View of the school 'Jesuitas de Sarri San Ignacio' in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-04-11T16:29:13Z BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Condolences poured in Friday for the Barcelona family that perished in a helicopter accident an ocean away, from Spains prime minister to the company where the parents worked and the school where their children studied.The family of five had meant to celebrate one of their childrens birthdays in the United States. Instead, a private helicopter tour of New York city turned tragic when the aircraft broke apart and plunged into the Hudson River. The pilot also died, bringing the death toll to six.The victims were Agustn Escobar and his wife Merc Camprub Montal, both executives at units of energy technology company Siemens, as well as their three children, and the pilot. Unimaginable, was how Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez described the tragedy.The news that has reached us about a helicopter accident in the Hudson River is devastating, Snchez said on X while on a state visit to China. Five members of a Spanish family, including three children, have lost their lives. It is an unimaginable tragedy. I feel for the loss of their loved ones. Classmates shockedStudents at the Jesuits of Sant Ignasi school in Barcelonas upscale Sarria neighborhood wept and embraced their parents Friday afternoon, after having learned of the deaths of their friends and classmates, as seen by an Associated Press reporter.A father at the schools entrance said his son had been friends with one of children who perished, and is completely devastated. The man declined to be named.The school published a statement on Instagram saying it was devastated by the death of a family of our community. It declined to comment when contacted by the AP. My endless source of energy and happinessEscobar was originally from Puertollano, a small city in central Spains Castilla La Mancha region.I want to express my sorrow for the traffic helicopter accident in New York that claimed the lives of Agustn Escobar and his family, regional president Emiliano Garca-Page wrote on X. In 2023 we named him a Favorite Son of Castilla La Mancha.Escobar worked for the tech company Siemens for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, according to his LinkedIn account. In late 2022, he briefly became president and CEO of Siemens Spain.He regularly posted about the importance of sustainability in the rail industry and often traveled internationally for work, including journeying to India and the United Kingdom in the past month. He also was vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain since 2023.In a LinkedIn post in 2022, he thanked his family, my endless source of energy and happiness, for their unconditional support, love ... and patience. Soccer club connectionHis wife, Camprub Montal, hailed from northeast Catalonia, where Barcelona is located. She had worked for Siemens Energy for about seven years, including as its global commercialization manager and as a digitalization manager, according to her LinkedIn account.She was also closely tied to the history of the famous Barcelona soccer club. Her grandfather, Agust Montal i Costa, was president of the club from 1969 to 1977, and her great-grandfather Agust Montal i Galobart, presided the club from 1946-1952.The club has so far not commented on her death.We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones, Siemens said in a statement Friday.Doomed FlightEscobar had traveled to the New York area on business and his family flew in to extend the trip a few days, said Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City. Photos posted by the tour company on its website show the family smiling in the helicopter before takeoff.New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the children were 4, 8 and 10 years old, and that the middle childs birthday was Friday.Jersey Citys Mayor Fulop said a relative was expected to arrive Friday and officials were working with the medical examiner to release the bodies for transport back to Spain.___AP photojournalist Emilio Morenatti contributed.

FILKE - Pig kidney transplant recipient Towana Looney sits with transplant surgeon Dr. Jayme Locke on Dec. 10, 2024, at NYU Langone Health in New York. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum, File)2025-04-11T16:35:31Z WASHINGTON (AP) An Alabama woman who lived with a pig kidney for a record 130 days had the organ removed after her body began rejecting it and is back on dialysis, doctors announced Friday a disappointment in the ongoing quest for animal-to-human transplants.Towana Looney is recovering well from the April 4 removal surgery at NYU Langone Health and has returned home to Gadsden, Alabama. In a statement, she thanked her doctors for the opportunity to be part of this incredible research.Though the outcome is not what anyone wanted, I know a lot was learned from my 130 days with a pig kidney and that this can help and inspire many others in their journey to overcoming kidney disease, Looney added.Scientists are genetically altering pigs so their organs are more humanlike to address a severe shortage of transplantable human organs. More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most who need a kidney, and thousands die waiting. Before Looneys transplant only four other Americans had received experimental xenotransplants of gene-edited pig organs two hearts and two kidneys that lasted no longer than two months. Those recipients, who were severely ill before the surgery, died. Now researchers are attempting these transplants in slightly less sick patients, like Looney. A New Hampshire man who received a pig kidney in January is faring well and a rigorous study of pig kidney transplants is set to begin this summer. Chinese researchers also recently announced a successful kidney xenotransplant. Looney had been on dialysis since 2016 and didnt qualify for a regular transplant her body was abnormally primed to reject a human kidney. So she sought out a pig kidney and it functioned well she called herself superwoman and lived longer than anyone with a gene-edited pig organ before, from her Nov. 25 transplant until early April when her body began rejecting it. NYU xenotransplant pioneer Dr. Robert Montgomery, Looneys surgeon, said what triggered that rejection is being investigated. But he said Looney and her doctors agreed it would be less risky to remove the pig kidney than to try saving it with higher, riskier doses of anti-rejection drugs.We did the safe thing, Montgomery told The Associated Press. Shes no worse off than she was before (the xenotransplant) and she would tell you shes better off because she had this 4 month break from dialysis.Shortly before the rejection began, Looney had suffered an infection related to her prior time on dialysis and her immune-suppressing anti-rejection drugs were slightly lowered, Montgomery said. At the same time, her immune system was reactivating after the transplant. Those factors may have combined to damage the new kidney, he said.Rejection is a common threat after transplants of human organs, too, and sometimes cost patients their new organ. Doctors face a balancing act in tamping down patients immune systems just enough to preserve the new organ while allowing them to fight infection. Its an even bigger challenge with xenotransplantation. While these pig organs have been altered to help prevent immediate rejection, patients still require immune-suppressing drugs. Which drugs are best to prevent different, later forms of rejection isnt clear, said Dr. Tatsuo Kawai of Massachusetts General Hospital, another xenotransplant pioneer. Different research groups are using different combinations, he said.When we have more experience, well know what kind of immunosuppression is really necessary for xenotransplant, Kawai saidMontgomery said Looneys experience offers valuable lessons for the upcoming clinical trial.Making xenotransplant ultimately work is going to be won with singles and doubles, not swinging for the fence every time we do one of these, he said.___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. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The sun rises above the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol in the background, March 13, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)2025-04-11T16:53:37Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Friday urged Congress to push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day in his latest dig at the semiannual changing of clocks. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social media network, said it would be Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!The Republican presidents position calling for more daylight would push the schedule forward, keeping the country on daylight saving time. His post came a day after a Senate panel heard testimony examining whether to set one time all year instead of shifting. There has been growing interest in states to standardize daylight saving time in recent years. But daylight saving time, when clocks are set from spring to fall one hour ahead of standard time, is still recognized in most parts of the country. It was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Trump last year called for the Republican Party to eliminate daylight saving time, saying it was inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.But he backed off that call last month, with another post on social media calling it a 50-50 issue. The president said some people would like more light later in the day but some want more light early so they dont have to take their kids to school in the dark. When somethings a 50-50 issue, its hard to get excited about it, he said.The Senate in 2022 unanimously approved a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States, but it did not advance. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price covers the White House. She previously covered the 2024 presidential campaign and politics, government and other news in New York, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. She is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Emergency crew inspect the site of a small plane crash Friday, April 11, 2025 in Boca Raton, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)2025-04-11T15:09:49Z BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) Three people were killed and one was injured when a small plane crashed Friday morning in South Florida near a major interstate highway and pushed a car onto railroad tracks, officials said.Boca Raton Fire Rescue assistant chief Michael LaSalle said the plane crash that killed all three people on board emitted a fireball when it hit the ground, injuring a person in a nearby car. LaSalle said several roads near the Boca Raton Airport will remain closed near Interstate 95.The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Cessna 310 with three people on board. It went down about 10:20 a.m. after departing from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee, the FAA said in an email.Fire officials told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the aircraft appeared to have pushed a car onto the railroad tracks, leading to the tracks closure. Josh Orsino, 31, said he was stopped at a red light at a nearby overpass when he heard a loud explosion and saw a huge fireball come toward him.Were just sitting there, and I see the palm trees start catching on fire, Orsino said. I thought it was an oil rig or a car crash type thing. Orsino said everyone was honking and trying to get off the overpass, not sure if it was going to collapse.So I didnt know if the fire was going to come towards the vehicles, I mean, my first instinct was like, I got to get off this bridge. Im getting out of here, Orsino said. Miguel Coka, 51, who works near the Boca Raton airport, said he is used to seeing planes flying low as they prepare to land. But this time, he and his colleagues noticed something was off.There was a rumble and everyone in the building felt it, he said when the plane crashed. We are all shocked.He captured the smoke and flames from the crash from his office balcony on video.Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the investigation was just beginning. We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities, Singer said in a statement. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the probe.The small plane crash in South Florida comes a day after a New York City sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists.___Associated Press producer Beatrice Dupuy contributed to this report from New York. STEPHANY MATAT Matat is an Associated Press general assignment reporter with a focus on politics and South Florida issues. twitter instagram mailto

The relatives of Venezuelan migrants in the U.S. who were flown to a prison in El Salvador by the U.S. government who alleged they were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, protest outside of the United Nations building in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)2025-04-11T17:33:11Z President Donald Trumps immigration agenda is playing out in numerous ways Friday, from hearings in key cases on the governments power to deport people to the start of a registry required for all those who are in the country illegally. And on Thursday, immigration developments came on multiple fronts as federal officials work on the presidents promise to carry out mass deportations and double down on his authority to do so. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of a mistakenly deported man, and the administrations classification of thousands of living immigrants as dead came to light.Here is a breakdown of some of what has happened so far and what is ahead on the immigration front. The Supreme Court says officials must work to bring back a mistakenly deported manThe Supreme Court on Thursday said the Trump administration must work to bring back a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador.Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen who had an immigration court order preventing his deportation to his native country over fears he would face persecution from local gangs. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him anyway to El Salvador, where hes been held in a notorious prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had ordered Abrego Garcia returned to the U.S. by midnight Monday. The Supreme Court order requires the government to facilitate his release from custody.The two sides are expected back in a Maryland court Friday, although the Trump administration had asked for a delay until Monday. Abrego Garcias lawyers called that request another stunning display of arrogance and cruelty. Next steps for Columbia student arrested over Gaza protestsOn Friday, Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil is expected in immigration court in central Louisiana, where an immigration judge will hear arguments on whether the administration can continue detaining him during his immigration proceedings or whether he should be released as they play out.Khalil is a 30-year-old Palestinian by ethnicity who was born in Syria. He was arrested March 8 in New York and taken to Louisiana. He is a legal permanent U.S. resident who served as spokesperson for campus activists last year during large demonstrations against Israels treatment of Palestinians and the war in Gaza. He finished his coursework for his graduate degree in international affairs last semester.At the time of Khalils arrest, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson accused Khalil of leading activities aligned to Hamas, referring to the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.Since then, the government hasnt produced evidence linking Khalil to Hamas.In a recent filing, the government instead submitted a memo citing the Trump administrations authority to expel noncitizens whose presence in the country damages U.S. foreign policy interests.The two-page memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press, does not allege any criminal conduct by Khalil. Rather, Rubio wrote Khalil could be expelled for his beliefs.Rubio said Khalils activities were otherwise lawful. But the secretary wrote that letting him remain in the country would undermine U.S. policy to combat anti-Semitism.Khalil has adamantly rejected allegations of antisemitism, accusing the Trump administration of targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent in a letter sent from jail. Temporary reprieve for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans?A federal judge said Thursday that she will prevent the Trump administration from ordering hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans with temporary legal status to leave the country later this month.The ruling is significant for the more than 500,000 people who came to the country under the Biden-era program. They were facing an April 24 deadline by which their work permits would be terminated and they could be subject to deportation. The program was launched as the Biden administration was generally trying to alleviate pressure on the southern border by creating new pathways for people to come to the U.S. and work, usually for two years on humanitarian parole. The reprieve may be temporary, as the government is likely to appeal. The Trump administration has harshly criticized Bidens use of humanitarian parole. During a hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani repeatedly questioned the governments assertion that it could end humanitarian parole for the four nationalities. She argued that immigrants in the program who are here legally now face an option of fleeing the country or staying and risk losing everything.The start of a registry for people in the country illegallyFriday marks the launch of a requirement for people who are in the country illegally to register with the federal government.Homeland Security announced Feb. 25 that it was mandating all people in the U.S. illegally register with the federal government, and said those who didnt self-report could face fines or prosecution. Failure to register is considered a crime, and people will be required to carry registration documents with them or risk prison time and fines. The registration process also applies to Canadians who are in the U.S. for more than 30 days, including so-called snowbirds who spend winter months in places such as Florida.Opponents sued to stop the registry from taking effect, saying the government should have gone through the more lengthy public notification process, and that its enforcing this simply to facilitate Trumps aim of mass deportations.On Thursday, a federal judge sided with the administration. Officials had argued they were simply enforcing a requirement that already existed for everyone who is in the country but isnt an American citizen. Immediately after the ruling, Department of Homeland Security officials emphasized that going forward, the registration requirement would be enforced to the fullest.Questions remain about how the registration requirement will function. But its impact could be far-reaching. The Trump administration has said between 2.2 million and 3.2 million people could be affected. Classifying immigrants as dead?In an effort to make more migrants voluntarily go home, the Trump administration is classifying more than 6,000 immigrants who are alive as dead. Theyre canceling their Social Security numbers and effectively wiping out their ability to work or receive benefits in the U.S. That is according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans had not yet been publicly detailed. The move will make it much harder for those affected to use banks or other basic services where Social Security numbers are required. Its part of a broader effort by Trump to crack down on immigrants who were allowed to enter and remain temporarily in the United States under programs instituted by his predecessor, Joe Biden. The officials said stripping the immigrants of their Social Security numbers will cut them off from many financial services and encourage them to self-deport and abandon the U.S. for their birth countries. It wasnt immediately clear how the immigrants were chosen. But the Trump White House has targeted people in the country temporarily under Biden-era programs.Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security and Treasury signed a deal allowing the IRS to share immigrants tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.___Associated Press reporters Rebecca Santana, Jake Offenhartz, Will Weissert, Fatima Hussein, Mark Sherman and Michael Casey contributed. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

2025-04-11T16:16:57Z DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026.Reynolds, a Republican, has held the position since 2017, when former Gov. Terry Branstad was appointed U.S. ambassador to China. She was elected to full terms in 2018 and again in 2022.This wasnt an easy decision, because I love this state and I love serving you, Reynolds said in a video posted on social media. But, when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years.Reynolds said she is leaving office after years of her family supporting her, saying now its time for me to be there for them. Her husband, Kevin Reynolds, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. In her condition of the state in January, she said his cancer remained in remission.Reynolds, who got her start in politics as treasurer in largely rural Clarke County in southern Iowa, population less than 10,000, was the states first female governor.

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)2025-04-11T20:03:43Z JENA, La. (AP) Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can be deported as a national security risk, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled Friday during a hearing over the legality of kicking the activist who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations out of the U.S.Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans said at the conclusion of a hearing in Jena that the governments contention that Khalils presence in the United States posed potentially serious foreign policy consequences was enough to satisfy requirements for his deportation.Comans said the government had established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable.Lawyers for Khalil are expected to appeal. And a federal judge in New Jersey has temporarily barred Khalils removal from the country.Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, was detained by federal immigration agents on March 8 in the lobby of his university-owned apartment, the first arrest under President Donald Trumps promised crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. Within a day, he was flown across the country and taken to an immigration detention center in Jena, thousands of miles from his attorneys and wife, a U.S. citizen who is due to give birth soon. Khalils lawyers have challenged the legality of his detention, saying the Trump administration is trying to crack down on free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cited a rarely used statute to justify Khalils deportation, which gives him power to deport those who pose potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.At Fridays hearing, Khalil attorney Marc Van Der Hout told the judge that the governments submissions to the court prove the attempt to deport his client has nothing to do with foreign policy.Earlier this week, Comans challenged the government to share proof that Khalil should be expelled from the country for his role in campus protests against Israel and the war in Gaza. She said if evidence does not support his removal, she would terminate the case on Friday. On Friday, Justice Department attorneys said in papers filed in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, that Comans would not have the authority to immediately free Khalil.They said an immigration judge could determine if Khalil is subject to deportation and then conduct a bail hearing afterward if it is found that he is not.Khalil isnt accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. The government, however, has said that noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views that the administration considers to be antisemitic and pro-Hamas, referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.Khalil, a 30-year-old international affairs graduate student, had served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists at Columbia University who took over a campus lawn last spring to protest Israels military campaign in Gaza. The university brought police in to dismantle the encampment after a small group of protesters seized an administration building. Khalil is not accused of participating in the building occupation and wasnt among the people arrested in connection with the demonstrations.But images of his maskless face at protests, along with his willingness to share his name with reporters, have made him an object of scorn among those who saw the protesters and their demands as antisemitic. The White House accused Khalil of siding with terrorists, but has yet to cite any support for the claim.Federal judges in New York and New Jersey have ordered the government not to deport Khalil while his case plays out in court.The Trump administration has said it is taking at least $400 million in federal funding away from research programs at Columbia and its medical center to punish it for not doing enough to fight what it considers to be antisemitism on campus.Some Jewish students and faculty complained about being harassed during the demonstrations or ostracized because of their faith or their support of Israel. Immigration authorities have cracked down on other critics of Israel on college campuses, arresting a Georgetown University scholar who had spoken out on social media about the Israel-Gaza war, canceling the student visas of some protesters and deporting a Brown University professor who they said had attended the Lebanon funeral of a leader of Hezbollah, another militant group that has fought with Israel.___Brumback reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporter Larry Neumeister in New York contributed.

Nature, Published online: 11 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01192-yA host of legal claims aim to roll back the Trump administrations grant terminations, indirect-cost cap and more.

President Donald Trump walks up the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)2025-04-11T21:13:12Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is betting that a beleaguered Iran is so vulnerable following a tumultuous 18 months in the Middle East that it might finally be ready to abandon its nuclear program.The renewed push to solve one of the most delicate foreign policy issues facing the White House and the Mideast will begin in earnest Saturday when Trumps Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gather in Oman. Trump says he prefers a diplomatic solution, even as he warns that Iran will face great danger if talks dont go well. But Irans nuclear advances since Trump scrapped an Obama-era agreement during his first term make finding a pathway to a deal difficult, and experts warn that the prospects of U.S. military action on Iranian nuclear facilities appear higher than they have been in years. I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they cant have a nuclear weapon, Trump said Friday night aboard Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the weekend.The moment is certainly fraught, but the White House is seeing hopeful signs that the timing might be right. The push comes as Iran has faced a series of enormous setbacks that has ostensibly left Tehran in a weaker negotiating position. Irans recent challenges The military capabilities of Iranian-backed proxy forces Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been dramatically degraded by Israeli forces. U.S. airstrikes, meanwhile, targeting Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have hit oil refineries, airports and missile sites.Israel also carried out strikes against Iran in October that damaged facilities linked to Tehrans nuclear and ballistic missile programs. And in December, Iran saw Syrian leader Bashar Assad Tehrans closest Mideast ally ousted after more than two decades in power. The leaders of the Islamic Republic also face domestic pressure as years of international sanctions have choked the economy. The U.S. Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions earlier this week targeting five entities and an individual that American officials say play key roles in Irans nuclear program. All eyes are on Oman by Iranians following this very closely and potentially hoping that this would impact the state of the economy, said Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, a Washington-based think tank.But it remains to be seen if the U.S. can entice Iran with a big enough carrot for it to make concessions to meet Trumps demands that any potential deal go further in ensuring Tehran doesnt develop nuclear weapons than the agreement forged during Democratic President Barack Obamas administration.Under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, it has enough to build multiple nuclear weapons if it chooses and has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Its not clear if talks will be face to faceAt the meeting Saturday in Omans capital city of Muscat, Iran will be represented by Araghchi and the United States by Witkoff. Its unclear if the two will speak directly.Trump has said the two sides will have direct negotiations. But Iranian officials have insisted that the plan is for indirect talks, meaning an intermediary from Oman would shuttle messages between Witkoffs and Araghchis teams holed up in different rooms.Either way, the decision for the two sides to talk announced by Trump in the Oval Office this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came as a bit of a surprise.Trump has been calling for direct talks while threatening consequences for Iran if it doesnt move to get a deal done. Iran, meanwhile, has given mixed signals about the utility of the talks, arguing that engaging would be useless under the shadow of threats.After Trump recently sent a letter to Irans supreme leader, 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for direct negotiations, Tehran rejected the entreaty while leaving open the possibility of indirect negotiations. President Masoud Pezeshkian again pledged this week that Irans not after a nuclear bomb and even suggested Tehran could be open to the prospect of direct American investment in the Islamic Republic if the countries can reach a deal.That was a departure from Irans stance after its 2015 nuclear deal, in which Tehran sought to buy American airplanes but in effect barred U.S. companies from coming into the country. How much room is there for negotiation?National security adviser Mike Waltz has said Trump wants the full dismantlement of Irans nuclear program, adding, Thats enrichment, that is weaponization, and that is its strategic missile program.But Trump left greater space for negotiations: The only thing that they cant have is a nuclear weapon, Trump told reporters as he met with his Cabinet secretaries Wednesday.Witkoff also has signaled that the administration could be amenable to a deal that is less than full nuclear disarmament.Where our red line will be, there cant be weaponization of your nuclear capability, Witkoff said in a Wall Street Journal interview published Friday.Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who met with Trump on Monday, said he would welcome a diplomatic agreement along the lines of Libyas deal with the international community in 2003. The Israeli leader is known for his hawkish views on Iran and in the past has urged Washington to take military action against Iran.The Libya deal saw late dictator Moammar Gadhafi give up all of his clandestine nuclear program. Iran has insisted its program, acknowledged to the International Atomic Energy Agency, should continue. But Trump has notably not embraced Netanyahus push for the Libya model, said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, another Washington-based think tank.If its narrow, if its focused on the nuclear program, if the goal of the U.S. is to prevent a nuclear weapon, then there is a likelihood for success, Parsi said. And its under those circumstances that I suspect that you will see talks, perhaps in rather short order, be elevated.___Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Muscat, Oman, contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)2025-04-12T04:06:35Z JENA, La. (AP) An immigration judge has ruled that a Palestinian Columbia University graduate student who participated in protests against Israel can be deported.Mahmoud Khalils attorneys said they will appeal Fridays ruling. Federal immigration agents detained Khalil last month, the first arrest under President Donald Trumps crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, was taken to an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana, thousands of miles from his attorneys and wife, a U.S. citizen who is due to give birth soon. Heres a look at what has happened so far in Khalils legal battle and what happens next: The arrest Khalil, a 30-year-old international affairs graduate student, had served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists at Columbia University who took over a campus lawn last spring to protest Israels military campaign in Gaza.The university brought police in to dismantle the encampment after a small group of protesters seized an administration building. Khalil is not accused of participating in the building occupation and wasnt among the people arrested in connection with the demonstrations.But images of his maskless face at protests, along with his willingness to share his name with reporters, have made him an object of scorn among those who saw the protesters and their demands as antisemitic. The White House accused Khalil of siding with terrorists but has yet to cite any support for the claim.He was detained March 8 in the lobby of his university-owned apartment. The legal fight Khalil isnt accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. The government has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views that the administration considers to be antisemitic and pro-Hamas, referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.Khalils lawyers have challenged the legality of his detention, saying the Trump administration is trying to deport him for an activity that is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cited a rarely used statute to justify Khalils deportation, which gives him power to deport those who pose potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.The ruling Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans ruled Friday the governments contention that Khalils presence in the U.S. posed potentially serious foreign policy consequences was enough to satisfy requirements for his deportation. Comans said the government had established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable.Federal judges in New York and New Jersey previously ordered the government not to deport Khalil while his case plays out in court. Next steps Khalils attorneys said they will keep fighting. They plan to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. They can also pursue an asylum case on his behalf. Even though the judge found Khalil removable on foreign policy grounds, nothing will happen quickly in the immigration proceeding, his attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, said. The judge gave them until April 23 to seek a waiver. Today, we saw our worst fears play out: Mahmoud was subject to a charade of due process, a flagrant violation of his right to a fair hearing, and a weaponization of immigration law to suppress dissent, Van Der Hout said in a statement.Immigration authorities have cracked down on other critics of Israel on college campuses, arresting a Georgetown University scholar who had spoken out on social media about the Israel-Gaza war, canceling the student visas of some protesters and deporting a Brown University professor who they said had attended the Lebanon funeral of a leader of Hezbollah, another militant group that has fought with Israel.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-04-12T04:01:28Z WASHINGTON (AP) Anna Paulina Luna was at her Florida home in fall 2023, caring for her newborn son and turning over a question in her mind as a member of Congress:How do I change this?Luna, then a first-time mom and first-term lawmaker, could no longer fly to Washington to cast votes in the U.S. House, a crucial part of the job, due to complications from childbirth which she blamed at least partially on her hectic schedule, having flown to and from the capital during most of her pregnancy.Luna began reading House rules and found what seemed like a simple solution: allowing proxy voting for new moms.What Luna considered a minor rule change, affecting just a few only about a dozen women had given birth while serving in Congress over time escalated into a standoff against her own Republican leadership and her allies in the hard-right Freedom Caucus. In a matter of months, it became a highly charged debate that crossed party lines, united a younger generation of lawmakers and raised fresh questions about how a more than 200-year-old institution accommodates working parents in the 21st century. The conflict turned on weighty history and thorny procedures, highlighting the difficulties of abiding by documents and rules written long before air travel and Zoom screens and long before women served in Congress.When the Constitution was written, this was not really a topic, Luna said. How GOP leaders came to loathe proxy votingWhen Luna was about to become a new mom, planning for the big change ahead, she asked then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy how she would be able to vote in the days after giving birth. That was 2023, and she didnt realize she was stepping on a political landmine. At the start of the pandemic, more than two years before Luna was elected, Democrats in the majority had created a proxy voting system to contain COVID-19 and avoid overcrowding in the chamber.McCarthy had called the practice a dereliction of duty, an excuse for members to skip out on work, and the resolution creating the system passed without a single Republican vote.When Republicans won the House majority in 2022, McCarthy abandoned proxy voting and for a time, there was no talk of bringing it back.Rep. Luna returns and begins her pushOnce Luna was cleared to fly and returned to Washington, she kept the proxy voting proposal to herself. It wasnt the right time: The House was in turmoil, having just ousted McCarthy from the speakers job and choosing Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as his replacement.But a few months later, Luna made her move.She introduced a bill in January 2024 that would allow a mother to designate a proxy for six weeks, but by autumn, her legislation had gone nowhere, languishing in committee. Luna decided to launch a discharge petition a workaround that allows legislation with 218 supporters to force a vote on the House floor. But she got just a handful of signatures.I went through every and exhausted every avenue, Luna said.Then she turned to Democrats, drafting a new proposal this year with Reps. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado and Sara Jacobs of California that would extend proxy voting to not just moms but all new parents for 12 weeks, double the time Luna had initially proposed. Pettersen, who was previously the first member of the Colorado legislature to give birth, said she came to Congress wanting to work on this.In a matter of months, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, a father to two young girls, became the 218th member to sign the discharge petition, the tally needed to force a vote.But only a dozen signatures came from Republicans. A standoff with the GOP leaders and the House Freedom Caucus Pushback was fierce, from members of the Freedom Caucus and from the speaker himself. Johnson repeatedly called proxy voting unconstitutional. Herself among the more far-right conservatives in the House, her desk adorned with a model of President Donald Trump on Mount Rushmore, Luna resigned from the Freedom Caucus, accusing them of working against her.Luna felt that she had done everything she could to address Johnsons concerns. She agreed that members had abused the practice in the past, but said her proposal included guard rails. Johnson tried to snuff out Lunas discharge petition with a rare legislative maneuver, linking it to a vote that was needed to advance one of the GOP priorities, a voter ID bill.The aggressive move angered several Republicans, including some who didnt even support Lunas proposal. Johnsons gambit failed on the floor.Johnson called the outcome unfortunate and reiterated the argument that proxy voting for moms was a Pandoras box that would open the door for members whod rather not show up to work. Then he sent lawmakers home for the week.Thats when Luna had a talk with Trump.I think shes great, Anna, Trump said aboard Air Force One.The president recalled that he had spoken to her the previous day. When it came to proxy voting, Trump wondered why the idea was controversial. Johnson sprang into action and quickly posted on social media that he had also spoken with Trump, quoting him saying, Mike, you have my proxy on proxy voting.Meanwhile, a political storm was brewing against Luna. Right-wing influencers flooded Twitter to accuse Luna of holding up Trumps agenda as House floor action stalled. She faced attacks from fellow Republicans.Luna reaches a deal to mixed reviewsOn a Sunday afternoon this month, Luna announced that she and leadership had reached an agreement.They would resurrect a well-worn congressional procedure that pairs two members of Congress who plan to vote on opposite sides of an issue, canceling out their votes a way to accommodate the absent member.If we truly want a pro-family Congress, these are the changes that need to happen, Luna posted on X.The plan was quickly tucked into an upcoming procedural vote. This time, it succeeded.Reviews were mixed.Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., called the solution bizarre and said it was unlikely any member would voluntarily participate, essentially nulling their own vote, when the margins were so narrow in Congress.But GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a member of the Freedom Caucus who opposes all proxy voting, said he would consider participating in pairing.We want to make it to where people can, you know, deal with whatever life curveballs they get, Roy said.Not everyone, though, is satisfied.The day that Congress voted on vote-pairing, Pettersen stood outside the House chamber, cradling her son in her arms. What Republican would be willing to vote present for me this week? she asked. Nobody.___ LEAH ASKARINAM Askarinam covers U.S. elections for The Associated Press, working alongside the Decision Desk and explanatory team. mailto

Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, speaks during an interview at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)2025-04-12T03:13:44Z HONG KONG (AP) When Yeung Sum co-founded the citys largest pro-democracy party more than 30 years ago, he knew building a democratic Hong Kong would be a difficult dream. Still, it was not impossible. Today, his Democratic Party is moving toward dissolution, a symbolic marker of the diminishing Western-style civil liberties and high degree of autonomy that the ruling Communist Party in Beijing promised to keep intact in the former British colony for at least 50 years when it returned to China in 1997.Pro-democracy protests that paralyzed Hong Kong in 2019 led to a crackdown that has all but silenced dissent through restricted elections, media censorship and a China-imposed national security law that saw some of Yeungs party members jailed. Dozens of civil society groups closed down. Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Former chairperson Yeung said in an interview with The Associated Press that Chinese officials told him the party needed to disband. He urged his members to support the motion to give the leadership mandate to handle the process. Im not very happy about it, said Yeung. But I can see if we refuse the call to disband, we may pay a very huge price for it. Others received similar messages. Party veteran Fred Li said Chinese officials implied the party wouldnt survive through this years legislative election when he asked about the possibility of its members running. Another founding member, Sin Chung-kai, said some Hong Kong-based members were warned in early February of consequences if the party continued to exist. Promising early years The Democratic Party was formed in 1994 through a merger of two pro-democracy groups. According to its manifesto, it supports Hong Kongs return to China.In its early years, it won the most seats in the legislative council. Before Beijing changed electoral rules in 2021 to ensure only patriots can run, the party was a major pro-democracy voice in the legislature even after it no longer held the largest number of seats. Back then, Yeung said, the pro-democracy camp generally won about 60% of the popular vote. Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, poses for a photo at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, poses for a photo at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Empty chairs at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) Empty chairs at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The reception area at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) The reception area at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yeung was encouraged to see that the experiment in democracy, the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a merit-based administration could work in the city. The entire social system has been demonstrated to be quite, quite, quite promising over the years, he recalled. Negotiations with Beijing drew backlash In 2010, the party came under fire after it supported the governments political reform package in negotiations with Chinese officials that allowed millions of voters to directly elect five lawmakers from their district councils. Some members who hoped for broader democratic reform quit in protest and the party lost two seats in the 2012 legislative election. It also drew backlash from advocates within the pro-democracy camp. Emily Lau is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Emily Lau is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Looking back, former chairperson Emily Lau, who was involved in the talks with Beijing, insists many people supported the outcome because it was a step forward. She said they asked Beijing to continue to have dialogue with others to find a way for universal suffrage, but it never did. Maybe the only thing I would have done a bit differently is not to go into the (Beijings) liaison office (in Hong Kong). I guess we underestimated how many Hong Kong people hated them, she said. As new pro-democracy groups were on the rise, the partys influence dwindled. That became more obvious after the emergence of younger politicians, including pro-Hong Kong independence activists, following the 2014 massive protests calling for universal suffrage. Still, five years later, when the 2019 protests swept Hong Kong, the partys activism won widespread support once again. After crackdownChinas crackdown including the 2020 sweeping security law changed the political landscape. Some former lawmakers, including party ex-chairmen Albert Ho and Wu Chi-wai, are now in prison in prominent national security cases. The Democratic Party has become absent in elections due to the new legal framework for polls. Some observers believe Beijing may no longer consider the party worth cultivating ties with, especially after it did not run in the 2021 legislative election after the electoral overhaul.Other pro-democracy groups have disbanded, including the Civic Party, the second-largest pro-democracy political party, and a decades-old group that organized the annual vigil to commemorate Beijings Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. Some activists chose self-exile or ceased their work. Items for sale at the Democratic Partys office in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Items for sale at the Democratic Partys office in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The Democratic Party pressed on by holding news conferences on livelihood issues. It even submitted opinions on the new national security legislation before it was enacted in March 2024. Ramon Yuen, who had served as a policy spokesperson before and after the security law took effect, admitted the party has become like a pressure group. Unfortunately, this pressure group is also under pressure, said Yuen. Moving toward disbandment In February, the partys central committee decided to set up a task force to look into the procedures for dissolving itself. Current chairperson Lo Kin-hei said it was based on the current political situation and social climate. He declined an interview request. A meeting on Sunday will decide whether to mandate the leadership to proceed. A final vote for dissolution is expected at a later date. Emily Lau poses for a photo next to an Umbrella movement poster with the words "I want genuine universal suffrage." (AP Photo/May James) Emily Lau poses for a photo next to an Umbrella movement poster with the words "I want genuine universal suffrage." (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yeung Sum looks through old pictures at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Yeung Sum looks through old pictures at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yuen, 38, joined the party in 2009. If its shuttered, the city will lose a voice advocating for issues ranging from livelihood concerns to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, he said.Its not easy for the central committee to make this decision, he said. I accept it. I can only say, every era will come to an end.For party veteran Yeung, the disbandment would be a very huge setback for the city, adding that the partys disappearance would make it difficult for people outside to believe in the one country, two systems principle. But he believes it will not be the end of fighting for democracy for Hong Kongers, especially for the young people who tasted a free society. People are quiet because they worry about potential penalties if they openly criticize the government, said Yeung, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in the 2019 protests. So maybe no more democratic formation of party. But I think peoples hearts for democracy, they will not fade out. They still keep it, maybe in different form. KANIS LEUNG Leung covers Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China for The Associated Press. She is based in Hong Kong. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial outside the Jet Set nightclub, in memory of the more than 200 people who died when its roof collapsed, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)2025-04-11T14:53:31Z SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A roof collapse at the legendary Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo has plunged the Dominican Republic into mourning.Authorities say the disaster early Tuesday killed 222 people and injured more than 200 others. Nearly two dozen people remain hospitalized, with several in critical condition.The biggest tragedy to strike the Dominican Republic in recent history has raised questions about the safety of infrastructure in the capital and beyond. While authorities have said its too early to determine why the roof fell, the government has created a technical team to investigate the case.Heres a timeline of what happened: A poster of victim Rubby Perez is seen at a makeshift vigil for the victims of the Jet Set club roof collapse in the Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) A poster of victim Rubby Perez is seen at a makeshift vigil for the victims of the Jet Set club roof collapse in the Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Monday, April 7It was a Jet Set Monday, the day merengue musicians would play at the legendary club every week.That day, acclaimed singer Rubby Prez was to take the stage at 9 p.m. In typical Latino fashion, the music didnt start until 11:50 p.m., according to his manager, Enrique Paulino.As the music began, more than 400 people inside the club applauded the singer known for hits including Volver and El Africano. Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Noticias SIN via AP) Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Noticias SIN via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Tuesday, April 8Halfway through Prezs set, dust from the ceiling began falling into people drinks. Minutes later, the concrete ceiling collapsed onto the crowd.At 12:44 am, the countrys 911 system received the first of 102 calls that day, according to Randolfo Rijo Gmez, the systems director.Two minutes later, at 12:46 a.m., Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, called President Luis Abinader. She told me, Send everyone over here, send all the ambulances, Abinader told reporters.Cruz was rescued but died of injuries at the hospital.Ninety seconds after the first 911 call was received, police arrived. Eight minutes after that call, the first rescue units arrived.In less than 25 minutes, authorities activated 25 soldiers, seven firefighting brigades and 77 ambulances, Gmez said. Rescue workers carry a person pulled from the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Rescue workers carry a person pulled from the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More They deployed dogs, thermal cameras and dozens of specialized equipment.In his first press conference about the disaster, emergency operations director Juan Manuel Mndez said that at least 13 people had died and more than 70 were injured.By that afternoon, the number of victims rose to 58 as more than 100 people donated blood at different centers across the capital.Meanwhile, a crowd of anxious people looking for their loved ones pressed around the remains of the club, forcing authorities to grab a megaphone and ask that they make room for the dozens of ambulances.The victims identified that day included former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; Luis Sols, the saxophonist who was playing onstage when the roof collapsed; and the son of the public works minister.By the end of the day, authorities announced that the number of victims had surged to 98, with the last survivor found early that afternoon. Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Wednesday, April 9In the predawn hours, rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel arrived to help local officials search for survivors and victims.A collective cry was heard when Mndez, the emergency operations director, confirmed they had found the body of Rubby Prez.The number of victims soared to 184 as dozens of people began gathering at hospitals and the countrys forensic institute in search of their loved ones.Wakes were held for Dotel and Prez in the afternoon, with hundreds of people paying their respects, including MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martnez, who said he knew some 50 people who died at Jet Set.More than 20 victims were identified as being from Haina, the hometown of Prez located just southwest of Santo Domingo. Its mayor said officials would offer the families free funeral services.In the evening, the government announced that it was moving to a recovery phase focused on finding bodies. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, front right ands his wife Raquel Arbaje Soni, front left, attend the wake of Dominican singer Rubby Perez who died in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub during his merengue concert, at the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, front right ands his wife Raquel Arbaje Soni, front left, attend the wake of Dominican singer Rubby Perez who died in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub during his merengue concert, at the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Thursday, April 10The government held a memorial for Prez at Santo Domingos National Theater that hundreds attended, including the countrys president and merengue superstar Juan Luis Guerra.As the coffin was carried out to the hearse, the crowd released white balloons and spontaneously sang Volver.Meanwhile, officials in Haina held a wake for at least 10 victims, with mourners crowding around each coffin to say their final farewells.By late morning, the emergency operations director announced that crews had finished searching for victims and potential survivors after working for 53 continuous hours. Mndez broke down as he spoke, calling it the most difficult task Ive had in 20 years.Officials removed heavy machinery, packed their equipment and evicted people from the area as they fumigated the building.Crews had rescued 189 people alive from the rubble.That afternoon, the presidents spokesman, Homero Figueroa, announced that a technical team would be created to determine what caused the roof to collapse, and that national and international experts would be part of it. A person points to the inside of the Jet Set nightclub days after its roof collapsed, killing more than 200 people, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A person points to the inside of the Jet Set nightclub days after its roof collapsed, killing more than 200 people, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Friday, April 11Heavy rain fell as dozens of people remained outside the countrys forensics institute, still wearing face masks as they complained about the odor and demanded the bodies of their loved ones.A screen set up nearby showed the names of victims in different colors. Those in black meant that the bodies were ready but that no one had picked them up, while those in green meant the relatives had identified them.Under a tarp, government officials met with family members who presented official documents of their loved ones in order to pick up their remains.Among those waiting at the forensics institute was Carlos Severino, who lost all three of his children: Dianny Escarlet Severino 31; Diego Armando Severino, 27; and Mariani Escarlet Severino, 23. Flowers and candles sit outside the Jet Set nightclub, placed in memory of the more than 200 people who died when its roof collapsed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Flowers and candles sit outside the Jet Set nightclub, placed in memory of the more than 200 people who died when its roof collapsed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In a phone interview, Severino described them as hardworking, honest and serious.To describe Dianny is to describe an angel. Mariani was the joy of the home. Diego was tenacious, a worker, he said as he began sobbing.Doctors treating the injured at public hospitals said several of them remain in critical condition.Dr. Julio Landrn said a lot of them will have permanent injuries, ranging from paralysis to a damaged finger.

Argentina's President Javier Milei, left, and Economy Minister Luis Caputo attend the Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File)2025-04-11T20:52:34Z BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) President Javier Milei on Friday announced that he would lift most of the countrys strict capital and currency controls next week, a high-stakes gamble made possible by a new loan from the International Monetary Fund. It marked a major step forward in the libertarians program to normalize Argentinas economy after decades of unbridled spending.The IMFs executive board late Friday green-lit the $20 billion bailout package, which offers a lifeline to Argentinas dangerously depleting foreign currency reserves over the next four years. The fund praised President Mileis tough austerity program and zero-deficit fiscal policy, saying the program sought to consolidate impressive initial gains and address remaining macroeconomic vulnerabilities.Against this backdrop, the authorities are embarking on a new phase of their stabilization plan, said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, adding that Argentina has committed to doubling down on spending cuts and economic deregulation and transitioning toward a new foreign currency exchange regime. Shortly afterward, Milei, flanked by his ministers, addressed his nation on television. Today we are breaking the cycle of disillusionment and disenchantment and are beginning to move forward for the first time, he said. We have eliminated the exchange rate controls on the Argentine economy for good. A tangle of regulationsThe capital controls, known here as el cepo, or the clamp, are a tangle of regulations that help to stabilize the peso at an official rate and prevent capital flight from Argentina.Imposed by a previous administration in 2019, the restrictions clamp down on individuals and companies access to dollars, discouraging the foreign investment that Milei needs to achieve his goal of transforming heavily regulated Argentina into a free economy. The restrictions made it almost impossible for ordinary Argentines to purchase dollars, giving rise to a black market that is technically illegal but that almost every Argentine uses to sell their depreciating pesos anyway. Their removal takes effect on Monday. The government said it would $12 billion from the IMF Tuesday a bigger-than-expected upfront sum that gives Argentinas reserves breathing room to make the major change and reflects the funds confidence in Mileis radical reforms.The program is unprecedented in supporting an economic plan that has already yielded results, Milei said.Letting the Argentine peso float kind of The new policy also involves cutting the Argentine peso free from its peg to the dollar. But instead of a risky free float, Argentina is allowing the peso to trade within a so-called currency band that ranges from 1,000 to 1,400 pesos per dollar. The band will expand 1% each month, the bank said. This breaks from Mileis current policy of letting the peso weaken at a pace of 1% against the dollar each month. That crawling peg had drawn backlash from investors worried about the central bank burning through its reserves to prop up the peso. It was forced to spend $2.5 billion to defend the official exchange rate in just the past few weeks. When announcing the removal of exchange controls Economy Minister Luis Caputo insisted it was not a devaluation. The truth is, we dont know where the dollar will end up, he said. Mileis team has sought to fend off a politically costly official devaluation of the peso that could push inflation much higher. Keeping a lid on rising prices a flagship campaign promise has helped the political outsider hold up approval ratings despite his brutal cuts to state spending that might otherwise trigger social unrest. But it was clear that the peso would have to depreciate to some extent, with economists guessing that it would fall to close to its black-market rate. On Friday, that rate was 1,375 pesos to the dollar, compared with the official exchange rate of 1,097 pesos.Marcelo J. Garca, director for the Americas at New York-based geopolitical risk consultancy Horizon Engage, said he expected an initial devaluation of around 20-25%.A big question mark is inflation in the second quarter of the year. Its very likely there will be a shock, said Leonardo Piazza, chief economist at Argentine consulting firm LP Consulting. Argentina, a serial defaulter Before Milei took office in December 2023, the previous left-wing Peronist administration ran up massive budget deficits, leading to sky-high inflation and a chronically weakening peso. By scrapping subsidies and price controls, firing tens of thousands of state workers and halting the central banks overreliance on printing pesos to pay the governments bills, Milei has delivered Argentinas first fiscal surplus in years and largely stabilized its macroeconomic imbalances, thrilling markets even as his shock-therapy approach has hit the population hard.Yet for all the changes and the financial pain, there have been scant signs of a sustainable recovery. Analysts say that a long-term economic revival involves the removal of capital controls, the amassing of currency reserves and access to international capital markets. As a result, foreign companies have waited on the sidelines, wary of pouring their cash into a country infamous for defaulting on its debt.The South American nation is already the IMFs biggest debtor, owing some $43 billion. This new $20 billion loan represents the 23rd rescue package in the nations long and tumultuous history. A tsunami of money outMilei has rejected pressure from investors over the past year to lift the capital controls, insisting that the economic conditions needed to be right. Now, he said, it was finally time.The unusually large first $12 billion disbursement from the IMF will hit Argentinas central bank Tuesday. Another $2 billion will arrive in the next two months, the government said. International organizations will also pitch in, with the Inter-American Development Bank announcing later Friday $10 billion disbursed over the next three years.With this level of reserves, we can back up all the existing pesos in our economy, providing monetary security to our citizens, Milei said. These are the foundations for sustained, long-term growth.Its a high-risk mission, as scrapping the cepo could unleash years of pent-up demand for U.S. dollars and spark a currency run as companies try to send their long-trapped profits home.It could be a tsunami of money out, said Christopher Ecclestone, a strategist with investment bank Hallgarten & Company. Its a total guessing game as to what people will do.The central bank said that while it was lifting restrictions for the public, it would retain taxes on card purchases abroad and some regulations on companies. For instance, from 2025 on, multinational firms will be able to repatriate their earnings. But to get their already trapped holdings out of the country, theyll need to exchange the debt for dollar-denominated security bonds.Its an effort to insure against capital flight, which would imperil Mileis primary accomplishment of lowering inflation ahead of midterm elections in October that are crucial for his libertarian party to expand its small congressional minority. The announcement is more audacious than expected. The government is making a bit of a leap of faith by lifting the cepo, said Garca. Its also bold timing, analysts say, considering the local market turmoil sparked by U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs. In recent days, Argentine stocks and bonds have plunged.Meanwhile, with traders nervous about a possible peso devaluation under Argentinas IMF deal, the closely watched gap between Argentinas currency exchange rates has grown by over 20% in recent week. The gap is a key indicator of confidence in the government and can fuel inflation, which already accelerated in March to its fastest pace in seven months.On Friday, Argentinas National Statistics Institute reported that consumer prices ticked up 3.7% last month compared to 2.4% in February, mainly as a result of rising food prices.Mieli was unruffled. Inflation will disappear, he promised.___Associated Press writer Almudena Calatrava contributed to this report. ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto

In this photo taken from video, a helicopter falls from the sky into the Hudson River , Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (Bruce Wall via AP)2025-04-12T04:10:28Z NEW YORK (AP) A helicopter ride giving a thrilling sweep of Manhattans iconic skyline has long been on the to-do list for New York City tourists of means.For several hundred dollars, tour companies fly passengers high above the rivers that encircle the city, showcasing a stunning, birds-eye view of the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and other monumental landmarks. Debris floats in the water at the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Debris floats in the water at the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More But Thursdays crash that killed a family of five visiting from Spain and the helicopters pilot, a Navy SEAL veteran, has renewed concerns about the safety of the popular sightseeing excursions.Since 2005, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have fallen into the Hudson and East rivers as a result of mechanical failures, pilot errors or collisions, killing 20 people.Longtime opponents have revived calls to ban or limit nonessential helicopter flights, including the roughly 30,000 sightseeing rides over the city each year. Mayor against more restrictionsMayor Eric Adams on Friday said he doesnt support further restrictions on the aircraft, saying theyre crucial for everything from transporting Wall Street executives to police work, and that tens of thousands of tourist flights happen each year with no problems. New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference at Pier 40, where a helicopter went down in the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference at Pier 40, where a helicopter went down in the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People want to see the city from the sky, he said on WINS radio, though he added that it must be done right. The Democrat said the citys airspace is highly regulated, pilots are well-trained and the aircraft are well maintained.Not everyone has his level of comfort.Personally, I dont go on them, Al Yurman, a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said of helicopter tours. I feel like the industry doesnt look after itself the way it should.Previous crashes led to new rulesTourist flights seemed like they might be in jeopardy after a disaster in 2009, when a Liberty Helicopters sightseeing flight carrying Italian visitors collided with a private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine. Flowers rest at the end of a pier, Friday, April 11, 2025, near the site where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Flowers rest at the end of a pier, Friday, April 11, 2025, near the site where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More After that crash, which involved missed radio communications, a distracted air traffic controller and two pilots who didnt see each other until it was too late, the Federal Aviation Administration created new safety rules for the congested airspace over the citys rivers.A few years later, New York City cut the number of flights allowed at Manhattans downtown heliport in half, capping them at just under 30,000 a year.Then, in 2018, five people died when a helicopter offering open door flights crashed in the East River after a passengers restraint tether snagged on a fuel switch, stopping the engine. The pilot escaped but the passengers couldnt get out of their safety harnesses and drowned.That crash prompted more industry scrutiny. Divers investigate the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Divers investigate the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Late last month, the company that arranged that flight, FlyNYON, settled a lawsuit over the crash for $90 million. FlyNYONs chief executive, Patrick Day, said it had made numerous changes to improve safety, including changing its passenger restraint system, switching to a different model of helicopter, adding training for pilots and hiring a safety officer.The introspection and self-critical analysis we have undertaken in the last six-and-a-half years have shaped our view of what it means to be an industry leader, and were a safer, smarter, and stronger company for it, Day said.Fewest crashes in 25 yearsThe cause of Thursdays crash is still undetermined.Videos taken by bystanders showed the Bell 206 helicopter breaking apart mid-flight. The cabin plummeted into the water without its severed tail boom or main rotor, which spun off into a different part of the river and hasnt been recovered.Nationwide, there were 88 helicopter accidents last year across all sectors the lowest in 25 years, according to Jeff Smith, chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, a trade group for helicopter operators based in Kearny, New Jersey, where many Manhattan tour companies depart.Helicopter tours, he added, accounted for a small fraction of all those accidents. We shoot for vision zero, which means no fatalities, Smith said. We train for that. We preach it. It is a cornerstone of our industry. Justin Green, an aviation lawyer and former Marine helicopter pilot, agreed theres nothing especially problematic about New Yorks helicopter tour industry, despite the crashes that seem to happen every few years.At the same time, he said, tour operators should be required to equip their aircraft with modern safety measures, such as terrain awareness technology. Steve Cowell, a Colorado-based aviation expert, suggested the FAA should take a more active role in scrutinizing smaller operators with known financial difficulties.Unfortunately, when people fly, they oftentimes do not check into the safety records or financial viability of the company, Cowell said. Theyre placing their trust and confidence in the abilities of not only the pilots but the maintainers. New York Helicopter, operator of the aircraft that crashed Thursday, had gone through a bankruptcy and been sued twice by creditors in recent months, an AP review found. The company declined to answer questions, but released a statement saying it was profoundly saddened by the deaths of its passengers and pilot.The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew has always been the cornerstone of our operations, it said.___Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. PHILIP MARCELO Marcelo is a general assignment reporter in the NYC bureau. He previously wrote for AP Fact Check and before that was based in Boston, where he focused on race and immigration. twitter mailto

