian officials also have said that any peace deal should involve releasing Russian assets that were frozen in the West and lifting other U.S. and European Union sanctions. The Trump administration has proposed putting potential sanctions relief on the table.Along with that, Putin has repeatedly emphasized the need to remove the root causes of the crisis a reference to the Kremlins demand to roll back a NATO military buildup near Russian borders that it describes as a major threat to its security. He also argues that Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Kyiv maintains that elections are impossible to hold amid a war. Trump has echoed Putins view, speaking of the need for Ukraine to hold an election.Russian officials also have declared that Moscow wont accept troops from any NATO members as peacekeepers to monitor a prospective truce.What are Ukraines demands?Facing setbacks along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front, Ukraine has backed away from demanding that its state borders be returned to pre-2014 lines, because it does not have the military force capable of reaching that end. Ukraine is asking for a peace deal cemented with security guarantees from international allies that will ensure that Russia is never able to invade again.In lieu of NATO membership a long-sought desire by Kyiv that appears to be nearly impossible without U.S. backing what those guarantees might look like is taking shape in parallel talks led by France and Britain. A coalition of the willing envisions European boots on the ground and a strong military response if Russia were to launch a new offensive. Zelenskyy has insisted the Ukrainian army be strengthened to withstand future Russian offensives, a costly endeavor that will require quick and consistent support from international allies. A stockpile of weapons, capable of doing serious damage to Russian assets, is another demand. Kyiv also wants to bolster its domestic arms industry to lessen its reliance on allies, a reality that has set Ukrainian forces back throughout the war.Ukraine has key demands from Russia as well. Kyiv refuses to cede more territory to Moscow, including those in partially occupied regions. Also, Ukraine is seeking the return of children illegally deported to Russia and thousands of civilians detained in Russian prisons. Concessions and red linesBoth sides have red lines that are mutually exclusive making negotiations extremely challenging. The U.S. has said both sides must make concessions. The fate of one-fifth of Ukrainian land now under Russian control is likely to take center focus.For Moscow, the presence of NATO member states, as either peacekeepers or a reassurance force outside of the alliance framework, is a red line. But Moscow hasnt mentioned any specific concessions.For Ukraine, which is in a weaker position, the question of territory held by Russia that it does not have the military means to retake is central. For Kyiv, it is both a red line and a potential concession.Zelenskyy has said his country will never recognize the territory as Russian. But Ukrainian officials concede that, while officially this always will be Kyivs position, the occupied territories are likely to remain under Russian control for some time.Partners know our red lines that we do not recognize the occupied territories as the territories of the Russian Federation, and we do not recognize them, Zelenskyy told journalists recently. This is my political will as president. And this is the political will of our people. This is a violation of international law and the Constitution of Ukraine. Ukraine also rejects restrictions on the size and capabilities of its armed forces as well as limits on its ability to join international alliances such as NATO and the European Union.-Kullab reported from Kyiv.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine 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

