Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pose for a photo at their meeting in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Oct. 11, 2024. (Alexander Shcherbak, Sputnik, Kremlin via AP, File)2025-01-17T09:25:38Z MOSCOW (AP) The presidents of Russia and Iran opened their talks in the Kremlin on Friday before signing a broad cooperation pact.The Kremlin said that the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty to be signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian covers all areas - from trade and military cooperation to science, education and culture.The signing comes ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker peace in Ukraine and take a tougher stance on Iran, which is grappling with growing economic problems and other challenges, including military setbacks in its sphere of influence across the Middle East. After laying a wreath at the Unknown Soldiers Tomb at the Kremlin Wall, Pezeshkian and Putin sat down for talks in the Kremlin, their third meeting since the Iranian leaders election in July. Welcoming Pezeshkian as they sat down for talks, Putin said the new treaty will give an additional impulse to practically all areas of our cooperatioon.Pezeshkian said the documents will form a solid foundation for our forward movement and emphasized the strategic importance of ties with Moscow. The Kremlin said the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty covers all areas - from trade and military cooperation to science, education and culture.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed any link with Trumps inauguration, saying the signing had been planned long ago. Russias ties with Iran have grown closer after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine and the West have accused Tehran of providing Moscow with hundreds of exploding drones for use against Ukraine, which Moscow and Tehran have denied.Last year, Iran joined the BRICS bloc of developing economies and Pezeshkian attended its summit, which was hosted by Russia in Kazan. Russia and Iran, which had troubled relations in the past, developed cordial ties after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with Moscow emerging as a key trade partner and supplier of weapons and technologies for Tehran, which has faced bruising international sanctions. Russia built Irans first nuclear plant that was launched in 2013 and is building two more nuclear reactors there.Russia was part of the 2015 deal between Iran and six nuclear powers offering sanctions relief for Tehran in exchange for curbing its atomic program, and the Kremlin offered political support to Iran when the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during Trumps first term.Russia and Iran also pooled efforts to shore up Bashar Assads government during Syrias civil war, but failed to prevent his swift demise last month after a blitz opposition offensive. Assads downfall dealt another blow to Tehrans self-described Axis of Resistance across the region, which had already been pummeled by Israels offensives against two militant groups backed by Iran - Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel also attacked Iran directly on two occasions. Tehran increasingly needs Moscows assistance as it faces economic woes and stinging setbacks across its sphere of influence in the Middle East. The troubles could deepen after Trump returns to the White House with his policy of maximum pressure on Iran. In particular, Iran wants sophisticated Russian weapons like long-range air defense systems and fighter jets to help fend off possible attacks by Israel.___Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden attends the Department of Defense Commander in Chief farewell ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-17T14:11:29Z WASHINGTON (AP) Popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been added to Medicares list of medications that will be negotiated directly between the government and drug manufacturers, the Biden administration said Friday. The price negotiations for the additional 15 drugs selected will be handled by the incoming Trump administration and almost assures billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Besides Ozempic and Wegovy, some of the other medications include Trelegy Ellipta, which treats asthma; Otezla, a psoriatic arthritis drug; and several that treat different forms of cancer. The list is a first step in negotiations and, given the timing, the details and final pricing will be left to President-elect Donald Trumps administration. For some people this is a big deal, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a call with reporters on Thursday. Some folks have to skip a dose in their prescription so they can make a prescription last longer. That brings the total to 25 drugs that will have lower price tags. Those 25 drugs account for a third of Medicare spending on prescriptions, Becerra said. The savings will stem from a new law that allows Medicare to haggle over the price it pays on the most popular and expensive prescription drug scripts filled by older Americans. For years, Medicare had been legally prohibited from such dealmaking. The law, passed by Democrats and signed into law by President Joe Biden, was opposed by Republicans at the time, but its unclear if they have an interest in trying to repeal or weaken the law now. Although drug companies have sued over the negotiations, they engaged in the talks with the federal government. Pharmaceutical executives last year had said during earnings calls that they dont expect the new Medicare drug prices to impact their bottom line. Late last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it had reached pricing deals with companies for 10 drugs in the inaugural round of negotiations. Under the new deals, list prices were reduced by hundreds in some cases, thousands of dollars for 30-day supplies of popular drugs used by millions of people on Medicare. They included popular blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis and diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia.The savings from the new list prices for those drugs were expected to generate about $6 billion for taxpayers and $1.5 billion for Medicare enrollees.Negotiated prices for the drugs dont kick in until 2026. But some Medicare enrollees should see relief from drug prices in a new rule this year that caps annual out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs to $2,000.Under the law, more drugs will be added to the negotiation process in coming years.Ozempic and Wegovy are made by Novo Nordisk, which is based in Denmark and has U.S. headquarters Plainsboro, New Jersey. AMANDA SEITZ Seitz is an Associated Press reporter covering federal health care policy. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth talks with soldiers at Fort Jackson, a U.S. Army Training Center, in Columbia, S.C., Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)2025-01-17T12:00:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Army expects to meet its enlistment goals for 2025, marking a dramatic turnaround for a service that has struggled for several years to bring in enough young people and has undergone a major overhaul of its recruiting programs.In an interview with The Associated Press, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the Army is on pace to bring in 61,000 young people by the end of the fiscal year in September and will have more than 20,000 additional young people signed up in the delayed entry program for 2026. Its the second straight year of meeting the goals.Whats really remarkable is the first quarter contracts that we have signed are the highest rate in the last 10 years, Wormuth said. We are going like gangbusters, which is terrific.Wormuth, who took over the Army four years ago as restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were devastating recruitment across the military, also flatly rejected suggestions that the Army is woke. Critics have used the term to describe what they call an over-emphasis on diversity and equity programs. Some Republicans have blamed wokeness for the recruiting struggles, a claim repeated by President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, during his confirmation hearing this week. Wormuth dismissed the claims.Concerns about the Army being, quote, woke, have not been a significant issue in our recruiting crisis, she said. They werent at the beginning of the crisis. They werent in the middle of the crisis. They arent now. The data does not show that young Americans dont want to join the Army because they think the army is woke however they define that. Hegseth has vowed to remove woke programs and officers from the military. And during his hearing Tuesday, he told senators that troops will rejoice as the Trump administration takes office and makes those changes. Weve already seen it in recruiting numbers, he said. Theres already been a surge since President Trump won the election.In fact, according to Army data, recruiting numbers have been increasing steadily over the past year, with the highest total in August 2024 before the November election. Army officials closely track recruiting numbers.Instead, a significant driver of the recruiting success was the Armys decision to launch the Future Soldier Prep Course, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in August 2022. That program gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards and move on to basic training.In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2024, the Army met its recruiting goal of 55,000 and began to rebuild its delayed entry pool. About 24% of those recruits came out of the prep course. Wormuth said she expects it will contribute about 30% of this years recruits.The Army and the military more broadly have struggled with recruiting for about a decade, as the unemployment rate shrank and competition grew from private companies able and willing to pay more and offer similar or better benefits. Just 23% of young adults are physically, mentally and morally qualified to serve without receiving some type of waiver. Moral behavior issues include drug use, gang ties or a criminal record. And the coronavirus pandemic shut down enlistment stations and in-person recruiting in schools and at public events that the military has long relied upon.Wormuth said a private survey along with more recent data show that the key impediments to joining the military are concerns about getting killed or getting hurt, leaving their friends and family, and having a perception that their careers will be on hold.That survey, done in 2022, found that wokeness was mentioned by just 5% of respondents.Wormuth acknowledged that the latest data show one element mentioned by Hegseth that the number of white men enlisting is a bit lower. She said the persistent criticism about wokeness could be one reason.Any time an institution is being inaccurately criticized and demeaned, its going to make it harder to recruit. And I think that is what we have seen, she said. In terms of is the Army woke which I will take to mean focused on things that dont make us more lethal or effective or better able to defend this nation I would say the Army is absolutely not woke. As an example, she said recruits get one hour of equal opportunity instruction in basic training and 95 hours of marksmanship.She also said there has been an increase in minority enlistment. The service brought in the highest number ever of Hispanic recruits in 2024 and saw a 6% increase in Black recruiting. In 2022, the Army fell 15,000 short of its enlistment goal of 60,000. The following year, the service brought in a bit more than 50,000 recruits, widely missing its publicly stated stretch goal of 65,000. The Navy and the Air Force all missed their recruitment targets in 2023, while the Marine Corps and the tiny Space Force have consistently hit their goals.Critics have also charged that the military has lowered standards under President Joe Bidens administration. Asked if that was true for the Army, Wormuth said the service actually resolved not to do that to meet its recruiting goals. Instead, she said, the prep course helps recruits meet the standards.Other changes that have helped the recruiting turnaround, she said, include an overhaul of the system used to select recruiters, which now chooses soldiers more suited to the task, as well as an increased use of data analytics to improve marketing and ads.The Army also increased the number of medical personnel being used to help process routine waivers to move them more quickly through the system. A consistent complaint across the military has been that it took too long to get a waiver approved and that recruits were moving on to other jobs as a result of the delays.