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tours the Native Health Mesa Food Distribution Center in Mesa, Ariz., Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)2025-04-12T04:01:27Z CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent time in tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico this week highlighting ways they are trying to prevent chronic disease among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, something he has said is one of his top priorities.But Kennedy didnt appear to publicly address a Native health program using traditional medicine and foods to tackle disproportionate rates of conditions like diabetes and liver disease. The program, called Healthy Tribes, was gutted in this months federal health layoffs. Some Native leaders say they are having trouble grasping the dissonance between Kennedys words and his actions. With little information, they wonder if Healthy Tribes is part of the Trump administrations push to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. There also is confusion about what and who is left at the 11-year-old program, which was part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under Kennedys agency, and doled out $32.5 million a year. Tribal leaders and health officials told The Associated Press that cuts to the Healthy Tribes program are another violation of the federal governments legal obligation, or trust responsibility, to tribal nations under treaties, law and other acts. That includes funding for health care through the Indian Health Service, as well as education and public safety for citizens of the 574 federally recognized tribes. But federal funding has long fallen short of meeting those needs, leaving tribal governments to rely on additional grants and programs like Healthy Tribes. So many layers of communications of collaboration and partnerships have just been turned off, said Onawa Miller, a Quechan Indian Nation citizen and director of tribal public health for United South and Eastern Tribes, which serves 33 tribes in those regions of the U.S. She said her organization already has received its annual $2 million in Healthy Tribes funding. Several tribal facilities received an email from a CDC employee April 1 notifying them that the positions of many people who staffed the Healthy Tribes program had been eliminated as part of the reduction in force efforts at CDC. The American Federation of Government Employees union, which represents thousands of workers at the CDC in Atlanta, said more than 30 civil servant jobs were or are being eliminated. That includes 11 positions in the Healthy Tribes program and others in the larger Division of Population Health.An email sent to the account of Healthy Tribes director Dr. Julianna Reece, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was met with an automated reply: Due to the recent HHS reduction in force, I have been placed on administrative leave and will be separated from the agency on June 2nd. Reece did not respond to requests for comment sent to her federal and personal email accounts. Native leaders call change a violation of trustPart of the government upheaval in the past several weeks includes top officials at the National Institutes of Health being offered transfers to Indian Health Service offices far from Washington, D.C. The National Indian Health Board also has said the government eliminated key staff and programs at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Healths Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health.The government is required to consult with tribes on decisions impacting them, like mass layoffs in February at the Indian Health Service that were rescinded hours later, and tribal leaders have warned the Trump administration that such consultations are not happening. In some cases tribes can take legal action against the U.S. for failing to meet its trust responsibilities.It is a violation of trust, without a doubt, said W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown SKlallam Tribe in Washington state.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not answer questions related to the Healthy Tribes cuts but told the AP in an email that the Indian Health Service was not impacted by this months workforce reductions and there are no plans to consolidate any of its offices. Kennedys swing through the Southwest included a visit to a community health center in metro Phoenix that provides physical and mental health care to Native people and a hike with the Navajo Nation president. He also moderated a panel at the Tribal Self-Governance Conference, held on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona, but didnt take questions from the audience, tribal leaders on stage or journalists.Allen said he had a constructive conversation with Kennedy, reminding him IHS is already underfunded and understaffed and that tribes rely on additional federal grants and programs.Your issue is to reduce the central office, and so were OK with that, but move the functions that serve the tribes out to the tribes, Allen said he told Kennedy. Because if we dont have those resources, how are we gonna make our communities healthy? He agrees. Grants fund traditional medicine practicesResearch shows Native Americans have shorter life expectancies than other ethnic groups, and the Indian Health Service says they face higher mortality rates from chronic conditions like diabetes and liver disease.In Seattle, Healthy Tribes money pays for a program called GATHER, which focuses on integrating traditional tribal medicine practices into health care. Providers at the Seattle Indian Health Board can use medicine made from plants grown in a community garden. A traditional Native medicine apprentice or healer is a part of a patients care team.Seattle Indian Health Board President Esther Lucero, a descendant of the Navajo Nation, said her staff meets with people from the CDC and other Healthy Tribes grantees bimonthly to discuss project updates and ensure compliance with grants. But after last weeks layoffs, they are having trouble contacting anyone. If you cant actually administer the dollars, how are you going to actually get them out to the programs? she said. With this current administration, its almost like every day we receive an unexpected notice, and then we will get a follow-up notice that says ... you need to move forward as usual.Lycia Ortega, interim CEO of Los Angeles-based United American Indian Involvement, echoed concerns about the ambiguous and somewhat confusing messages. Her organization uses Healthy Tribes money to foster connections between younger people and elders in Native American and Alaska Native communities.Native communities have had to push back against the Trump administrations efforts to cut programs that might be considered DEI initiatives, she said, with the help of lawyers, policy experts and watchdogs who point out areas where the government might not be honoring the trust responsibility. Native people have a distinct political power, said Ortega, a citizen of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, but there are policymakers who see tribes as a threat rather than a partner.Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said he told Kennedy privately that consulting with and engaging in respectful partnerships with tribes is key to fulfilling the federal governments trust responsibilities.Since the Trump administration began making massive cuts to the federal workforce, many tribal leaders have had to clarify with newly appointed federal officials that services to tribes are not based on race but rather on the political status of tribal nations.I made it very clear, we are not DEI as tribal nations, as a political entity, he said.___Bose reported from Jackson, Mississippi, and Bohrer from Juneau, Alaska. Associated Press writers Terry Tang in Phoenix and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed.___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. DEVNA BOSE Bose is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Jackson, Mississippi. She covers hospitals, rural health access and disparities, public health funding and other topics that broadly intersect with the health of communities. twitter mailto GRAHAM LEE BREWER Brewer reports for the APs Race and Ethnicity team, focusing on Indigenous communities and tribal nations. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is based in Oklahoma. twitter mailto BECKY BOHRER Bohrer is a statehouse and political reporter based in Juneau, Alaska. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A woman votes in a referendum on whether to adopt a new constitution, in Libreville, Gabon, on Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Betines Makosso, File)2025-04-12T06:41:36Z LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) Voters in the oil-rich Gabon headed to polling stations on Saturday in the first presidential election since a 2023 military coup ended a political dynasty that lasted over 50 years.Analysts have predicted an overwhelming victory for the interim president who led the coup.Some 920,000 voters, including over 28,000 overseas, are registered to participate across more than 3,000 polling stations. It is a crucial election for the countrys 2.3 million people, a third of whom live in poverty despite its vast oil wealth.The interim president, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, 50, toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba nearly two years ago. He hopes to consolidate his grip on power for a seven-year term in office.Bongo was placed under house arrest after the coup but freed a week later due to health concerns. His wife and son were detained and charged with corruption and embezzlement of public funds. Bongo himself was not charged. Following the coup, Oligui Nguema promised to return power to civilians through credible elections. He has touted himself as a leader who wants to unify the Gabonese and give them hope, running his presidential campaign under the slogan: We Build Together. In January, the parliament adopted a new contentious electoral code allowing military personnel to run in elections. The countrys new constitution, adopted in a referendum in November, has also set the presidential term at seven years, renewable once, instead of the unlimited fiver-year term. It also states family members cant succeed a president and has abolished the position of prime minister.However, some have said Oligui Nguemas stay in office is a continuation of the Bongo familys grip on power as he is a cousin of the ousted president. A challenger with an anti-colonial approachA total of eight candidates are running for president. However, Oligui Nguemas main challenger is Bongos former prime minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who has promised to reorganize public finances, create jobs for young people and end the umbilical cord with former colonial ruler France.In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bilie-By-Nze said he didnt expect the election to be fair or transparent. Everything has been done to lock down the vote, he said.In a region where France is losing longstanding allies in many of its former colonies, Gabon stands out as one of only a few where that partnership has not been threatened. It still has more than 300 French troops present, one of only two African countries still hosting them.Oligui Nguema has not signaled an end to the French military presence, but Bilie-By-Nze has said no subject is off limits in renegotiating the ties between the two countries. Voters cast their ballotsDozens of voters, from various age groups, lined up at ballot stations in the capital city, Libreville, as voting progressed peacefully. Jonas Obiang told the AP while waiting to cast his ballot in the district of Damas that he would vote for Bilie-By-Nze because he viewed the transition since the 2023 coup as a failure.General Oligui Nguema led the country with the same people who plundered the country, the former members of the Bongo regime. I will not vote for him, he said.Andr Moussavou, a retired military man waiting to cast his vote, however, said he believed in Oligui Nguemas plans to move the country forward.I will vote for the progress of the country because the old system left the country in the abyss, he said. MONIKA PRONCZUK Pronczuk covers 22 countries across Central and West Africa for The Associated Press. She is based in Dakar, Senegal. twitter mailto

Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) reacts after a missed a shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)2025-04-12T04:29:06Z For New Orleans, Charlotte, Washington and Utah, the seasons will end Sunday.That might not be soon enough.The Pelicans, Hornets, Wizards and Jazz all playing out the string of dismal seasons along with the playoff-bound Houston Rockets combined to make the wrong kind of NBA history on Friday night. All five of those teams lost by at least 30 points, marking the first time that the league saw that many blowouts of that size on the same day.Miami beat New Orleans by 49, 153-104. Boston beat Charlotte by 36, 130-94. Oklahoma City beat Utah by 34, 145-111. The Los Angeles Lakers topped Houston by 31, 140-109. And Chicago beat Washington by 30, 119-89.Those five games pushed the NBAs total of games decided by 30 or more points this season to 79 tying the league mark for such games, set in the 2021-22 season.Its challenging. For sure, its tough, Pelicans coach Willie Green said, after a game where his team trailed the Heat by as many as 52 points. You feel for your guys. Theyre out there fighting and were undermanned, but at the same time, youve got to be able to go through some adversity. It builds you. It makes you stronger. It was a night filled with lopsided scoreboards, and plenty of other games seemed poised to join the 30-point blowout trend before the margins got smaller by the final buzzer. Minnesota beat Brooklyn by 26, Dallas led Toronto by 38 before winning by 22, Phoenix led San Antonio by 31 early in the fourth before winning by 19, Golden State led Portland by 27 before winning by 17, and Orlando had a 35-point lead on Indiana before winning by 15. The three other days before Friday that the NBA saw four games decided by at least 30 points:Dec. 7, 2016 Sacramento 120, Dallas 89; Cleveland 126, New York 94; Houston 134, L.A. Lakers 95; Boston 117, Orlando 87.Jan. 15, 2019 Golden State 142, Denver 111; Milwaukee 124, Miami 86; Philadelphia 149, Minnesota 107; Indiana 131, Phoenix 97.May 5, 2021 Utah 126, San Antonio 94; Atlanta 135, Phoenix 103; Portland 141, Cleveland 105; Boston 132, Orlando 96.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba TIM REYNOLDS Reynolds is an Associated Press sports writer, based in South Florida. twitter mailto

A Cape vulture is seen in its enclosure at the Vulture Programme at Boekenhoutkloof near Hartbeespoort Dam, South Africa on Sept. 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)2025-04-12T04:12:48Z CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Vultures have an image problem. Seen as ugly and associated with death, they are among the least loved animals in the world. But conservationists in Africa are trying to change that.Theyve launched an effort to save endangered vultures by trying to put a dollar figure on their incredible value.A recent report by the BirdLife International conservation organization estimated that vultures are worth $1.8 billion a year to certain ecosystems in southern Africa, which might surprise anyone not familiar with the clean-up, pest control and anti-poaching work performed by one of the most efficient scavengers on the planet.They are not up there on the pretty scale. And they are not popular. But we know they are very useful, said Fadzai Matsvimbo, an extinction prevention coordinator at BirdLife International. The report comes at an important time for Africas vultures; six of the 11 species found on the continent are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which says vultures are highly threatened in many parts of the world. In Africa, some species have declined by nearly 90%, Matsvimbo said. Conservationists hope the report will make authorities and the public more aware of the positive impact of vultures.It focused on research in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe and shows how a wake of vultures the term for a group of feeding vultures can strip a decomposing carcass in hours, cleaning up ecosystems, reducing the chance of disease spreading and the presence of pests like rats and feral dogs, which has great benefits to communities. Vultures also have extremely strong stomach acid, dont get food poisoning and are able to consume and neutralize anthrax, botulism and other bacteria and toxins in carcasses that would kill other animals, removing deadly threats from the environment. Just this week, more than 50 hippos died from suspected anthrax poisoning in a reserve in Congo. Vultures are natures best sanitation services, said Matsvimbo. Conservationists have raised the case of the drastic loss of vultures in India over the last 30 years and how that led to a health crisis. A study published last year said half a million people died in India because of the spread of bacteria and infections in the absence of vultures.Matsvimbo said vultures in Africa are also used as sentinels by game rangers because they are often the first to spot a dead animal and can lead rangers to where poachers might be active. They have even proven useful in helping farmers locate dead or injured livestock.Vultures are unique among land vertebrates in that they only feed on carrion dead animals. That makes them especially susceptible to poisoning by humans, either intentionally by poachers and others who want to get rid of them, or by mistake when pests are the target. Hundreds of vultures can die from a single poisoned carcass. Vultures are also regularly killed or maimed in collisions with powerlines in Africa. And they are increasingly being killed for belief-based reasons, said Kerri Wolter, the CEO of the Vulpro vulture rehabilitation center in South Africa, which treats sick and injured vultures to be released back into the wild. She said because vultures have such outstanding eyesight and instincts when it comes to finding a dead animal they are viewed by some as being clairvoyant and able to foresee death. Their body parts, and especially their head, are used in potions or as charms to predict the future.Our work is to change the mindsets of people, Wolter said. For them to see vultures and think, wow that is amazing.Matsvimbo and Wolter both said vultures have been given a raw deal by moviemakers in Hollywood, where they are almost always shown as evil and sinister. Movies have done for vultures what Jaws did for sharks, Wolter said.I love watching The Lion King, but every time they do the vulture part, my heart breaks, said Matsvimbo. Vultures are never portrayed in a positive way. I have a bone to chew with these moviemakers. Or should that be bone to pick?___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

In this photo released by Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, meets his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi prior to negotiations with U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)2025-04-12T09:45:31Z MUSCAT, Oman (AP) Envoys from Iran and the United States arrived Saturday in Oman ahead of the first talks over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. No overall agreement is immediately likely, but the stakes of the negotiations couldnt be higher for these two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Irans nuclear program if a deal isnt reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed a private jet from Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, arrived in Oman on Saturday morning. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff had just met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday there. Meanwhile, Irans Foreign Ministry released footage of Tehrans top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported that Araghchi provided Irans stance and key points for the talks to be conveyed to the U.S. side. IRNAs report suggested the meeting would be held later Saturday. If there is sufficient will on both sides, we will decide on a timetable. But it is still too early to talk about that, Araghchi said, in an audio clip published by IRNA. What is clear now is that the negotiations are indirect, and in our view only on the nuclear issue, and will be conducted with the necessary will to reach an agreement that is on an equal footing and leads to securing the national interests of the Iranian people. Trump and Witkoff both have described the talks as being direct.I think our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today, Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal before his trip. That doesnt mean, by the way, that at the margin were not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries. He added: Where our red line will be, there cant be weaponization of your nuclear capability,While the U.S. side can offer sanctions relief for Irans beleaguered economy, it remains unclear just how much Iran will be willing to concede. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, Tehrans stockpile could allow it to build multiple nuclear weapons if it so chooses and it has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Judging from negotiations since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018, Iran will likely ask to keep enriching uranium up to at least 20%.One thing it wont do is give up its program entirely. That makes the proposal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a so-called Libyan solution you go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution unworkable. Iranians including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have held up what ultimately happened to the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed with his own gun by rebels in the countrys 2011 Arab Spring uprising, as a warning about what can happen when you trust the United States. ___Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.___Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/ 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

People walk their dogs on the beach, with the backdrop of the Redcar steel plant in the background, in Hartlepool, England, Nov. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)2025-04-12T09:39:24Z LONDON (AP) U.K. lawmakers returned to Parliament from their Easter break on Saturday to approve an emergency rescue of the countrys last remaining factory that makes steel directly from raw materials.Prime Minister Keir Starmer summoned lawmakers for the highly unusual Saturday sitting to debate a bill aimed at blocking British Steels Chinese owners, Jingye Group, from closing blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant in the north of England. If the bill passes, which is expected, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will have the power to direct the companys board and workforce, ensure workers get paid and order the raw materials necessary to keep the plants two massive blast furnaces running.Starmer said Friday that the future of the plant hangs in the balance, necessitating the need for the quick-fire legislation and the recall of Parliament. Though Starmer did not use not use the term nationalization, he did say all options remain on the table for the steel works, which employs around 2,700 workers directly.The decision to introduce the emergency legislation was given added urgency by the recent move by Jingye to cancel orders for the iron pellets used in the blast furnaces. Without the pellets and other raw materials, they would likely have to shut for good, potentially within days. Its unclear what role Jingye, owner of British Steel since 2020, will have in the day-to-day running of the steelworks once the legislation passes. Jingye, which has said the Scunthorpe plant is financially unsustainable due to challenging market conditions and increased environmental costs, has for months sought a government rescue but discussions have failed to reach a successful outcome. Last months decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a 25% tariffs on imported steel was another blow. Though Starmer has expressed disappointment, he has not retaliated and is seeking to negotiate the tariffs away. Unions have welcomed his initiative to call back Parliament and voiced hope that it will eventually lead to the government taking ownership of the plant. It is in the national interest that a solution is found to secure a future for British Steel as a vital strategic business, said Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the union Community. We cant allow Britain to become the only G7 country without primary steelmaking capacity.At its height in the postwar period, British steelmaking was a global leader, employing more than 300,000 people, before cheaper offerings from China and other countries hit production. It now employs about 40,000 directly, with the industry accounting for just 0.1% of the British economy.Britains remaining steelmakers are under pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Most have shifted to electric arc furnaces that make steel from recycled material. That has left Scunthorpe as the only factory with blast furnaces capable of turning iron ore into virgin steel.The steel industry is part of our national story, Starmer said. The last time lawmakers have been called back from their recess to sit on a Saturday was in 1982, in the aftermath of Argentinas invasion of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic.

People take part in a protest demanding the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 5,2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)2025-04-12T12:29:18Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israel announced Saturday it completed the construction of the new Morag corridor, essentially separating the southern city of Rafah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, further squeezing Palestinians into shrinking wedges of land, as airstrikes continued across the enclave. The forces have completed the encirclement of Rafah, a statement by the Israeli military said.Israeli troops with the 36th Division were deployed last week to Morag, the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, after the army ordered sweeping evacuations covering most of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation. This comes as Israel has vowed to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory to pressure Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government has also imposed a monthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left the territorys roughly 2 million Palestinians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime. Netanyahu had said Morag would be a second Philadelphi corridor, referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt farther south, which has been under Israeli control since May. Israel has also reasserted control of the Netzarim corridor, which cuts off the northern third of Gaza from the rest of the Strip. The corridors, coupled with a buffer zone, that Israel has razed and expanded, give it more than 50% control of the territory. Israels defense minister on Saturday warned Palestinians that the army was going to vigorously expand to other locations throughout Gaza, urging them to remove Hamas and release the hostages.Hamas is unable to protect the residents or the territory. Hamas leaders are hiding in tunnels with their families and in luxury hotels abroad with billions in their bank accounts, and are using you as hostages, said Israel Katz. He also said Palestinians interested in voluntarily relocating to other countries would be able to as part of a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump and Netanyahu. Palestinians have vehemently rejected the proposal, dubbed voluntary emigration, and expressed their determination to remain in their homeland.Trump and Israeli officials have not said how they would respond if Palestinians refuse to leave. But Human Rights Watch and other groups say the plan, if implemented, would amount to ethnic cleansing, the forcible relocation of the civilian population of an ethnic group from a geographic area.Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across Gaza continued Saturday, killing at least 21 people in the last 24 hours, according to Gazas health ministry, which doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel also ordered the evacuation to areas east of Khan Younis ahead of an attack there, said Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the military. He said militants had fired rockets into Israel from these areas. The Israel-Hamas war started on Oct.7, 2023, after the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel and left some 1,200 people dead. Israels retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry which says the majority have been women and children. The ministry said at least 1,500 people have been killed since the ceasefire collapsed last month.Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.Magdy reported from Cairo. SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the AP correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. Mednick formerly covered West & Central Africa and South Sudan. twitter SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)2025-04-12T12:00:14Z WASHINGTON (AP) Democrats are quick to say that President Donald Trumps tariffs are horrible, awful, terrible. But Democrats are also stressing that they are not inherently anti-tariff.What Trumps political opponents say they really dislike is the chaos he has unleashed.Tariffs are an important tool in our economic toolbox, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Trump is creating chaos, and that chaos undercuts our economy and our families, both in the short term and the long term. ... Hes just created a worldwide hurricane, and thats not good for anyone.Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Democrats have a consensus around a unified concept, which is targeted tariffs can work, across the board tariffs are bad.The right targeting is in the eye of the beholder, but nobody on our side thinks zero tariffs ever, Kaine said.The Democrats message is meant to convey that they are reasonable, focused on capable governance and attuned to financial market distress. Its a pitch toward swing voters who would like to see more manufacturing yet are uncomfortable with the consequences of Trumps approach to tariffs. The risk is that it also is a nuanced argument at a time when pithy critiques travel faster and spread wider on social media than do measured policy analyses. To the Trump White House, that message is nothing but hypocrisy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday noted that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who would later become House speaker, was warning in June 1996 that trade with China meant higher trade deficits and job losses. It is about nothing less than our economic future, our national security and our democratic principles, said Pelosi before the House voted to not overturn then Democratic President Bill Clintons decision to extend most-favored-nation trade status for China for another year.The Trump administration views those remarks as evidence that Democrats actually back what Trump is doing, despite their stated opposition. Everyone in Washington, whether they want to admit it or not, knows that this president is right when it comes to tariffs and when it comes to trade, Leavitt told reporters. Nancy Pelosi can thank President Trump today.Not all Democrats have threaded the needle cleanly.Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave a speech in Washington on Wednesday calling for tariffs to be used like a scalpel. Hours later, she was in the Oval Office with Trump in a moment caught on video as the president signed directives for the Justice Department to investigate two of his public critics and gave noncommittal musings on tariff negotiations.Whitmers office later said in a statement that she was surprised that she was brought in for the event after a meeting with Trump and that her presence is not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made at that event.Trump this month unilaterally imposed sweeping tariffs on China, the European Union, Mexico, Canada, Japan and South Korea, among dozens of other nations. But on Wednesday, he suspended most of the tariffs for 90 days while applying a baseline import tax of 10% to most nations, a 145% tariff on Chinese goods and a tariff of as much as 25% on Mexico and Canada. There are also tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, with more planned on specific products.The tariffs are expected to generate hundreds of billions of dollars annually in new revenues, but an average U.S. household could see disposable income fall by more than $4,000 as importers and companies pass along the costs of the levies. Interest rates on the U.S. debt are rising as investors worry about the soundness of Trumps policies. Major stock indexes are down and consumer sentiment is at its second lowest level in the history of the University of Michigan survey.Some Democrats are trying to keep the focus on their constituents, resurrecting talking points from Trumps tariff battles during his first term.Farmers, in particular, who were hit very hard by Trumps last trade wars, are terrified that this may be existential to their businesses, said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. These are mostly small and medium-sized family farms. Their input costs are going to go up and their export markets are going to close down. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., said the tariffs would be catastrophic for urban and rural communities alike in her state. But Moore added that Democrats should still advocate for raising labor and product standards to keep American goods and services competitive in global markets.I know that many of our autoworkers were lured into voting for Donald Trump because they thought perhaps he was going to give them some relief, said Moore. But the prices of cars are going to go up because the component parts are everywhere. Theres no strategy for it.But not all Democrats want to hedge their response to Trumps trade tools.Im a little uninterested in what the Democratic response should be like, said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. Trump is intentionally destroying the American economy, and I think we should just say that and not make it very complicated. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto MATT BROWN Brown is a reporter covering national politics, race and democracy issues. twitter instagram mailto