Spirits with and without the star mark in Bilka in Randers, Denmark, making it easier for customers to buy European goods, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)2025-03-17T16:47:12Z Ivan Hansen, a retired Danish police officer, loaded up his basket at the supermarket, carefully checking each product to avoid buying anything made in the United States. No more Coca-Cola, no more California Zinfandel wine or almonds.The 67-year-old said its the only way he knows to protest U.S. President Donald Trumps policies. Hes furious about Trumps threat to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, but its not just that. There are also the threats to take control of the Panama Canal and Gaza. And Trumps relationship with Elon Musk, who has far-right ties and made what many interpreted as a straight-armed Nazi salute. On his recent shopping trip, Hansen returned home with dates from Iran. It shocked him to realize that he now perceives the United States as a greater threat than Iran.Trump really looks like a bully who tries in every way to intimidate, threaten others to get his way, he told The Associated Press. I will fight against that kind of thing. A sign in Bilka supermarket in Randers, Denmark, reads: ''Now its star-clear whether the label is European. The choice is yours, but weve made it easier for you to shop European: Look for the star on the price tag to see if the label is owned by a company in Europe. And dont worry, we still have plenty of labels from the rest of the world.', Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) A sign in Bilka supermarket in Randers, Denmark, reads: ''Now its star-clear whether the label is European. The choice is yours, but weve made it easier for you to shop European: Look for the star on the price tag to see if the label is owned by a company in Europe. And dont worry, we still have plenty of labels from the rest of the world.', Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A growing boycott movement across EuropeHansen is just one supporter of a growing movement across Europe and Canada to boycott U.S. products. People are joining Facebook groups where they exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products and find alternatives. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region and very possibly strongest in Denmark given Trumps threats to seize Greenland. Google trends showed a spike in searches for the term Boycott USA, and Boycott America, as Trump announced new tariffs, with the top regions including Denmark, Canada and France. At the same time, a global backslash is also building against Tesla as the brand becomes tied to Trump, with plunging sales in Europe and Canada. In Germany, police were investigating after four Teslas were set on fire Friday. A burnt-out Tesla car stands in the Steglitz district of Berlin, Friday, March 14, 2025, as four Teslas are suspected to have been set on fire in Berlin last night. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) A burnt-out Tesla car stands in the Steglitz district of Berlin, Friday, March 14, 2025, as four Teslas are suspected to have been set on fire in Berlin last night. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A burnt-out Tesla car stands in the Steglitz district of Berlin, Friday, March 14, 2025, as four Teslas are suspected to have been set on fire in Berlin last night. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) A burnt-out Tesla car stands in the Steglitz district of Berlin, Friday, March 14, 2025, as four Teslas are suspected to have been set on fire in Berlin last night. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Elsebeth Pedersen, who lives in Faaborg on the Danish island of Funen, just bought a car and made a point of not even looking at U.S.-made options. Before Elon Musk started to act like a maniac a Tesla could have been an option. And maybe a Ford, she said. French entrepreneur Romain Roy said his solar panel firm has bought a new Tesla fleet each year since 2021 but canceled its order for another 15 to take a stand against Musks and Trumps policies. Describing the United States as a country closing in on itself, he cited Trumps withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and Musks arm gestures. He said he was instead buying European models, even though it would cost an additional 150,000 euros ($164,000).Individual consumers, society, our countries, Europe must react, he told broadcaster Sud Radio.Responding to consumer demand, Denmarks largest supermarket chain, the Salling Group, created a star-shaped label this month to mark European-made goods sold in its stores. CEO Anders Hagh said its not a boycott, but a response to consumers demanding a way to easily avoid American products.Our stores will continue to have brands on the shelves from all over the world, and it will always be up to customers to choose. The new label is only an additional service for customers who want to buy goods with European labels, he said in a LinkedIn post. BBQ products with and without the star mark in Bilka in Randers, Denmark, making it easier for customers to buy European goods, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) BBQ products with and without the star mark in Bilka in Randers, Denmark, making it easier for customers to buy European goods, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More I have never seen Danes so upsetFor Bo Albertus, when Trump went on television and said he would by political force or military force take a piece of the Danish kingdom, it was just too much for me. The 57-year-old said he felt powerless and had to do something. He has given up Pepsi, Colgate toothpaste, Heinz ketchup and California wine, and replaced them with European products.He is now an administrator of the Danish Facebook page Boykot varer fra USA (Boycott goods from the U.S.), which has swelled to over 80,000 members.Drink more champagne, one user posted after Trump threatened 200% tariffs on EU wine and Champagne. Albertus, a school principal, told the AP he really misses the strong taste of Colgate. But hes been pleasantly surprised at finding a cola replacement that is half the price of Pepsi. Trumps policies have brought the Danish Viking blood boiling, said Jens Olsen, an electrician and carpenter. He is now considering replacing $10,000 worth of U.S.-made DeWalt power tools even though it will cost him a lot. He has already found European replacements for an American popcorn brand and California-made Lagunitas IPA beer, which he calls the best in the world. Ive visited the brewery several times, but now I dont buy it anymore, he said. He has mixed feelings because he is a dual Danish-U.S. citizen, and has spent a lot of time in the United States. But he cant contain his anger.Im 66 years old and I have never seen the Danes so upset before, he said. Michael Ramgil Sthr has canceled a fall trip to the U.S. and is among many choosing to buy Danish instead of American-made, though he cannot pinpoint the exact moment he made the decision.Maybe it was when (Trump) announced to the world press that he intended to take Greenland and the Panama Canal, and if necessary by military force. That and the gangster-like behavior towards the Ukrainian president in the White House, the 53-year-old Copenhagen resident said.The man is deadly dangerous and is already costing lives in the developing world and Ukraine, added Sthr, who works helping disabled war veterans, many of whom got injured serving alongside U.S. troops in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. He himself served in Bosnia. Rising anger in France, tooEdouard Roussez, a farmer from northern France, launched an online group, Boycott USA, Buy French and European! that in just two weeks has attracted over 20,000 members on Facebook.Roussez believes a boycott of U.S. companies is a good way to express opposition to Trumps policies, especially the commercial and ideological war he believes Trump is waging against Europe. First of all, these are the companies that financed Donald Trumps campaign, he said on state-owned LCP television channel. Im thinking of Airbnb, Im thinking of Uber, Im thinking of Tesla of course. The irony of it all? The group is on Facebook. Roussez said only the American online social media platform gave him the reach he needed. But hes working to migrate the group to other platforms with no U.S. funding or capital. A star-labeled price tag for snacks in Bilka in Randers, Denmark, making it easier for customers to buy European goods, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) A star-labeled price tag for snacks in Bilka in Randers, Denmark, making it easier for customers to buy European goods, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More As for any impact on U.S. export profits or policymaking, thats unlikely, said Olof Johansson Stenman, a professor of economics at the University of Gothenburg.The boycott could have a psychological effect on Americans who see the scale of anger, but some may also say, We dont like these Europeans anyway, Stenman said.Some choices are harder than othersSimon Madsen, 54, who lives in the Danish city of Horsens with his wife and 13-year-old twins, says the family has given up Pringles, Oreos and Pepsi Max. Not so hard, really. But now theyre discussing doing without Netflix, and that is a step too far for the kids.He also wonders whether he should keep buying Danish-made Anthon Berg chocolate marzipan bars, which are made with American almonds.Its important, he said, for people to use the power of the purse to pressure companies to change. Its the only weapon weve got, he said.____AP writers Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, John Leicester and Samuel Petrequin in Paris, and Laurie Kellman in London contributed.