Sarah Baus, left, of Charleston, S.C., and Tiffany Cianci, who says she is a "long-form educational content creator," livestream to TikTok outside the Supreme Court, on Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-01-17T15:03:47Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless its sold by its China-based parent company, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.A sale does not appear imminent and, although experts have said the app will not disappear from existing users phones once the law takes effect on Jan. 19, new users wont be able to download it and updates wont be available. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings.The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution and the administration of President Joe Biden, which has signaled it wont enforce the law beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Trump, mindful of TikToks popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikToks Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Its unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. The law allowed for a 90-day pause in the restrictions on the app if there had been progress toward a sale before it took effect. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who defended the law at the Supreme Court for the Democratic Biden administration, told the justices last week that its uncertain whether the prospect of a sale once the law is in effect could trigger a 90-day respite for TikTok. Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikToks data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary, the court said in an unsigned opinion, adding that the law does not violate petitioners First Amendment rights. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch filed short separate opinions noting some reservations about the courts decision but going along with the outcome.Without doubt, the remedy Congress and the President chose here is dramatic, Gorsuch wrote. Still, he said he was persuaded by the argument that China could get access to vast troves of personal information about tens of millions of Americans.At arguments, the justices were told by a lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese technology company that is its parent, how difficult it would be to consummate a deal, especially since Chinese law restricts the sale of the proprietary algorithm that has made the social media platform wildly successful.The app allows users to watch hundreds of videos in about half an hour because some are only a few seconds long, according to a lawsuit filed last year by Kentucky complaining that TikTok is designed to be addictive and harms kids mental health. Similar suits were filed by more than a dozen states. TikTok has called the claims inaccurate. The dispute over TikToks ties to China has come to embody the geopolitical competition between Washington and Beijing. ByteDance and its Chinese Communist masters had nine months to sell TikTok before the Sunday deadline, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X. The very fact that Communist China refuses to permit its sale reveals exactly what TikTok is: a communist spy app. The Supreme Court correctly rejected TikToks lies and propaganda masquerading as legal arguments.The U.S. has said its concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way thats difficult to detect. TikTok points out the U.S. has not presented evidence that China has attempted to manipulate content on its U.S. platform or gather American user data through TikTok.Bipartisan majorities in Congress passed legislation and Biden signed it into law in April. The law was the culmination of a yearslong saga in Washington over TikTok, which the government sees as a national security threat. TikTok, which sued the government last year over the law, has long denied it could be used as a tool of Beijing. A three-judge panel made up of two Republican appointees and a Democratic appointee unanimously upheld the law in December, prompting TikToks quick appeal to the Supreme Court.Without a sale to an approved buyer, the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok. ByteDance has said it wont sell. But some investors have been eyeing it, including Trumps former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire businessman Frank McCourt. McCourts Project Liberty initiative has said it and its unnamed partners have presented a proposal to ByteDance to acquire TikToks U.S. assets. The consortium, which includes Shark Tank host Kevin OLeary, did not disclose the financial terms of the offer.Prelogar told the justices last week that having the law take effect might be just the jolt ByteDance needs to reconsider its position.___Follow the APs coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Sarah Baus, left, of Charleston, S.C., and Tiffany Cianci, who says she is a "long-form educational content creator," livestream to TikTok outside the Supreme Court, on Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-01-17T14:27:31Z BEIJING (AP) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were speaking on the phone late Friday, Chinas Foreign Ministry said in a statement.The conversation comes ahead of Trumps inauguration on Monday. The U.S.-China relationship is expected to be one of the main focuses of Trumps second term, with tensions between the two superpowers looming in the areas of trade, technology and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, among other things.The president-elect confirmed on Truth Social that he had spoken with Xi and said the call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A.Trump said they talked about trade, fentanyl and TikTok, among other things.President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe! he said.Trump has threatened to slap tariffs of 60% on all Chinese imports into the U.S. But he has also in the past praised his relationship with Xi and has suggested China could help mediate international crises such as the war in Ukraine. Xi will not attend Trumps inauguration. China will be represented at the event by Vice President Han Zheng.Trump said in a December interview on Meet the Press that he had been communicating with Xi since he won the election. Trump in the interview said he has a very good relationship with Chinas leader. He said they did had not discussed Taiwan but discussed other issues.

This week, Google shoved various capabilities from Gemini, its AI tool, into Workspaces for Business and Enterprise customers, including associated Gmail accounts. You might now see buttons for Summarize this email, which when clicked will provide a bullet point list of what the email (allegedly) says and, in email threads, peoples sentiment towards it in their replies. Theres also a button in the top right that brings up a Gemini prompt bar, and a couple of ways Gemini offers to help. Show unread emails from today, and show unread emails from this week, are two Im looking at right now.Many people are going to love this. Others are going to want to run away from it as quickly as possible. Many peopleincluing usare already furious that they were automatically opted into it. Turns out, disabling it isnt straightforward, as I found out why I tried to opt 404 Media out of it.Today we announced that were including the best of Google AI in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans without the need to purchase an add-on, Google wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.The Summarize this email button took me by surprise. I opened my Gmail iOS app and it was just there. When I asked a Google spokesperson if Google gave clients a heads up this was coming, they provided me with a couple of links (including that one above), both of which were published Wednesday. So, no not really.I tried out the email summarize feature on a non-sensitive email Emanuel had just forwarded me. It was an obvious scam email, with someone pretending to be from the family of Bashar Al-Assad and who said they could make us a lot of money. Emanuel forwarded me the email and joked sounds good.Geminis summary said Mohammed Karzoon, a former member of the Syrian President al-Assads cabinet, reaches out to Emanuel Maiberg to discuss potential investment portfolios. The second bullet point read Emanuel Maiberg expresses interest in the proposition. Gemini, to little surprise, did not detect that Emanuel was being heavily sarcastic, a beautifully human act.I then tried to opt us out of these sorts of Gemini features. I logged into Google Workspace, clicked the Generative AI drop down menu on the left, then clicked Gemini app. I changed the service status to OFF for everyone.Nope, thats wrong. The Google spokesperson told me that button referred to gemini.google.com, which is the Gemini app, not its integration with Workspace. I also tried in another section called Gemini for Workspace which sounded promising but that wasnt helpful either.I actually had to go to account, account settings, and Smart features and personalization where an administrator can set a default value for users. The spokesperson clarified that individual end users can go turn it off themselves in their own Gmail settings. They pointed to these instructions where users disable smart features.Do you know anything else about how Google is using AI? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at +44 20 8133 5190. Otherwise, send me an email at joseph@404media.co.But it looks like its all or nothing. You cant turn off just the new Gemini stuff without also disabling things like Gmail nudging you about an email you received a few days ago, or automatic filtering when Gmail puts emails into primary, social, and promotion tabs, which are features that Gmail has had for years and which many users are probably used to.On iOS, you go to settings, data privacy, then turn off Smart features and personalization. A warning then says youre about to turn off all the other stuff too that I mentioned above and much more. On Android, you go to settings, general, and then Google Workspace smart features.Turning these off doesnt actually get rid of the Gemini button at the top right of the inbox. It just means when you do click it (maybe by accident because its right next to the button to switch to a different inbox), itll prompt you to once again turn on smart features. It does get rid of the summarize this email button, though.My first thought when I saw the Summarize this email button was, oh god, people are going to be submitting all sorts of sensitive, confidential business information into Gemini. Weve already seen that with ChatGPT, and organizations have to write policies to stop employees doing it. And now youre making that process one click, directly in the inbox? In its Privacy Hub page, Google says Your content is not used for any other customers. Your content is not human reviewed or used for Generative AI model training outside your domain without permission. I do not know if I have given permission or not, though, thats part of the problem.Youll see these end user settings will become even clearer and easier for people to use in the coming days as were rolling out updates (happening now) with language thats specific to Gemini in Workspace features, the spokesperson told me.I hope so.

President Joe Biden attends the Department of Defense Commander in Chief farewell ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-17T16:18:14Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Bidens symbolic declaration on Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment is the law of the land likely only sets up more debates for Congress and the courts over the constitutional prohibition on gender-based discrimination.Heres a rundown on what the ERA is, how long its been debated and what Bidens action means:What is the Equal Rights Amendment?The ERA is a 1970s-era prohibition on discrimination based on gender, guaranteeing men and women equal rights under the law. As a constitutional amendment, it needs ratification from three-quarters of the states before its added to the U.S. Constitution. How long has the push to codify the ERA been going on?There have been debates over the ERA ever since it was initially approved by Congress.The ERA was initially sent to the states for ratification in 1972, and Congress set a deadline of 1979 for three-quarters of state legislatures to ratify it. That deadline was then extended to 1982.But it wasnt until nearly 40 years later, 2020, when Virginia lawmakers voted to ratify the amendment, meaning that the necessary 38 states had ratified it. Congress tried in 2023 to lift the deadline to allow for the amendments ratification, but the measure didnt reach the required 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Whats the archivists role in ERA certification?The director of the National Archives is responsible for certifying and publishing new amendments once they meet the required ratification threshold. Last month, the archivist and deputy archivist of the United States said in a rare joint statement that the ERA could not be certified without further action by Congress or the courts, saying that either entity must change the deadline to consider the amendment as certified.A senior Biden administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the White Houses plans, said the Democratic president was not directing the archivist to certify the amendment. Does Bidens action on the ERA change anything?Not really. Bidens move is largely symbolic, and its unclear if his statement will have any impact. Presidents dont have any role in the amendment process. And the leader of the National Archives has said that the amendment cannot be certified because it wasnt ratified before a deadline set by Congress. Democrats have been pushing Biden to act unilaterally on its ratification before he leaves office next week, and some members of Congress planned to rally Friday at the National Archives.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has led the effort among Democrats in the Senate, has insisted that the archivists analysis was flawed. Gillibrand previously said Colleen Shogan was wrongfully inserting herself into a clear constitutional process, despite the fact that her role is purely ministerial, encouraging Biden to certify the ERA anyway over Shogans objections.___Chris Megerian contributed to this report.Kinnard can be reached at https://x.com/megkinnardap. MEG KINNARD Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of S.D., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-17T16:21:44Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate is heading toward a final vote on legislation that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes and give states power to challenge federal immigration policies, setting a new tone on immigration as Donald Trump enters the White House.Newly in the majority, Senate Republicans have made the so-called Laken Riley Act named after a Georgia student who was killed last year by a Venezuelan man a top priority, potentially making it the first bill Trump signs as president. On Friday, it cleared a key procedural hurdle 61-35, with 10 Democrats voting with Republicans to advance it to a final vote.Democrats, who last year allowed similar legislation to languish, initially supported opening debate on the bill, signaling a new willingness to consider crackdowns on illegal immigration following their election losses. However, most voted against advancing the bill to a final vote after they were unable to make significant changes to the legislation. Obviously border security was a very, very big issue in Novembers election, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican. Americans clearly want a change in policies when it comes to securing our border and immigration. In the early days of the new Congress, Republicans have dared Democrats to join them in efforts to restrict illegal immigration and deport migrants who are tied to crimes. In several cases, they have. Most Senate Democrats voted to advance the Laken Riley Act last week as they bartered for changes to the bill. In the House, all Republicans, as well as 48 Democrats, voted to pass a similar version of the bill this month. And this week, 61 Democrats also voted for a separate bill to require deportation and block entry into the U.S. for foreign nationals who are convicted of physical or sexual abuse. The votes have given Republicans some early wins as they enjoy a trifecta of power across the House, Senate and White House, though the bills have mostly retread on policy where federal authorities already have discretion to act. Once Trump enters office and attempts to set up large-scale deportation operations, congressional Republicans will face intense pressure to pay for his priorities while also balancing their pledges to tame budget deficits and concerns about the economic, as well as humanitarian, impacts of mass deportations.The Laken Riley Act does not have any new funding for immigration officials, but Democratic staff on the Senate Appropriations Committee estimate the bill would cost $83 billion over the next three years, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. Republicans pushed back on that figure. At the same time, they are debating how to pass a major funding package through a process known as reconciliation that would allow the Trump administration to spend up to $100 billion on border and immigration enforcement.Democrats, meanwhile, are searching for a path forward on their approach to immigration. The party is divided between those who now prioritize restrictions on illegal immigration and those who argue the party should also champion help for migrants who are already here or who are seeking relief from violence or persecution in their home countries. I think we have to prove that were the only party serious about border security, said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat.He criticized the Laken Riley Act because it would require immigration authorities to give priority to detaining migrants accused or convicted of crimes like shoplifting, but potentially force authorities to release others convicted of more serious crimes. Murphy said it would just make the system more convoluted and more chaotic.The legislation, as well as Rileys name, became a rallying cry for Republicans last year as they spotlighted President Joe Bidens handling of the border. Riley, a Georgia nursing student, was killed in February, and Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan man who entered the country illegally and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case, was convicted of her murder. Senate Republicans this week expanded the bill to also target migrants accused of crimes that kill or seriously injure someone.Trump in the campaign repeatedly raised the issue of crimes committed by migrants, but there is no evidence that immigrants are more prone to violent crime. Several studies have found immigrants commit lower rates of crime than those born in the U.S. Groups that advocate for restrictive immigration policies dispute or dismiss those findings.Ultimately, immigration experts said the most lasting effects of the legislation could be the provision that gives legal standing to state attorneys general to sue the federal government for harm caused by federal immigration policies. That gives states new power in setting immigration policy when they have already been trying to push back against presidential decisions under both the Trump and Biden administrations. Democrats unsuccessfully pushed to have that provision stripped from the bill, saying it could open the door to major changes in federal policy.We have a really overwhelmed and stretched immigration system as it is and additional litigation just adds chaos, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a lawyer and policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss enjoying things in the AI industry and the TikTok ban.JOSEPH: Im going to talk about Emanuels great piece CEO of AI Music Company Says People Dont Like Making Music. Here is the key passage:Mikey Shulman, the CEO and founder of the AI music generator company Suno AI, thinks people dont enjoy making music.We didnt just want to build a company that makes the current crop of creators 10 percent faster or makes it 10 percent easier to make music. If you want to impact the way a billion people experience music you have to build something for a billion people, Shulman said on the 20VC podcast. And so that is first and foremost giving everybody the joys of creating music and this is a huge departure from how it is now. Its not really enjoyable to make music now [] It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of practice, you need to get really good at an instrument or really good at a piece of production software. I think the majority of people dont enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music.Please go read Emanuels whole piece. Its short and gets straight to the good points of, among other things, that the pursuit of the challenge is one thing that draws people to learn an instrument. Shulman says with his AI tool, they could make the music industry as big as the video game industry, ignoring the fact that some of the most popular video games are specifically about a hard challenge, as Emanuel says.