Welcome back to the Abstract!Whatever else you think of this past week, it sure served up some ridiculously good science. Im talking about a real boffin buffet, with all the fixings. There were studies about trees spying on illegal mines. Or, an eerie rhino graveyard buried in ash 12 million years ago. Or, the first baby born from a remote and fully automated sperm injection. And those were all ones I had to regretfully leave in drafts, on account of the sheer scientific bounty.For starters, there was a whole study this week predicated on what mariners have been writing in ship logs over the past 400 years. Id have to turn myself into the authorities if I didnt highlight it, for it would indeed be a crime.Next, the universe is acting up again and refuses to conform to our meticulously curated models. I would tell the universe to go to its room, but it is the room. Then, crows continue to prove that bird brain is a compliment, actually. Last, take a few seconds for Uranus. No, I mean, literally.Do You Take Milk in Your Sea?Hudson, Justin and Miller, Steve. From Sailors to Satellites: A Curated Database of Bioluminescent Milky Seas Spanning 1600-Present. Earth and Space Science.It has happened again: A study has turned to historical documents to make scientific conclusions. As Ive mentioned previously, this is one of the absolute best flavors of research because we all get treated to a bunch of old-timey accounts of weird phenomenain this case, the entrancing spectacle of milky seas.Milky seas are produced by bioluminescent bacteria that can transform the nighttime ocean into a glowing white veneer. For centuries, seafarers have marvelled at the eerie beauty of these surreal displays, which sometimes last for months and can cover areas of 100,000 square kilometers (about the size of Iceland).Milky seas are a rare, historically fabled form of marine bioluminescence that is characterized by their steady, non-flashing, eponymous white glow, said Justin Hudson and Steven Miller of Colorado State University. Eyewitnesses have compared the experience of sailing through a milky sea to a snowy plain at night, the Twilight Zone, and even the biblical apocalypse.Despite centuries of scientific research into milky seas very little is known about the physical and biogeochemical processes which govern their formation, longevity, and size, the team continued. Scientific inquiry into milky seas has historically been held back due to the paucity of data, and the remote, ephemeral nature of the phenomenon.You know what that meanstime to hit the stacks! Hudson and Miller compiled a trove of eyewitness accounts, spanning the past 400 years, which they used to statistically examine the relationship between milky seas globally and large-scale coupled atmosphere ocean phenomenafor the first time.Milky seas observed from space. Image: Colorado State University, CIRA, and NOAAThe science here is interesting on its own merits, as the team refined predictions about where and when milky seas are most likely to occur, and linked them to broader oceanic and climatic forces. The radiant displays, powered by the marine bacteria Vibrio harveyi, are influenced by the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Nio Southern Oscillation, and are commonly observed around the Arabian Sea and off the coast of Southeast Asia, according to the study.Given their spatial scale and biological nature, milky seas may represent a critically understudied large-scale movement of carbon and nutrients through the earth system, particularly so with bacteria playing a key role in the global carbon cycle both on land, concluded the team.But as with most studies in this category, the supplemental information is the star of the show. Its such a treat to read through all these accounts of past mariners who found themselves on the decks of their vessels at night, looking out at a surreal seascape of milk, or snow, or silver.At a quarter before eight oclock at night, a phenomenon appeared of the following nature, and to all on board of an unheard-of kind, which gave rise to transitory feelings of apprehension as to the vessels contiguity to danger, wrote an observer in the log of the H. C. sloop Clive in August 1832. (Clive is an excellent boat name, by the way).Without any indication of a change in the elements, the ship was surrounder instanter (sic) by water as white as milk or snow, continued the seafarer. No line of horizon was visible; the dead white colour of the water close to the ship as it increased in distance from her very gradually brightened until, where I supposed the horizon to be, it assumed a silvery aspect, which increasing as it ascended became brilliant and dazzling towards the zenith, obscuring the stars and clouds which had before this visitation been distinctly visible.A similar tale unfolds over the course of dozens of collected entries. Some mariners threw fireballs into the ocean to literally test the waters, and many crews reported that tiny animalcules were seen under microscopes in buckets drawn up from the milky seas.But the common theme across the centuries is an almost mystical quality to these encounters, which shines through (so to speak) in the ship logs.When looking into the sea at the height of the phenomenon, it was almost impossible to focus the eye and a slight feeling of vertigo was experienced, noted an officer of the SS Ixion in a 1967 entry about a sighting in the Indian Ocean. This eeriness could well have convinced the superstitious mariners of long ago that the ship would fall off the edge of the world during the night if navigated far from the shore.It was like we were in the "Twilight Zone" and peering at a negative of the real world, reported the crew of the USS OBrien of a 1980 sighting near the Yemeni island of Socotra. The seas were glowing with phosphorescence as far as you could see all around usThe phosphorescence was uniform and a bit lighter green or whiter than the normal screw-generated green phosphorescence (kind of like the glow-in-the-dark plastic stars you can buy your kids). There were no breaks in the phosphorescence even with the waves.I recommend reading through some of the excerpts, which are filled with expressions of wonder, premonition, and good old-fashioned scientific curiosity. You gotta hand it to Earth. She knows how to put on a show.Do These Lopsided Satellites Make Andromedas Butt Look Big?Kanehisa, Kosuke Jamie et al. Andromedas asymmetric satellite system as a challenge to cold dark matter cosmology. Nature Astronomy.The universe does not conform to our expectations. This is a common lament among cosmologists.Over the past half-century, for instance, scientists across diverse fields have developed a framework called the standard model of cosmology, also known as the Lambda cold dark matter (CDM) model, that accounts for a lot of the weird stuff we see in space. But if you search challenges to the standard model, you will get roughly a bajillion hits, as observations of the real universe frequently clash with the predictions of the standard model.One of the most interesting conflicts is the behavior of dwarf galaxies that orbit larger ones, such as Andromeda, which is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. The standard model, meanwhile, predicts that these satellite galaxies should be more or less isotropic in their distribution around their host, meaning that they should occupy a swarm of random orbits around a larger galaxy.Andromeda. Image: Luc ViatorBut in a new study, scientists found that Andromedas orbiters are weirdly clustered on one side. All but one of Andromedas 37 satellite galaxies are contained within 107 degrees of our Galaxy, said researchers led by Kosuke Jamie Kanehisa of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.In other words, most of the orbiting galaxies are asymmetrically located on the side of Andromeda that faces the Milky Way. In standard cosmological simulations, this configuration is extremely rare, showing up in just 0.3 percent of cases. What gives?The researchers speculate that the Milky Way might be exerting a tidal influence on Andromeda, thereby pulling its orbiters in our direction. But if this were true, youd expect the satellites of the Milky Way to align in a similar asymmetry, given that Andromeda is about as massive as our own galaxy, yet theres no evidence that this is the case.At present, no known formation mechanism can explain the collective asymmetry of the Andromeda system, the team concluded.You could ask the universe, but its just not very forthcoming about this kind of thing. Indeed, this is not the first time the movements of satellite galaxies have defied the standard model; I covered this eerie discrepancy a few years ago for Motherboard.The discovery that Andromeda appears to be an extreme outlier in the prevailing cosmological paradigm is yet another sign that something is either wrong with a) the model, b) our observations, c) all of the above, or d) some other wild card that has yet to be identified. Place your bets.An (Intellectual) Feast for CrowsSchmidbauer, Philipp et al. Crows recognize geometric regularity. Science Advances.Its well-known that crows (and other corvids) are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. You can kind of intuit this fact just from looking a crow in the eyethey have that clever girl vibe to thembut studies have helpfully provided empirical evidence they are capable of tool use, abstract thinking, and epic grudges, among many other proficiencies.It got one team of scientists thinking: can crows do geometry?Animals sensitivity to geometric regularity has been found to be notably limited; nonhuman primates do not recognize geometric regularity in tests involving the perception of visual shapes, whereas humans do, said researchers led by Philipp Schmidbauer of the University of Tbingen. This result led to the interpretation that the recognition of geometric regularity could constitute a uniquely human ability.As a rule, dont call anything uniquely human until youve tried it on crows. To that end, the team presented two carrion crows (Corvus corone), aged 10 and 11 years old, with a touch-screen showing different assortments of shapes. For instance, a simple starter test displayed six non-quadrilateral shapes, such as five stars and one crescent moon. A tougher test mixed in quadrilateralssuch squares, trapezoids, rhombuseswith one irregular four-sided shape.Crows doing puzzles. Image: Schmidbauer et al., Sci. Adv. 11, eadt3718 (2025)Crows were tasked with detecting the intruder shape, which they successfully did about half the time, a rate that is well over what would be expected by chance.Our results, showing that crows spontaneously recognize geometric regularity in visual shapes, contrast with those from a study involving monkeys that failed to discriminate quadrilateral stimuli based on geometric regularity a finding that challenges the idea that intuitive shape geometry is uniquely human, the team concluded.To paraphrase a legendary animated newsman: I, for one, welcome our crow overlords.Uranus Gets its Chakras AlignedLamy, L et al. A new rotation period and longitude system for Uranus. Nature Astronomy.Last but not least, a day on Uranus just got 28 seconds longer. This is not because the planet has suddenly decided to slow down in mid-life, though it would be forgiven for the indulgence. Instead, the extra time is due to an update of its rotation period, which was measured by Voyager 2 in 1986.Data collected during that flyby determined that the Uranian day is about 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 24 seconds, give or take about a half-minute. On paper, this small margin of error for a giant planet located about two billion miles from Earth is not too shabby. But the slight imprecision has actually been bugging astronomers who study the planet for a while, prompting a lot of new rotational estimates over the years.Now, scientists have refined the Uranian day to a whopping six decimal points by tracking the planets radiant auroras for more than a decade with the Hubble Space Telescope.Here we use the long-term tracking of Uranus magnetic poles between 2011 and 2022 from Hubble Space Telescope images of its ultraviolet aurorae to achieve an updated, independent, extremely precise rotation period of 17.2478640.000010h, only consistent with the Voyager 2 estimate, said researchers led by Laurent Lamy of the Observatoire de Paris.This update brings the Uranian day to 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 52 seconds, about 28 seconds longer than Voyager 2s rotational estimate. The improved accuracy will allow the reanalysis of the whole set of Uranus observations and the novel approach stands as a new method to determine the rotation rate of any object hosting a magnetosphere and a rotationally modulated aurorae, in our Solar System and beyond.Were all in a Proustian search for lost time. Who could have guessed wed end up finding it on Uranus?Thanks for reading! See you next week.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, speaks during an anti-abortion rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-04-12T12:48:48Z WASHINGTON (AP) As Kristan Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion group Students for Life, tours college campuses, she has grown accustomed to counterprotests from abortion rights activists.But more recently, fellow abortion opponents, who call themselves abortion abolitionists, are showing up to her booths with signs, often screaming baby killer at her while she speaks with students. Hawkins has had to send alerts to donors asking them to help pay for increased security.Im pretty sure they protest me more than they protest Planned Parenthood, Hawkins said. Believe it or not, I now know the price of a bomb dog.Hawkins encounters, which she related during an interview with The Associated Press, are just one example of what many people involved in the abortion debate have described as the widening influence of a movement that seeks to outlaw all abortions and enforce the ban with criminal prosecution of any women who have abortions. It began gaining momentum after the Supreme Courts 2022 ruling overturning Roe v Wade and has accelerated since Republicans won full political control in Washington in last years elections. The movements impact also is beginning to show up in statehouses around the country. Mainstream anti-abortion groups have largely shied away from legislation that would punish women for having abortions, but abortion abolitionists believe abortion should be considered homicide and punished with the full force of the law. In many states, they have been advocating for legislation to do just that. A split within the anti-abortion movementMainstream anti-abortion groups have tried to play down any divisions and instead, at various rallies this spring, have emphasized their unity behind other goals, such as defunding Planned Parenthood.Experts say the abortion abolitionist movement, once considered fringe, is growing and getting louder, empowered by recent victories for abortion opponents.With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, now states can pass the most severe abortion bans, which has galvanized the anti-abortion movement as a whole, including this part of it, said Rachel Rebouche, dean of Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia. Certainly the fall of Roe has brought abortion abolitionists one step closer to what they want banning abortion nationwide.In February, Hawkins posted on X, saying the people I fear getting shot by, most of the time, are not abortion rights activists but abortion abolitionists.Then came the replies: Demon, Ungodly, An accessory to murder, Enemy of God. Her post opened a fire hose of online barbs from abortion abolitionists. Some called for her to resign and asserted that women should not have roles outside the home, let alone leading national anti-abortion groups.Some conservative podcasts and online figures have hosted abortion abolitionists or echoed similar disdain for the larger anti-abortion movement. Ben Zeisloft, a podcaster for TheoBros, a network of Christian nationalist influencers, blamed feminism for abortion and said, We need Christian men leading the fight against abortion. The comments reflect a broader uptick in misogynistic rhetoric and align with the religious doctrines motivating many in the abortion abolitionist movement, said Laura Hermer, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.She said members of the movement have been emboldened by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had granted a constitutional right to abortion for half a century, and recent actions by Republican President Donald Trump. More state bills seek to criminalize women who get abortionsThose actions include pausing some family planning grants pending investigations, pardoning anti-abortion activists who blockaded clinics and signing an executive order that uses fetal personhood language similar to verbiage in state laws declaring that a fetus should have the same legal rights as a person. The laws are supported by both abortion abolitionists and mainstream anti-abortion groups.Trumps rhetoric on abortion has been mixed. In 2016, he backtracked after saying there should be some form of punishment for women who have abortions. He has recently pledged to protect in vitro fertilization, a fertility treatment that has been threatened by fetal personhood laws.Still, several experts said many state lawmakers have taken Trumps return to the White House as a green light to pursue more aggressive anti-abortion policies.So far this year, bills introduced in at least 12 states Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas would allow prosecutors to charge those who have abortions with homicide. In some of those states, women could be subject to the death penalty if the bills were to become law.Most of those states already ban abortions in most cases, but the restrictions have typically penalized providers, rather than those seeking the procedure. This past week, Alabama lawmakers filed legislation that would consider abortion as murder. In Georgia last month, protesters massed at the Capitol to oppose legislation that would classify abortions from the point of fertilization as homicide. The bill had nearly two dozen Republican co-sponsors.Nearly 8 in 10 Americans opposed laws making it a crime for women who get abortions that would result in either fines or prison time, according to a KFF poll conducted in September 2022, a few months after the Roe ruling.Dana Sussman, senior vice president at Pregnancy Justice, which tracks this type of legislation, said she is seeing more of those bills than ever before. Sussman said it was a remarkable increase and a sign that the rhetoric of abortion abolitionists is having an impact. In 2022, when one such bill passed a Louisiana state House subcommittee, it sparked national outcry, she said. Thats no longer the case.Now, because they are normalizing this idea, what was shocking then is no longer shocking, Sussman said.This is how change happensDusty Deevers, a Republican state senator who co-sponsored the bill in Oklahoma, said he ran his campaign on a platform of abolishing abortion. He said he feels a sense of duty to his constituents and his Christian faith to pursue this type of legislation.The bill died in Oklahoma after some local anti-abortion organizations spoke out against it. Deevers, who also has advocated against contraception, expressed frustration with mainstream anti-abortion groups.Politics and compromise have corrupted their mission, he said, adding that he was encouraged that his bill received a hearing. This is how change happens. When were dealing with controversial issues, change may not happen quickly Its not the result we wanted, but it is progress.The North Dakota Legislature voted down a similar bill after a staff member from the national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America testified against it and read from a 2022 letter signed by more than 70 national and state anti-abortion groups that urged state lawmakers not to pass bills criminalizing women for abortions.Were all trying to get to the same goal, said North Dakota Rep. Matt Ruby. I think there are some abolitionists whove forgotten that and, in their anger, are trying to tear other organizations down. But that does nothing for the movement.Hawkins, from Students for Life, said there are three camps within the anti-abortion movement: one that seeks to prosecute abortion patients, one that would never want to prosecute patients and one somewhere in between. The in-between group opposes prosecution now but acknowledges that this might change as culture and laws shift.Hawkins said she is in the third category, while maintaining that abortion abolitionists today are not representative of the broader anti-abortion movement.If you want more pro-abortion Democrats to win future elections, then keep talking about putting women in jail, by all means, Hawkins said.___The Associated Pressreceives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Visitors walk up and down the steps of the William McKinley Memorial on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)2025-04-12T11:51:46Z CANTON, Ohio (AP) If youve been intrigued by President Donald Trumps praise of his long-ago White House predecessor William McKinley and yearn to know more, its time you head to Ohio.Americas 25th president was born and is buried in the Buckeye State, where museums and monuments to him abound. Websites promoting the states McKinley attractions have seen a surge in page views since Trump began highlighting McKinleys Gilded Age presidency, which ran from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. Officials hope a bump in summer tourism will follow. I dont think there has been as much interest in William McKinley in at least a century, in terms of kind of the public consciousness, said Kevin Kern, an associate professor of history at the University of Akron. The last time was in 1928, when McKinleys face was printed on the $500 bill. While Trump has attached himself to McKinley, Kern says the two Republicans political positions are, in many respects, really apples and oranges. In McKinleys day, the United States was just becoming the worlds foremost manufacturing power. Tariffs were viewed as a way to protect that momentum. Today, the economy is global. Kern also noted that Republicans took huge losses in the 1890 election after the imposition of the McKinley Tariff, and that McKinley appeared to change his tune on tariffs in a speech delivered the day before he was assassinated in 1901. Within an easy drive of Cleveland, you can find a host of sites for learning more about McKinleys politics and personal life. Heres a closer look: A monument to McKinleys birth McKinley was born in 1843 in Niles, a Youngstown suburb about 70 miles (112.65 kilometers) east of Cleveland. Here, youll find the National McKinley Birthplace Memorial, a classical Greek marble monument that sits on the site of McKinleys former one-room schoolhouse. A McKinley statue stands at the center of the well-manicured Court of Honor, which is flanked by a small museum and the communitys library. The McKinley birthplace home and research center sits nearby. Tackling McKinleys legacy in CantonCanton is perhaps best known for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, The city, about 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) from either Cleveland or Niles, is where the kindly and mild-mannered McKinley spent most of his adult life. A young McKinley settled here after serving in the Civil War, began his law career and married Ida Saxton McKinley. The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum is a great place to dig into the shared policy goals especially tariffs and territorial expansion that attract Trump to McKinley. An animatronic William and Ida McKinley greet visitors to the museums McKinley Gallery, which features interactive opportunities as well as historical furnishings, clothing, jewelry and campaign memorabilia. The building also houses a presidential archive and a science center complete with dinosaurs and a planetarium. The sites dominant feature, however, is the imposing McKinley Monument, which looms on a hill atop 108 stone steps. It houses the mausoleum where the McKinleys and their two young daughters are buried. More McKinley memorabilia is on display at the Canton Classic Car Museum. A McKinley statue buffeted by historyThe residents of Arcata, California, were not so enamored of McKinleys imperialist legacy. In 2018, amid national soul-searching over historical monuments, the liberal college town decided to remove an 8-foot sculpture of McKinley, the annexation treaty for Hawaii in his hand, from their town square. Over a century old, the statue had been moved to Arcata from San Francisco, where it was toppled in the 1906 earthquake. It now stands at the stately Stark County Courthouse in downtown Canton, where McKinley worked as a county prosecutor before being elected a congressman and Ohio governor. It was placed there in 2023 after being bought back from Arcata by a Canton foundation and restored. Glimpsing the McKinleys home life A three-block walk from the courthouse is the Saxton-McKinley House, part of the National First Ladies Historic Site operated in partnership with the National Park Service. Originally Idas home, the elegant Victorian mansion was the couples residence at different times during their marriage. Its not the house from which McKinley conducted his fabled front porch campaign of 1896; that was demolished in the 1930s. A replica of the porch and the actual chair McKinley sat in can be found at the McKinley museum, however, and a tabletop replica of his campaign house is on view at the Stark County District Library, which now sits on the site.If youd like to see the porch where another Ohio president carried out his front porch campaign, try the James A. Garfield Historic Site in Mentor, about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) northwest of Cleveland.Tale of two churchesThe granddaughter of John Saxton, a city pioneer and founder of the Canton Repository newspaper, Ida Saxton attended Cantons First Presbyterian Church, a few blocks from their home. Now known as Christ Presbyterian Church, this is where the McKinleys were married in 1871, the new stone buildings tower yet uncompleted. Williams church was the nearby Crossroads United Methodist. Ida had a series of stained glass panels depicting the phases of her husbands life installed there after this death. For the hardy traveler If youre willing to travel a bit farther afield, several other sites could add to your McKinley experience. First is the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums, located about 85 miles (136.79 kilometers) east of Cleveland in Fremont. Known as Spiegel Grove, the site established in 1916 is home of the nations first presidential library. Its museum explores Hayes service in the Civil War, when he was McKinleys commander. In Columbus, about 150 miles (241.40 kilometers) southwest of Cleveland, a McKinley statue in front of the Ohio Statehouse faces west. This was where McKinley, then governor, would stand to doff his hat to Ida as she looked out the window of their apartment at the Neil House. The legendary hotel was torn down in 1980 to make way for the Huntington Center now dominating that block. Rounding out the timeline of McKinleys life, a 96-foot tall obelisk memorializing him sits on Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York. He was assassinated by an anarchist while appearing at the Pan-American Exposition there in 1901. JULIE CARR SMYTH Smyth has covered government and politics from Columbus, Ohio, for The Associated Press since 2006. twitter mailto

2025-04-12T14:38:41Z The Trump administration says electronics like smartphones and laptops will be excluded from reciprocal tariffs, a move that could help keep prices down for popular consumer electronics that arent usually made in the U.S.The announcement on Friday would also benefit big tech companies like Apple and Samsung.The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said items like smartphones, laptops, machines used to make semiconductors and flat-panel monitors would be exempt. 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 RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, an educational toy company whose products are manufactured in China, stands at a warehouse in Vernon Hills, Ill., Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)2025-04-12T10:12:38Z WASHINGTON (AP) Rick Woldenberg thought he had come up with a sure-fire plan to protect his Chicago-area educational toy company from President Donald Trumps massive new taxes on Chinese imports.When he announced a 20% tariff, I made a plan to survive 40%, and I thought I was being very clever, said Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, a third-generation family business that has been manufacturing in China for four decades. I had worked out that for a very modest price increase, we could withstand 40% tariffs, which was an unthinkable increase in costs.His worst-case scenario wasnt worst-case enough. Not even close.The American president quickly upped the ante with China, raising the levy to 54% to offset what he said were Chinas unfair trade practices. Then, enraged when China retaliated with tariffs of its own, he upped the levies to a staggering 145%. Woldenberg reckons that will push Learning Resources tariff bill from $2.3 million last year to $100.2 million in 2025. I wish I had $100 million, he said. Honest to God, no exaggeration: It feels like the end of days. Addicted to low-price Chinese goodsIt might at least be the end of an era of inexpensive consumer goods in America. For four decades, and especially since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, Americans have relied on Chinese factories for everything from smartphones to Christmas ornaments.As tensions between the worlds two biggest economies and geopolitical rivals have risen over the past decade, Mexico and Canada have supplanted China as Americas top source of imported goods and services. But China is still No. 3 and second behind Mexico in goods alone and continues to dominate in many categories. China produces 97% of Americas imported baby carriages, 96% of its artificial flowers and umbrellas, 95% of its fireworks, 93% of its childrens coloring books and 90% of its combs, according to a report from the Macquarie investment bank. Over the years, American companies have set up supply chains that depend on thousands of Chinese factories. Low tariffs greased the system. As recently as January 2018, U.S. tariffs on China averaged just over 3%, according to Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.American consumers created China, said Joe Jurken, founder of the ABC Group in Milwaukee, which helps U.S. businesses manage supply chains in Asia. American buyers, the consumers, got addicted to cheap pricing. And the brands and the retailers got addicted to the ease of buying from China.Slower growth and higher pricesNow Trump, demanding that manufacturers return production to America, is swinging a tariff sledgehammer at the American importers and the Chinese factories they rely on.The consequences of tariffs at this scale could be apocalyptic at many levels, said David French, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Retail Foundation.The Yale University Budget Lab estimates that the tariffs that Trump has announced globally since taking office would lower U.S. economic growth by 1.1 percentage points in 2025. The tariffs are also likely to push up prices. The University of Michigans survey of consumer sentiment, out Friday, found that Americans expect long-term inflation to reach 4.4%, up from 4.1% last month.Inflations going up in the United States, said Stephen Roach, former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and now at Yale Law Schools China Center. Consumers have figured this out as well.No business can run on uncertaintyIts not just the size of Trumps tariffs that has businesses bewildered and scrambling; its the speed and the unpredictability with which the president is rolling them out.On Wednesday, the White House said the tariffs on China would hit 125%. A day later, it corrected that: No, the tariffs would be 145%, including a previously announced 20% to pressure China to do more to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States.China in turn has imposed a 125% tariff on the U.S. effective Saturday.There is so much uncertainty, said Isaac Larian, the founder of MGA Entertainment, which makes L.O.L. and Bratz dolls, among other toys. And no business can run on uncertainty. His company gets 65% of its product from Chinese factories, a share he is trying to winnow down to 40% by the end of the year. MGA also manufactures in India, Vietnam and Cambodia, but Trump is threatening to levy heavy tariffs on those countries, too, after delaying them for 90 days.Larian estimates that the price of Bratz dolls could go from $15 to $40 and that of L.O.L. dolls could double to $20 by this years holiday season.Even his Little Tikes brand, which is made in Ohio, is not immune. Little Tikes depends on screws and other parts from China. Larian figures the price for its toy cars could rise to $90 from a suggested retail price of $65.He said MGA would likely cut orders for the fourth quarter because he is worried that higher prices will scare off consumers. Calling off China production plans Marc Rosenberg, founder and CEO of The Edge Desk in Deerfield, Illinois, invested millions of dollars of his own money to develop $1,000 ergonomic chairs, which were to start production in China next month.Nows he calling off production and exploring markets outside the U.S., including Germany and Italy, where his chairs wouldnt face Trumps triple-digit tariffs.He had looked for ways to make the chairs in the United States and had discussions with potential suppliers in Michigan, but the costs would have been 25% to 30% higher.They didnt have the skilled labor to do this stuff, and they didnt have the desire to do it, Rosenberg said.Making Chinese imports go kaputWoldenbergs company in Vernon Hills, Illinois, has been in the family since 1916. It was started by his grandfather as a laboratory supply company and evolved over the years into Learning Resources.The company specializes in educational toys such as Botley: The Coding Robot and the brainteaser Kanoodle. It employs about 500 people 90% in the United States and makes about 2,400 products in China.Woldenberg is reeling from the size and suddenness of Trumps tariffs.The products I make in China, about 60% of what I do, become economically unviable overnight, he said. In an instant, snap of a finger, theyre kaput.He described Trumps call for factories to return to the United States as a joke.I have been looking for American manufacturers for a long time ... and I have come up with zero companies to partner with, he said.The tariffs, unless theyre reduced or eliminated, will wipe out thousands of small Chinese suppliers, Woldenberg predicted. That would spell disaster for companies like his that have installed expensive tools and molds in Chinese factories, he said. The stand to lose not only their manufacturing base but also possibly their tools, which could get caught up in bankruptcies in China.Learning Resources has about 10,000 molds, weighing collectively more than 5 million pounds, in China. Its not like you just bring in a canvas bag, zip it up and walk out, Woldenberg said. There is no idle manufacturing hub standing fully equipped, full of engineers and qualified people waiting for me to show up with 10,000 molds to make 2,000 products.___DInnocenzio reported from New York. ANNE DINNOCENZIO DInnocenzio writes about retail, trends, the consumer economy and hourly workers for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Mother and brother cry at the coffin of Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Samoilovich, 18, of 1st Separate Assault Regiment of Dmytro Kotsiubailo, during farewell ceremony in Slavuta, Ukraine, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Anna Donets)2025-04-12T14:43:07Z Russia and Ukraines top diplomats on Saturday used a high-level conference in Turkey to once again trade accusations of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year-old war.The two foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects. Ukraines European allies on Friday promised billions of dollars to help Kyiv keep fighting Russias invasion. While Moscow and Kyiv both agreed in principle last month to implement a limited, 30-day ceasefire, they issued conflicting statements soon after their separate talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia. They differed on the start time of halting strikes, and alleged near-immediate breaches by the other side. The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyivs attacks during the past three weeks.A representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry separately told state media Saturday that Moscow has been sharing intelligence with the U.S. regarding more than 60 supposed breaches of the deal by Kyiv. Trump says Russia has to get movingLavrov on Saturday insisted Russia had stuck to the terms of the deal. His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying Russia had launched almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians, since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes. This clearly shows to the world who wants peace and who wants war, he said.Russian forces hold the advantage in Ukraine, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is planning a fresh spring offensive to ramp up pressure on its foe and improve its negotiating position. Ukraine has endorsed a broader U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Russia has effectively blocked it by imposing far-reaching conditions. European governments have accused Putin of dragging his feet.Russia has to get moving on the road to ending the war, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media Friday. He said the war is terrible and senseless.Lavrov on Saturday reiterated that a prospective U.S.-backed agreement, also discussed in Saudi Arabia, to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea could not be implemented until restrictions are lifted on Russian access to shipping insurance, docking ports and international payment systems.Details of the prospective deal were not released, but it appeared to mark another attempt to ensure safe Black Sea shipping after a 2022 agreement that was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey but halted by Russia the following year. Ukraine reports death of F-16 pilotUkraines air force said a second F-16 fighter jet supplied by Western allies has been lost and its pilot, 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov, killed. Ukraines General Staff said the F-16 crashed while repelling a Russian missile strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday offered condolences to Ivanovs family, saying, We are proud of our soldiers. We will give a strong and apt response. Ukraine said the first F-16 was shot down last August, after it intercepted three Russian missiles and a drone. Since last July, Ukraine has received multiple batches of the fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, with U.S. approval. Their total number has not been disclosed.Meanwhile, Russian drones killed at least two civilians in Ukraines southern Kherson region on Saturday, according to local Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin. ___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Welcome to our blog series: “Misinformation & Extremism in America.” We’re living in an age where truth is harder to find than ever. One minute you’re watching a video your friend sent, and the next thing you know, you're neck-deep in a wild theory about lizard people controlling the government. Sound familiar? But this isn't just about quirky internet...

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2025-04-12T17:19:01Z CAIRO (AP) Sudans notorious paramilitary group launched a two-day attack on famine-hit camps for displaced people that left more than 100 dead, including 20 children and nine aid workers, in the Darfur region, a U.N. official said Saturday.The Rapid Support Forces and allied militias launched an offensive on the Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps and the nearby city of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, on Friday, said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami.El-Fasher is under the control of the military, which has fought the RSF since Sudan descended into civil war two years ago, killing more than than 24,000 people, according to the United Nations, though activists say the number is likely far higher.The camps were attacked again on Saturday, Nkweta-Salami said in a statement. She said that nine aid workers were killed while operating one of the very few remaining health posts still operational in Zamzam camp. This represents yet another deadly and unacceptable escalation in a series of brutal attacks on displaced people and aid workers in Sudan since the onset of this conflict nearly two years ago, she said. Nkweta-Salami didnt identify the aid workers but Sudans Doctors Union said in a statement that six medical workers with the Relief International were killed when their hospital in Zamzam came under attack on Friday. They include Dr. Mahmoud Babaker Idris, a physician at the hospital, and Adam Babaker Abdallah, head of the group in the region, the union said.It blamed the RSF for this criminal and barbaric act. The offensive forced about 2,400 people to flee the camps and el-Fasher, according to the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, a local group in Darfur.Zamzam and Abu Shouk shelter more than 700,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes across Darfur during past bouts of fighting in the region, Nkweta-Salami said. Late last month, the Sudanese military regained control over Khartoum, a major symbolic victory in the war. But the RSF still controls most of Darfur and some other areas.The two camps are among five areas in Sudan where famine was detected by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, IPC, a global hunger monitoring group. The war has created the worlds largest humanitarian crisis, with about 25 million people half of Sudans population facing extreme hunger. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

A view of the Jet Set nightclub days after its roof collapsed, killing more than 200 people, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)2025-04-12T16:51:10Z SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) Four people hospitalized after being rescued from the rubble of a roof collapse at a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic died overnight, raising the death toll to 225, health officials said Saturday.Officials said 189 people were rescued alive from the rubble of the popular venue in the capital Santo Domingo. More than 200 were injured, with 15 of them still hospitalized, including five in critical condition.Early on Tuesday, the roof at the nightclub Jet Set collapsed during a merengue concert. Politicians, athletes and a fashion designer were among those enjoying live music when disaster struck.As of Saturday morning, people remained at a forensics institute waiting for the return of their loved ones bodies. Later in the day, health authorities said all 225 bodies had been returned to the victims families. Health minister Victor Attalah told journalists Saturday there was a delay in identifying victims because the majority of them had to be matched using biometric data. Victims identified so far include former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera. Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi whose brother is seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz also died. Officials have said it is too soon to determine why the roof fell, although prosecutors visited the scene on Thursday after rescue crews began packing up and removed heavy equipment. On Thursday, President Luis Abinader and First Lady Raquel Arbaje attended the burial of singer Rubby Prez in Santo Domingos National Theater. Prez had been performing on stage at the packed Jet Set club early Tuesday when dust began falling from the ceiling and, seconds later, the roof caved. Mourners clad in black and white streamed into the theater and some doubled over in tears as a recording of Prez singing the national anthem played.