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, March 14, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-03-17T19:19:07Z CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Debates over President Donald Trumps hardline migration policies are focused on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, to some a ruthless transnational criminal organization and to others the pretext for an overhyped anti-migrant narrative. Trump labeled the Tren de Aragua an invading force on Saturday when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a little-used authority from 1798 that allows the president to deport any noncitizen during wartime. Hours later, the Trump administration transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations. Flights were in the air when the ruling came down.The Alien Enemies Act requires a president to declare the United States at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners to whom immigration or criminal laws otherwise protect. It had been used only three times the last time to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.The Trump administration has not identified the more than 200 immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. Gang gains notoriety in the USFrom the heartland to major cities like New York and Chicago, the gang has been blamed for sex trafficking, drug smuggling and police shootings, as well as the exploitation of the nearly 1 million Venezuelan migrants have crossed into the U.S. in recent years. Trump told Congress this month that a Venezuelan migrant found guilty of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus was a member of the gang.The size of the gang is unclear as is the extent to which its actions are coordinated across state lines and national borders.The Venezuelan gang entered U.S. political discourse after footage from a security camera surfaced on social media last summer showing heavily armed men entering an apartment in the Denver suburb of Aurora shortly before a fatal shooting outside. In response, Trump vowed to liberate Aurora from Venezuelans he falsely said were taking over the whole town. The city initially downplayed concerns. But most of the apartment complex was closed under an emergency order last month after officials said they suspected Tren de Aragua members in the kidnapping and assault of two residents.Most of the men seen in the video have been arrested, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement accusing them of gang membership.The Tren originated in an infamous prisonThe Tren, which means train in Spanish, traces its origin more than a decade ago to an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in the central state of Aragua. It has expanded in recent years as more than 8 million Venezuelans fled economic turmoil under President Nicols Maduros rule and migrated to other parts of Latin America or the U.S.Countries such as Peru and Colombia all with large populations of Venezuelan migrants have accused the group of being behind a spree of violence in a region that has long had some of the highest murder rates in the world. Some of its crimes have spread panic in poor neighborhoods, where the gang extorts local businesses and illegally charges residents for protection.The gang operates as a loose network in the U.S. Tattoos, which are commonly used by Central American gangs, arent required for those affiliated with the Tren, said Ronna Risquez, a Venezuelan journalist who wrote a 2023 book about the gangs origins. Trump targets the TrenOn his first day in office, Trump he took steps to designate the gang a foreign terrorist organization alongside several Mexican drug cartels. The Biden administration had sanctioned the gang and offered $12 million in rewards for the arrest of three of its leaders.Trumps executive order Saturday accused the gang of working closely with top Maduro officials most notably the former vice president and one-time governor of Aragua state, Tareck El Aissami, to infiltrate migration flows, flood the U.S. with cocaine and plot against the country. The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States, Trumps executive order alleged.Wes Tabor, who headed the Drug Enforcement Administrations office in Venezuela when the gang first came onto law enforcement radar, said Trumps decision to give the DEA and other federal agencies authority to carry out immigrant arrests is a force multiplier that will curtail the Trens activities in the U.S. Tabor said authorities need to build a robust database like it did when combating El Salvadors MS-13 containing biometric data, arrest information and intelligence from foreign law enforcement partners. We have to use a hammer on an ant because if we dont it will get out of control, said Tabor. We need to smash it now. Venezuelan officials protestIn Venezuela, officials originally expressed bafflement at the U.S. interest in the Tren, claiming it had dismantled the gang after retaking control of the prison where the group was born. As Trumps immigration crackdown has intensified, theyve conditioned their cooperation with U.S. deportation flights on progress in other areas in the long-strained bilateral relationship.Last month, authorities gave a heros welcome to some 190 Venezuelan migrants deported by Trump, accusing the U.S. of spreading an ill-intentioned and false narrative about the Tren in the U.S. They said most Venezuelan immigrants are decent, hard-working people and that U.S. officials were looking to stigmatize the South American nation.Over the weekend they protested the use of Trumps invocation of the wartime rules, likening it to the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps.

This photo provided by the United States Geological Survey shows a female Lau banded iguana in Fiji. (Robert Fisher/U.S. Geological Survey via AP)2025-03-17T19:01:00Z NEW YORK (AP) Researchers have long wondered how iguanas got to Fiji, a collection of remote islands in the South Pacific. Most modern-day iguanas live in the Americas thousands of miles and one giant ocean away. They thought maybe they scurried there through Asia or Australia before volcanic activity pushed Fiji so far away. But new research suggests that millions of years ago, iguanas pulled off the 5,000 mile (8,000 kilometer) odyssey on a raft of floating vegetation masses of uprooted trees and small plants. That journey is thought to be a record further than any other land-dwelling vertebrate has ever traveled on the ocean. Scientists think thats how iguanas got to the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador and between islands in the Caribbean. Initially they thought Fiji might be a bit too far for such a trip, but in a new study, researchers inspected the genes of 14 iguana species spanning the Americas, the Caribbean and Fiji. They discovered that Fijian iguanas were most closely related to desert iguanas from North America, and that the two groups split off around 31 million years ago. The researchers created a statistical model using that information and other tidbits about where iguanas live today and how they may spread. It suggested that the iguanas most likely floated to Fiji from North America. Given what we know now, their result is by far the most strongly supported, said Kevin de Queiroz, an evolutionary biologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, who was not involved with the new study. The research was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The journey from North America to Fiji could have taken a few months, but these desert iguanas would have been ideal passengers because they were adept at resisting dehydration and could have snacked on the plants underfoot. If you had to pick a vertebrate to survive a long trip on a raft across an ocean, iguanas would be the one, said study author Simon Scarpetta from the University of San Francisco, in an email.Many Fijian iguana species are endangered, and an invasive green iguana roams the islands today, said study author Robert Fisher of the United States Geological Survey. Figuring out where these creatures came from can equip scientists with the tools to better protect them in the future.-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. ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Ramakrishnan is a science reporter for The Associated Press, based in New York. She covers research and new developments related to space, early human history and more. twitter mailto