A TikTok sign is displayed on top of their building in Culver City, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)2025-01-16T11:00:06Z NEW YORK (AP) The supremely popular TikTok could be banned on Jan. 19 under a federal law that forces the video sharing platform to divest itself from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S. operations.Several parties have expressed interest in buying the platform, but ByteDance has repeatedly said it does not plan to sell. Experts have also noted the Chinese government is unlikely to approve a sale that includes TikToks coveted algorithm. But until the deadline passes, the possibility of a purchase is still possible. Heres what you need to know: How much is TikTok worth?Wedbush analyst Dan Ives estimates TikTok is worth well north of $100 billion with the algorithm and potentially up to $200 billion in a best case scenario. Without the algorithm its $40 billion to $50 billion, Ives said, adding he does not believe that ByteDance and Beijing would sell TikTok with the algorithm.Attorneys for the TikTok and ByteDance have claimed its impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm the platforms secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divestiture plan would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content.U.S. officials warned that the proprietary algorithm is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way thats difficult to detect. Whos serious about buying TikTok?Billionaire businessman and real estate mogul Frank McCourt and his internet advocacy group recently announced it had submitted a proposal to buy the social media site from ByteDance. Famed Shark Tank investor Kevin OLeary has also joined the effort. The group has not disclosed details of the bid.If a sale occurs, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers said he would plan to restructure TikTok and give more agency to people over their digital identities and data by migrating the platform to an open-source protocol that allows for more transparency. Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has also taken steps to purchase TikTok. Shortly after Congress passed the ban, Mnuchin told CNBC he had started creating an investor group that would purchase the popular social media company. He offered no details about who may be in the group or about TikToks possible valuation.When Mnuchin was Treasury secretary, he helped the Trump administration broker a deal in 2020 that would have had U.S. corporations Oracle and Walmart take a large stake in TikTok on national security grounds.Several other names have been floated as possible buyers Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Jimmy Donaldson ( MrBeast), who recently posted on social media about possibly pulling off such a deal, and former Blizzard-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. Whether these buyers are serious and actively assembling a bid for the company, however, is not clear. Can Trump intervene?President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, recently asked the court to put a pause on the law so he can work out a political resolution to the issue during his second term. If the justices who heard oral arguments Friday over the law grant his request, a potential ban on TikTok will be delayed. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision within days.The Trump transition team has not offered details on how Trump plans to carry out his campaign pledge to save TikTok. But spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement in November that he plans to deliver on his promise.After Trump takes office, it would fall on his Justice Department to enforce the law and punish any potential violators. On Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trumps pick for Attorney General, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether shed uphold a TikTok ban.

Two employees huddle in the Voice of America's radio control room in New York, Feb. 27, 1953, through which all voice broadcasts. (AP Photo/John Rooney, File)2025-01-17T14:48:12Z LONDON (AP) Its called the Voice of America a storied news outlet that has promised the truth since it first broadcast stories about democracy into Nazi Germany during World War II. Now, its the voice of a country in which a majority of voters chose incoming presidentDonald Trump, a man famous for insistingthe truth is what he says it is. What VOA will tell the world about the United States and democracy during a second Trump administration depends heavily on the once and future president. Trump has jolted foreign leaders with statements about somehow adding Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal to the United States. He wants to project America and himself as dominant. And fighting independent reporting that conflicts with this goal what he considers fake news is one of Trumps signatures.During the first Trump administration, his targets included Voice of America in an uglychapter that included firings, a lawsuit, whistleblowers and a federal investigation. Media experts and current and former VOA journalists see this history potentially repeating itself in a landscape of creepingautocracy, rampant misinformation and Russian propaganda.. I expect that VOA will be put under intense pressure to promote the USA. This seems likely to involve ... only selecting news that paints the country in a positive light, Kate Wright, associate professor of media and politics at the University of Edinburgh, wrote in an email. Trump, she predicted, will try to correct supposedly liberal bias at VOA. The risk is that this will push journalists to create false balance treating perspectives or statements as equally valid when they are not. This time, Trump knows where the levers of power lie. He is poised to test Voice of Americas statutory firewall that protects its editorial operations from interference by any government official. Trump and Kari Lake, his choice to lead the newsgathering organization, have been clear about their intent to reform the media in a series of statements that have rattled many of VOAs 2,000 employees and delighted Trumps fans. Lake said in an interview published Thursday that her job wont be to turn VOA into Trump TV. But its also not our job to go in there and unduly criticize President Trump, she told The Epoch Times. I just want to see fair coverage. I think thats what he wants. The identity of a renowned news outlet is at stakeAlready, Trumps nomination of Lake has resurrected a question that has shadowed Voice of America from its founding: Can a $260 million, government-funded news outlet ever really operate independently?The law sets it up that way. President Gerald Ford signed VOAs charter in 1976. Congress tightened its editorial protections in 1994 and did so again in 2020, after a federal judge ruled that a Trump appointee had infringed on the editorial independence and First Amendment rights of VOA journalists. That was the clear intent from the first words anyone ever heard from the outlet, when the voice of William Harlan Hale beamed a message into Nazi Germany in 1942. The news may be good. The news may be bad, Hale announced, in German. We shall tell you the truth. That approach carried the outlet through World War II. It survived Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who convened hearings in 1953 on allegations that VOA journalists were communist sympathizers. Unlike Soviet broadcasts, the Voice of America is not only committed to telling its countrys story, but also remains faithful to those standards of journalism that will not compromise the truth, President Ronald Reagan said at VOAs 40th anniversary celebration in 1982. Within a decade, Voice of America was broadcasting inside Russia 24-7 and had enough people to produce a fresh 10-minute newscast each hour. Some featured Russian writers who had been expelled but were willing to talk to their countrymen.If you were interested in hearing something different from propaganda, you would seek out these voices, said Mark Pomar, the head of the Russian Service for VOA in the 1980s and the author of Cold War Radio. Trump and Lake, a former Arizona broadcast journalist and a denier of multiple elections, have described a different approach. Under my leadership, Lake posted in December, the VOA will excel in its mission: chronicling Americas achievements worldwide. VOAs actual mission is representing America, not propagandaLakes mission statement is a far cry from what VOAs charter says but Trump has made his name upending tradition, undermining institutions and seeking to unravel the so-called deep state. He views the Voice of America as disgraceful. And hes tried to control the flow of information through VOAs global audience of 350 million before. Its not fake news for you to broadcast that this is the greatest nation the world has ever known, Trumps then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during an interview at VOA in 2021.Under the charter signed into law by Ford, the Voice of America will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. It will be accurate, objective and comprehensive.It goes on: VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.And finally, the broadcaster will present the policies of the US clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies. So by law, Voice of America must broadcast editorials. They are clearly marked as such and labeled as U.S. policy, but typically are pretty bland, diplomatic videos. There, Wright and others say, lie some potential opportunities for Trump. Leading VOA from the news side of the firewall, Lake could have wide latitude to appear on-air herself, for example, or to steer coverage to topics the administration favors. The laws intended to protect VOAs editorial independence, Wright said, are hard to enforce. Together, those are some of the factors that could open the door to whats known as government capture of an independent agency, in which a government controls what is broadcast to domestic audiences. VOA is legally set up to broadcast news to international audiences, but in reality, anyone can access it. That leaves VOA open to transforming into a news-like organization that operates more like the Voice of Trump and speaks to his American constituency.These provisions always risked opening the door to any administration which wanted to turn the network into a mouthpiece, said Wright, the co-author of the 2024 book Capturing News, Capturing Democracy: Trump and the Voice of America.The newly named VOA chief called media reform her pet projectLake was a broadcast journalist in Arizona for decades, winning two Emmys for her teams coverage of landmine recovery in Cambodia, a Fox News spokeswoman said. Then Lake quit and ran for governor. Shes falsely denied two election losses Trumps loss to Joe Biden in 2020 and her own for governor in 2022. Last year, she ran for Senate in Arizona and lost. Throughout, Lake built a national profile as an unflinching Trump ally with a relentless focus on unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and tough talk about securing the U.S.-Mexico border with force. Her showy on-camera clashes with mainstream reporters monsters, she said got plaudits online and apparently Trumps attention as well.At a Trump rally just days before the election last year, Lake, then still a Senate candidate, declared the subject of her pet project.Reforming the fake news into some real honest press, she told a cheering crowd. The days of the fake news are numbered. Were going to get some real journalists once again. Current and former VOA journalists who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation said there was a sense of resignation that under Trump, Lake could clean house. Many are thought to be looking for other jobs.Spokespersons for Lake and for Trumps transition did not reply to queries about her plans for VOA, including whether Lake intends to appear on-air at VOA herself. Trump must first appoint a CEO of the outlets parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. That person would be subject to Senate confirmation.Lake told Breitbart in an interview last month that she wants to return Voice of America to its glory days, of when we could bring down communism (and) change hearts and minds across the globe without having to fire a single bullet. That phrasing is often used to describe Reagans triumph over the Soviet Union and the fall of communism. Heres what he had to say about truth in 1982 to the Voice of America and its role during the Cold War. I know theres a great deal of discussion about the truth, as if there are degrees to truth. Well, no, truth can be told, he said, adding later: It remains the ultimate weapon in the arsenal of democracy.___David Bauder covers media for The Associated Press and reported from New York. Laurie Kellman has reported for the AP from Washington, Israel and London for 27 years. Follow her at http://www.x.com/APLaurieKellman LAURIE KELLMAN Kellman has covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs for the Associated Press, including 23 years reporting from Washington and three from Jerusalem. She is based in London. twitter facebook mailto DAVID BAUDER Bauder is the APs national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York. twitter mailto