Scottie Scheffler celebrates after chipping in for birdie on the 12th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)2025-04-11T23:45:26Z AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Even the azaleas at Augusta National seem to love Scottie Scheffler. The magnolia trees werent so friendly, though.The two-time Masters champions title defense took some unusual detours into the flora surrounding Augusta Nationals ryegrass fairways and bentgrass greens Friday, and if he hopes to win a third green jacket Sunday, hell have to rally from another unfamiliar spot three shots outside the lead.Scheffler led by five shots at the halfway point in 2022 and won by three. Last year, he was tied for the lead after the second round and won by four part of a nine-win season that included a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.This time, hes at 5-under 139 and tied for fifth through 36 holes. Justin Rose was 8 under, with Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy also ahead of the defending champ.Over his first 24 holes of this Masters, Scheffler played the sort of golf that makes even McIlroy jealous bogey- and drama-free. Then he began to wobble, with three bogeys in a five-hole stretch. And for a few seconds, it looked like hed made a mess of the par-3 12th. His approach sailed well beyond the front left hole location and landed on an upslope covered by blooming azaleas but the bushes spat out the ball, leaving a manageable chip. From there, Schefflers elite short game took over. He chipped in for an improbable birdie that got him back under par for the day. When youre playing for the wind to be into and it turns around and goes straight down, I mean, its very challenging, Scheffler said. I was fortunate to see the ball come out of the bushes there and was able to take advantage of the break.The excitement wasnt over as the wind started gusting and temperatures cooled over his final six holes. He birdied Nos. 14 and 17 but had a three-putt bogey on the par-3 16th.On the 18th, he sent his drive left, where it settled under a magnolia, and Scheffler addressed the ball from his knees before asking for a rules official and sitting down in the pine straw. He ultimately punched out to the fairway, sent his third shot over the green and got up and down for bogey. Its quite challenging and you get winds like that. Youve really got to manage your expectations, manage yourself around the course, he said. Sometimes I did a good job of that. Other times today, maybe not so good.No fan favorite when he won his first Masters, Scheffler has grown in the patrons esteem since. During his nearly two years as the worlds top-ranked player, he has let his guard down a bit, showing more of his dry, sarcastic sense of humor. But mostly, fans admire his incredible shot-making.On Friday afternoon, even as McIlroy and DeChambeau moved up the leaderboard ahead of him, spectators crowded the tee boxes and marveled at Schefflers perfectly struck approaches to the par-3 fourth and sixth holes, the second of those leading to birdie.Hes seeking to become the first to win back-to-back Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002 and the second ever to win three of four. Jack Nicklaus did it in 1963, 65 and 66. Eight players have won three or more green jackets: Nicklaus has six, Woods has five, Arnold Palmer won four, and Nick Faldo, Gary Player, Sam Snead and Jimmy Demaret won three each. At 28, Scheffler would also become the only active player under 30 with three major titles.This is Schefflers first Masters as a dad, with 11-month-old Bennett having joined him for Wednesdays Par 3 Contest, wearing a white caddie jumpsuit.He still has a chance for another memorable moment with his son at the 18th hole Sunday.___This story has been corrected. A previous version reported incorrectly that Arnold Palmer won three Masters titles instead of four.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf BEN NUCKOLS Nuckols is a sports writer and editor who covers football, basketball, baseball, golf and other sports. He has covered the National Spelling Bee since 2012. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)2025-04-12T21:53:12Z The Trump administration confirmed to a federal judge Saturday that a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported last month remains confined in a notorious prison in El Salvador. But the governments filing did not address the judges demands that the administration detail what steps it was taking to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. The government only said Garcia is under the authority of the El Salvador government. The administrations confirmation of Garcias location was confirmed to the court by Michael G. Kozak, who identified himself in the filing as a Senior Bureau Official in the State Departments Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. The filing comes one day after a U.S. government attorney struggled in a hearing to provide U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis with any information about Garcias whereabouts. Xinis issued an order after Fridays hearing requiring the administration to disclose Garcias current physical location and custodial status and what steps, if any, Defendants have taken (and) will take, and when, to facilitate his return. It is my understanding based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador that Abrego Garcia is currently being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, Kozaks statement said. He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador. Kozaks statement did not address the judges latter requirements. Xinis was exasperated Friday with the governments lack of information. Where is he and under whose authority? the judge asked in the hearing. Im not asking for state secrets. All I know is that hes not here. The government was prohibited from sending him to El Salvador, and now Im asking a very simple question: Where is he? BILL BARROW Bill Barrow covers U.S. politics. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto

Former President Jair Bolsonaro arrives at a demonstration demanding amnesty for those arrested for 2023's alleged coup attempt, in Sao Paulo, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ettore Chiereguini)2025-04-12T19:13:15Z SAO PAULO (AP) Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was transferred Saturday by medical aircraft from northeastern Brazil to the capital Brasilia after being hospitalized with abdominal pain a day earlier.Bolsonaro was hospitalized Friday morning while traveling in northeastern Brazil. The pain was caused by a bowel obstruction and was related to long-term effects of being stabb ed in the abdomen in September 2018, his doctors said.Bolsonaro has been in and out of hospitals since the attack at a campaign event before Brazils 2018 presidential election. The conservative leader underwent several surgeries during his presidency from 2019-2022. After so many similar episodes over the past few years, I had gotten used to the pain and discomfort. But this time, even the doctors were surprised, he said in a social media post Saturday, adding that a longtime physician told him it was the most serious case since the attack. Bolsonaro also said he would likely undergo another surgery. Earlier on Saturday, doctors at Rio Grande Hospital in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte told journalists he was stable and not in need of emergency surgery, said further procedures would depend on his recovery. Doctors also that the transfer to Brasilia was requested by his family and would happen Saturday afternoon.The far-right leader was admitted to a hospital in Santa Cruz, a small city in Rio Grande do Norte, and later transferred to a hospital in the states capital, Natal. Bolsonaro was set to start a trip across the region to promote his partys right-wing agenda, eyeing next years presidential election, though he himself is barred from running. The region traditionally has been a political bastion of President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva.

by T. Christian Miller ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. On a late afternoon in November 2017, Witney Arch told her 1-1/2-year-old son to stop playing and come inside. Upset, he grabbed her right breast when she picked him up. She experienced a shock of pain but did not think it was anything serious. A week later, however, the ache had not subsided. After trips to several doctors, a biopsy revealed that Arch had early-stage breast cancer. Her surgeon told her that it was likely invasive and aggressive.By the end of January, she had made two critical decisions. She would get a double mastectomy. And she wanted her operation at the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans, a medical facility renowned for its highly specialized approach to breast cancer care and reconstruction. The two surgeons who founded it had pioneered techniques that used a womans own body tissue to form new breasts post mastectomy. The idea of a natural restoration appealed to Arch. I dont judge anybody for getting implants, especially if youve had cancer, she said. But I felt like I was taking something foreign out of my body, cancer, and I did not want to put something foreign back in.Arch was a 42-year-old preschool teacher for her church, with four young children, living in a suburb of New Orleans. The 1-1/2-year-old had been born with Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. Caring for him consumed her life. By nature upbeat and optimistic, Arch felt blessed that her sons act of defiance had led to an early diagnosis. Were going to pray about this and were going to figure it out, she told her husband.Arch asked her insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, for approval to go to the center for her care, and the company granted it, a process known as prior authorization. Then, a week or so before her surgery, Arch was wrangling child care and meal plans when she got a call from the insurer. The representative on the line was trying to persuade her to have the surgery elsewhere. She urged Arch to seek a hospital that, unlike the center, was in network and charged less. Do you realize how much this is going to cost? Arch remembered the agent asking. Arch did not need more stress, but here it was from her own health plan. I feel very comfortable with my decision, she replied. My doctor teaches other doctors around the world how to do this. Over the next year, Arch underwent five operations to rid herself of cancer and reconstruct her breasts. Witney Arch received authorization from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana for her mastectomy and breast restoration, but the insurer did not pay the full bill from the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery. (Daniella Zalcman for ProPublica) Arch did not know it at the time, but her surgery would become evidence in a long-running legal fight between the breast centers founders, surgeons Frank DellaCroce and Scott Sullivan, and Blue Cross, Louisianas biggest health insurance company, with an estimated two-thirds share of the market. DellaCroce and Sullivan had repeatedly sued the insurer, alleging that it granted approvals for surgery but then denied payments or paid only a fraction of patients bills. They pointed to calls like the one Arch received as proof of the companys effort to drive away patients. The aggressive legal attack, they knew, was fraught. Litigation against the $3.4 billion company would take a long time and a lot of money. The chances of winning were slight. You fight dragons at great peril, DellaCroce would tell friends. But this September, after 18 years and several defeats in court, jurors found Blue Cross liable for fraud. They awarded the center $421 million one of the largest verdicts ever to a single medical practice outside of a class-action lawsuit. In a statement, Blue Cross said it disagrees with the jurys decision, which we believe was wrong on the facts and the law. We have filed an appeal and expect to be successful.Frustration with insurers is at an all-time high. The December fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson allegedly by Luigi Mangione serves as an extreme and tragic example. Doctors and insurers are locked into a perpetual conflict over health care costs, with patients caught in the middle. Doctors accuse insurance plans of blocking payments for health care treatments that can save the patients lives. Insurance companies insist they shouldnt pay for procedures that they say are unnecessary or overpriced. It is easy to emerge from an examination of the American health care system with a cynicism that both sides are broken and corrupt.However, interviews with scores of doctors, patients and insurance executives, as well as reviews of internal documents, regulatory filings and academic studies, reveal a fundamental truth: The two sides are not evenly matched. Insurance companies are players in the fight over money, and they are also the referees. Insurers produce their own guidelines to determine whether to pay claims. When a doctor appeals a denial, insurers make all the initial decisions. In legal settings, insurers are often given favorable standing in their ability to set what conditions they are required to cover. Federal and state insurance regulators lack the resources to pursue individual complaints against multibillion-dollar companies. Six major insurers, which include some of the nations largest companies, cover half of all Americans. They are pitted against tens of thousands of doctors practices and large hospital chains. The Blue Cross trial provides a rare opportunity to expose in detail the ways that health insurance companies wield power over doctors and their patients. Blue Cross executives testified that the breast center charged too much money sometimes more than $180,000 for an operation. The center, they said, deserved special attention because it had a history of questionable charges. But the insurers defense went even further, to the very meaning of prior authorization, which it had granted women like Arch to pursue surgery. The authorization, they said in court, recognized that a procedure was medically necessary, but it also contained a clause that it was not a guarantee of payment. Blue Cross was not obliged to pay the center anything, top executives testified. Let me be clear: The authorization never says were going to pay you, said Steven Udvarhelyi, who was the CEO for the insurer from 2016 to 2024, in a deposition. Thats why theres a disclaimer.From 2015 through 2023, the Baton Rouge-based insurer paid, on average, less than 9% of the charges billed by the breast center for more than 7,800 individual medical procedures even though it had authorized all of them. Thousands of such claims were never paid at all, according to court records. Testimony revealed that the health plan never considered thousands of appeals filed by the center. Corporate documents showed Blue Cross executives had set up secret processes for approving operations and reimbursing the clinic and its doctors that resulted in reduced fees and payment delays. One lucrative strategy: A national-level policy allowed Blue Cross Louisiana to take a cut of any savings it achieved in paying the breast center on behalf of patients covered by out-of-state Blue Cross companies, meaning the less the insurer paid out, the more it earned. Let me be clear: The authorization never says were going to pay you. Thats why theres a disclaimer. Steven Udvarhelyi, former Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana CEO In Sullivans words, the insurer was hypocritical, morally bankrupt. Blue Cross had stranded many of the centers patients with high bills, amounts that it had absorbed over the years. On several occasions, though, Blue Cross executives had signed special one-time deals with the center, known as single case agreements, to pay for their wives cancer treatment. To Sullivan, it seemed the insurer was willing to pay the center when patients had connections but would fight when patients did not.Blue Cross declined to comment on any individual cases but said in a statement that single case agreements were common in the industry and were available to all members when needed to access out-of-network providers. Dr. Scott Sullivan, left, and Dr. Frank DellaCroce, the founding surgeons of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and St. Charles Surgical Hospital (Daniella Zalcman for ProPublica) Chapter 1 The Center Nobody would take the breast center and its adjoining hospital as an ordinary medical establishment. The two facilities take up a city block along St. Charles Avenue, the thoroughfare famous for its streetcars, Mardi Gras parades and Queen Anne mansions. Patients access the complex created by merging a former law office, funeral home, car dealership and Dunkin Donuts by driving around back where a porte cochere leads into a soaring atrium. Light pours in through windows set in the high ceiling. Arrangements of white orchids are scattered among comfortable couches and chairs. Here, women consult with doctors to plan their treatment. Surgeries are performed at the 39-bed hospital, which has an Icee machine in a family room. New-age music plays softly throughout the building. Rooms are designed to be as homey as possible, with medical gear hidden away and seascapes by a local artist hanging on the wall. One patients husband referred to it as a spa-spital.The idea of combining the luxury feel of an upscale plastic surgery practice with the mission-driven zeal of a medical clinic came to DellaCroce and Sullivan while they were young surgeons. The two grew up in Louisiana. Sullivan spent much of his childhood in Mandeville, a suburb of New Orleans on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain, his dad employed in the oil and gas industry. His mother wanted him to be a priest or a doctor. I definitely was not going to become a priest, he said. DellaCroces father worked at the paper mill in West Monroe in the states northern neck. His mother, a nurse, gave him an appreciation for medicine as a career that was meaningful and challenging.They became friends while working at the Louisiana State University medical center, where they earned the nickname the Sushi Brothers for their favorite lunch. They were drawn to microsurgery and breast reconstruction because it was an emerging field that was innovating and improving care. Both men became board-certified in plastic surgery. Sullivan, 60, is the hard-charging businessman, stocky, direct and blunt. DellaCroce, 58, with a ponytail, goatee and soft drawl, is more the diplomat, patient and cerebral. The pair have lectured around the world and written numerous medical journal articles. A patient room in the St. Charles Surgical Hospital in New Orleans (Daniella Zalcman for ProPublica) They opened their first office in 2003 in a single room rented from a fellow doctor at what was then known as Memorial Medical Center, the hulking private hospital in New Orleans. They performed operations at facilities throughout the region but found that most gave little consideration to their patients comfort. They wanted to build a different kind of hospital. Can we give them that little bit of extra without breaking the budget to make the experience less awful? Cant make it great, but can you make it less awful? DellaCroce explained. Can you attend to the human side of this patient and give them the added value of peace and confidence? Hurricane Katrina set back their construction plans, and the new edifice, named the St. Charles Surgical Hospital, did not open its doors until 2009. It boasts of being the only hospital in the country devoted solely to care for breast cancer patients who have received mastectomies. The center does not provide radiation or chemotherapy treatments. The majority of patients come from out of state.Women seeking to have their breasts restored after a mastectomy face two paths. Some choose a relatively straightforward surgical procedure using implants filled with silicon or another gel. The center specializes in the other option, whats known as autologous tissue reconstruction, where a womans own fat is taken from one part of the body, like the bottom or the stomach, and used to rebuild the breast. The procedure requires a longer recovery time, but the new breasts become part of the body.The transplant surgery is lengthy and complex. Operations can last up to 12 hours with big medical teams involved. One surgeon performs the mastectomy while another creates a new breast by knitting together layers of fat and tissue. Concentration is intense. The surgeons stare through glasses with microscopes to connect new blood vessels with a needle thats thinner than an eyelash, using thread less than half the width of a human hair. DellaCroce and Sullivan invented techniques, for example, allowing tissue to be taken from multiple sites when a woman did not have enough fat in one part of her body for a full restoration. Sullivan operates on a patient at St. Charles Surgical Hospital. (Daniella Zalcman for ProPublica) One afternoon last fall, DellaCroce strode into a cavernous operating room to check on a patient. On the table in front of him, a woman lay covered in curtains of blue surgical cloth, only her torso exposed. Earlier in the day, a surgical oncologist had removed her right breast as part of a mastectomy to treat her cancer. Later, another surgeon had taken flaps of fat from her stomach and interlaced them with blood vessels to create a new breast to replace the lost one. Now, in the fifth hour of surgery, a physicians assistant leaned over her midsection, closing an incision along her side with some final stitches. Nurses hurried around the space, preparing to wrap up the operation. Paul Simons You Can Call Me Al played in the background. The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air. A blue light signaled that the new arteries were successfully pumping blood. Wow, that woman looks really good, DellaCroce told the physicians assistant. Nice job.There is no denying that the centers high-end treatment means high costs. The median charge for an operation and hospital stay is about $165,000. DellaCroce and Sullivan hired consultants to review other well-regarded practices, who advised them their prices were competitive with their peers. We werent asking to be paid Lebron James, best of the best, even though we feel were in the top 1 or 2% of the country, Sullivan said. We just wanted something fair. Chapter 2 Blue Cross and Blue Shield It is one of the quirks of the American health care system that insurers almost never pay the prices for procedures demanded by doctors and hospitals.To understand why requires a tour of the grand bargain at the heart of the health insurance system. Insurance companies negotiate with hospitals and doctors to discount reimbursements on medical procedures, like office visits or MRI scans. Providers who sign these contracts are in network. Insurance companies like in-network doctors because they can budget for health expenses and set premiums accordingly. Doctors and hospitals agree to be in network because they get a steady stream of insured patients.DellaCroce and Sullivan held contracts with insurers that resulted in average payments to the centers doctors in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. But DellaCroce and Sullivan never came to an agreement with Blue Cross. That made them an exception in Louisiana the insurer is so dominant that 97% of local physicians and hospitals are in network. DellaCroce and Sullivan said the company was not offering them enough money in some cases not even enough to cover the cost of the surgeries, they argued in court documents. The doctors and their hospital remained out of network, meaning they charged Blue Cross the full price for their procedures.Such charges are controversial. Insurance companies and many health experts say they are too often inflated and untethered from actual costs. Physicians and hospitals say their fees are justified, reflecting the true price of medical care. In the end, insurers especially in states like Louisiana, with few competitors use their market power in negotiations to set reimbursements at what they want to pay, not what doctors charge.At Blue Cross, Dwight Brower was charged with reviewing the bills from the breast center. He had worked as a physician at a small family practice in Baton Rouge and then at a local hospital before joining Blue Cross as a medical director. He helped oversee prior authorizations. While many patients assume that an approval means an insurer will pay for an operation, it is simply a recognition that a procedure is medically necessary. Federal law mandates that private insurers cover breast restorations for women who undergo mastectomies because of cancer or genetic risk. And patients, in general, are allowed to choose their own doctors.However, since the center was out of network and had no contract with the insurer, Blue Cross determined how much it would pay for the treatment, and Brower believed that the breast centers bills were exorbitant. I did not think that they were reasonable, he would later testify. Surgeons doing lung transplants or brain surgery rarely billed Blue Cross more than $50,000 for their work. Why should DellaCroce and Sullivan get so much more? Dont get me wrong. The surgeons at the center are extremely skilled, he acknowledged. The operations were often lengthy. But so are open-heart surgeries, he said. Relative to some of the other extremely complicated surgeries done by other surgeons in other areas of the body, it just seemed like their fee schedule was extremely high.Blue Cross Louisiana executives testified that they did not even consider doctors invoices when making decisions on what to reimburse because such charges were unregulated and nonstandard. Instead, they paid an amount we establish unless the doctors bill was cheaper. In the end, the insurer said it settled on reimbursing the breast center about the same as in-network doctors performing similar operations, even though DellaCroce and Sullivan did not benefit from having patients referred to them. In practice, that meant the insurer paid out a fraction of the breast centers bills. Of the 7,837 medical procedures in dispute in the lawsuit, involving 1,680 patients, Blue Cross paid about $43 million on invoices totaling $500 million. Some 60% of the claims werent reimbursed at all. The difference between the bill and the payment could be striking. For example, in the case of Arch, Blue Cross paid $8,580 out of $102,722 for one operation. For another, it paid $3,190 out of $34,975. Fundamentally, I think their problem was that we were doctors who had control. That was regarded as a threat. Dr. Frank DellaCroce, Center for Restorative Breast Surgery co-founder Executives said the Blue Cross reimbursements were fair, designed to keep premiums low for the nearly 2 million Louisianans who depended on the insurer to cover their health care.Paying the breast centers full fees would add to its customers burden, they said. If we were to just agree to any rates or any prices set by physicians or any providers, it would cause cost to be exorbitantly high for both the plan and for members particularly, because we wouldnt be able to forecast or make sure those plans are actually sound, said Curtis Anders, the vice president of provider networks for Blue Cross. Premiums would increase.For many out-of-network doctors, payments lower than their invoices are an infuriating part of doing business. They absorb the costs, or pass them on to their patients, a practice known as balance billing that can result in medical debt. DellaCroce and Sullivan were the rare physicians with the tenacity to fight. The center collected money from both insurers and patients but it carried the unpaid portion of invoices on its books. That amount grew every year as it battled Blue Cross.DellaCroce and Sullivan were convinced that Blue Cross had singled them out for their obstreperousness, but they had no proof. Then, during a phone call one day, an employee for the center was talking to a Blue Cross representative to obtain a prior authorization. The representative let slip that the request required special handling. The breast centers doctors were flagged on an internal roster. It was called the targeted list. Chapter 3 Discoveries On Dec. 8, 2023, several dozen attorneys and paralegals from Chehardy Sherman Williams, one of New Orleans top law firms, were celebrating their annual holiday party. They had gathered in a private dining room with gilded mirrors and shimmering chandeliers at Arnauds restaurant, a bastion of Creole cuisine in the heart of the French Quarter. The waiters served shrimp remoulade, prime rib and turtle soup. Small talk filled the air.Suddenly, several attorneys cellphones buzzed as they all received the same email, a message from the lawyers for Blue Cross. It contained discovery for the case, more than 42,000 pages of internal documents, emails and policies. Matthew Sherman, one of the attorneys representing the center, turned to a colleague. Can you believe this? he asked. It was like something from a John Grisham novel, the kind of thing he and his friends had joked about at law school, a document dump at Christmas time. By long tradition, many of New Orleans biggest law firms hold their holiday parties on the same Friday afternoon in December. Afterward, rival attorneys from around town gather for drinks under a flag of truce at a local bar. Sherman realized there would be no afterparty this year. Nor much of a holiday vacation.The delivery of the documents was a Christmas gift nearly 20 years in the making. DellaCroce and Sullivans first lawsuits against Blue Cross, involving 88 breach-of-contract claims filed in a Louisiana civil court beginning in 2006, were dismissed because of a federal court ruling regarding jurisdiction. A second lawsuit, which lasted from 2010 through 2017, resulted in limited discovery and a two-day trial in federal court. Jurors found that Blue Cross had failed to tell the center how much it would pay for procedures, but they also ruled the center had not been financially harmed. A judge dismissed the remaining claims.DellaCroce and Sullivan launched their third lawsuit in February 2017 with a novel legal theory: They accused Blue Cross of fraud. They contended that for years the insurer had issued prior authorizations without the intention of paying the actual bills. Their lawyers had sought the targeted list during discovery to help prove the case. Blue Cross denied it existed.But now, as Sherman and fellow attorney Patrick Follette began poring over the thousands of documents, they came upon a spreadsheet that said Targeted Provider List. The first names on the list were DellaCroce and Sullivan. It was labeled confidential and dated June 2007 about a year after the pair had filed their first lawsuit against Blue Cross alleging nonpayment. More digging turned up other documents. There was a blocked list that also featured the two doctors.A corporate policy document provided what DellaCroce and Sullivan considered the most revealing explanation for Blue Cross financial motivation. Blue Cross insurers are independent companies that operate under a common set of rules, similar to franchisees in a fast-food chain. When a person covered by Blue Cross in their home state receives treatment in another state, the Blue Cross where the treatment occurs pays the provider and then recoups the cost from the home-state plan. What the attorneys discovered was that Blue Cross Louisiana would receive a share of any savings it could generate for the home-state plan. Say, for instance, Blue Cross Alabama was facing a bill of $5,000 for a procedure. If Blue Cross Louisiana instead paid $1,000, it saved the Alabama plan $4,000. The policy allowed Blue Cross Louisiana to earn 16% of the savings in this scenario, $640.For DellaCroce and Sullivan, the revelations cemented their belief that Blue Cross was a bad corporate actor more interested in power and control than health care. The percentage fee incentivized the insurer to pay the doctors as little as possible. The bigger the savings, the more Blue Cross made. Its win-win, DellaCroce said. Thats their pay day.As the trial approached, Blue Cross attempted to settle the case. DellaCroce and Sullivan refused the offer as too low. James Williams, left, and Matthew Sherman, the lawyers who represented DellaCroce and Sullivan in their suit against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Daniella Zalcman for ProPublica) Chapter 4 The Trial On the afternoon of Sept. 5, 2024, the case St. Charles Surgical Hospital, L.L.C. and Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, L.L.C. v. Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company D/B/A Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Louisiana, Inc. and HMO Louisiana, Inc. opened in Division C of the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, a high-ceilinged room with dark brown benches and tables, fake marble columns and fluorescent lights. James Williams, the chief litigator for the hospital, had already impressed the 45 potential jurors by memorizing all their names and backgrounds during jury selection. Now, he stood up and placed a football on the plaintiffs table in front of the 12 chosen to try the case, which included a third grade teacher, a movie stunt double and a hotel manager. He warned them that they would hear a lot of insurance talk from Blue Cross. Im going to ask you, ladies and gentlemen on the jury, keep your eye on the ball. Keep your eye on what this case is about, Williams told them. If they start saying things like, Well, oh, we paid them what we thought was fair, 9%, keep your eye on the ball, right?Over 10 days interrupted by a two-day break to allow a hurricane to pass across Louisiana Williams made his case that Blue Cross had defrauded his clients by making promises to pay but failing to deliver.Much of Blue Cross defense had relied on the notice that a prior authorization was no guarantee of payment. The insurer had not committed fraud, it said, since it never explicitly promised the center to reimburse anything. Udvarhelyi, the former CEO, had insisted on that. But on the stand, Blue Cross witnesses provided a more nuanced explanation. They acknowledged that the disclaimer was not meant as a general excuse to free the company from paying bills. A prior authorization usually resulted in a payment, testified Brower, who reviewed the centers bills. He said that the notice was intended for specific situations. For instance, Blue Cross would not cover a woman who dropped out of her insurance before the operation. Nor would it pay anything if a patient had not met her deductible. But otherwise, Brower said, Blue Cross intended to compensate for a procedure that it had authorized. Its inappropriate for us as a company to approve a code and then turn around and deny it, Brower said. During the trial, Williams told jurors to keep your eye on the ball. (Daniella Zalcman for ProPublica) Over the years, the center had appealed thousands of reimbursements for being too low. It hired additional employees to manage the paperwork. At the trial, Blue Cross revealed that it had never considered any of the appeals nor had it ever told the center that they were pointless. An appeal is not available to review an underpayment, acknowledged Paula Shepherd, a Blue Cross executive vice president. The insurer simply issued an edict the payment was correct.This was the core of the case. The insurer set the rules. The insurer set the prices. Doctors could appeal to a state insurance regulator. But if that failed, and it often did, the only recourse was a long, costly lawsuit.Williams summed up for the jury the centers treatment at the hands of Blue Cross: Our payments are slow pay, low pay or no pay.In countering those arguments, Blue Cross witnesses explained that the insurer was committed to paying for Louisianans health care and keeping costs low. As a nonprofit, it directed any excess revenue from operations back into the business. (Udvarhelyi, the CEO, did acknowledge that his salary, over $1 million, included bonuses that depended on hitting revenue targets and increasing membership.)Brian West, a Blue Cross executive who monitored payments, said the center had engaged in egregious billing practices. They are bad actors in the billing world, he said. But company witnesses offered only a handful of examples. Sometimes the center mistakenly coded its bills in a way that appeared to charge for four separate breast reconstructions in a single operation. In other cases, the center asked for payment for two surgeons in the room at the same time. But Blue Cross, following Medicare guidelines, would pay two surgeons only 20% more than the reimbursement for a single surgeon. An appeal is not available to review an underpayment. Paula Shepherd, Blue Cross Louisiana executive vice president Blue Cross did not accuse the center of any intentional miscoding but the sloppy billing led to additional scrutiny, the companys witnesses said. The targeted list, a witness testified, had been created especially for the center, requiring all prior authorization requests to bypass normal routes for a special review by company doctors. The blocked list meant that each bill from the center received a manual scrub by payment specialists before reimbursement. Blue Cross acknowledged the careful checking often resulted in the need for more information from the center, which could result in slower processing of claims. But the lists, executives insisted, were not designed to reduce payments. Basically, no harm was done, said Becky Juncker, who was involved in approving surgical procedures.Company witnesses explained that the 16% received in saving money for out-of-state Blue Cross insurers was a fee to cover the costs of handling adjustments of the claim though they were not able to explain why Blue Cross did not charge a flat fee for its services.Blue Cross also defended itself against the accusation that it had paid nothing for 60% of the charges for individual procedures. Witnesses said the insurer had followed industry practice in bundling charges to make a single payment for an operation. An attorney for the center noted that it had never agreed to take bundled payments Blue Cross had imposed them.As to the calls to women like Arch? That was an effort to save members money. Our medical area would reach out to our members who were utilizing out-of-network providers to help them understand the, I would say, the financial implications, said Shepherd, the Blue Cross executive vice president, in a deposition. It could be financially catastrophic to a member to have an out-of-network claim that they are financially responsible for. Its a huge difference.In summing up the case, Kim Boyle, the lead attorney for the company, told jurors that Blue Cross had not committed fraud. It had acted to ensure the company and its members paid a fair price for the centers services, she said. Theres no scheme. Theres no plot. Theres no mafia. There are no Blue Cross employees of Louisiana that are sitting in some smoke-filled room in Baton Rouge, plotting against these plaintiffs on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, Boyle said. Its fiction; its fancy; its completely made up.On Sept. 20, at 1:57 p.m., Judge Sidney H. Cates IV sent the jurors to deliberate. The center attorneys retreated to a nearby hotel to await the verdict. About two hours later, they were summoned back to Division C. Williams put his head down and swore. He worried that such a quick return in the legally complex case meant victory for Blue Cross.The centers lawyers paid close attention to Cates as he reviewed the jurors decision. It was a two-page form. If the jurors found in favor of Blue Cross, the judge would have no reason to read on. Cates flipped to the second page: The jurors had found Blue Cross liable for fraud. Please express in dollars the total monetary compensation, if any, Blue Cross owes the hospital and the center for the damages, Cates said, reading from the verdict. Net damages, $421,488,633. The centers lawyers stood and shook hands as the insurers attorneys prepared to leave the courtroom.DellaCroce was in surgery at the hospital, having expected a longer deliberation. Sullivan was in the courtroom to hear the verdict. Afterward, jurors approached and thanked him for his work. He teared up. We would have given more if we had been asked for more. Thats how egregious the fraud was, Juliet Laughlin, a 58-year-old property manager who served as forewoman, later said. There had been wrong done. Blue Cross has appealed the verdict. A health insurance trade group has warned that the finding sets a dangerous precedent. If allowed to stand, insurance companies in Louisiana may find themselves forced to pay whatever price is demanded by out-of-network doctors which in turn could raise health insurance premiums across the state, the Louisiana Association of Health Plans said in a statement.For DellaCroce and Sullivan, the verdict was vindication. They had refused to sign contracts they thought unfair. They had rejected settlement offers they thought too low. The trial had revealed Blue Cross domineering behavior. Fundamentally, I think their problem was that we were doctors who had control, DellaCroce said. That was regarded as a threat.In the months since the judgment, Blue Cross has not changed its practices, the doctors said. It has not approached with an offer that would bring the hospital in network. It still issues prior authorizations for womens surgeries. And it still pays only a fraction of the billed fees. How We Reported the StoryThis account is based on a review of thousands of pages of trial transcripts, depositions, federal and state court records, and internal corporate documents from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and the St. Charles Surgical Hospital; scores of interviews with doctors, patients and insurance executives; medical records; regulatory filings; and reports by academics, experts and the Louisiana state Senate. Some corporate documents discussed in court were placed under seal after the trials conclusion. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana was provided a detailed list of questions and responded with a written statement, cited in part in the story. The company declined to make any employees available for an interview. Former Blue Cross CEO Steven Udvarhelyi declined to comment, and former employee Dwight Brower did not respond to phone calls or emails. Freelance photographer Daniella Zalcman contributed reporting.