The latest episode of The White Lotus has people with delicate sensibilities shrieking and averting their eyes after two brothers shared a little smooch.The surprising kiss went down when Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola) were hanging out with Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). The two ladies kissed and urged the brothers to do the same so they did. (@) People shocked by the incestuous turn clearly havent been paying much attention to The White Lotus or even HBO in general. Last season of the popular show included something that initially appeared to be incest, although it was revealed to be a ruse. There were also plenty of other "incest vibes" that viewers called out during the season.Not to mention the fact that Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have been two of the networks most popular modern shows, and both involve incest storylines deeply woven into the fabric of the story.Still, the weeks building up to this moment already had people acting as if they were going to be irreparably traumatized by fictional incest which, in turn, became an opportunity for others to point out how goofy that is. (@) "No, its just a movie. Its pretend. Youre an adult, you should know that." (@) "go watch Backyardagins if The White Lotus offends you" (@) "ITS A FICTION, NOT A MORAL TREATISE." (@) "its a television show" (@) "I thought everyone knew up front that this show is a satire with dark comedy mocking rich white people osea is the point of being obsessed with morbidity" (@) Despite the haters being loud with their virtue signaling, fans of The White Lotus who are able to differentiate between fiction and reality still had a good time with the episode. (@) "Gay incest, lorazepam withdrawals, white Christian woman judging in the background, this episode of white lotus has it all" (@) "the incest is actually happening HAPPENING #whitelotus" (@) "in a bar full of gay men cheering for the white lotus incest kiss" (@) One of the great things about weekly TV shows is that the stories are ongoing. They don't wrap up in a single episode. We don't know the intention behind this incest plot, where it's going, or what it's ultimately trying to say. Maybe it will stick the landing in an interesting way, or maybe it won't. In the meantime, folks are gonna enjoy watching two dudes kiss and the world isn't even going to explode in the process.And any viewers looking to only consume stories that portray things matching their personal morals should probably step away from content created for adults and airing on a premium cable network.

Lets be honest: Going on dates is totally terrifying, regardless of how you look or the mutual interest. A common fear is sharing something about yourselfsuch as what you intend to wear on a forthcoming dateonly to have your suitor either ghost you or just completely lose interest.Unfortunately, for writer/comedian Zach Zimmerman, the latter nightmare came to fruition after a date canceled on him after he answered the question about what he planned to wear on the date.In a tweet shared on March 16, Zimmerman screenshotted the suitor asking him to send the fit. After a short video showing it off, the person responded, Hey! Youre very attractive and Im not opposed to grabbing a drink but I dont think were going to be compatible honestly.In the tweet, Zimmerman captioned the interaction saying, I may never recover. Dude asked what I was going to wear and then cancelled the date. (@) With such a relatable and brutal story, youd think people would line up in support of Zimmerman, but instead his comments including things like u look like ur mom dressed u and Youre lucky to have gotten to ask for a date. If it were me, I wouldnt even ask you. Your outfit screams Broadway Queen. Im pretty sure you love Wicked. (@) We're not quite sure why loving Wicked is catching strays, but Zimmerman was quick to respond to the haters and addressed the backlash as best he could. (@) He also admitted he was away from home on a writing trip, which also limited clothing options like shoes. (@) In fact, so many people disapproved of his outfit that he wound up sending out a separate tweet saying, who knew everyone was so anti-plaid?? (@) Of course, not everybody came at Zimmerman sideways, and a number of comments were supportive of the comedian and his awkward dating experience. (@) For his part, Zimmerman has taken all of this in stride, even quipping that his mother did, in fact, buy his shorts and shoes, but he still put them on himself. (@) Check out some of the supportive comments below. (@) "The Hey! as if you arent already in an active convo is lowkey cruel" (@) "What was he going to wear? I wanna hear both sides of this" (@) "we'll never know" (@) "if being yourself is you sending videos and being funny and he cant take that, then he was never a guy you wanted to spend time with anyway" (@) "You are very handsome and your outfit and style is just fine. You are a very sweet person men can tell this, and if they turn you down its not always because of your looks or your style.. its simply because some people dont want to break golden hearts" (@) "thats HIS loss, not yours! you dodged a major bullet w that plan falling through, thank god it did! and ignore the losers in the quotes, none of them ever had a chance with you anyways so their word holds no weight. ur THAT girl and WILL find someone who sees that and values you" (@) "See Id have broken the date off just for him asking to see my outfit before agreeing to meet." (@) "Well date you. I mean everyone sane. Well date you gladly." (@) "Thats a different level of disrespecthe just lost out big time" (@) "Dont let then bully you. Live in your truth king" (@) "His shallow taste is his loss!" (@) "You look so good" (@) "Planned the fit for nothing tragic." (@) "Eh, you dont need someone that critical and unforgiving." (@) "To the people wanting to date someone based on what they wear, just get a life cause you clearly aren't thinking"

RuPauls Drag Race Live has been dazzling audiences in Las Vegas since 2020, and on Sunday, the concert residency reached a major milestone its 1,000th performance. The show, held at the Flamingo Hotels Flamingo Showroom, is a nightly celebration of fierce performances, showcasing fan-favorite queens from MTVs RuPauls Drag Race. To commemorate the momentous occasion, a dazzling chorus ofSource

Patrick Schwarzeneggers uncomfortable moment in The White Lotus has certainly left an impression on viewers. The actor, who plays Saxon Ratliff in the hit HBO series, had a notably awkward on-screen kiss with his on-screen brother Lochlan, portrayed by Sam Nivola. This tense scene in the March 16 episode sparked curiosity among fans, and now, co-star Charlotte Le Bon has opened up about how theSource