Workers continue with the finishing touches on the presidential reviewing stand on Pennsylvania outside the White House Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. (Jon Elswick via AP)2025-01-17T17:03:56Z WASHINGTON (AP) President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather.The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I dont want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.The Rotunda is prepared as an alternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Mondays forecast calls for the lowest inauguration day temperatures since that day. Alternate plans are required for the more roughly 250,000 guests ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds and the tens of thousands more expected to be in general admission areas or to line the inaugural parade route from the Capitol to the White House. Trump said some supporters would be able to watch the ceremony from Washingtons Capital One Arena on Monday, a day after he plans to hold a rally there. He said he would visit the arena after his swearing-in. The National Weather Service is predicting the temperature to be around 22 degrees (minus-6 Celsius) at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Reagans second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius). Barack Obamas 2009 swearing-in was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius). Adding to the bite: Wind is forecast to be 30 to 35 mph (48 to 56 kph), sending wind chills into the single digits.Trumps inaugural committee and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.___AP writers Seth Borenstein, Michelle Price and Farnoush Amiri contributed from Washington. ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto

Icons for the smartphone apps Xiaohongshu and TikTok are seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)2025-01-14T19:02:55Z With a possible TikTok ban just days away, many U.S. users are looking for alternative social media platforms to help them keep up with pop culture or provide the type of entertaining videos that popularized the short-form video app. TikTok, which has been a cultural phenomenon, could be banned on Jan. 19 under a law that forces the platform to cut ties with its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S. operation. The fate of social media platform will be decided by the Supreme Court, which last week heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the statute and seemed likely to uphold the law. The court could rule on the case as soon as this week. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has asked the justices to put the law on hold so he can negotiate a political resolution to the issue after he takes office. TikTok has more than 170 million users in the U.S., and if it does get banned, its not clear which competitors will benefit the most. Some experts think established social media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, could see the biggest influx of users. But some users are looking for something different and could turn to other apps. Here are the different alternatives and what to know about them: Xiaohongshu, or RedNoteRecently, some U.S. TikTok users have flocked to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu in protest of the looming ban. Like TikTok, Xiaohongshu, which in English means Little Red Book, combines e-commerce and short-form videos. Sarah Baus, left, of Charleston, S.C., and Tiffany Cianci, who says she is a long-form educational content creator, livestream to TikTok outside the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Sarah Baus, left, of Charleston, S.C., and Tiffany Cianci, who says she is a long-form educational content creator, livestream to TikTok outside the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The app has gained traction in China and other regions with a Chinese diaspora such as Malaysia and Taiwan racking up 300 million monthly active users, a majority of whom are young women who use it as a de-facto search engine for product, travel and restaurant recommendations, as well as makeup and skincare tutorials.On Tuesday, the Xiaohongshu, called RedNote by American users and on some app stores, was the top downloaded free app in Apples U.S. app store. Lemon8Lemon8, also owned by TikToks parent company ByteDance, is a lesser-known lifestyle app that allows users to post pictures and short-form videos. Though the platform lets users post TikTok-like videos, it leans more into pictures and has been described as a mixture of Instagram and Pinterest. This photo shows the logo and application page for the social media site Lemon8, in New York, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) This photo shows the logo and application page for the social media site Lemon8, in New York, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In the past few weeks, many creators have hailed Lemon8 as the place to go if TikTok is banned under federal law. Some have also recommended it through paid sponsored posts tagged #lemon8partner, indicating a recent corporate push to generate more users.But the law that targets TikTok also states the divest-or-ban requirement for ByteDance applies generally to apps that are owned or operated by the two companies or any of their subsidiaries. That means even though Lemon8 is not explicitly named in the statute, its future in the U.S. is also in jeopardy. Metas InstagramInstagram launched Reels in 2020, a TikTok-like feed of short videos users can create or scroll through. The feature has proven to be massively popular and some experts say creators are likely to set up shop there if a TikTok ban does happen. As of 2022, Instagram had 2 billion active monthly users. Meta no longer discloses user numbers for its individual platforms. But could it replace TikTok? That depends. While many creators currently post on both platforms, some experts say the youngest users are unlikely to migrate to a service made popular by their millennial parents. And while Metas algorithm is addictive, its still not TikTok.In the past, some TikTok users have also blamed the surge of scrutiny on the platform on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, pointing to a Washington Post report from 2022 that said the tech behemoth paid a Republican consulting firm to undermine TikTok through a nationwide media and lobbying campaign.YouTubeThough TikTok dominates headlines as a driver of internet trends, Pew Research Center says YouTube is actually the most widely-used platform among teens and adults.YouTube users can scroll through Shorts just as they can on TikTok or Reels on Instagram and Facebook, allowing them to watch hours of bite-sized videos. Many of the videos featured on YouTube are from TikTok or creators who post to several platforms. That said, YouTube is still known for its longer-format videos so it may not have the variety of content that TikTok users are looking for at least not yet. SnapchatSnapchat, launched in 2011 with its infamous disappearing videos, remains popular among teens and younger adults. The platform gained so much traction that Meta designed a similar feature in Facebook and Instagram called Stories that lets users post photos or videos that disappear within 24 hours. In 2020, Snapchat launched another feature that lets users shine a light on the most entertaining Snaps, no matter who created them.The platform is estimated to have roughly 692 million global monthly active users last year, according to eMarketer. TwitchFor TikTok users who enjoy the TikTok Live feed that features livestreamed videos, Twitch could be a good alternative. The Amazon-owned platform is a leader in the streaming industry and allows users on the platform to watch some of the internets most popular streamers, such as Kai Cenat. Twitch says it has 105 million monthly visitors.ClapperClapper, a TikTok clone, has also been gaining some traction amid the looming ban. The app was launched in 2020 by Dallas-based entrepreneur Edison Chen, and focuses on Gen X and millennial users. In September of that year, the company described itself in a Facebook post as a free speech platform that did not censor posts and comments. But in blog post on its website from 2021, the company wrote it stopped being a Free Speech platform in September 2020 and changed its mission and goals to focus on community. Other little-known appsFor TikTok users who want to get away from the overcrowded spots, there are lesser-known apps like Triller, which is popular for music videos, and Zigazoo, which was designed with kids in mind. If none of these apps tickle your fancy, its also possible that other platforms could emerge in the next few months as companies attempt to attract users looking for a new place to go. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Wearing a button in support of TikTok, Tiffany Cianci, who says she is a "long-form educational content creator," livestreams to TikTok outside the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2024-04-27T13:05:01Z SAN FRANCISCO (AP) If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, thats probably because it has, at least if youre measuring via internet time. Whats now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical.ly, TikTok has grown from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. While, of course, also emerging as a potential national security threat, according to U.S. officials.On April 24, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok parent ByteDance to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or to shut down. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, filed a lawsuit against the U.S., claiming the security concerns were overblown and the law should be struck down because it violates the First Amendment. The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Jan. 19 unless its sold by ByteDance.Heres how TikTok came to this juncture:March 2012ByteDance is founded in China by entrepreneur Zhang Yimin. Its first hit product is Toutiao, a personalized news aggregator for Chinese users. July 2014Startup Musical.ly, later known for an eponymous app used to post short lipsyncing music videos, is founded in China by entrepreneur Alex Zhu.July 2015Musical.ly hits #1 in the Apple App Store, following a design change that made the companys logo visible when users shared their videos. 2016ByteDance launches Douyin, a video sharing app for Chinese users. Its popularity inspires the company to spin off a version for foreign audiences called TikTok.November 2017ByteDance acquires Musical.ly for $1 billion. Nine months later, ByteDance merges it with TikTok. Powered by an algorithm that encourages binge-watching, users begin to share a wide variety of video on the app, including dance moves, kitchen food preparation and various challenges to perform, record and post acts that range from serious to satirical. February 2019Rapper Lil Nas X releases the country-trap song Old Town Road on TikTok, where it goes viral and pushes the song to a record 17 weeks in the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The phenomenon kicks off a wave of TikTok videos from musical artists who suddenly see TikTok as a critical way to reach fans.TikTok settles federal charges of violating U.S. child-privacy laws and agrees to pay a $5.7 million fine.September 2019The Washington Post reports that while images of Hong Kong democracy protests and police crackdowns are common on most social media sites, they are strangely absent on TikTok. The same story notes that TikTok posts with the #trump2020 tag received more than 70 million views. The company insists that TikTok content moderation, conducted in the U.S., is not responsible and says the app is a place for entertainment, not politics. The Guardian reports on internal documents that reportedly detail how TikTok instructs its moderators to delete or limit the reach of videos touching on topics sensitive to China such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and subsequent massacre, Tibetan independence or the sanctioned religious group Falun Gong. October 2019U.S. politicians begin to raise alarms about TikToks influence, calling for a federal investigations of its Musical.ly acquisition and a national security probe into TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps. That investigation begins in November, according to news reports.December 2019The Pentagon recommends that all U.S. military personnel delete TikTok from all phones, personal and government-issued. Some services ban the app on military owned phones. In January, the Pentagon bans the app from all military phones.TikTok becomes the second-most downloaded app in the world, according to data from analytics firm SensorTower.May 2020Privacy groups file a complaint alleging TikTok is still violating U.S. child-protection laws and flouting a 2019 settlement agreement. The company takes the issue of safely seriously and continues to improve safeguards, it says.TikTok hires former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as its chief executive officer in an apparent attempt to improve its U.S. relations. Mayer resigns three months later. July 2020India bans TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps in response to a border clash with China.President Donald Trump says he is considering banning TikTok as retaliation for Chinas alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.August 2020Trump issues a sweeping but vague executive order banning American companies from any transaction with ByteDance and its subsidiaries, including TikTok. Several days later, he issues a second order demanding that ByteDance divest itself of TikToks U.S. operations within 90 days. Microsoft confirms it is exploring acquisition of TikTok. The deal never materializes; neither does a similar overture from Oracle and Walmart. TikTok, meanwhile, sues the Trump administration for alleged violation of due process in its executive orders. November 2020Joe Biden is elected president. He doesnt offer new policy on TikTok and wont take office until January, but Trumps plans to force a sale of TikTok start to unravel anyway. The Trump administration extends the deadlines it had imposed on ByteDance and TikTok and eventually lets them slide altogether. February 2021Newly sworn-in President Joe Biden postpones the legal cases involving Trumps plan to ban TikTok, effectively bringing them to a halt.September 2021TikTok announces it has more than a billion monthly active users.December 2021A Wall Street Journal report finds TikTok algorithms can flood teens with a torrent of harmful material such as videos recommending extreme dieting, a form of eating disorder.February 2022TikTok announces new rules to deter the spread of harmful material such as viral hoaxes and promotion of eating disorders.April 2022The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, a project created by two fans of the Netflix show as a TikTok project, wins the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.TikTok becomes the most downloaded app in the world, beating out Instagram, according to SensorTower data.June 2022BuzzFeed reports that China-based ByteDance employees have repeatedly accessed the nonpublic information of TikTok users, based on leaked recordings from more than 80 internal TikTok meetings. TikTok responds with a vague comment touting its commitment to security that doesnt directly address the BuzzFeed report.TikTok also announces it has migrated its user data to U.S. servers managed by the U.S. tech firm Oracle. But that doesnt prevent fresh alarm among U.S. officials about the risk of Chinese authorities accessing U.S. user data.December 2022FBI Director Chris Wrap raises national security concerns about TikTok, warning that Chinese officials could manipulate the apps recommendation algorithm for influence operations. ByteDance also said it fired four employees who accessed data on journalists from Buzzfeed News and The Financial Times while attempting to track down leaks of confidential materials about the company.February 2023The White House gives federal agencies 30 days to ensure TikTok is deleted from all government-issued mobile devices. Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission warn that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with Chinas authoritarian government.March 2023Legislators grill TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at a six-hour congressional hearing where Chew, a native of Singapore, attempts to push back on assertions that TikTok and ByteDance are tools of the Chinese government.January 2024TikTok said it was restricting a tool some researchers use to analyze popular videos on the platform. March 2024A bill to ban TikTok or force its sale to a U.S. company gathers steam in Congress. TikTok brings dozens of its creators to Washington to tell lawmakers to back off, while emphasizing changes the company has made to protect user data. TikTok also annoys legislators by sending notifications to users urging them to speak up now or risk seeing TikTok banned; users then flood congressional offices with calls.The House of Representatives passes the TikTok ban-or-sell bill.April 2024The Senate follows suit, sending the bill to President Biden, who signs it.May 2024TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance sue the U.S. federal government to challenge a law that would force the sale of ByteDances stake or face a ban, saying that the law is unconstitutional.June 2024Former President Donald Trump joins TikTok and begins posting campaign-related content.July 2024Vice President Kamala Harris joins TikTok and also begins posting campaign-related material.Dec. 6, 2024A federal appeals court panel unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The panel of judges rebuffed the companys challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. Dec. 27, 2024President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a political resolution to the issue.Jan. 17, 2025The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning unless its sold by its China-based parent company, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app. A ban is set to into effect on Jan. 19, 2025. DAVID HAMILTON Hamilton is an Associated Press business and technology reporter based in San Francisco. twitter mailto