by Lisa Song ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. Federal scientists responsible for monitoring the health of West Coast fisheries are cleaning office bathrooms and reconsidering critical experiments after the Department of Commerce failed to renew their labs contracts for hazardous waste disposal, janitorial services, IT and building maintenance.Trash is piling up at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, staffers told ProPublica. Ecologists, chemists and biologists at Montlake Laboratory, the centers headquarters in Seattle, are taking turns hauling garbage to the dumpster and discussing whether they should create a sign-up sheet to scrub toilets.The scientists who conduct genetic sampling of endangered salmon to check the species stock status and survival routinely work with chemicals that can burn skin, erupt into flames and cause cancer. At least one said theyd have to delay mission-critical research if hazardous waste removal isnt restored.The deteriorating conditions at Montlake stem from a new policy at the Commerce Department that says Secretary Howard Lutnick must personally approve all contracts over $100,000. NPR reported that the bottleneck has disrupted operations at many NOAA facilities. ProPublica spoke to three Montlake employees who described what it was like to work there as, one by one, service contracts expire and arent renewed. People are running around looking for compost bags and wondering who will empty out the female sanitary waste containers in the bathrooms, they said. The floors are getting dirty and workers have no access to vacuums or mops. Some scientists have bought their own soap and cleaning supplies.Nor can people escape by working from home: the Trump administration has increasingly ordered federal workers to return to the office five days a week. At Montlake, that policy will apply to everyone by April 21.Its making our work unsafe, and its unsanitary for any workplace, but especially an active laboratory full of fire-reactive chemicals and bacteria, one Montlake researcher said.Press officers at NOAA, the Commerce Department and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.Montlake employees were informed last week that a contract for safety services which includes the staff who move laboratory waste off-campus to designated disposal sites would lapse after April 9, leaving just one person responsible for this task. Hazardous waste pickups from labs may be delayed, employees were warned in a recent email.The building maintenance teams contract expired Wednesday, which decimated the staff that had handled plumbing, HVAC and the elevators. Other contacts lapsed in late March, leaving the Seattle lab with zero janitorial staff and a skeleton crew of IT specialists.During a big staff meeting at Montlake on Wednesday, lab leaders said they had no updates on when the contracts might be renewed, one researcher said. They also acknowledged it was unfair that everyone would need to pitch in on janitorial duties on top of their actual jobs.Nick Tolimieri, a union representative for Montlake employees, said the problem is all part of the large-scale bullying program to push out federal workers. It seems like every Friday we get some kind of message that makes you unable to sleep for the entire weekend, he said. Now, with these lapsed contracts, its getting more and more petty.The problems, large and small, at Montlake provide a case study of the chaos thats engulfed federal workers across many agencies as the Trump administration has fired staff, dumped contracts and eliminated long-time operational support. Yesterday, hundreds of NOAA workers who had been fired in February, then briefly reinstated, were fired again. Local management had new service contracts ready to go ages ago, Tolimieri said. The delay from headquarters means employees will struggle to get repairs for their computers or basic building maintenance; the aging elevators at Montlake already break so often that Tolimieri joked it would be easier to send notices on the occasions when they did work.The fisheries center employs more than 350 people, most of whom work at Montlake. The rest are scattered across several research stations in Oregon and Washington.Staff at the center conduct research and provide scientific advice for policies on sustainable fishing and endangered species, including a population of orcas in Puget Sound. They test seafood after oil spills to ensure the fish are safe to eat. Their work helps restore native salmon populations and support regional farming.NOAA is so uncontroversial, said the Montlake researcher whos worried about hazardous waste disposal. Employees are just trying to do weather reports and give people good seafood.The researcher said lab workers are trained in basic lab safety, so the chemicals are properly stored, handled and placed into appropriate waste containers after use. But theres a limit to how much chemical waste can be kept on site. And the contractors who left were experts on handling emergencies like large chemical spills or serious toxic exposures.If those contractors dont return soon, the researcher said, the lab may need to delay or pause important research.That could include chemical-intensive lab work like testing sea lions, killer whales and walruses from Alaska for environmental contaminants, Tolimieri said.For a bunch of people who are screaming about efficiency, he said, referring to the administrations efforts to downsize the federal government, theyve done the most inefficient things possible.

This photo provided by Ana L Vazquez, shows Victor Perez in a hospital bed in Pocatello, Idaho. (Ana L Vazquez via AP)2025-04-12T20:00:51Z BOISE, Idaho (AP) An autistic, nonverbal teenage boy who was shot repeatedly by Idaho police from the other side of a chain-link fence while he was holding a knife died Saturday after being removed from life support, his family said. Victor Perez, 17, who also had cerebral palsy, had been in a coma since the April 5 shooting, and tests Friday showed that he had no brain activity, his aunt, Ana Vazquez, told The Associated Press. He had undergone several surgeries, with doctors removing nine bullets and amputating his leg. Police in the southeast Idaho city of Pocatello responded to a 911 call reporting that an apparently intoxicated man with a knife was chasing someone in a yard. It turned out to be Perez, who was not intoxicated but walked with a staggered gait due to his disabilities, Vazquez said. His family members had been trying to get the large kitchen knife away from him. Video taken by a neighbor showed that Perez was lying in the yard after falling over when four officers arrived and rushed to the fence at the edge of the yard. They immediately ordered Perez to drop the knife, but instead he stood and began stumbling toward them. Officers opened fire within about 12 seconds of getting out of their patrol cars and made no apparent effort to de-escalate the situation. Everybody was trying to tell the police, no, no, Vazquez said. Those four officers didnt care. They didnt ask what was happening, what was the situation. Hows he going to jump the fence when he can barely walk? she said. The shooting outraged Perezs family and Pocatello residents, and about 200 people attended a vigil Saturday morning outside the Pocatello hospital where he was treated. Another crowd of protesters gathered outside the Pocatello City Hall building, which also houses the police department, on Saturday afternoon. Police snipers were stationed on a nearby rooftop during the protest, though no violence was reported. Many of the protesters held signs with phrases like, Do better, PPD and Justice for Victor, and passing cars honked in acknowledgment. A police spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Those police broke our family, Vasquez said on Saturday, shortly after Perez death. There is no way to explain the pain that we are feeling right now. Its like our hearts are kind of empty its not full anymore. The officers, whose names have not been released, were placed on administrative leave. Decisions about whether charges should be filed against them will be made after an independent investigation by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Team, Bannock County Prosecutor Ian Johnson told the AP via email. When that investigation is complete a report will be submitted for review, he said. In a continued effort to ensure independent and objective consideration, said report will be reviewed by an agency outside of Bannock County. Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad said in a statement Friday, after the family announced that Perez had no brain activity, that officials thoughts and prayers were with them. We recognize the pain and grief this incident has caused in our community, Blad said. Blad said Thursday that the city was addressing this matter with the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves and with the appropriate respect for the gravity of the situation. The criminal, external, and internal investigations regarding the officer-involved shooting are underway, which is why we cannot answer questions out of concern of interfering with or compromising the investigation, he said. Perez loved watching professional wrestling, eating fries and taking walks while holding his mothers hand, Vasquez said. He would always notice when Vasquez painted her nails his favorite color blue, or when she wore a new weave, showing his admiration by touching her hair, she said. Im going to miss him when he used to get in his weird moods, and I used to put him to bed, she said. He wouldnt want to sleep and would wake up again, and I would have to walk him back to the bed. I would promise him, Hey, Ill be back tomorrow but you need to lay down and sleep. Vasquez said she didnt know what was next for the family, other than that an autopsy will be performed on Monday. Right now, she said, they need a moment to rest.-Bellisle reported from Seattle___This story has been corrected to say Pocatello is in southeast Idaho. MARTHA BELLISLE Bellisle is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington state. She reports on a range of topics, including police accountability, police training and mental health. She also has covered the Winter Olympics. twitter mailto REBECCA BOONE Boone is a correspondent who covers breaking news, the courts, accountability issues and more for The Associated Press. She is based in Boise, Idaho. twitter mailto

by Peter Elkind ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. Donald Trump makes no secret of his loathing for regulations that limit water and energy use by home appliances. For years, he has regaled supporters at his campaign rallies with fanciful stories about their impact. He is so exercised by the issue that, even as global stock markets convulsed Wednesday in response to his tariff plans, Trump took time out to issue an executive order titled Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads.Contemporary shower fixtures are only one of the items that rankle the president, who complains that theres no water coming and you end up standing there five times longer, making it difficult to coif his perfect hair. He has frequently denounced dishwashers that he claims take so long and clean so poorly that the electric bill is ten times more than the water; toilets that require flushing ten or 15 times; and LED lightbulbs, which he faults for making him look orange.In his first term, Trump pursued an array of gimmicks to try to undermine the rules. His moves were opposed by industry and environmental groups alike. If its possible for regulations to be popular, these ones are. They have cut Americas water and energy consumption, reduced global-warming emissions and saved consumers money. Legal prohibitions stymied most of Trumps maneuvers back then, and the Biden administration quickly reversed the steps Trump managed to take.Trumps executive order on showerheads generated headlines, but its likely to have little effect (more on that later). Far more consequential steps have been taken outside the Oval Office. With the aid of Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency team, Trump appears to be attempting an end run that could succeed where his past attempts failed: by simply terminating the consulting contract that the Department of Energy relies on to develop and enforce the rules. In late March, DOGEs wall of receipts stated that it had deleted a Department of Energy contract for Guidehouse LLP (a PricewaterhouseCoopers spinoff) for Appliance Standards Analysis and Regulatory Support Service, producing a listed savings of $247,603,000. That item has now disappeared from the DOGE website, and its current status remains unclear.This has produced confusion for everyone from appliance manufacturers to government officials to the contractors paid to enforce the rules. If the contract is indeed canceled, experts told ProPublica, it would cripple the governments efficiency standards program, which relies on the consulting firms technical expertise and testing labs to update standards, ensure compliance and punish violators.It would have a huge impact, said George Washington University law professor Emily Hammond, who helped run the program as deputy general counsel at the Department of Energy and now serves on its appliance standards advisory committee. DOE does not have the internal capacity to do that work. Taking that away pulls the rug out from under the agencys ability to run that regulatory program.Appliance manufacturers seem almost as concerned. This is not a positive development, said Josh Greene, vice president for government affairs at A.O. Smith, the largest manufacturer of water heaters in the U.S. Terminating the Guidehouse contract, he said, would create a wild Wild West where upstart manufacturers are free to import poor-quality products because they know theres no one to enforce the rules. Thats not good for American manufacturing and its not good for consumers.The Department of Energy has made no public attempts to clarify the matter. An agency spokesperson did not respond to ProPublicas requests for comment. Emails to DOGE and the White House brought no reply. And Guidehouse officials, reportedly eager to lay low, also offered no response to multiple requests for comment.The governments efficiency requirements originated with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, signed into law in 1975, when the concern was an energy shortage, not global warming. Today, the Department of Energy is required to set rules for energy and water use by more than 70 appliances and commercial products sold in the U.S. The agency must consider imposing stricter standards for each product every eight years, based on what is technologically feasible and economically justified. Manufacturers then have three to five years to make their products measure up.The Energy Department typically stiffens a requirement only after years of study, comment, negotiation and testing (and sometimes litigation) among industry, consumer and environmental groups. The law also includes an anti-backsliding provision that bars relaxation of standards that have been finalized. Guidehouse and its subcontractors have for years performed virtually all the necessary technical work; they also maintain a certification database that U.S. authorities use to keep illegal products from being imported.Republican lawmakers, anti-regulation advocates and right-wing media have long decried the efficiency rules as an impingement on personal freedom, limiting product choice. The early rollout of water-throttling products produced some of the issues Trump complains about, lampooned in a 1996 Seinfeld episode titled The Shower Head.But in the decades since, the standards have been widely embraced, dramatically cutting energy and water consumption, reducing emissions and providing plenty of attractive consumer choices. In 2023, Consumer Reports found that even the simplest and least expensive showerheads can provide a satisfying shower. Dishwashers and clothes washers clean better while using less than half as much water and energy as they once did. The transition to LED light bulbs, nearly complete, is estimated to have cut energy bills by $3 billion a year and eliminated the need for about 30 large power plants.In January, days before Trump returned to office, a Department of Energy report estimated that the efficiency standards are now saving the average American household about $576 a year on their utility bills, while cutting the nations energy consumption by 6.5% and water consumption by 12%. A 2022 survey by the Consumer Federation of America found that 76% of Americans support the government setting efficiency standards for appliances.None of that has slowed Trumps attacks. During his first term, the Department of Energy ignored legal deadlines for considering efficiency updates on 28 products, blocked the long-planned rollout of new lightbulb rules and sought to bypass finalized appliance standards through byzantine legal maneuvers. Among other things, the Energy Department announced special new product classes for dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers that completed their normal cycle in an hour or less. This would exempt any such short-cycle devices that were introduced from the existing limits on water and energy use.Manufacturers never brought those models to market. Most existing appliances already had a short cycle option that did their job well; those short on time simply had to push that button. And by mid-2022, Bidens Energy Department had reversed Trumps regulatory moves. The department went on to issue an array of tightened home appliance rules jointly recommended by industry and consumer groups; most were finalized early enough to be immune from congressional rollback.This didnt stop Trump from boasting on the 2024 campaign trail that he had changed everything during his first term. He vowed to fix it all again when he returned to the White House. Eliminate energy efficiency standards for appliances was on Project 2025s list of needed reforms.Sure enough, on his first day back in the White House, Trump issued two executive orders targeting the efficiency rules. On Feb. 11, he posted on Truth Social: I am hereby instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to immediately go back to my Environmental Orders, which were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden, on Water Standard and Flow pertaining to SINKS, SHOWERS, TOLIETS, WASHING MACHINES, DISHWASHERS, etc., and to likewise go back to the common sense standards on LIGHTBULBS, that were put in place by the Trump Administration, but terminated by Crooked Joe. I look forward to signing these orders. (In fact, the rules Trump cited were issued and enforced by the Department of Energy, not the Environmental Protection Agency, where Administrator Zeldin presides.)None of the standards Trump listed were subject to an executive order, or any other kind of rapid rollback. In simple terms, Trump did not have the legal authority to change these rules.No matter. Energy Secretary Chris Wright who had listed affordability and consumer choice in home appliances among his top nine priorities took up the cause. Three days after Trumps Truth Social post, Wright announced that the Department of Energy was postponing seven of the Biden-Harris administrations restrictive mandates on home appliances, which have driven up costs, reduced choice and diminished the quality of Americans home appliances. Wrights list of seven affected home appliances actually included three types of commercial equipment and three other regulations long past the point where they could be undone.That left only one household-product regulation that could be challenged. It involved an item that seemed like an improbable symbol of freedom and consumer choice: the tankless, gas-fueled hot water heater.The vast majority of U.S. homes have traditional water heaters with 40- to 50-gallon tanks. By contrast, tankless gas products represent 10% of sales. They are about the size of a carry-on suitcase and heat a stream of water on demand. Theyre energy-efficient and roughly twice as expensive as standard heaters.But the rules governing tankless gas water heaters were vulnerable because they were issued in the final weeks of Bidens term. That meant lawmakers could reverse them under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to block a recently enacted agency rule, if a resolution to do so passes both houses and is signed by the president.Appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 20, Wright drew cheers as he offered a Trumpian litany My dishwasher has to run for two hours now, and at the end I got to clean the dishes before turning to hot water heaters. We have a factory in the southeastern part of the United States that employs hundreds of people to build a particularly popular product these days, Wright said. It is a tankless water heater powered by natural gas, which he described as selling like hotcakes. So, what did the Biden administration do, he asked. They passed a regulation that would make that product illegal, and that company would be dead. But under Trump, declared Wright, waving his arms, we are fixing that problem. That factory is staying open. America is back, baby!Wright returned to the hot-water thing in a FoxBusiness interview a month later. Assailing nanny-state, crazy, top-down mandates that makes it more expensive for American consumers and businesses to buy what they want, he said the new rule was going to shut down a factory just built in the southeast United States. Wright acknowledged that U.S. law bars elimination of other efficiency updates that he and Trump have targeted because theyve already been finalized. We cant officially get rid of them, he commented. So we just pushed back the enforcement date, hopefully, to never.Wrights portrayal omitted significant details. The administrations actions involve a single beneficiary: Rinnai, a Japanese appliance company with $3.3 billion in revenues last year. In 2022, Rinnai opened a $70 million factory south of Atlanta, where about 250 U.S. workers build non-condensing tankless gas water heaters, a major moneymaker for the company.Non-condensing tankless heaters are less efficient and less expensive than condensing tankless heaters, which reuse heat from their exhaust gases. As a result, Rinnai wouldnt be able to continue selling them when the new standards went into effect in December 2029.That, however, wasnt going to put the company out of business; it wasnt likely to shut down its U.S. factory, either, though Rinnai raised that specter in government filings where its U.S. president warned the new standards would make the Georgia plant largely obsolete eliminating all its jobs.Rinnai sells a broad array of products across the world. It also already sold condensing tankless heaters in the U.S. that met the new standard and were imported from Japan. And Rinnai had plans to make them in Georgia, according to the companys most recent annual report. (Rinnai agreed to make its U.S. chief, Frank Windsor, available for an interview with ProPublica, then canceled twice at the last minute. The company ultimately declined to respond to questions about its public representations.)Nonetheless, the company, now backed by the Trump administration, has pursued a multitrack campaign to roll back the new standards. Its efforts appear to be on the point of success. A resolution has passed the House and won Senate approval on Thursday. Rinnai has spent $375,000 on Washington lobbyists since 2023, according to disclosure reports. The company also joined with Republican attorneys general in a court challenge to the energy rule.Three major Rinnai competitors supported the Biden-era regulations. Wisconsin-based A.O. Smith has actively lobbied against Rinnais effort to win a congressional rollback. Greene said blocking the standard will disadvantage U.S. companies, which have already invested in more efficient condensing technology, by allowing continued sale of Rinnais less expensive competing products. In this time of America First, it just seems to us a shame that where were heading is rewarding foreign manufacturers, Greene said. There should be a level playing field.Meanwhile the administrations campaign has expanded to multiple fronts. On Wednesday, the Department of Energy announced a review of its procedures for energy standards, which one expert described as a reprise of the first Trump administrations attempts to create procedural hurdles to updating efficiency standards.Then there was the executive order on showerheads that same day. It, too, seeks to revive a move by the first Trump administration: to circumvent the limits on waterflow by redefining showerheads to include multiple nozzles, each of which could emit as much water as the entire showerhead was previously allowed. The Biden-era Energy Department killed that regulation, and Trump is attempting to bring it back while proclaiming that notice and comment is unnecessary because I am ordering the repeal.That order will have virtually no effect because manufacturers have little interest in making showerheads that exceed the current limits, according to Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, a nonprofit coalition of groups that support the efficiency rules. The president is asserting king-like authority, he added, about Trumps claim that he does not have to follow administrative procedures.In the end, DOGE could have more of an impact than a would-be monarch, if its able to kill the Guidehouse contract. Then, deLaski said, it would be next to impossible for DOE to enforce its efficiency standards. Doris Burke, Mark Olalde and Pratheek Rebala contributed research.