People line up to make sports bets at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City NJ on Friday March 19, 2021, the first full day of the NCAA March Madness tournament. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry,File)2025-03-17T15:25:01Z WASHINGTON (AP) As March Madness takes over this week, how many people are filling out NCAA brackets and why? A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows what share of Americans typically take a shot at bracket predictions and their motivation for joining in the madness. The survey found that about one-quarter of Americans fill out a mens March Madness bracket every year or some years. But what about the womens tournament? High-profile NCAA womens basketball games have closed the gap with mens tournaments in terms of viewership and there is more money flowing in and around womens sports in general; womens teams will now be paid to play in the tournament, just like men have for years. It all points to higher interest in how womens teams fare even if the bracket frenzy has not quite caught up. The survey found that 16% of U.S. adults fill out a womens tournament bracket every year or some years. And its much more common for bracket participants to only fill out a bracket for the mens tournament than the womens about 1 in 10 U.S. adults only fill out a mens tournament bracket, while only 2% fill out only a womens bracket. Another 14% fill out a bracket for both tournaments at least some years. So, a sizeable chunk of Americans are into NCAA bracketology, but whats behind the hype?Among those who fill out brackets at least some years, about 7 in 10 say a reason for their participation was for the glory of winning, the chance to win money or the fact that other people were doing it. Theyre less likely to be motivated by support for a specific school or team and in particular, to say this was a major reason for their participation. Theres certainly a financial motivation for correctly predicting the Final Four, and its hard to deny NCAA college basketball is in a betting-heavy era. More Americans can legally bet money on the NCAA mens and womens basketball tournaments than in previous years, and many will place a wager on their brackets success. Does that mean Americans think the tournaments are all about wagering, or that its technically gambling to enter a friends-and-family pool with only a modest payout at stake? Most U.S. adults 56% say that if someone enters a March Madness bracket pool for money, they consider that to be gambling. About 2 in 10 say it depends on the amount of money, and another 2 in 10, roughly, say this is not gambling.Who are the March Madness bracket diehards?Men tend to make up the bulk of the regulars who fill out a bracket at least some years. Among the March Madness bracket regulars, about 6 in 10 are men, including about one-third who are men under the age of 45. These bracket regulars are less likely to be women; only about 4 in 10 are women, and theyre about evenly split between being older or younger. Those who only fill out a bracket for the mens tournament are also overwhelmingly men. About 7 in 10 people who fill out a mens bracket and not a womens bracket every year or some years are men. About 4 in 10 are men over 45, and about 3 in 10 are younger men. If you cant beat them, avoid them?Not everyone wants to risk a bracket buster and people avoiding the Madness this month are hardly alone. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they never fill out a mens or womens bracket. This group leans more female: About 6 in 10 bracket avoiders are women. And roughly one-third in this group are women over 45.___The AP-NORC poll of 1,112 adults was conducted Feb. 6-10, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. LINLEY SANDERS Sanders is a polls and surveys reporter for The Associated Press. She develops and writes about polls conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and works on AP VoteCast. twitter

RuPauls Drag Race LIVE!celebrated its landmark 1,000th performance with the final six queens of Drag Race season 17 Jewels Sparkles, Lana JaRae, Lexi Love, Onya Nerve, Sam Starr, and Suzie Toot. Drag Race LIVE! debuted in 2020 at the Flamingo Showroom at the Flamingo Hotel. The nightly immersive drag show has been a nightly event [...]The post RuPauls Drag Race LIVE! Celebrates 1000th Performance in Las Vegas With Season 17 Queens first appeared on GLAAD.

Actress Amanda Seyfried, known for roles in films such as Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls, says she values her connection with the LGBTQ+ community and aims to provide escapism during turbulent times. I just exist to make you guys happy! Seyfried told PRIDE, emphasizing her role as an ally. Ive just been lucky to be part of these iconic movies. Im an ally and we all enjoy the same things. ItSource

HBO Maxs new horror-comedy, The Parenting, delves into the fraught dynamics of introducing partners to parents, amplifying the anxiety with a 400-year-old demon. The film, now streaming, features a gay couple, Rohan (Nik Dodani) and Josh (Brandon Flynn), navigating a weekend getaway with their respective families, a scenario ripe for both humor and horror. The premiseSource

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00545-xExcavations at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, reveal evidence of the systematic use of animal bones as a raw material for prehistoric tools.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00799-5Alba Graciela vila Bernals research focuses on power-storage technologies, but she also builds custom probes to test water quality.