Destroyed homes from the Palisades Fire are visible on Jan. 15, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)2025-01-17T19:32:37Z Two wildfires still burning in Los Angeles have torched more urban area than any other fire in the state since at least the mid-1980s, an Associated Press analysis shows.The Eaton and Palisades fires that erupted last week have collectively burned almost 4 square miles of highly dense parts of Los Angeles, more than double the urban acreage consumed by the regions Woolsey Fire in 2018, according to the APs analysis of data from the Silvis Lab at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Experts say several factors could lead to wildfires reaching cities more often. Urban areas continue to sprawl into wildland. Climate change is raising global temperatures that lead to more severe weather, including droughts, especially in the western United States.If these conditions get worse or more frequent in the future, it wouldnt be surprising, in my opinion, if there were more events that threaten densely populated places, said Franz Schug, a researcher studying the boundaries between the wildland and urban areas at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A small fire burns on the ruins of a house after it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) A small fire burns on the ruins of a house after it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Eaton and Palisades fires rampage through Los Angeles has killed at least 27 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and put more than 80,000 under evacuation orders. The fires are likely to be among the most destructive in California history, according to the state agency CalFire. The Woolsey Fire eventually grew to about twice the current size of the Eaton and Palisades fires but most of the area it burned was uninhabitated. Silvis, and AP, defined urban areas as those that are high density, where the land has at least 3 housing units for every acre, calculated with U.S. Census data. Trees sway in high winds as the Eaton Fire burns structures Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Trees sway in high winds as the Eaton Fire burns structures Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned about 3.3 square miles of the downtown area of the city, according to the Chicago Architecture Center. San Franciscos Great Fire of 1906 destroyed 4 square miles of the city, according to the Museum of the City of San Francisco. Besides burning the most urban area, the Eaton and Palisades fires are the largest ever for California in January. Alexandra Syphard, a senior research scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute, said their timing and path through the city may have no precedent in history.Authorities havent determined a cause for the major blazes in California. But experts have noted the extreme weather that created more favorable conditions: heavy rains that drove vegetation growth, then extreme drought that turned much of that vegetation into good fire fuel. Scientists say such extreme weather events are a hallmark of climate change.Then theres the human element. Kenneth Snowden, left, surveys the damage to his fire-ravaged property with his brother Ronnie in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Kenneth Snowden, left, surveys the damage to his fire-ravaged property with his brother Ronnie in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Across California, about 1.4 million homes were built in areas where residential areas and vegetation intermingle between 1990 and 2020, a 40% increase, the Silvis Lab found.Fires that begin close to populated areas are often caused by people, and their proximity to people means they are usually extinguished sooner. As David Helmers, a data scientist and geographer at the Silvis Lab, put it, Humans tend to ignite fires, but they also fight fires. But that wasnt the case with the Eaton and Palisades fires, which were whipped by fierce Santa Ana winds to overwhelm fire crews. Smoke lingers over a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton Fire, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Smoke lingers over a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton Fire, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The 2017 Tubbs Fire in northern Californias wine country came under similar high winds. That blaze, sparked by a residential electrical system, tore through suburban areas of Santa Rosa, killing 22 people and destroying more than 5,600 homes, businesses and other structures. Overnight, the rubble of the Coffey Park neighborhood became a symbol for how quickly a wildfire can reach a populated area.Some 53 years prior, another fire the Hanly Fire burned through almost the exact same area. Winds helped it spread with furious speed. But with little development at the time, nobody died and only 100 homes were lost.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER Keller works with reporters and editors to find stories in data and documents and contributes context to spot and breaking news stories for The Associated Press. mailto

This photo provided by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, convened his security Cabinet to vote on a ceasefire deal after confirming an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Koby Gideon/Israeli Government Press Office via AP)2025-01-17T20:45:50Z The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreemen t is expected to take effect as soon as Sunday. But the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in over a year of brutal war between Israel and Hamas is rife with risks and raises more questions than it answers.The deal presented to the Israeli Cabinet Friday after months of complex negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar is ridden with diplomatic ambiguity, leaving the issues that most inflame tensions between Israel and Hamas up for more negotiation. That has stirred fears that, failing a second agreement, the war could resume within weeks.In besieged Gaza, the prospect of more humanitarian aid and a respite from constant bombardment still has lifted Palestinians hopes after 15 months of suffering through an Israeli military campaign has killed over 46,000 people, both civilians and militants.In Israel, families have eagerly prepared to welcome home relatives Hamas took captive during its Oct. 7 cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in the abduction of 250 others. WHAT TO EXPECT IN COMING DAYS?Even as Israel and Hamas quarreled over final sticking points earlier this week, American and Qatari officials said the first phase of the deal lasting 42 days should take hold first thing Sunday.It involves the release of 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza women, children men over age 50 and sick or wounded people in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.Hamas has agreed to free three female hostages on Day 1 of the deal, four more on Day 7 and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks of this first stage. The first stage also requires that 600 humanitarian relief trucks enter the enclave each day a significant increase from the current trickle of aid deliveries decried by the United Nations as insufficient to cover peoples basic needs. In Gaza, Palestinians can expect the fighting to stop and the Israeli army to withdraw to the east, away from populated areas, allowing civilians to return to their shattered homes. Around 90% of Gazas population of 2.3 million people has been displaced.The majority of Palestinian prisoners slated for release, according to a partial list released by the Israeli Justice Ministry on Friday, are women and minors jailed in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem for non-violent offenses.Diplomats have sketched out further phases of the agreement in hopes that the immediate ceasefire can allow Israel and Hamas to work toward a lasting end to the war and the reconstruction of devastated Gaza.WHAT HAPPENS AFTER? The second phase of the deal is meant to be worked out before the first one ends. To convince both sides to sign on to the ceasefire, foreign mediators seem to have left that second phase particularly ambiguous.The broad outline says all remaining hostages in Gaza, both alive and dead, are to be released in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the strip and a sustainable calm.The talks are bound to be tricky, given the participants antagonisms and sharply different goals. Israel says it wont agree to a complete withdrawal until Hamas military and political capabilities are eliminated, ensuring it can no longer rule. Hamas is badly battered but still controls much of Gaza and has said that it will only agree to a deal that permanently ends the war. It has refused to hand over the last Israeli hostages around 100 are still in Gaza until Israel removes all of its troops. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hoping to persuade his far-right allies to remain in his wobbly governing coalition despite their opposition to a ceasefire, has offered the public no guarantees that Israel will make it to Phase 2. That leaves many families afraid that loved ones still in Gaza will be left behind.Itamar Ben-Gvir, the hardline minister for national security, announced Thursday night that his ultranationalist Jewish Power party would quit the government over the ceasefire, and only return if fighting resumed. Israels finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, also demanded that Netanyahu promise to continue the war in Gaza after freeing some of the hostages as a condition of Smotrichs Religious Zionism staying in the government. Few believe that the ceasefire will address the underlying causes of the war.No one can promise that Hamas will keep its word and execute the second stage, Amos Harel, a military affairs columnist for the Israeli paper Haaretz, wrote on Friday. And many are suspicious of Netanyahus intentions. 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

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)2025-01-17T15:37:09Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) SpaceX suspects a fire may have caused its Starship to break apart during liftoff and send trails of flaming debris near the Caribbean. SpaceXs Elon Musk said preliminary indications are that leaking fuel built up pressure in the cavity above the engine firewall. The resulting fire would have doomed the spacecraft. On Friday, the company promised a thorough investigation in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration.The 400-foot Starship the worlds biggest and most powerful rocket launched from the southern tip of Texas on a test flight early Thursday evening. The booster made it back to the pad for a catch by giant mechanical arms, only the second time in Starship history. But the engines on the still ascending spacecraft shut down one by one, and communication was lost 8 1/2 minutes into the flight. Dramatic video taken near the Turks and Caicos Islands showed spacecraft debris raining down from the sky in a stream of fireballs. Flights near the falling debris had to be diverted.SpaceX said Starship remained in its designated launch corridor over the Gulf of Mexico and then the Atlantic. Any surviving wreckage would have fallen along that path over water, the company said on its website. Starship had been shooting for a controlled entry over the Indian Ocean, halfway around the world. Ten dummy satellites, mimicking SpaceXs Starlink internet satellites, were on board so the company could practice releasing them. It was the seventh test flight of a Starship, but it featured a new and upgraded spacecraft. The booster and spacecraft for the eighth demo are already built and undergoing testing. Musk said on X the accident was barely a bump in the road in his plans to build a fleet of Starships to carry people to Mars. NASA already has booked two Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade under its Artemis program, the successor to Apollo. Spaceflight is not easy. Its anything but routine, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson posted on X after the accident. Thats why these tests are so important.Earlier Thursday, Jeff Bezos Blue Origin company also had mixed results with the debut of its massive New Glenn rocket. It achieved orbit on its first try, putting a test satellite thousands of miles above Earth. But the booster was destroyed after failing to land on a floating platform in the Atlantic.___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.