by Duaa Eldeib and Patricia Callahan, and photography by Sarahbeth Maney ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana have died of pertussis, the disease commonly known as whooping cough.Washington state recently announced its first confirmed death from pertussis in more than a decade.Idaho and South Dakota each reported a death this year, and Oregon last year reported two as well as its highest number of cases since 1950.While much of the country is focused on the spiraling measles outbreak concentrated in the small, dusty towns of West Texas, cases of pertussis have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared with about two to four in previous years. Cases are on track to exceed that total this year. Pertussis Cases Surged in 2024 Cases had been decreasing in the years before the COVID-19 outbreak and dropped further when schools were closed in response to the pandemic. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Lucas Waldron/ProPublica) Doctors, researchers and public health experts warn that the measles outbreak, which has grown to more than 600 cases, may just be the beginning. They say outbreaks of preventable diseases could get much worse with falling vaccination rates and the Trump administration slashing spending on the countrys public health infrastructure.National rates for four major vaccines, which had held relatively steady in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, have fallen significantly since, according to a ProPublica analysis of the most recent federal kindergarten vaccination data. Not only have vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella fallen, but federal data shows that so have those for pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and polio.In addition, public health experts say that growing pockets of unvaccinated populations across the country place babies and young children in danger should there be a resurgence of these diseases. Many medical authorities view measles, which is especially contagious, as the canary in the coal mine, but pertussis cases may also be a warning, albeit one that has attracted far less attention. This is not just measles, said Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor in New York City and author of the book Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Childrens Health. Its a bright-red warning light.At least 36 states have witnessed a drop in rates for at least one key vaccine from the 2013-14 to the 2023-24 school years. And half of states have seen an across-the-board decline in all four vaccination rates. Wisconsin, Utah and Alaska have experienced some of the most precipitous drops during that time, with declines of more than 10 percentage points in some cases.There is a direct correlation between vaccination rates and vaccine-preventable disease outbreak rates, said a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Decreases in vaccination rates will likely lead to more outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in Utah. Measles Vaccination Rates in Most States Were Below Herd Immunity in 2023 Data is for school year 2013-14 through 2023-24. The CDC recommends a vaccination rate of at least 95% to achieve herd immunity, to help prevent outbreaks and to protect communities. Montana is not categorized as "below herd immunity in 2023" because the state did not report data for school year 2023-24. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners. (Lucas Waldron/ProPublica) Pertussis Vaccination Rates Decreased in Most States Between 2013 and 2023 Note: Decrease means that the rate in school year 2013-14 was higher than the rate in school year 2023-24. If no data was reported for 2013-14, data from the next earliest year was used. Montana is not categorized as a state where the vaccination rate decreased because the state did not report data for school year 2023-24. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners. (Lucas Waldron/ProPublica) But statewide figures alone dont provide a full picture. Tucked inside each state are counties and communities with far lower vaccination rates that drive outbreaks.For example, the whooping cough vaccination rate for kindergartners in Washington state in 2023-24 was 90.2%, slightly below the U.S. rate of 92.3%, federal data shows. But the statewide rate for children 19 to 35 months last year was 65.4%, according to state data. In four counties, that rate was in the 30% range. In one county, it was below 12%.My concern is that there is going to be a large outbreak of not just measles, but other vaccine-preventable diseases as well, thats going to end up causing a lot of harm, and possibly deaths in children and young adults, said Dr. Anna Durbin, a professor in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who has spent her career studying vaccines. And its completely preventable. The dramatic cuts to public health funding and staffing could heighten the risk. And the elevation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic, to the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, several experts said, has only compounded matters.The Trump administration has eliminated 20,000 jobs at agencies within HHS, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nations public health agency. And late last month, the administration also cut $11 billion from state and local public health agencies on the front lines of protecting Americans from outbreaks; the administration said the money was no longer necessary after the end of the pandemic.Several city and county public health officials had to move quickly to lay off nurses, epidemiologists and disease inspectors. Some ceased vaccination clinics, halted wastewater surveillance programs and even terminated a contract with the courier service that transports specimens to state labs to test for infectious diseases. One Minnesota public health agency, which had provided 1,400 shots for children at clinics last year, immediately stopped those clinics when the directive arrived, court records show.A federal judge temporarily barred HHS from enacting the cuts, but the ruling, which came more than a week after the grants were terminated, was too late for programs that had already been canceled and employees who had already been laid off. Lawyers for HHS have asked the judge to reconsider her decision in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed the Department of Education to terminate grants for teacher training while that case is being argued in lower courts. The judge in the HHS case has not yet ruled on the motion.But in tiny storefronts and cozy homes, at school fairs and gas stations, many residents in West Texas, near where the measles outbreak has taken hold, appear unfazed.I dont need a vaccine, one man sitting on his porch said recently. I dont get sick.Its measles. Its been around forever, said a woman making her way to her car. I dont think its a big deal.When asked why they werent planning on vaccinating their baby, a husband walking alongside his wife who was 27 weeks pregnant simply said, Its Gods will. Seminole last month. Many residents in West Texas appear unfazed by the measles outbreak. In word and deed, Kennedy has sown doubt about immunizations.In response to the measles outbreak, Kennedy initially said in a column he wrote for Fox News that the decision to vaccinate is a personal one. HHS sent doses of vitamin A alongside vaccines to Texas, and Kennedy praised the use of cod liver oil. Only the vaccine prevents measles.About a week later, in an interview on Fox News, while Kennedy encouraged vaccines, he said he was a freedom of choice person. At the same time, he emphasized the risks of the vaccine.Only after the second measles death in Texas did Kennedy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.But even that is not the unequivocal message that the head of HHS should be sending, said Ratner, the infectious diseases doctor in New York. It is, he said, a tepid recommendation at best.It gives the impression that these things are equivalent, that you can choose one or the other, and that is disingenuous, he said. We dont have a treatment for measles. We have vitamin A, which we can give to kids with measles, that decreases but doesnt eliminate the risk of severe outcomes. It doesnt do anything for prevention of measles.In the past, Kennedy has been a fierce critic of the vaccine. In a foreword to a 2021 book on measles released by the nonprofit that he founded, Kennedy wrote, Measles outbreaks have been fabricated to create fear that in turn forces government officials to do something. They then inflict unnecessary and risky vaccines on millions of children for the sole purpose of fattening industry profits.A spokesperson for HHS said, Secretary Kennedy is not anti-vaccine he is pro-safety, pro-transparency and pro-accountability. Kennedy, the spokesperson said, responded to the measles outbreak with clear guidance that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent measles and under his leadership, the CDC updated its pediatric patient management protocol for measles to include physician-administered vitamin A.Kennedy, the spokesperson added, is uniquely qualified to lead HHS at this pivotal moment.Late last month, leaders at the CDC ordered staff to bury a risk assessment that emphasized the need for vaccines in response to the measles outbreak in spite of the fact the CDC has long promoted vaccinations as a cornerstone of public health. While a CDC spokesperson acknowledged that vaccines offer the best protection from measles, she also repeated a line Kennedy had used: The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.Among the approximately 2,400 jobs eliminated at the CDC was a team in the Immunization Services Division that partnered with organizations to promote access to and confidence in vaccines in communities where coverage lagged.The National Institutes of Health, which is also under HHS, recently ended funding for studies that examine vaccine hesitancy. In early April, researchers, the American Public Health Association and one of the largest unions in the country sued the NIH and its director, Jay Bhattacharya, along with HHS and Kennedy, alleging they terminated grants without scientifically-valid explanation or cause. The government hasnt filed a response in the case.The NIH cancellation notices stated that the agencys policy was not to prioritize research that focuses on gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment.These grants are being canceled in the midst of an outbreak, a vaccine-preventable outbreak, said Rupali Limaye, an associate professor at George Mason University who has spent the past decade studying vaccine hesitancy. We need to better understand why people are not accepting vaccines now more than ever. This outbreak is still spreading.That vaccines prevent diseases is settled science. For decades, there was a societal understanding that getting vaccinated benefited not only the person who got the shot, but also the broader community, especially babies or people with weakened immune systems, like those in chemotherapy.An investment in public health and a sustained, large-scale approach to vaccines is what helped the country declare the elimination of the measles in 2000, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, the CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.But she has watched both deteriorate over the last few months. Nearly every morning since notices of the federal funding cuts began going out to local public health agencies, she has woken up to texts from panicked public health workers. She has led daily calls with local health departments and sat in on multiple emergency board meetings.Freeman has compiled a list of more than 100 direct consequences of the cuts, including one rural health department in the Midwest that can no longer carry out immunization services. Thats vital because there are no hospitals in the county and all public health duties fall to the health department.Its relentless, she said. It feels like a barrage and assault on public health. Vaccines were available at the health department in Lubbock, Texas, last month. More than 1,600 miles away from Washington, D.C., in Lubbock, Texas, the director of the citys health department, Katherine Wells, sighed last week when she saw the most recent measles numbers. She would have to alert her staff to work late again.Theres a lot of cases, she said, and we continue to see more and more cases.She didnt know it at the time, but that night would mark the states second measles death this year. An earlier death in February was the countrys first in a decade. Both children were not vaccinated.Kennedy said he traveled to Gaines County to comfort the family who lost their 8-year-old daughter and while there met with the family of the 6-year-old girl who died in February.He also visited with two local doctors he described as extraordinary healers, he said in his post on X. The men, he claimed, have treated and healed some 300 measles-stricken Mennonite children using aerosolized budesonide typically used to prevent symptoms of asthma and clarithromycin an antibiotic. Medical experts said neither is an effective measles treatment.State health officials have traced about two-thirds of the measles cases in Texas to Gaines County, which sits on the western edge of the state.Seminole, one of the countys only two incorporated towns, has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, with Tina Siemens acting as a community ambassador of sorts. Seminole has become the center of the measles outbreak. Siemens, a tall woman with glasses and a short blonde bob, runs a museum that combines the areas Native American history and Mennonite community with traditional skills like calligraphy and canning fruit.On a recent Tuesday, atop the museums dark coffee table, notes scrawled onto white paper listed the latest shipments of vitamin C and Alaskan cod liver oil.The supplies, Siemens said, were for one of the local doctors who met with Kennedy.As measles tears through the community, Siemens said families have to decide whether to get vaccinated.In America, we have a choice, she said, echoing Kennedys messaging. The cod liver oil that was flown in, the vitamin C that was flown in, was a great help. Tina Siemens Dr. Philip Huang, director and health authority for the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, is working to keep the measles outbreak from reaching his community, just five hours east of Seminole. He wrote letters to the public school superintendents and leaders of private schools that had large numbers of unvaccinated or undervaccinated students offering to set up mobile vaccine clinics for them.Overall, the rates can look OK, he said, but when youve got these pockets of unvaccinated, thats where the vulnerability lies.Huang has had to lay off 11 full-time employees, 10 temporary workers and cancel more than 50 vaccine clinics following the HHS cuts. The systemic dismantling of the CDC and other federal health agencies, he said, will have a grave and lasting impact.This is setting us back decades, Huang said. Everyone should be extremely concerned about whats going on.Across the country, pediatricians are petrified, said Dr. Susan Kressly, who serves as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the largest professional organization of pediatricians in the country.Many of us are losing sleep, Kressly said. If we lose that progress, children will pay the price.Shes carefully watching the spread of several vaccine-preventable diseases, including an increase in whooping cases that far outpace the typical peaks seen every few years. Although the whooping cough vaccine isnt as effective as the ones for measles and protection wanes over time, the CDC says it remains the best way to prevent the disease.Babies under the age of 1 are among the most at risk of severe complications from whooping cough, including slowed or stopped breathing and pneumonia, according to the CDC. About one-third of infants who get whooping cough end up in the hospital. Newborns are especially vulnerable because the CDC doesnt recommend the first shot until two months. Thats why experts recommend pregnant mothers and anyone who will be around the baby to get vaccinated.The number of whooping cough cases dropped significantly during the pandemic, but it exploded in recent years. In 2021, the CDC reported 2,116 cases; last year, there were 35,435.The numbers this year appear set to eclipse 2024. So far in 2025, 7,111 cases have been reported, which is more than double this time last year. Cases tend to spike in the summer and fall, which adds to experts concern about high numbers so early in the year.States on the Pacific Coast and in the Midwest have reported the most cases this year, with Washington leading the country with 742 cases so far, more than five times as many as at this time last year.The Washington child who died of whooping cough had no underlying medical conditions, according to a spokesperson for the Spokane Regional Health District. The death was announced in February but occurred in November.While Washingtons overall vaccination rate for whooping cough has remained relatively steady over the last decade at around 90%, pockets of low vaccination rates have allowed the disease to take root and put the wider community at risk, said Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, a pediatrician and chief health officer of the Washington State Department of Health.This is the time to strengthen the public health system, he said, to build trust in those areas and make it easier for children to get their routine vaccines.But instead, were seeing the exact opposite happen, he said. Were weakening our public health system, and that will put us on a path towards more illness and shorter lives.Washington was one of 23 states and the District of Columbia that sued HHS and Kennedy following the $11 billion cuts, which rescinded approximately $118 million from the state. Doing so, the state said in court records, would impact 150 full-time employees and cause an immediate reduction in the agencys ability to respond to outbreaks.Washingtons Care-A-Van, a mobile health clinic that travels across the state to provide vaccinations, conduct blood pressure screenings and distribute opioid overdose kits, was a key element in the departments vaccination efforts.But that, too, has been diminished.An alert on the departments website cataloged the impact.Attention, it began.As a result of the unexpected decision to terminate grant funding, all Care-A-Van operations have been paused indefinitely, including the cancellation of more than 104 upcoming clinics across the state.The department had anticipated providing approximately 2,000 childhood vaccines as part of that effort.The frustration came through in Kwan-Getts voice. Many people think that federal cuts to public health mean shrinking the federal workforce, he said, but those clawbacks also get passed down to states and cities and counties. The less federal support that trickles down to the local level, the less protected communities will be.It really breaks my heart, he said, when I see children suffering from preventable diseases like whooping cough and measles when we have the tools to prevent them. Agnel Philip contributed data analysis.

by Jeff Ernsthausen, Mica Rosenberg and Avi Asher-Schapiro ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. Update, April 11, 2025: After this story was prepared for publication, Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted on a federal procurement website that it had awarded a new contract worth up to $3.8 billion to Deployed Resources to operate a migrant detention camp on Fort Bliss. It is the largest contract the company has received and the first time ICE is moving ahead with plans to detain thousands of people arrested in the U.S. on military bases in tents before they are deported. In June 2005, a former employee from the Federal Emergency Management Agency toured the grounds of the Bonnaroo music festival in rural Tennessee. He wasnt there to see the headliners, which included Dave Matthews Band and the lead singer of the popular jam band Phish. He was there to meet the guys setting up the toilets for the throng of psychedelics-infused campers in attendance: Richard Stapleton, a construction industry veteran, and his business partner Robert Napior, a onetime convicted pot grower, who specialized in setting up music festivals.The meeting, described in court documents, offered the pairs fledgling company, Deployed Resources, a key introduction to players doing government contract work for the Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees not only the nations disaster responses but also its immigration system. Over the next two decades, Stapleton and Napior hired more than a dozen former agency insiders as they turned their small-time logistics business, which had helped support outdoor festivals like Lollapalooza, into a contracting giant by building camps for a completely different use: detaining immigrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.Now, as the government races to carry out President Donald Trumps campaign promise of mass deportations, Deployed is shifting its business once more from holding people who are trying to enter the country to detaining those the government is seeking to ship out.In Trumps second term in office, the government is poised to spend tens of billions of dollars on immigration detention, including unprecedented plans to hold immigrants arrested in the U.S. in massive tent camps on military bases. One recently published request for contract proposals said the Department of Homeland Security could spend up to $45 billion over the next several years on immigrant detention. The plans have set off a gold rush among contractors. All this spending is unfolding at the same time the government has made sweeping cuts to federal agencies and shed other contracts.Among those seeking a windfall is Deployed Resources, which, along with its sister company, Deployed Services, has adapted to shifting government policies and priorities in immigration enforcement.Starting in 2016, to help respond to spikes in immigrant crossings that had periodically overwhelmed border stations, Deployed began setting up tent encampments to ease the overcrowding. These temporary structures served as short-term emergency waystations, which several former officials said provided flexibility that the U.S. needed. Many of those arriving including families and unaccompanied children were turning themselves in, hoping to be released into the U.S. to apply for asylum. In all, the company has been awarded more than $4 billion in government contracts building and operating border tents, according to an analysis of contracting data by ProPublica.Since taking office in January, Trump has cracked down on asylum, pushing border crossings to record lows. Last month, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it no longer needed the tent facilities run by Deployed.Instead, ProPublica found, the military will now be contracting with Deployed to use one of those border facilities to house people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.In March, one of the companys tent complexes in El Paso, Texas, was handed over to ICE, CBP and ICE spokespeople said. In an unusual move, the Trump administration tapped funds from the Department of Defense to pay Deployed for the facility, citing the presidents declaration of an emergency at the southern border, a DOD spokesperson said. The nearly $140 million contract wasnt posted publicly and was given to Deployed as the incumbent contractor, the spokesperson said, without further explaining why ICE would use military funds. ICE said it started transferring detainees to the site which currently has the capacity to house 1,000 adults on March 10. As immigration raids escalate, detention space in the countrys existing network of permanent ICE prisons is filling up. There are currently around 48,000 immigrants locked up across the country, levels not seen since 2019. Deportations are happening at a slower pace than ICE arrests, according to data shared with ProPublica, so the administration is turning to companies that can quickly set up facilities.As it looks to expand its capacity, the agency is exploring all options to meet its current and future detention requirements, said ICE spokesman Miguel Alvarez.Yet using tents to house thousands of people arrested by ICE is fundamentally different from using them to house recent border crossers, many of whom werent supposed to be held for more than a few days, seven current and former DHS officials who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations told ProPublica.They said it would be the first time these tent camps would be used for ICE detainees in the U.S. and that it was unclear how they could be constructed to meet the agencys basic health and safety requirements. These include separate areas for men and women and dedicated zones for families, as well as space to segregate those who are potentially violent, and private meeting areas for lawyers and their clients. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not directly involved in the contracts.People that youve ripped out of the community, people youve arrested, people who want to get back to their children, people who are scared, are going to behave differently than the border crossing population, said one former ICE official. You have a lot more fear in the population.It would take a remarkable degree of innovation from a contractor, said another former DHS official, adding, It would also be incredibly expensive.At a border security conference this week, ICE Acting Assistant Director for Operations Support Ralph Ferguson said that Deployed Resources was modifying the CBP tents in El Paso by adding more rigid structures inside, which he said would make them more secure. Deployed got an additional contract for up to $5 million to provide unarmed guards at the El Paso facility, according to a public notice posted in late March.The company did not respond to requests for comment. On its website, Deployed says it is dedicated to safely and efficiently providing transparent facility support and logistical services, anytime, anywhere and describes itself as the first-choice provider for government contracts.Deployed was also one of the companies interested in operating an immigrant detention camp on the nearby Fort Bliss military base, according to government documents obtained by ProPublica and interviews with people familiar with the contracting process. ICE was seeking proposals from vendors last month for a 1,000-bed camp that could grow to 5,000 beds, housing women and men, including those deemed high security risks, as well as families with small children. The contractor would be responsible for separating those groups and preventing escapes, documents reviewed by ProPublica show.The plans are a recipe for disaster, said Eunice Hyunhye Cho, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Unions National Prison Project.All of the problems that we see with ICE detention writ large, like the abuse of force, the sexual assault, medical neglect, the lack of food, lack of access to counsel, lack of due process rights, lack of access to telephones the list goes on all of those things are going to be vastly more complicated in a system where you are literally setting up people in tents that are surrounded by barbed wire and armed military personnel, Cho said.Connections and ContractsSince 2016, Deployed Resources has enjoyed a virtual monopoly on providing CBP with immigration tent structures to help with sudden influxes of immigrants. During the first Trump administration, the contractor set up temporary tent courts for people forced to wait in Mexico for their asylum hearings under a policy known as the Migrant Protection Protocols. The company also earned hundreds of millions of dollars during the Biden years operating emergency detention facilities for unaccompanied minors that were funded by the Department of Health and Human Services.Though the value of Deployed Resources isnt publicly known, county real estate records attest to the wealth its owners, Stapleton and Napior, have amassed in the detention business.In the spring of 2019, shortly after the company landed what was then its biggest immigration contract a $92 million no-bid award to run two tent facilities in Texas Stapleton purchased a $5.7 million condo in Naples, Florida. Nearly three years and more than $1 billion in contracts later, he upgraded to a $15 million home a block away from the shore. Napior snapped up a $9 million beachside property near Sarasota, Florida, in 2023. Stapleton did not respond to requests for comment. Reached by phone, Napior said he did not comment to the press and then hung up.After the meeting at Bonnaroo in 2005, Deployed later hired the former FEMA employee who had checked out its facilities there and to win emergency management contracting work at the agency before moving into immigration detention. In court filings, Deployed said that the meeting did not lead to its FEMA work.Deployed went on to hire additional former DHS officials over the years, expanding its connections to the federal agencies with which it does business. With a second Trump administration poised to crack down further on the flow of immigrants to the southern border a potential threat to Deployeds core business the company hired several former ICE leaders, according to online searches and current and former officials.A month after Trumps victory, former ICE field office director Sean Ervin announced he was joining Deployed as a senior adviser for strategic initiatives. He had previously overseen removal operations across Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The head of field operations for ICE Miami, Michael Meade an 18-year agency veteran also joined Deployed that month, according to their profiles on LinkedIn. Meade and Ervin did not respond to requests for comment.Deployed has continued to win federal business even after the spending on the companys contracts was criticized by government watchdogs and a whistleblower.A review by Congress Government Accountability Office of one no-bid CBP contract that the first Trump administration awarded to Deployed found that the companys 2,500-person facility in Tornillo, Texas, averaged just 30 detainees a night in the fall of 2019 and never held more than 68 during the five-month period it was open. It also found that CBP paid Deployed millions for meals it didnt need to feed people it wasnt holding. Deployed agreed to reimburse $250,000 for meals not delivered, the GAO said.A separate whistleblower lawsuit in New Hampshire brought by a former DHS official who worked for Deployed accuses the company of cutting corners on training its staff to detect and report sexual abuse of children in facilities it set up to house unaccompanied minors during the Biden administration. In court filings, Deployed said it vigorously disputes the allegations and has moved to dismiss the suit. Construction crews work on an immigrant holding facility in Tornillo, Texas, in 2019. Deployed Resources was contracted to build and provide support services for the 2,500-person detention center, but it closed in 2020 after months of low occupancy. (Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters) Last year, Dan Bishop, a former Republican congressman from North Carolina, held up a Deployed Services contract in Greensboro, North Carolina, as an example of waste during a hearing on unaccompanied migrant children. The company was paid nearly $40 million to help operate a facility for immigrant children, Bishop said, but it stood empty for over two years.Deployed nonetheless had workers there full time, according to interviews with three former employees familiar with the facility, tasking them with playacting as if they were providing care. Case managers invented case details and Deployed workers would role-play as students in classrooms, even asking for permission to go to the bathroom, according to the former Deployed workers and social media posts of former workers describing the surreal situation.I have no idea why they were doing that with government money, said one former case manager, who recalled inventing elaborate backstories for fictional children, filling out make-believe statements and other paperwork for hours each day. The case manager spent about a year in Greensboro, living in housing paid for by Deployed from its government contract. Deployed did not respond to requests for comment about its Greensboro contract.Now, with even more money to be spent on immigration detention, Deployed is just one of the companies hoping to benefit. In addition to Fort Bliss more than 10 military sites around the country are being considered for ICE detention facilities, according to a DHS document shared with ProPublica. The New York Times previously reported on elements of the plan.The Fort Bliss contracting process has proceeded mostly out of public view, and its not clear if the project would go forward or fall under the larger $45 billion plan to expand immigration detention. In March, representatives from at least 10 companies, including Deployed Resources, toured Fort Bliss with DHS officials to survey the site, said two people familiar with the visit. Also there were private prison giants The GEO Group and CoreCivic, the sources said.The GEO Groups leadership and allied political action groups donated more than $1 million to Trumps reelection effort, according to a review by the Project on Government Oversight, a nonpartisan Washington watchdog group. On its most recent earnings call, GEOs CEO said Trumps immigration agenda was an unprecedented opportunity for the firm. CoreCivic which donated $500,000 to Trumps inauguration committee has also spoken about the business opportunities. After Trumps election, stock prices for both companies jumped.CoreCivic said it is in regular contact with government agencies to understand their changing needs but said that it does not comment on contracts it is seeking. Its contribution to inauguration events was consistent with our past practice of civic participation supporting both parties. The GEO Group did not respond to a request for comment.Deployed Services has largely eschewed political donations, sticking to its strategy also used by GEO and CoreCivic of hiring former high-ranking government officials.A few weeks ago Deployed scored another high-profile ICE hire: Marlen Pineiro joined Deployed after 40 years in government, including more than a decade in ICEs Senior Executive Service, according to her LinkedIn profile. At a border security conference this week, where several former high-ranking DHS employees hired by Deployed were gathered among industry vets and Trump immigration officials, Pineiro declined an interview request from a ProPublica reporter.But on LinkedIn, the congratulations rolled in. The acting head of ICE under Trump, Todd Lyons, posted: Great news. Two other senior ICE officials who had also recently joined Deployed commented: Welcome aboard.Lets sail away, Pineiro replied. Woohooo see you soon.Note: ProPublica analyzed transaction-level contract data from usaspending.gov for this story. Contract amounts reported are federal obligations over the life of a contract or group of contracts. In the case of the recently announced Department of Defense award to Deployed Resources, the contract is new and worth up to $140 million. Perla Trevizo contributed reporting and Kirsten Berg contributed research.

by Doug Bock Clark ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Prompted by ProPublicas reporting on efforts by right-wing activists to disallow ballots, North Carolina Democrats have introduced a bill designed to prevent votes from being tossed out based on postelection rule changes.The Voter Protection and Reliance Act, filed last week in the North Carolina House, says that ballots cast in state elections will be counted based on the laws and procedures in place on Election Day. It also forbids votes from being discarded because of technical or clerical errors in voter registrations.ProPublica reported that before the 2024 election, North Carolina activists and members of the Election Integrity Network a national group led by a lawyer integral to President Donald Trumps unsuccessful campaign to overturn the 2020 election discussed whether filing protests aimed at voters whose registration information was incomplete could help candidates overturn losses in close elections. The strategy debated on that call, which ProPublica obtained a recording of, subsequently was used by Republican Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin to challenge his 734-vote loss to Democrat Allison Riggs for a seat on the states Supreme Court.ProPublicas reporting showed people were hunting for pretexts to challenge the election ahead of time, said Phil Rubin, a Democratic House member who was the primary author of the bill. Rather than trying to proactively fix those problems before the election, Judge Griffin has retroactively tried to exploit them to overturn his loss. This law would prevent similar abuses in the future and force candidates to act for the good of the voters and not themselves.A spokesperson for Griffin, Paul Shumaker, said he couldnt respond to Rubins comments, his bill or questions from ProPublica because North Carolinas Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits judges and judicial candidates from stating a position on issues that could come before the court.It would be a violation to comment on legislation since legislation is subject to judicial review if enacted into law, Shumaker said.Last week, the Republican-majority North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that election officials should discount around 60,000 ballots in the Supreme Court race cast by voters whose Social Security and drivers license information is missing in the state election database unless the voters provided that information within 15 working days. (That ruling has subsequently been stayed while the states Supreme Court considers the matter.)At the time of the election, state election rules allowed people to vote without that information and allowed members of the military to submit absentee ballots without providing photo ID. Often, the election database was missing Social Security and drivers license information not because of voters errors, but because of administrative mistakes, including a registration form that did not require these forms of identification.Nonetheless, the appeals court ruled that the state election board the body that issues election rules should have required the information.Griffins ballot challenges have been shown by data analyses to disproportionately affect Democrats and minorities, making it possible that their exclusion may upend the election results.Rubins bill also mandates that litigation involving election-related issues must be dealt with on an expedited basis by North Carolina courts so that candidates can resolve issues before elections rather than afterward.Though some North Carolina and national Republicans have criticized Griffins challenges, the Democratic-sponsored bill faces uncertain prospects in the GOP-controlled legislature.The bill is going nowhere, said Mitch Kokai, a senior political analyst for the conservative John Locke Foundation. Its more of a statement of the Democratic caucus approach to the Griffin-Riggs election and how they think it should have played out.North Carolinas governor and its legislative leadership did not respond to requests for comment.Rubin said that while the bill reflects issues playing out in North Carolina, it also could serve as a model for other states.There is no reason to think that these tactics will be limited to North Carolina, he said at a press conference on Thursday hosted by the Democratic National Committee and North Carolina Democratic Party about the Supreme Court case litigation, at which he presented the bill.The Election Integrity Network has chapters in swing states, plus many others, and partners with numerous national conservative organizations.The leader of the North Carolina chapter did not respond to a request for comment or emailed questions.

by Sharon Lerner ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to eliminate long-standing requirements for polluters to collect and report their emissions of the heat-trapping gases that cause climate change. The move, ordered by a Trump appointee, would affect thousands of industrial facilities across the country, including oil refineries, power plants and coal mines as well as those that make petrochemicals, cement, glass, iron and steel, according to documents reviewed by ProPublica.The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program documents the amount of carbon dioxide, methane and other climate-warming gases emitted by individual facilities. The data, which is publicly available, guides policy decisions and constitutes a significant portion of the information the government submits to the international body that tallies global greenhouse gas pollution. Losing the data will make it harder to know how much climate-warming gas an economic sector or factory is emitting and to track those emissions over time. This granularity allows for accountability, experts say; the government cant curb the countrys emissions without knowing where they are coming from.This would reduce the detail and accuracy of U.S. reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, when most countries are trying to improve their reporting, said Michael Gillenwater, executive director of the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute. This would also make it harder for climate policy to happen down the road. The program has been collecting emissions data since at least 2010. Roughly 8,000 facilities a year now report their emissions to the program. EPA officials have asked program staff to draft a rule that will drastically reduce data collection. Under the new rule, its reporting requirements would only apply to about 2,300 facilities in certain sectors of the oil and gas industry.Climate experts expressed shock and dismay about the apparent decision to stop collecting most information on our countrys greenhouse gas emissions. It would be a bit like unplugging the equipment that monitors the vital signs of a patient that is critically ill, said Edward Maibach, a professor at George Mason University. How in the world can we possibly manage this incredible threat to Americas well-being and humanitys well-being if were not actually monitoring what were doing to exacerbate the problem?The EPA did not address questions from ProPublica about the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. Instead, the agency provided an emailed statement affirming the Trump administrations commitment to clean air, land, and water for EVERY American.The agency announced last month that it was reconsidering the greenhouse gas reporting program. In a little-noticed press release issued on March 12, when the EPA sent out 24 bulletins as it celebrated the most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the reporting program as burdensome. Zeldin also claimed that the program costs American businesses and manufacturing millions of dollars, hurting small businesses and the ability to achieve the American Dream.Project 2025, the far-right blueprint for Trumps presidency, suggested severely scaling back the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and also described it as imposing burdens on small businesses.In contrast, climate experts say the EPA reporting program, which tallies between 85% and 90% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., is in many ways a boon to businesses. A lot of companies rely on the data and use it in their annual sustainability reports, said Edwin LaMair, an attorney at the Environmental Defense Fund. Companies also use the data to demonstrate environmental progress to shareholders and to meet international reporting requirements. If the program stops, all that valuable data will stop being generated, LaMair said.The loss of that data could have a devastating effect on the worlds ability to rein in the disastrous effects of the warming climate, according to Andrew Light, who served as assistant secretary of energy for international affairs in the Biden administration. Light noted that addressing the dangerous and costly extreme weather events requires international collaboration and that our failure to collect data could give other countries an excuse to abandon their own reporting.We will not get to the kinds of temperature stabilization needed to protect Americans against the worst climate impacts unless we get the cooperation of developing countries, Light said. If the United States wont even measure and report our own emissions, how in the world can we expect China, India, Indonesia and other major growing developing countries to do the same?In its first months, the Trump administration has shown waning support for the reporting program. The EPA left the portal through which companies share data closed for several weeks and, in March, pushed back the emissions reporting deadline. Then last Friday, a meeting held with several program staff members raised further questions about the fate of future data collection, according to sources who were briefed on the meeting and asked not to be named for fear of retribution.At the meeting, political appointee Abigale Tardif, who is principal deputy assistant administrator of the EPAs office of air and radiation, instructed staff to draft a rule that would eliminate reporting requirements for 40 of the 41 sectors that are now required to submit data to the program. Tardif did not respond to inquiries from ProPublica about this story. Political appointee Aaron Szabo, who was present at the meeting and is awaiting confirmation as assistant administrator to the office, declined to answer questions, directing a reporter to EPA communications staff.Before joining the EPA, Tardif and Szabo worked as lobbyists. Szabo represented the American Chemistry Council and Duke Energy among other companies and trade groups and Tardif worked for Marathon Petroleum and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association.Some climate advocates noted that industry stands to benefit from the elimination of greenhouse gas reporting requirements. The bottom line is this is a giveaway to emitters, just letting them off the hook entirely, said Rachel Cleetus, senior policy director with the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.Cleetus derided the choice to stop documenting emissions as ostrich-like. Not tracking the data doesnt make the climate crisis any less real, she said. This is just putting our heads in the sand.