Mohammad Shabir Osmani, pushes one of his families suitcases out of the Sacramento International Airport, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)2025-03-17T20:48:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) When Andrew Sullivan thinks of the people his organization has helped resettle in America, one particular story comes to mind: an Afghan man in a wheelchair who was shot through the neck by a member of the Taliban for helping the U.S. during its war in Afghanistan.I just think ... Could I live with myself if we send that guy back to Afghanistan? said Andrew Sullivan, executive director of No One Left Behind. And I thankfully dont have to because he made it to northern Virginia.The charitable organization of U.S. military veterans, Afghans who once fled their country and volunteers in the U.S. is stepping in to help Afghans like that man in the wheelchair who are at risk of being stranded overseas. Their efforts come after the Trump administration took steps to hinder Afghans who helped Americas war effort in trying to resettle in the U.S. No One Left Behind helps Afghans and Iraqis who qualify for the special immigrant visa program, which was set up by Congress in 2009 to help people who are in danger because of their efforts to aid the U.S. during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. President Donald Trump in January suspended programs that buy flights for those refugees and cut off aid to the groups that help them resettle in the U.S. Hundreds who were approved for travel to the U.S. had visas but few ways to get here. If they managed to buy a flight, they had little help when they arrived. The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment.Meanwhile, the situation for Afghans has become more tenuous in some of the places where many have temporarily settled. Pakistan, having hosted millions of refugees, has in recent years removed Afghans from its country. increased deportations. An agreement that made Albania a waystation for Afghans expires in March, Sullivan said. Hovering over all of this is the fear that the Trump administration may announce a travel ban that could cut off all access from Afghanistan. In an executive order signed on Inauguration Day, Trump told key Cabinet members to submit a report within 60 days that identifies countries with vetting so poor that it would warrant a partial or full suspension of travelers from those countries to the U.S. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that the review was ongoing and no list had been finalized. But groups that work with Afghans are worried.When funding was suspended, No One Left Behind stepped in. Their goal is to make sure Afghans with State Department visas dont get stuck overseas. Other organizations many who got their start helping Afghans during the U.S. militarys chaotic withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 are doing the same.To qualify for this visa, Afghans must prove they worked for the U.S. for at least one year. That means tracking down documentation from former supervisors, who were often affiliated with companies no longer in business. They also undergo extensive vetting and medical checks.Our view was, OK, weve got to act immediately to try and help these people, said Sullivan. Weve been in kind of an all-out sprint. The organization has raised money to buy flights and help Afghans when they land. Between February 1 and March 17, the group said it successfully booked flights for 659 Afghans.It also launched a website where visa holders can share information, giving Sullivans group a starting point to figure out where they might live in the U.S. Sullivan and the organizations ambassadors Afghans and Iraqis who already have emigrated to the U.S., many through the special immigrant visa program have gone to Albania and Qatar to help stranded Afghans.Aqila is one of those ambassadors who went to Albania. The Associated Press is identifying Aqila by her first name because her family in Afghanistan is still at risk.Aqila said many of the families didnt know what would happen when they arrived in America. Would they be homeless? Abandoned? One man feared hed end up alone in the airport parking lot because his contact in America a long-haul trucker couldnt come pick him up. She assured him that someone would be there. They gave them cards with contact information for attorneys. They printed papers with information about their rights in English, Dari, and Pashto.No One Left Behind reached out to family members and friends in the U.S. to help with the transition when they landed in America.Mohammad Saboor, a father of seven children, worked as an electrician and A/C technician with international and U.S. forces for 17 years. Two months ago, he and his family boarded a plane to Albania in anticipation of soon being able to go to America. They landed in California on March 12, exhausted but safeThe next day he and his family explored their new apartment in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova. Saboor said he hasnt felt safe in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021. He worried that hed be killed as retribution for the nearly two decades hed worked with the U.S. and its allies. He wondered what kind of future his children would have in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The family picked the suburb in the hope that the large Afghan population in the Sacramento area would help them get settled and find work. He envisions a bright future in America, where his kids can go to school and eventually give back to the country that took his family in. Arriving in the U.S., he said, gave them a great feeling.I believe that now we can live in a 100% peaceful environment, he said. Sullivan said he hopes there will be exceptions for Afghans in the special immigrant visa program if a travel ban is imposed. Theyve been thoroughly vetted, he said, and earned the right to be here.These are folks that actually served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats for 20 years, he said.Aqila, the Afghan ambassador, said its stressful to hear stories of what people went through in Afghanistan. But the reward comes when she sees photos of those who have arrived in America.You can see the hope in their eyes, she said. Its nice to be human. Its nice be kind to each other. REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, bottom center, bats against the Hanshin Tigers during the third inning in an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2025-03-17T15:58:45Z TOKYO (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani an unprecedented $700 million contract hoping to drive interest and the dollars that come with it from fans across the Pacific.It seems to be working. Hes the main attraction as the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs open the MLB regular season on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome.Hes also producing off the field, the marquee name at a sprawling souvenir store that fills an exhibition hall in the Tokyo Dome complex.MLB calls the setup its largest ever special-event store.Isnt it crazy? said Lillian Izawa, who did a slow walk through the store, wedged between shoppers and shelves of souvenirs, most carrying Ohtanis name, face or No. 17.Just as thousands of others, Izawa stood for an hour just to get in with fans three or four abreast in a twisting line entering the 30,000-square-foot store. She chose a sunny day. But the lines seemed to grow longer, even on a rainy Sunday in Tokyo. The daily flow will only intensify as Tuesdays and Wednesdays games approach and both the Dodgers and MLB cash in on Ohtani, who signed a $700 million, 10-year deal last offseason. Lets call it a Merch Museum dedicated to Ohtani and his two Japanese teammates, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, and the Dodgers. Theres even a small section for Chicago Cubs fans with most of the usual stuff caps, jerseys, t-shirts and MLB knick-knacks.Japanese people will buy anything thats in a limited edition and hard to get, and theyll resell it, said Izawa, a Japanese American from Honolulu and a flight attendant with Hawaiian Airlines. World shopping centerThe souvenir shop illustrates that Ohtani might be intensifying the worldwide interest in baseball.This is an important series, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. It highlights that baseball is on a world stage, a world platform.Rosie Rosas, a Dodgers fans from San Diego, made the trip to Tokyo with her son to visit her husband who works in Japan. Tickets for the Dodgers-Cubs games were impossible. But shopping was not. It doesnt happen very often, games like this, and the Dodgers are champions, Rosas said. And the Japanese players we have are amazing.Ruby Yu and Nick Mah, two Canadians with roots in Hong Kong, traveled from Vancouver on vacation and made Ohtani part of the experience.Things are flying off the shelf, said Ruby as Nick stood alongside with a bag full or goodies.They paid $200 apiece for two tickets to Fridays exhibition game between the Hanshin Tigers and Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won 3-0. The least expensive tickets for the Dodgers-Cubs games are fetching about $1,500 on the secondary market.We knew the Japanese were huge baseball fans, Ruby said.Wearing a blue Chicago jersey, Cubs fan Jason Umbreit was spending modestly in the souvenir shop, happy to have found a corner with Chicago merchandise.I knew it was going to be crowded, and this is the biggest shop Ive ever seen, he said.Hes also among the most fortunate baseball fans on earth. He said he paid only $60 for a ticket for one of the Dodgers-Cubs games.I got the ticket when they went on sale, he said. I was lucky. The prices, the exchange rateThe value of the Japanese yen has fallen drastically in relation to the dollar in the last 2 1/2 years. That means it has become very expensive for Japanese to travel to the United States. The yen buys fewer and fewer dollars, making American prices seem very high for Japanese. Conversely, tourists with dollars find Japan affordable.It means this MLB shop is a useful opportunity for many Japanese fans to buy coveted Ohtani and Yamamoto merchandise. Most suggested the prices though expensive might be cheaper than they are in the United States.Star Dodgers pitchers Yamamoto was asked his reaction to seeing thousands of fans wearing Dodgers garb, some with his name on the back. Or seeing his face on billboards, or inside massive souvenir store.I see the support from my fans and Id like to turn it into positive energy and carry it to the mound, he replied.At the very high end, the store offers Dodgers white or blue jersey for about 75,000 yen about $500. There are also other styles of Cubs and Dodgers jerseys for a bit less about 25,000 yen about $170. Caps and t-shirt are among the favorites, many in the $30-50 range. There are key chains for about $18 and game programs for $20.I think the prices are reasonable, Kohei Matsui said, a 21-year-old Japanese student. He described the crowds and shopping mayhem as beyond what I expected.Japanese all love baseball and Major League Baseball, and we want to see it once in our life, Matsui added. This is the chance.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb STEPHEN WADE Wade has written about sports and the politics of sports around the globe for The Associated Press. He has covered nine Olympics and five soccer World Cups and has been based for AP in Madrid, London, Beijing, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, before moving to Tokyo. twitter mailto