Callie Goodwin, of Columbia, S.C., holds a sign in support of TikTok outside the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. Goodwin, a small business owner who sells personalized greeting cards, says 80% of her sales come from people who found her on TikTok. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-01-17T21:13:08Z NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. is inching closer and closer to a potential TikTok ban with the nations highest court upholding a law thats set to halt new downloads of the app starting Sunday. But many questions around what exactly this ban will look like, and whether it will actually be enforced, remain.That puts millions of users and content creators in limbo particularly influencers and small business owners who have come to rely on the mega-popular social media platform as a source of income.Among those individuals is Terrell Wade, a comedian, actor and content creator with 1.5 million followers on TikTok under the handle @TheWadeEmpire. Wade, who has turned his TikTok presence into a full-time job, said he expects two days of chaos as the Sunday deadline nears.At this point, I really dont know what to believe, Wade told The Associated Press. In a unanimous decision on Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law that will ban TikTok unless its sold by its China-based parent company before Jan. 19 ruling that a risk to national security posed by the platforms ties to China overcomes First Amendment concerns about limiting free speech on and by the app. A sale does not appear imminent, meaning the ban should go into effect Sunday. But the ruling also arrives just days before the inauguration of a new president. President Joe Bidens administration has maintained that TikTok must change its ownership to address national security concerns, but signaled that it wont enforce the law on Sunday, the Democrats final full day in office. On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that actions to enforce the law will fall to the new administration due to the sheer fact of timing. Meanwhile, Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who once also tried to ban TikTok, has now vowed to preserve access to the platform. But what his options will be following Mondays inauguration remains unclear. Among other points of confusion is what a ban on TikTok will look like. Experts have said the app will not disappear from existing users devices once the law takes effect. But new users wont be able to download it and updates will not be available. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department said in court filings. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless its sold by its China-based parent company. President-elect Donald Trump vowed he could negotiate a solution, and the Biden administration has signaled it wont enforce the law. All of this is a reminder to the creator community that social media platforms can come and go, notes Kelsey Chickering, a principal analyst at Forrester, stressing the disruptions TikTok creators and influencers will feel if the ban takes effect. If access to is lost, she adds, many will have to pivot and re-build their presence on other platforms.While bracing for a potential Sunday ban, Wade is among creators who hope that something happens to avert the shutdown, although he thinks he has enough followers on other platforms to stay afloat.Im still remaining optimistic, he said.Still, many continue to express fears over the potential of losing TikTok.Janette Ok, a full-time content creator based in Los Angeles, says TikTok is the primary platform she uses today. As an influencer and also an artist, she says the platform has helped her make brand deals and promote her music bringing opportunities that I never believed I could experience in my lifetime. Ok was also among influencers who TikTok brought to Washington in 2023 to lobby for the preservation of the app, and remembers a ban being discussed as far back as 2020. And as someone who is Asian, the efforts to ban TikTok over the years have also felt a little xenophobic, she added.I hear all these different things, and I dont know what to believe so thats where Im very frustrated. Im confused. Im disappointed, Ok said. Its a beautiful app, its brought so many people together, its changed a lot of peoples lives, and for it to just be taken away like that feels ... so not American.Jordan Smith, a former WNBA player who operates The Elevated Closet in Austin, Texas a clothing brand for tall women depends on TikTok and TikTok Shop to find customers that fit her niche demographic thats difficult to specifically market to otherwise. On TikTok Ive just been able to find that audience so much easier, she said. She fears losing TikTok will hurt her business, and shell miss it personally, too. So shes following what people are saying will happen on Sunday and hopes a ban might be diverted.It kind of seems like Bidens kind of pushing it off to Trump, she said. So people have hopes that maybe we have a few more days and it wont go dark on Sunday, but I dont really know.Alejandro Flores-Munoz owns a catering business in the Denver area called Combi Taco, or @combicafe on TikTok. TikTok helped him reach customers without spending money on marketing, he said. He was optimistic that TikTok would stick around until he heard todays Supreme Court decision. Up until today, I was extremely optimistic. And after todays Supreme Court decision to uphold the banned or the sale of TikTok, I weigh my options, he said. But honestly, its very disheartening, specifically because I truly did rely on the app for my business and my growth of my business.Going viral on TikTok helped Ruben Trujillo market his Cafe Emporos Coffeegrams, a card that includes coffee, tea or hot chocolate. He said hes growing frustrated with the ever-evolving politics surrounding the ban.Its kind of like they keep putting the ball in each others court, but whos going to make the decision? he said. He said small business owners are told to be creative, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, he said. And a lot of people did that, and its like those bootstraps are being cut now._____Associated Press reporters Haleluya Hadero in South Bend, Indiana, and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report. WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Grantham-Philips is a business reporter who covers trending news for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto 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

A lawsuit filed by The ACLU of Vermont and Pregnancy Justice that alleges that Vermont's child welfare agency routinely targets and tracks pregnant women deemed unsuitable for parenthood is shown on a computer screen on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-01-17T19:34:19Z CONCORD, N.H. (AP) Vermonts child welfare agency relied on baseless allegations about a pregnant womans mental health to secretly investigate her and win custody of her daughter before the baby was born, according to a lawsuit that alleges the state routinely targets and tracks pregnant women deemed unsuitable for parenthood.The ACLU of Vermont and Pregnancy Justice, a national advocacy group, on Wednesday sued the Vermont Department for Children and Families, a counseling center and the hospital where the woman gave birth in February 2022. The lawsuit seeks both an end to what it calls an illegal surveillance program and unspecified monetary damages for the woman, who is identified only by her initials, A.V.According to the complaint, the director of a homeless shelter where A.V. briefly stayed in January 2022 told the child welfare agency that she appeared to have untreated paranoia, dissociative behaviors and PTSD. The state opened an investigation and later spoke to the womans counselor, midwife and a hospital social worker, despite having no jurisdiction over fetuses and all without her knowledge. She was still in the dark until the moment she gave birth and her baby girl was immediately taken away, said Harrison Stark, senior staff attorney at the ACLU. She had no idea that while she was in labor, hospital officials were relaying updates to the state including details of her cervix dilation and had won temporary custody of the fetus. At one point, the state sought a court order forcing the woman to undergo a cesarean section, which was rendered moot because she agreed to the surgery. It took her seven months to win full custody of her daughter. Its a horrific set of circumstances for our client, said Stark. Its also clear from what has happened that this is not the first time the agency has done this. We have learned from several confidential sources that DCF has a pattern and practice of looking into folks like our client who are pregnant, who are of interest to the agency based on a set of unofficial criteria and who the agency is tracking on what is called a high risk pregnancy docket or high risk pregnancy calendar. Chris Winter, commissioner of the Department for Children and Families, said the agency will comment once officials have reviewed the lawsuit and investigated its claims. We take our mission of protecting children and supporting families seriously and work hard to balance the safety and well-being of children with the rights of parents, he said in an email.Copley Hospital also declined to comment on the lawsuit. At Lund, the counseling center named as a defendant, the interim CEO said officials there learned of the allegations from news reports Thursday. We take these matters very seriously and we are actively working to gather more information to understand the situation fully, Ken Schatz said in an email.While its unclear how common such scenarios are across the country, several states allow the civil commitment of pregnant people in order to take custody of a fetus, said Kulsoom Ijaz, senior staff attorney at Pregnancy Justice. She said what happened in Vermont highlights how pregnancy is increasingly used as a pretext to trample on peoples rights. For example, in a report released in September, the organization described an increase in women being charged with crimes related to pregnancy in the year after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion. Most of those cases involved women charged with child abuse, neglect or endangerment, with the fetus listed as the victim, after allegations of substance use during pregnancy.What DCF did here is incredibly cruel. Its discriminatory. Its state sanctioned surveillance and stalking, and it violates Vermonts newly enshrined right to reproductive autonomy in its state constitution, she said. This is an opportunity for Vermont to signal to other states, as a leader and say that these rights dont just exist on paper. They exist in practice, too. The allegations in Vermont are particularly troubling given that the state has held itself up as a haven for reproductive rights, Stark said.To discover evidence that a state agency is essentially colluding with certain medical providers to collect information without folks knowledge or consent and expanding its jurisdiction unlawfully to investigate folks based on what are essentially decisions about their own reproductive health is incredibly alarming, he said.

The TikTok app logo is shown on an iPhone on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)2025-01-17T22:15:50Z With President-elect Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple, who are expected to take the popular video sharing app off their platforms in just two days.Though the Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, its unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which has signaled it wont enforce the law beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers and some users are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond. Were really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy, said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell Universitys Tech Policy Institute.Under the law, mobile app stores like the ones operated by Apple and Google and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikToks China-based parent company. The companies could face fines of up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum. A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that the platform will go dark on Jan. 19 if the law isnt struck down. But TikTok, which is not required to block its own platform under the statute, has not said whether it will limit access to the app, or its website, on Sunday. Experts have noted TikToks app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term. Trumps national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to keep TikTok from going dark, though what that looks like and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny remains unclear. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation, Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the courts ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers. Tech CEOs have been attempting to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who wants to put the TikTok ban on hold, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would defy credulity for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines. Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were made in China. Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. Not sure Id take a politicians word if I ran those companies. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless its sold by its China-based parent company. President-elect Donald Trump vowed he could negotiate a solution, and the Biden administration has signaled it wont enforce the law. Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes theres a small chance that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them. Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trumps inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for his commitment to work with TikTok to find a solution that keeps the platform available. We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process, Chew said. In a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for TikTok creators who sued the government asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law until there is further definitive guidance. In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued, said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher. HALELUYA HADERO Haleluya covers Amazon, retail and technology. twitter mailto