by Richard A. Webster, Verite News This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with Verite News. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. Calvin Alexander thought he had done everything the Louisiana parole board asked of him to earn an early release from prison.He had taken anger management classes, learned a trade and enrolled in drug treatment. And as his September hearing before the board approached, his disciplinary record was clean.Alexander, more than midway through a 20-year prison sentence on drug charges, was making preparations for what he hoped would be his new life. His daughter, with whom he had only recently become acquainted, had even made up a room for him in her New Orleans home.Then, two months before the hearing date, prison officials sent Alexander a letter informing him he was no longer eligible for parole. A computerized scoring system adopted by the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections had deemed the nearly blind 70-year-old, who uses a wheelchair, a moderate risk of reoffending, should he be released. And under a new law, that meant he and thousands of other prisoners with moderate or high risk ratings cannot plead their cases before the board. According to the department of corrections, about 13,000 people nearly half the states prison population have such risk ratings, although not all of them are eligible for parole.Alexander said he felt betrayed upon learning his hearing had been canceled. People in jail have lost hope in being able to do anything to reduce their time, he said. Calvin Alexanders daughter, Sabrina Brown, left, and his sister, Jerry Hart. Alexander was planning for his new life with Brown when he found out he was no longer eligible for parole. (Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica) The law that changed Alexanders prospects is part of a series of legislation passed by Louisiana Republicans last year reflecting Gov. Jeff Landrys tough-on-crime agenda to make it more difficult for prisoners to be released. While campaigning for governor, Landry, a former police officer and sheriffs deputy who served as Louisiana attorney general until 2024, championed a crackdown on rewarding well-behaved prisoners with parole. Landry said early release, which until now has been typically assumed when judges hand down sentences, is a slap in the face to crime victims. The revolving door is insulting, Landry told state lawmakers last year as he kicked off a special legislative session on crime during which he blamed the states high violent crime rate on lenient sentences and misguided post-conviction programs that fail to rehabilitate prisoners. (In fact, Louisianas recidivism rate has declined over the past decade, according to a 2024 department of corrections report.) The Legislature eliminated parole for nearly everyone imprisoned for crimes committed after Aug. 1, making Louisiana the 17th state in a half-century to abolish parole altogether and the first in 24 years to do so. For the vast majority of prisoners who were already behind bars, like Alexander, another law put an algorithm in charge of determining whether they have a shot at early release; only prisoners rated low risk qualify for parole. That decision makes Louisiana the only state to use risk scores to automatically rule out large portions of a prison population from being considered for parole, according to seven national criminal justice experts. Alexander cant read or write, so he dictated answers to mailed questions from Verite News and ProPublica to a fellow prisoner. (Obtained by Verite News and ProPublica) That was not how the tool, known as TIGER, an acronym for Targeted Interventions to Greater Enhance Re-entry, was intended to be used. Developed as a rehabilitative measure about a decade ago, it was supposed to help prison officials determine what types of classes or counseling someone might need to prevent them from landing back behind bars not be used as a punitive tool to keep them there, said one of its creators.Criminal justice advocates and civil rights attorneys say the new law could disproportionately harm Black people like Alexander in part because the algorithm measures factors such as criminal history where racial disparities already exist. The laws opponents also contend that the unique step Louisiana has taken to curtail parole is deeply problematic and potentially unconstitutional because it does not take into account the efforts of prisoners to better themselves while incarcerated. They deserve that opportunity to show theyve changed, said Pearl Wise, who was appointed to the parole board by Landrys Democratic predecessor and served from 2016 until 2023. You demonstrate over time the changes that you made and that you are not the person that was sentenced on that day. An Immutable Risk ScoreAlexander is like thousands of prisoners who have previously appeared before the board repeat offenders accused of nonviolent crimes, often mired in addiction with limited education or learning disabilities. Alexander cant read or write, having dropped out of school as a fourth grader in the early 1960s. He needed to help support his family in deeply segregated Mississippi and turned to selling crack cocaine as a child. That period was also the start of his own lifelong struggle with narcotics that resulted in multiple arrests and extended stints in prison. The department of corrections would not allow an in-person or phone interview with Alexander. Instead, Verite News and ProPublica mailed Alexander written questions, which a fellow inmate read to him and then wrote down his responses. Alexander admitted he was reckless in his youth and that he had violated his parole related to a 1994 drug possession conviction by drinking and staying out after curfew. That mistake would prove devastating three decades later because a prisoners history of parole violations plays a significant role in their TIGER risk score.Louisianas TIGER scoring system was born out of a 2014 federal initiative to help states reduce their prison populations. The risk assessment tool, developed by the state department of corrections and Louisiana State University researchers using a $1.75 million federal grant, was meant to treat criminal thinking, said Keith Nordyke, one of the creators of TIGER. For populations with the highest risk of reoffending, he said, the prison would flood them with services addiction counseling, therapy, job training to help keep them out of trouble once they were freed. The whole purpose of this was to slow down the revolving door, Nordyke said. Louisiana corrections officials started using the TIGER scores as part of the parole determination process in 2018, but it was only in 2024 that they became the sole measure of parole eligibility. Similar algorithms are used throughout the country in the parole decision-making process, but legal scholars say the way such risk tools calculate a persons odds of reoffending is among the reasons why no other state exclusively uses them to bar individuals from parole. While algorithms like TIGER can predict on a group level that 40 out of 100 people will reoffend upon their release, they cant pinpoint exactly who those 40 people will be, according to experts. The Louisiana department of corrections declined multiple interview requests and did not respond to questions about the states use of the risk tool.The reliance on a TIGER score to potentially block a prisoners bid for freedom is especially concerning, experts on risk assessment tools say, because most of the factors considered by the algorithm the crimes they committed, work history, age at first arrest, whether they had any marijuana-related convictions, prior parole revocations are from a prisoners past, which cannot be changed; they do not include anything related to what people have done in prison to rehabilitate themselves. Criminal justice scholars say that when scores based on immutable facts are weighted so heavily in parole decisions, prisoners from impoverished, racially segregated communities are more likely to be hurt. A fellow inmate wrote down Alexanders answers to Verite and ProPublicas questions on what he misses and what he would have done had he been granted parole. (Obtained by ProPublica and Verite News) Take the algorithms use of prior employment data: People raised in low-income communities do not have the same work opportunities as those brought up in more affluent neighborhoods, said Megan Stevenson, an economist and criminal justice professor at the University of Virginia School of Law. Using such an algorithm to determine someones chances of parole, she said, suggests that poor people should be less eligible for parole than wealthier people. Factoring in prior drug convictions, too, is more likely to impact Black prisoners, Stevenson said. Black people use illegal drugs at roughly the same rate as white people, but are arrested and convicted for it in greater numbers because their neighborhoods are more heavily policed, she said.In using these data points to produce a risk score, youre going to create a biased algorithm to make biased decisions, Stevenson said. Already, Black people account for nearly two-thirds of Louisianas prison population, more than double their share of the state population. The Landry administration did not respond to requests for comment regarding potential racial biases in the way the TIGER scores are used for parole. Louisianas legislation might also violate the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits laws that retroactively increase the severity of a persons criminal sentence, according to several legal scholars. Tying parole eligibility to a computerized risk score that cant be lowered by an inmate through good behavior or other actions appears to do just that since the opportunity for parole has traditionally been considered part of a sentence, said Sonja Starr, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School.Some former Louisiana parole board members also bristled at the idea of an algorithm superseding human judgment. It doesnt make much sense to me that a score generated by a process that the inmate has no control over takes away the authority and the power of the parole board, said Keith Jones, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and served on the board from 2018 to 2020. Why have a parole board?Jones and two other former parole board members said the introduction of the TIGER tool as part of parole determination wasnt in itself a bad thing, as long as it remained just one factor to be considered among many. Although some board members did refuse to parole anyone with a moderate or high risk score before the law took effect, the states parole board had much more discretion in determining when a prisoner was released, former board members said.Tony Marabella, a former East Baton Rouge criminal court judge who served on the parole board until last year, said he had placed greater emphasis on a prisoners disciplinary record and completion of self-improvement programs. He also took into account whether the warden or victims supported their release when deciding whether to grant parole. If someone was a moderate risk, I wasnt going to throw them out, said Marabella, who served on the board for four years under Edwards. I was more concerned about what they had accomplished.Thats exactly what Alonzo Allen was able to show. Alonzo Allen, outside of his home in Mansfield, Louisiana, was paroled nearly four years ago. He had a moderate risk assessment score, which, after the passage of a 2024 law, would now prohibit him from appearing before the board. (Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica) In 2021, three years before the new law went into effect, Allen succeeded in convincing the parole board that he was worthy of release despite having the same TIGER score and a similar criminal history as Alexander.Allen had been sentenced to 40 years behind bars in 2012 on multiple drug charges and carrying a gun. While in prison, he was written up for possessing contraband, including a pencil sharpener and $2 worth of sugar, and he previously had his parole revoked twice, according to Allen and the parole board.As a result, he was marked a moderate risk.During Allens parole hearing, Jerry Goodwin, then warden at the David Wade Correctional Center in Homer, where Allen was being held, lauded Allen for his tireless work overcoming his drug addictions and improving his communication skills. Goodwin noted that Allen took classes even when he knew he had reached his limit for good time credits, time shaved off a sentence for good behavior.Hes worked hard for this opportunity, Goodwin told the parole board, and I think hes really got his best foot forward. Allen works full time as a truck driver. (Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica) Alvin Roche Jr., then a member of the parole board, questioned the accuracy of Allens TIGER score. Is it possible that this instrument might be wrong? Roche asked during Allens hearing. You think you are rehabilitated to the point where you can prove that assessment wrong? Yes, sir, very much, sir, Allen responded. I do think that is wrong. The board unanimously voted to parole Allen. Speaking by telephone from his home in Mansfield, just south of Shreveport, Allen, 61, said he was grateful for the second chance. Hes stayed sober, works full time as a truck driver and has not violated the terms of his parole in the nearly four years since his release. God has been good, he said. Allen at home. Since his parole almost four years ago, hes stayed sober and has held a steady job. (Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica) Steeply Declining Parole HearingsLawmakers who supported Louisianas push to place strict limits on parole have maintained that relying on the algorithm over human judgment was the most efficient way to clear a backlog of parole applications. State Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, the bills author, claimed during a Senate committee hearing in February 2024 that so many unrealistic parole petitions were coming before the board that prisoners most deserving of early release were not being prioritized.What Im really trying to do here is make the system run more efficiently and effectively, McMath said.But data from the parole board doesnt support his assertion. According to the parole boards annual reports, the number of cases heard by the board actually dropped by 40% between 2016 and 2023. Prison reform advocates and civil rights attorneys say McMaths bill was never anything more than a Trojan horse designed to kill parole, given the laws other requirements that make parole substantially harder to achieve, including a unanimous board vote before parole is granted and an increase in the number of years prisoners must maintain clean disciplinary records. McMath declined to be interviewed and did not answer questions concerning the impact of his legislation.Landry, who signed the legislation into law in March 2024, appointed five new people to the seven-member board. None of the seven were permitted to comment about the use of TIGER to deny prisoners parole, according to Francis M. Abbott, executive director of the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole, citing board policy. Instead, he provided a statement from board chair Sheryl Ranatza: We believe Governor Landrys reforms passed in the special crime session will enhance public safety.The average number of people paroled in Louisiana has already dropped from 32 per month in 2023 to six per month since the law went into effect in August, according to Department of Corrections data. And at least 70 parole hearings, including Alexanders, were canceled between Aug. 1 and Dec. 13 because of the prisoners risk score, according to the parole board.Opponents of the bill predict the new restrictions on parole will swell the states prison population, costing taxpayers billions of dollars to build new corrections facilities and leading to more violence behind bars as inmates have fewer incentives to behave. For Alexander, that means he will not have the same opportunity Allen did to show the parole board that he had heeded their advice to improve himself. Brown, right, shows a photo on her phone taken when she visited Alexander, center, at Rayburn Correctional Center last year. (Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica) With his health rapidly deteriorating, his family fears he will not live to see the end of his sentence in five years. Hes got one eye. Hes diabetic. Hes got poor circulation, said Alexanders daughter, Sabrina Brown. I dont want to have to go to a funeral for him. Instead of moving into Browns New Orleans home as planned, Alexander will be able to see his daughter only when she makes the 85-mile trek north to the Rayburn Correctional Center. It wasnt supposed to be this way, he said.They told me once I received my risk score there is nothing I can do to change it, Alexander said. Its like walking into a brick wall.

Boxes of ginger from China are stacked at a grocery market in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)2025-04-13T04:01:58Z When the first two rounds of 10% tariffs hit, Zou Guoqing, a Chinese exporter, groaned but didnt find the barriers insurmountable. He gave up some of his profits and offered his client, a snow-bike factory in Nebraska, price cuts ranging from 5% to 10%. It seemed to work: The factory agreed to a new order of molds and parts.But when President Donald Trump announced an additional 34% universal tariff on Chinese goods on April 2, Zou, whos been exporting to the U.S. for more than a decade, was incredulous. Theres not a thread of feasibility, said Zou, who does business in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo. It looks like I would have no choice but give up trading with the U.S.Then came 50% more from Trump, followed by another hike pushing the universal tariff on Chinese goods to the sky-high 145%, and Zou said he now could only hope that the two leaders can communicate. We are pausing the shipments, he said, until the leaders talk. The 145% tariff from the United States and the retaliatory 125% tariff from China are putting businesses doing trade between the U.S. and China on edge. Theyre fretting not only about their next orders, but also the viability of their business if theres no quick relief. Experts are worried the decades-long trade ties that have underpinned the relationship between the worlds two largest economies could be unraveling. Trade ties are testedIf the high tariff is sustained for the next six months or longer, that would actually lead to a real effective decoupling between the American and Chinese economies, said Chen Zhiwu, professor of finance at Hong Kong University Business School.Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Councils GeoEconomics Center, said the sky-high tariff, if kept in place, amounts to almost a trade embargo, making it impossible for China to export low-value items such as apparel to the U.S. It also would force U.S. businesses to source elsewhere, away from China, if there should be alternatives, he said. In China, the central tariff office flat-out declared there was no possibility for market acceptance of U.S. goods exported to China at the current tariff level.Everyones pretty worried, said Hu Jianlong, founder of Brands Factory, a consultancy that works with Chinese companies trying to break into overseas markets. At this point in time, theres no good way forward. This situation has not resolved ... theres no final number. And so everyones still waiting to see how this will develop.The high-stakes tariff war has come more than 20 years after China with the help of the United States joined the World Trade Organization and began to see its economy soar on luring foreign investments and exporting to the U.S. and other Western markets. By last year, China-U.S. trade was $582 billion, but tensions have flared over Chinas widening trade imbalance with the U.S. That led to the first tariff skirmish during the first Trump term.The trade deficit has since narrowed but stayed stubbornly high, at a time when the U.S. and other Western markets have also grown concerned about another onslaught of Chinese products such as electric vehicles. Decouple or de-risk? During his four-year term, former President Joe Biden stressed that the U.S. was not trying to decouple from China but to de-risk. He took the small-yard, high-fence approach, under which his administration put up barriers in targeted sectors such as advanced chips, artificial intelligence and quantum computing that have national security implications.Now, Trump is declaring universal tariffs on all Chinese goods but has said hes also willing to talk with Beijing. It remains unclear what his goals might be.What are they looking for in those negotiations? How much is it possible to reduce these tariffs? What are the other demands apart from China removing its retaliatory tariffs that the United States wants to put forward. We dont know what that would be, said Greta Peisch, who served as the general counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in 2021-2024. The message from Chinas leadership is loud and clear. It will talk only when the U.S. stops maximum pressure and capricious and destructive behavior, said Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.Li Cheng, professor of political science at the University of Hong Kong, said the Chinese leadership is upset over being singled out by Trump when the U.S. president paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days for all other countries. Beijing wants to make sure that Donald Trump not state one thing in the morning and say other things in the evening, Li said, and that Trumps policies on China are not hijacked by his anti-China, hawkish advisers.With no leadership-level negotiations in the immediate future, businesses are exploring their options.Lisa Li, who works in sales for an athletic wear manufacturer in the northern Chinese province of Hebei, said her business was negotiating with clients over whether they could split the increased costs. Its too early to say if her company is to give up on the U.S. market, she said, but it will definitely expand other avenues for sales, such as in Australia or Europe. Differing views, but optimism is saggingIn the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, a manufacturing hub, a holiday lights maker was less optimistic. Bo, who shared only his surname out of concern for retaliation, said he could only give up if the tariff hikes were here to stay because other markets might not work. In the past few years, the European market has been in a slump, Bo said. So we had wanted to try and develop our business in the United States.In Hong Kong, Danny Lau, who runs an aluminum-coating factory in the nearby southern Chinese city of Dongguan, said one of his U.S clients would keep buying from him for an ongoing project but was unsure about the next project. Another client told Lau that the chances are slim to strike a deal when tariffs are so high. Lau has been exploring other markets, but he says its not easy because some may find his high-quality products too expensive.At a port in the Chinese city of Shanghai, ships heading to the U.S. had almost vanished by Thursday, the day after Trumps tariff on China took effect, according to a report by the financial news site Caixin. Major shipping lines were drastically cutting back on trans-Pacific routes, the report said.For the longer term, the tariff war is likely to prompt Chinese businesses to diversify their supply chains and move part of their manufacturing capacity outside of China, and even to the United States, said Hu, the consultant.Some might follow in the footsteps of the Tianjin steelmaking business, which gave up trading with the U.S. after both Trump and Biden raised tariffs on Chinese steel. The best plan is to not come into contact, said David Yu, who works in the companys foreign sales department.However, not everyone is ready to give up on the U.S. market. Zou, the exporter in Ningbo, describes the U.S. market as reliable and without finicky demands.Its the best market on Earth, he said. I am waiting for the rainbow after the storm.___Wu reported from Bangkok and Tang from Washington. AP researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing and writer Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report. HUIZHONG WU Wu covers Chinese culture, society, and politics for The Associated Press, as well as the countrys growing overseas influence from Bangkok. She was previously based in Taiwan and China. twitter DIDI TANG Tang joined the AP Washington bureau in 2023 after spending 11 years in Beijing as a China correspondent. She covers anything related to the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on U.S.-China competitions mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Wellspring Health Access, Wyoming's only abortion clinic, is seen Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Casper, Wyo. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)2025-04-13T04:02:43Z CASPER, Wyo. (AP) When a Wyoming woman phoned the states only abortion clinic recently to make an appointment to end her pregnancy, she received news that complicated her life even more.Wellspring Health Access had stopped providing abortions that same day, responding to a slew of new requirements for the Casper clinic to become a licensed surgical center.It was kind of really bad timing on my part, said the woman, who declined to be named because of abortions stigma in her community.Though abortion remains legal in Wyoming, it has become increasingly difficult because of new requirements for abortion clinics and women seeking abortions. In this case, the woman had to go to Colorado, which partially borders southern Wyoming. On Wednesday, the Wyoming Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over state abortion bans that a lower court judge has suspended and struck down as unconstitutional. But even if the state high court agrees with those rulings, access to abortion in Wyoming stands to remain uncertain. New state laws make getting abortions much harderOne new law targets Wellspring Health Access as Wyomings only abortion clinic, requiring licensure as an outpatient surgical center at a cost of up to $500,000 in renovations, according to the clinic.The law also requires the clinics physicians to get admitting privileges at a hospital within 10 miles (16 kilometers). A hospital three blocks from the clinic is under no obligation to admit its doctors, however.This is an abortion ban without banning abortion, said Julie Burkhart, founder and president of Wellspring Health Access.A second new law requires women to get ultrasounds at least 48 hours before a medication abortion, costing them $250 or more plus gas money and travel time in a state where ultrasounds are unavailable in many rural areas.The Wyoming Legislature is well within its rights to regulate abortion to protect women from even the small chance of an abortion mishap, argued an attorney for the state, John Woykovsky, at a recent court hearing on the new laws. Unsettled abortion laws have far-reaching effectsIn most cases, a transvaginal ultrasound is required to obtain a fetal image in the earliest stages of pregnancy, when most abortions are done. That invasiveness, especially for victims of rape and abuse, caused Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, to veto the ultrasound bill a few days after he signed the surgical center requirement into law Feb. 27.The Republican-dominated Legislature overrode his veto, leading Wellspring Health Access, the Wyoming abortion access advocate Chelseas Fund and others to sue over it and the licensing law.Meanwhile, the legal uncertainty caused Wellspring Health Access, which opened in 2023 after an arson attack delayed the original date by almost a year, to halt both medication and surgical abortions.Several dozen abortion opponents attended a Tuesday hearing in Casper on whether to suspend the laws while the lawsuit moves ahead. If that happens, clinic abortions will resume, to the dismay of opponents, said Ross Schriftman, president of the local Wyoming Right to Life chapter.No inspections, no confirmation of whether the people committing the abortions are licensed doctors for Wyoming and no continuity of care to the hospital, Schriftman said by email. Abortion proponents claim support among Wyoming womenA former Wyoming resident who, in 2017, got an abortion in neighboring Colorado, her closest option at the time, sympathized with rural Wyoming women seeking abortions now.God forbid its the winter, said Ciel Newman, who now lives in New Mexico. Wyomings a huge, rural state without much interstate coverage.The amount of business at Wellspring Health Access shows that the lawmakers who passed the abortion laws are out of step with their constituents, Burkhart said.We have had people coming in our doors each and every week that weve been open, Burkhart said. If people who come from Republican states, or more traditional-leaning states, didnt approve of abortion, we would go out of business because people just wouldnt show up. Is abortion access a Wyoming health care right?In the case about to be argued before the state Supreme Court, the same groups and women are suing over laws banning abortion that Wyoming has passed since 2022. They include the first explicit ban on medication abortions in the U.S.In November, a judge in Jackson ruled the bans violated a 2012 constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right of competent adults to make their own health care decisions.Even if the justices agree, Wellspring Health Access stands to suffer. Before the new laws, the clinic saw as many as 22 patients a day, 70% of whom were there for abortions: half surgical, half by pills.Now, Wellspring Health Access doesnt offer abortions and sees about five patients a day, all of whom are transgender people receiving hormone replacement therapy, according to the clinic.Twenty-three other states, including 14 that have not totally banned abortion, have passed requirements similar to Wyomings that opponents call targeted regulation of abortion providers, or TRAP, laws. Surgical center licensing and hospital admitting privileges are typical requirements, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that advocates for abortion access. Few states have passed TRAP laws since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, but abortion remains an unsettled issue in several. A licensing law in Missouri stood to curtail abortions until it was blocked by a judge, pointed out Kimya Forouzan, state policy advisor for the Guttmacher Institute.They still have a major impact on the ability to provide care, Forouzan said in an email.An even longer drive to get an abortionThe Wyoming woman recently seeking a surgical abortion at Wellspring Health Access had to drive more than twice as far from her hometown, more than four hours each way, to have the procedure at the Planned Parenthood in Fort Collins, Colorado.Even though I support abortion fully, its not something that I thought I personally would ever do, the woman said, adding that Wellspring Health Access helped cover her costs.It was a humbling experience, she said. It just gave me a lot more compassion for people who have experienced abortions as well as people who arent able to take that route.

by Taylor Kate Brown ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. This piece was originally published in Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country. Sign up to receive our stories in your inbox every week. When Edgar Barrientos-Quintana left prison last November, he told reporters: Happy to be out here. Its the best week. And more to come. It was an understated moment from a man who had been in prison for close to 16 years for a murder that officials said he didnt commit. And it provided a stark contrast to the reality television show that depicted the investigation that led to his arrest. Barrientos-Quintana was freed after the Minnesota attorney generals Conviction Review Unit found he had been wrongfully convicted and recommended vacating his conviction. The units 180-page report cited failures by police, prosecutors and Barrientos-Quintanas own defense lawyers. But it also mentioned something reporter Jessica Lussenhop had never seen before in a wrongful conviction case: the involvement of popular true crime show The First 48. The show begins each episode with the premise that the chance of solving a murder is cut in half if police dont have a significant lead within 48 hours of a killing which also creates a sense of deadline pressure.In two stories ProPublica recently published, Lussenhop follows the shows involvement in the murder investigation that landed Barrientos-Quintana in prison, and how the shows two-decade history of filming in cities across the U.S. has left a complicated trail of problems and municipal regret.I talked to Lussenhop about what she learned about how The First 48 operates and why so many cities have stopped working with the show. What did you find surprising while reporting this story? Finding out that these episodes often air before a defendants trial. The show has disclaimers to the effect of everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but those words go by in a flash, and as a viewer, I certainly havent paid much attention to them. This person is still innocent until proven guilty, but the show does a good job of depicting them as guilty.What else was surprising was just the sheer number of times there were problems. There are shows like Live PD that have had extremely high-profile controversies and have been canceled. But The First 48 has been on the air for 20 years, and multiple cities ended their relationships with the show. Its not just the defense bar thats upset with it. Its prosecutors, judges, mayors, city council people, all saying, Why did our police department decide to do this? Why do police departments get involved with this show? As far as we understand it, police departments dont make any money off this show, and if you take into account the lawsuits, sometimes the show winds up costing cities money. Then the question becomes, well, why would any police department agree to do this? I think the answer is that police departments are often the subject of negative news coverage. They want a light shone on the work of their homicide detectives and everyone who supports their investigations.But one of the other important things is these are often the kinds of homicides that are not going to get a lot of press attention. The First 48 does often interview the victims family; theyll show the victims picture on television and say a little bit about their lives. That might be way more media attention than these victims would otherwise get. Theyre often poor, theyre often people of color, and the kinds of homicides that may get very little attention in their local media. So I think that it does, in a sense, provide a service. Watch: Reality Cop Show The First 48 and the Wrongly Convicted Man How is this similar to and different from other wrongful conviction cases? A lot of whats in Barrientos-Quintanas Conviction Review Unit report are the hallmarks of wrongful convictions: very young witnesses being interrogated for a very long time, sometimes without parents or lawyers involved; police not following photo lineup procedures; the defense claiming that the prosecution is withholding evidence from them. But to our knowledge, this is the first exoneration ever to be tied to The First 48.Multiple people, including the Hennepin County prosecutor, told me that the very premise of the show is extremely problematic because it makes it sound like you have to rush. The show has a literal clock thats ticking down in the corner of the screen. Obviously, you want good leads early on, but you have to keep an open mind to evidence thats going to come into play later on. One of the big pieces of evidence in Barrientos-Quintanas exoneration is the existence of surveillance tape of him at a grocery store with a girl roughly 33 minutes before the shooting happened. That was not a piece of evidence that they had within the first 48 hours, or even within the first two weeks. Theres also just the notion that if you have a camera crew following you around, youre going to behave differently. Especially if its a camera crew for a show called The First 48, which implies you better make something happen in 48 hours. That could have an effect on your actions as an investigator. What did you hear from the family of Jesse Mickelson, the victim Barrientos-Quintana was convicted of killing? Multiple members of the family have accepted that Barrientos-Quintana is not guilty. Those were some of the most fascinating conversations that I had. If you spent 15 years not only believing that hes guilty but in a certain sense hating him for destroying your family, and to be presented with new evidence and then be like, Wait a minute, I think we got this wrong that just takes a lot of courage and heart. I spoke to Mickelsons half-sister, Tina Rosebear. She thought of the show as sort of a document of this awful experience that her family had gone through, but it was something that acknowledged her brothers life. She found it almost a source of comfort to watch the episode. But now she has very, very different feelings, and she draws a bright line connecting the television show to the fact that their family may never know who shot and killed Mickelson. Maybe these investigators didnt do as good a job as they could have because they were rushing to meet this 48-hour thing. For a variety of reasons, the opportunity to catch whoever did this has passed, and she cant help wondering if thats in some way the shows fault.The companies that produce the show did not respond to numerous requests for comment or to a detailed list of questions. The detectives involved in the case also declined to comment. One prosecutor in the original case against Barrientos-Quintana is now a judge and thus precluded from speaking to the press by the Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct; another took issue with many of the characterizations in the Conviction Review Unit report but agreed that The First 48 had been a problem.