The competition is heating up on RuPaul's Drag Race.Lexi Love and Suzie Toot have made it all the way to the top six on this cutthroat season, but both queens are ready to snatch the crown.Throughout the competition, Love and Toot have excelled in the challenges and cemented themselves as fierce contestants since day one. While attending the RuPaul's Drag Race Live 1000th Show in Las Vegas, the queens joked about their ongoing feud."I would describe [our rivalry] as appropriate, sane, and very grounded in reality. I think that's my favorite part about it," Toot says."I even posted a picture of Suzie this week bragging about her makeup because I thought she was copying me," Love adds."On Facebook," Toot interjects. "Because she's old.""I hate you, you dirty b*tch! You know how many fans have said, 'Not the Facebook post Lexi,'" Love shares. See on Instagram It's definitely all love between the queens, which is needed now more than ever. As the season starts to wind down, Love is reminding everyone in the LGBTQ+ community to stay strong during these trying times."I love you. You are not defined by any letter that they include in an acronym, on a piece of paper, or in their mouths," Love says.The fan-favorite competitor hopes to win the crown and continue to represent the trans community proudly."[Winning] would mean more than I could put into words. I think it would mean more to my fans and the people I'm out there to help. It's going to help them more than it's going to help me."RuPaul's Drag Race airs Friday nights on MTV. To see the full interview with Lexi Love and Suzie Toot, check out the video at the top of the page.

Country singer Orville Peck, known for his signature fringed mask, has offered a glimpse of his face in a new photo shoot for The New York Times, coinciding with his upcoming Broadway debut in Cabaret. Peck will step into the role of the Emcee at the Kit Kat Club, replacing Adam Lambert, and has announced he will forgo his iconic mask for the production. The mask is part of my expressionSource

Director Andrew Ahn, known for the critically acclaimed Fire Island, returns to the romantic comedy genre with The Wedding Banquet, a contemporary reimagining of Ang Lees 1993 classic. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, boasts a diverse and celebrated cast, including Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Youn Yuh-jung. The Wedding BanquetSource

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00622-1The recipients, all from African countries, were not the only beneficiaries, says Rafiou Agoro.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00733-9The 2005 finding of cells and blood vessels in dinosaur bone launched a systematic search for fossil remnants of biomolecules, creating innovations in methods and applications.