Secretary of State Antony Blinken bids farewell to diplomats and staff at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-01-17T18:00:20Z WASHINGTON (AP) Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken told The Associated Press that he hopes the incoming Trump administration will press forward with key points in President Joe Bidens foreign policy, including on the Middle East and Ukraine.But in an wide-ranging interview Friday on his last workday as Americas top diplomat, he expressed concern that the Trump team might abandon all or some of those policies.Blinken said there is reason to be concerned that the new administration might not follow through on initiatives that Bidens national security team put into place to end the war in Gaza, keep Ukraine free of Russian interference and maintain strengthened alliances with key partners.When we came in, we inherited partnerships and alliances that were seriously frayed, he said. So if past is prologue, yes, it would be a concern. I dont know, cant know, how they approach things, he said. I do think that there is, there could and I believe should, be some real continuity in a couple of places. AP AUDIO: Blinken tells AP hes worried Trump administration may abandon key Biden foreign policy initiatives In an AP interview, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he worries the Trump administration will abandon key Biden foreign policies in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere. President-elect Donald Trump has been skeptical of U.S. alliances, including NATO and defense partnerships in the Asia-Pacific, all of which the Biden team has worked to shore up over the past four years. Trump has also been critical of U.S. military aid to Ukraine and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Trumps incoming Middle East envoy has been deeply involved in helping the Biden administration broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas this week. Both incoming and outgoing presidents claimed credit for the breakthrough. The best laid plans: Theres, of course, no guarantee that our successors will look to them, rely on them, Blinken said. But at least theres that option. At least they can decide whether this is a good basis for proceeding and make changes.Efforts to reach the Trumps transition team for comment were not immediately successful. Blinken and the Biden administration overall have been heavily criticized for their handling of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and, more recently, for their support for Israel in its war against Hamas. Critics accuse them of not imposing meaningful restrictions on weapons shipments to Israel or pushing its ally hard enough to ease a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.On Thursday, protests accusing Blinken of complicity in Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians interrupted his final appearance in the State Department press briefing room, and demonstrators have routinely gathered outside his home.Blinken lamented that the Biden administration has been diverted from its central foreign policy priorities by world developments, including the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russias invasion of Ukraine and the Gaza crisis, all of which took time and energy away from pursuing core objectives, notably in the Indo-Pacific.These are not what we came in wanting or expecting to have to be focused on, he said.That said, he stressed that even as the administration dealt with those crises, it had still been determined to look at the rest of world, and had succeeded, in his estimation, at rebuilding frayed alliances and partnerships around the world. Rest of world: cant lose sight of it, he said. Got to keep the focus on in the places where it really matters for Americas security and for Americas future.The interview, conducted in Blinkens office on the seventh floor of the State Department, followed his farewell remarks to the agencys staffers. He urged career personnel to carry on in their mission amid uncertainty about how the incoming administration will handle relationships and rivalries abroad or treat career American diplomats.In that address to employees, Blinken paid tribute to their work over the past four years despite multiple challenges, ranging from Afghanistan and Ukraine to the Middle East.Without you in the picture, this world, our country would look so much different, Blinken told a cheering crowd of several hundred staffers gathered at the departments main Washington entrance, decorated with the flags of all countries with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations. With you in the picture, both are so much better, he said. Youre working every day to make things just a little bit better, a little bit more peaceful, a little bit more full of hope, of opportunity. Thats your mission, and you do it so well.Trump has been publicly skeptical of the State Department and its traditional role in crafting administration foreign policy.Trump once referred to the agency as the Deep State Department, and he and his associates have made no secret of their desire to purge career officials who do not show sufficient loyalty to the president. His choice to be Blinkens successor, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, has said he respects the foreign service, but he has not yet detailed any plans for how the department will be managed. Blinken called for staffers to remain resilient.This is a time of transition, and when we talk about transition, sometimes we talk about passing the baton. Thats what Ill be doing, he said. But thats not what most of you will be doing. Most of you come Monday, you will keep running, and what gives me more confidence than anything else is to know that thats exactly what youll do.

A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)2025-01-17T21:16:17Z The first evacuation order covering neighborhoods closest to the start of the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire didnt come until about 40 minutes after some of those homes were already burning, according to an Associated Press analysis of emergency communications and interviews with survivors.The wildfire, which would become one of the most destructive in California history, was spreading rapidly in ornamental plantings and burning homes by 11:27 a.m. on Jan. 7, recordings of scanner traffic reveal. So many people fled on their own, as wind-whipped flames raced over the nearby hills, that by the time officials issued the order to evacuate at 12:07 p.m., traffic was gridlocked. A line of vehicles crowds the road as residents flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A line of vehicles crowds the road as residents flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Vehicles are left stranded off the side of the road after residents tried to flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) Vehicles are left stranded off the side of the road after residents tried to flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Authorities would eventually urge people to exit their cars and leave on foot, and then used a bulldozer to clear away abandoned vehicles and make way for fire crews. Despite the timing of the order, nearly all the residents of Pacific Palisades made it to safety a relief that some attributed to the hyper-awareness of fire danger in a region frequently scarred by it, the efforts of first responders, the initiative that many took to evacuate on their own, and the fact that the fire broke out in broad daylight, when those nearby were awake to notice it. Relying on other alert systemsThe time lag is one of several issues that may have complicated the fire response. With the severe winds preventing aerial firefighting, water hydrants ran dry amid unprecedented demand. A reservoir near Pacific Palisades was empty because it needed repairs. Top Los Angeles Fire Department commanders decided not to deploy roughly 1,000 available firefighters and dozens of water-carrying engines in advance, the Los Angeles Times has reported. People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More It also could undermine public confidence in public alert systems, which were beset with erroneous or outdated notifications later in the week. Many residents have instead been relying on Watch Duty, a nonprofit app that provides real-time updates on wildfire activity, evacuations and shelters. The fire annihilated much of the Palisades, an affluent Los Angeles community tucked into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, and killed at least 10 people. That evening another fire erupted and destroyed much of Altadena, leaving at least 17 people dead. More than 80,000 people are still under evacuation orders, and many do not know what, if anything, is left of their houses, apartments and possessions. A monumental firefighting effort continues.Deciding to evacuate on their ownDarrin Hurwitz and his wife, alarmed by the astonishing speed of the flames in the nearby hills, left their home more than an hour before his phone buzzed with the evacuation order. Their house, at the end of a cul-de-sac bordering Topanga State Park, burned down.This would have been a different situation if it had been in the middle of the night, Hurwitz said. If it had taken 30 to 45 minutes to get our phones buzzing, it would have been a potentially big issue.Los Angeles city fire and emergency management officials declined to immediately address questions related to the timing of the evacuation order. Spokesperson Karla Tovar said in an email that the fire department is focusing its resources on responding to the disaster. In a statement, the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management noted that officials had issued preemptive warnings about severe fire weather, notified residents of the wildfire and urged them to be prepared to evacuate and to follow instructions from emergency personnel in the field.These alerts were sent as timely as possible and were intended to wake up people if they were sleeping or draw their attention to the fire so that they could determine their level of risk, take necessary action, and be ready for the next communication, the statement said.Crews began responding to the Eaton fire, which leveled Altadena, at 6:25 p.m. By 6:57, air support recommended evacuating an area near a golf course. That order went out to residents just 15 minutes later.By contrast, officials were discussing preparations for evacuating Pacific Palisades over an hour before the order went out. The fire breaks out On Jan. 6, the day before fires raging around LA destroyed much of the Palisades and Altadena, the National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning alerting the public to severe fire danger as the regions Santa Ana winds were forecast to reach up to 100 mph (161 kph). Los Angeles emergency management officials warned of a destructive, widespread and potentially life-threatening windstorm starting Tuesday morning.Pacific Palisades resident Robert Trinkkeller, a 68-year-old mortgage broker, said he spotted the fire from his home at 10:27 a.m. on Jan. 7 it was in the same area where one had burned on New Years Day and immediately called 911. After being put on hold, he called the local fire department on Sunset Boulevard, and the person who answered hadnt yet heard about the fire. That was at 10:29, he said. Trinkkeller had long prepared to defend his property from any blazes, so he got out his fire suit and hoses. Three times his home caught fire, but he saved it, relying on buckets of pool water once the water to the hose ran out. The wind ripped the roof off his patio.It was moving pretty quickly, and I knew it was going to be bad, but its about 1,000 times worse than anything I could have imagined, he said.We need to goHurwitz noticed the fire shortly after Trinkkeller did. He and his wife quickly gathered some personal items including their childrens artwork and their dog and hamster. We need to go, he recalled telling her.By 11:03 they were out the door. They headed to a hillside vantage point where they could see all the way to the sea. His wife drove to meet their daughters, who had been picked up from school by another family. Hurwitz returned once to the house to grab a few more things and then remained at the vantage point until he saw huge flames cresting the ridge near the home. He drove a short distance down the road and stopped again at a spot where a news crew was filming. He and the reporters got the evacuation order simultaneously, and he quickly drove on back roads to a recreation center, where he reunited with his family.That there were so few casualties was a testament to many people, including first responders and individual residents, taking action on their own, he said.I have concerns it took as long as it did to issue an evacuation order, Hurwitz said. It seemed clear to me by 10:45 that this fire posed an imminent danger to the entire Palisades.Warning residents to be ready as homes are threatenedRecordings of scanner traffic provided by Broadcastify, a company that monitors emergency communications, show that just before 11 a.m. half an hour after the fire was reported firefighters were trying to defend homes in the large Highlands neighborhood of the Palisades, and within 10 minutes, crews to the south were requesting help to protect more than a dozen homes along Floresta Drive.At 11:02, Los Angeles police units were told to respond to a fire station on Sunset Boulevard to prepare for evacuations, and at 11:12, a wireless emergency alert warned Palisades residents to be ready to evacuate. It would be close to another hour before the first evacuation order went out to those residents.By 11:27, homes were burning on Lachman Lane.We have several homes burning, one request noted at 11:33. All the ornamental vegetation has taken off.Experience with fires and traffic jamsThe Palisades, including the Highlands, had prior experience with wildfire evacuations and ensuing traffic jams. Just two paved roads connect the Highlands to the rest of Los Angeles, the four-lane Palisades Drive and a narrow, two-lane road named Fire Drive. The latter is an emergency route, but it was quickly overrun with flames on Jan. 7, residents said. A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In 2020, the Pacific Palisades Community Council wrote to Los Angeles City Council members complaining that in recent wildfire evacuations, traffic backups endangered the public. Residents raised the issue again after seeing images from the 2023 fire that destroyed Lahaina, in Hawaii, where flames overtook gridlocked cars and 102 people died. It happened again last week. As people evacuated even before an official order, cars became stuck in traffic shortly after 11:30 a.m. At 1:09 p.m., a panicked police officer radioed that there was a car burning on Palisades Drive: We need to evacuate all the cars. Get drivers out of the vehicles.Its imperative for communities to have communication plans for wildfires and other emergencies, said Eric Link, a fire protection engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. But the specifics of any such plans can be overwhelmed by fast-changing circumstances on the ground.Authorities may consider road capacity and population density as well as fire behavior in assessing how to evacuate a community, he said.As much lead time as can be provided to the public is the goal, but in rapidly developing cases, the fire may be there quicker than the information can be transferred, Link said.Maryam Zar, chair emeritus of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, said residents have long known they live in a place with two tremendous risks earthquake and fire. Because of the dramatic landscape, shes not sure theres much the the city could do to make it easier to evacuate, especially from such a fast-moving fire, she said.Considering that, its a relief there were not more lives lost, she said.The fact they evacuated the entire community is pretty impressive, Zar said.___Boone reported from Boise, Idaho; Johnson from Seattle; Keller from Albuquerque, New Mexico; Lauer from Philadelphia; and Taxin from Santa Ana, California. Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed. REBECCA BOONE Rebecca is a correspondent based in Idaho. twitter mailto CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER Keller works with reporters and editors to find stories in data and documents and contributes context to spot and breaking news stories for The Associated Press. mailto