Ed Martin speaks at an event at the Capitol in Washington, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)2025-03-17T21:51:38Z WASHINGTON (AP) The top federal prosecutor for the nations capital, who promoted President Donald Trumps false claims that the 2020 election was rigged, has formed a special unit to investigate election offenses, according to an email sent to lawyers in his office on Monday. Interim District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Ed Martin said the Special Unit: Election Accountability has already opened one investigation and will continue to make sure that all the election laws of our nation are obeyed, according to the email reviewed by The Associated Press. Martin, who is awaiting Senate confirmation to permanently take the position, was involved in the Stop the Steal movement, which was animated by lies about fraud after Trump lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Martin also served on the board of a nonprofit that raised money for Capitol riot defendants and their families and legally represented at least three defendants in Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot criminal cases, including a Proud Boys member who pleaded guilty to felony charges. In the email announcing the new unit, Martin recounted uncovering voter registration fraud while serving as chairman of the Board of Elections in St. Louis years ago. That led to the implementation of accountability measures to make sure that electronic machines had a paper trail, he wrote. Nearly 20 years later, Americans do not have confidence in our election systems, Martin wrote. One of the best ways to restore that confidence is to protect our systems and demand accountability. Martin did not provide additional details about the investigation his office has already opened, and spokespeople for the office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials at the Justice Department didnt immediately respond to questions about Martins effort, which was first reported by Bloomberg Law. Democrats reacted skeptically to Martin establishing the unit, noting his involvement with Trumps efforts to spread false claims about the 2020 election.California Sen. Alex Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees elections, said he is concerned that the unit would be more focused on attacking political enemies than protecting all Americans right to vote in free and fair elections.Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said Martins new unit is all about installing a nationwide policy of heads I win, tails you lose.If the GOP wins, theres a mandate to trash the Constitution; if they lose, it means the election was stolen, said Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. America is going to have to defend free and fair elections against these autocrats and veteran saboteurs of democracy.The Trump administration had been expected to shift the Justice Departments priorities around investigating voting and elections. The agency has historically targeted voter suppression efforts and state laws that could disenfranchise certain groups, but conservatives have called for an increased focus on voter fraud. The scope of Martins unit is unclear and raises questions about whether he is seeking to investigate cases outside the realm of his authority, which is limited to the District of Columbia, said David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a Washington-based nonprofit.Im waiting to see more about what this unit actually is, what jurisdiction it purports to claim, what authority it tends to seize and what laws it purports to enforce, Becker said.Voting and elections experts expressed doubts that the new unit would improve Americans confidence in elections. The false idea that there is rampant fraud in U.S. elections undermines public faith in the vote, rather than bolstering it, said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights program at the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice, There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. The results were confirmed through multiple recounts, reviews and audits. Trump lost dozens of court challenges, including before judges he appointed during his first term. His allies also have raised the specter of widespread illegal noncitizen voting in U.S. elections, though in reality this form of fraud is exceptionally rare. Republicans in 2024 filed numerous lawsuits ahead of the presidential election about various aspects of vote-casting and voter roll management, setting the stage to contest the results if Trump had lost.Martin has roiled the D.C. U.S. attorneys office since he was appointed to the job in January. He recently demoted senior leaders who handled politically sensitive cases and forced the chief of the offices criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during the Biden administration. Martin has also raised eyebrows for describing federal prosecutors as the presidents lawyers, using his office as a platform for parroting Trumps political priorities and sending warning letters to at least two members of Congress for statements they had made. He recently sent a letter of inquiry to Georgetown University Law Centers dean that warned that his office wont hire the private schools students if it doesnt eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.___Swenson reported from New York. Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report. ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto ALI SWENSON Swenson reports on election-related misinformation, disinformation and extremism for The Associated Press. twitter

A lap dance into a proposal? Pretty iconic.The sexy men from Magic Mike Live certainly know how to bust a move and bring the heat in Las Vegas, but a recent show brought a little extra love to the stage.One of the stars of the hit Sin City production, Davis Rahal, proposed to his now-fianc and Thunder From Down Under performer Shay H., during the slow dance portion of the show.Ironically, the couple met two years ago at Magic Mike Live, when Davis tried to give Shay a lap dance and got turned down! After sliding into the DMs and a few dates later, now the boys will now be tying the knot soon. Watch the exclusive photos and proposal video below!We're not crying, you're crying!The handsome boys posed for some pics after the engagement.Shay gives Davis a smooch in an adorable pic.Shay's genuine shock was captured during the proposal.Davis got on bended knee to propose to Shay during the slow dance portion of the show.The crowd erupted with applause once Shay said 'yes!'

The cause of death for The Vivienne, the winner of RuPauls Drag Race UK Season 1, has been confirmed. According to Simon Jones, The Viviennes manager and publicist, the 32-year-old drag queen passed away from the effects of ketamine use, which caused a cardiac arrest. Jones shared the news Monday with Attitude magazine. I hope that by us releasing this information, we can raise awarenessSource

The Traitors alum Bob The Drag Queen just nominated some of her fellow icons as part of the upcoming potential future casts. Speaking with Gayety at the Queerties, the star stated that fellow drag queens like Kandy Muse, Monet X Change, and Bianca Del Rio would be smash additions to the reality series and potentially take home a win for queens alike. Actor Alan Cumming recently revealed thatSource

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00827-4Spending on research, including at the NIH, will see modest cuts this year. But the threat of big reductions in future remain.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00794-wIs a revolution of standards in public life the key to tackling our intertwined environmental crises? A compelling book argues it is.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)2025-03-17T21:45:22Z HOUSTON (AP) A Texas midwife has been arrested and accused of providing illegal abortions, marking the first time authorities have filed criminal charges under the states near-total abortion ban, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday.Maria Margarita Rojas has been charged with the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony, as well as practicing medicine without a license, which is a third-degree felony.Paxton alleges that Rojas, 48, illegally operated at least three clinics in the Houston area where illegal abortion procedures were performed in direct violation of state law.In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our states pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted, Paxton said in a statement. Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable. Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore, whose office is located northwest of Houston, referred the case to Paxton for prosecution, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. Waller County court records show Rojas was arrested on March 6 and she was released on bond the next day.Court records did not list an attorney for Rojas who could speak on her behalf.A woman reached by phone at one of Rojas clinics said Monday she did not know who Rojas was. Messages left at Rojas two other clinics were not immediately returned. On their Facebook pages, the clinics advertise various services, including physical exams, ultrasounds and vaccines. Texas is one of 12 states currently enforcing a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Texas ban allows exceptions when a pregnant patient has a life-threatening condition. Opponents of the ban say it is too vague when it comes to when medically necessary exceptions are allowed. A bill has been filed in the current Texas legislative session to clarify medical exceptions allowed under the law. The charge of illegal performance of an abortion carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison while the charge of practicing medicine without a license carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.Paxtons office said it has filed a temporary restraining order to close Rojas clinics.In the U.S., there have been few, if any, criminal charges filed alleging the operation of illegal abortion clinics since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and opened the door to state abortion bans.A Louisiana grand jury earlier this year indicted a New York doctor on charges that she illegally prescribed abortion pills online to a Louisiana patient. Paxton has filed a civil lawsuit against the same doctor under a similar accusation.___Associated Press reporter Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this report.___Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00452-1It can be hard to say no to service requests in academia. Natures Careers team sought advice on how to ensure researchers dont get stuck doing unpaid labour.