People take their places as a rehearsal begins on the West Front of U.S. Capitol ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)2025-01-17T22:02:31Z WASHINGTON (AP) In one of her last acts as Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen said her agency will start taking extraordinary measures, or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, on January 21, in a letter sent to congressional leaders Friday afternoon.She sent a letter in late December to lawmakers stating that Treasury expected to hit the statutory debt ceiling between January 14 and January 23. And now, the agency will stop paying into certain accounts, including the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, to make up for the shortfall in money. The department has in the past deployed what are known as extraordinary measures, or accounting maneuvers, to keep the government operating. But once those measures run out, the government risks defaulting on its debt unless lawmakers and the president agree to lift the limit on the U.S. governments ability to borrow. The period of time that extraordinary measures may last is subject to considerable uncertainty, including the challenges of forecasting the payments and receipts of the U.S. Government months into the future, Yellen wrote in a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership. I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States, she said. When the debt limit is raised or suspended those funds will be paid back and federal retirees and workers wont be affected by the actions. Outgoing President Joe Biden in December signed a bill into law that averted a government shutdown but did not include President-elect Donald Trumps core debt demand to raise or suspend the nations debt limit. Trump has called for the statutory debt ceiling to be abolished. The federal debt currently stands at roughly $36 trillion which ballooned across both Republican and Democratic administrations. And the spike in inflation after the coronavirus pandemic pushed up government borrowing costs such that debt service next year will exceed spending on national security.Republicans, who will have full control of the White House, House and Senate in the new year, have big plans to extend Trumps 2017 tax cuts and other priorities but debate over how to pay for them.___ FATIMA HUSSEIN Hussein reports on the U.S. Treasury Department for The Associated Press. She covers tax policy, sanctions and any issue that relates to money. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

An Ultra-orthodox Jewish man walks past graffiti portraits of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)2025-01-17T21:52:08Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israel is preparing for the return of the hostages from Gaza with the expectation that many are likely to have severe, life-threatening complications after more than a year in captivity in Gaza.While its impossible to know the exact conditions in which hostages have been held, the Health Ministry and the Hostages Family Forum, which represents families of the hostages, are preparing for several different scenarios based on information gathered from hostages previously released or rescued. Hamas militants kidnapped about 250 people during a cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that also left 1,200 people dead. About 100 hostages are still being held, though Israel believes a third of them are no longer alive. A woman weeps during a statement by relatives of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) A woman weeps during a statement by relatives of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Demonstrators hold torches during a protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File) Demonstrators hold torches during a protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More People gather to light candles for Shabbat in Tel Aviv, Israel, after Israel's security Cabinet recommended approval of a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) People gather to light candles for Shabbat in Tel Aviv, Israel, after Israel's security Cabinet recommended approval of a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The war that followed the attack has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.Hagai Levine, who heads the health team at the Hostages Families Forum, said he expects the hostages to return with cardiovascular and respiratory issues due to lack of ventilation in the tunnels. Among multiple other afflictions Levine expects are vitamin deficiencies, starvation, dramatic weight loss, vision problems due to a lack of sunlight, broken bones, cognitive impairment and mental health trauma. As a result, doctors are expecting the hostages will require longer and more complex medical and mental health interventions than did those who returned after the last ceasefire in November 2023, said Dr. Einat Yehene, a psychologist at the Hostages Families Forum who oversees the captives rehabilitation. Two women look at photos of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, that are attached to a fence in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Two women look at photos of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, that are attached to a fence in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Complex medical challenges Doctors are keenly aware of the challenges they face in treating the surviving hostages. One of them is refeeding syndrome, when exposure to certain foods or too much food can lead to profound health complications and even death in those with prolonged vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, said Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Ministry of Healths medical directorate.The Red Cross team that will transfer the hostages from Gaza to Egypt and the small Israeli military medical team that will meet the hostages at the border as they cross into Israel have strict guidelines for what the hostages can eat in their first few hours, Mizrahi said.Six hospitals are preparing to receive hostages, including two in the south, closer to Gaza, that will treat those with acute medical issues, health ministry officials said.Yehene said the public should not expect joyful reunions like those seen following the last ceasefire, when released hostages ran through hospital halls into the ecstatic embraces of their loved ones. Given the physical and emotional conditions, we expect emotional withdrawal symptoms, such as maybe exhaustion, fatigue and some will probably need assistance with their mobility, she said. Medical officials are also prepared for the possibility that returning hostages will need speech therapy, especially if they have been kept in isolation, Yehene noted. She said some might be so traumatized or in shock from the transfer to Israel that they will be unable to speak at all.To minimize the hostages trauma and allow them to acclimate to their new reality, officials will try to limit the number of people who interact with them and have made accommodations to lessen their sensory stimulation, such as stripping down the hospital rooms and changing the lighting.Israels Ministry of Social Welfare has also planned temporary housing solutions if hostages feel unable to return directly from the hospital to their home. An Israeli man walks through an installation simulating a tunnel in Gaza in an act of solidarity with hostages believed to be held underground by Hamas and calling for their return, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File) An Israeli man walks through an installation simulating a tunnel in Gaza in an act of solidarity with hostages believed to be held underground by Hamas and calling for their return, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The hostages dont owe you anythingExperts are pleading with the news media and the public to give the hostages and their families privacy, despite intense interest in their plight.The first days back are really holy, when a person finally gets to meet with their family, and everyone else needs to take a step back, said Ofrit Shapira, a psychoanalyst who heads a group of health professionals treating freed hostages, their families, and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack. Hospital wings housing the hostages are expected to be sterilized, closed to all but direct family and doctors, to keep the public and news outlets away, medical officials have said. It doesnt matter how much we care about them; theyre their own people, theyre not ours, Shapira added. She noted that asking the hostages direct questions about their experiences can force them to relive their trauma. She said its best to allow them to release information at their own pace. Our curiosity is really not important compared with what the hostages need, she said. It doesnt matter how much you volunteered or were active in this fight; they dont owe you anything. Demonstrators hold torches during a protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Demonstrators hold torches during a protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Support for the familiesSome of the previously freed hostages and their families have volunteered to help counsel those now going through the same process, Levine said. He noted the strength of the bonds created between the relatives of the hostages, and between the released hostages, who have become like psychological families helping each other adapt and heal, he said.Many released hostages are neglecting their own rehabilitation because they are so wrapped up in the fight to bring the others home, Levine said. A big priority is also to provide support for the families of hostages who did not survive. Israel has confirmed the deaths of at least a third of the approximately 90 remaining captives. But Hamas has not confirmed the status of the 33 who are expected to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire. Some might no longer be alive.This moment of the releases is an emotional and psychological trigger for something they were supposed to experience, and they never will experience, because this deal took too long, Yehene said. MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors, including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, left, and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-01-17T23:55:53Z The Make America Great Again flag will fly above the Louisiana governors mansion in honor of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry announced Friday.Today, under President Trump, begins a renaissance in this Nation, Landry said in a written statement. One where America and her people will always come first. In Louisiana, we think that is worthy of celebrating!The staunch Trump ally invited fellow Louisianans to raise MAGA flags on Inauguration Day. Landry had previously ordered flags on state buildings set at half-staff in honor of the 14 people killed in a New Years terror attack in New Orleans. Trumps inauguration fell on the day of mourning Landry initially set aside for British national Edward Pettifer, the stepson of Prince Williams former nanny. A Landry spokesperson told The Associated Press that state flags would now be lowered for Pettifer on Jan. 24. Earlier this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be raised to full height on Inauguration Day, interrupting a 30-day flag-lowering order after the death of former President Jimmy Carter last month. The flags will be lowered again the following day. North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have all proclaimed that they will fully raise U.S. flags in their states for the inauguration. President Joe Bidens Dec. 29 flag-lowering order affects federal government buildings and their grounds as well as U.S. embassies and other facilities abroad and runs through Jan. 28, Trumps first week in office.The incoming president has complained about flags flying low as he assumes office. Democrats are all giddy about the notion that flags will be lowered on Inauguration Day, Trump wrote Jan. 3 on social media.Nobody wants to see this, Trump wrote. He added that no American can be happy about it. Lets see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!Trump has already taken to flying U.S. flags at full height from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Officials inspect the construction of a stand in the Rotunda, where President-elect Donald Trump is due to take the oath of office on Monday, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-01-18T05:04:58Z WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump will return to Washington Saturday to kick off days of pageantry to herald his second inauguration as president, four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol.The ritualistic changing of power will get underway as Washingtons solemn pomp is paired with Trumps brand of party: a fireworks showcase at one of his luxury golf properties, guests including tech industry titans, friends from the business world and conservative media stars, and thousands of his supporters streaming in from around the country.With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nations capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, organizers were also scrambling to move inside most of Mondays outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony.Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss led a mob to overrun the U.S. Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping Democrat Joe Bidens inauguration as his successor. In a stark contrast with Trump, Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before he takes the oath of office. The first time Trump was sworn into office eight years ago, the former reality TV star billionaire came in as an outsider disrupting Washingtons norms, delivering a dark inaugural address as his swearing-in drew large protests and some clashes in the street. This time, the protests are expected to be far less noticeable, eclipsed by the ceremonies and celebrations around Trumps taking power. As one more marker of Trumps remarkable comeback, the events surrounding his inauguration will be more celebrity-studded than the last time, along with a noticeable turnout by a cadre of tech-world billionaires. Country music stars Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jason Aldean, disco band the Village People, rapper Nelly and musician Kid Rock are all scheduled to perform at inauguration-related ceremonies and events. Actor Jon Voight and wrestler Hulk Hogan are also expected to make appearances, as are a crew of Trump-embracing business executives: Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. The pageantry begins Saturday, when the president-elect leaves his Florida home to head to Washington. Trumps advisers have not detailed how he will spend the first part of the day, and the only public event on Trumps schedule is an evening reception and fireworks show at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, outside the city.While Trump holds court at his club, Vice President-elect JD Vance will attend a reception for Cabinet members and host a dinner in Washington.On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Trump is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery before heading to a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington. The rally will be followed by a private dinner. On Inauguration Day, Trump will start with the traditional prayer service at St. Johns Episcopal Church before heading to the White House for a customary tea with the outgoing president and first lady.Trump then heads to the Capitol, where his ceremony has been moved indoors as temperatures are set to plummet and make it the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years. Its not quite clear how the ceremony will be adapted to the Capitol Rotunda, but only a fraction of the original crowd will be allowed in.Eight years ago, Trumps critics were wrestling with whether to attend his inauguration, contemplating whether to buck long-standing practice and send a signal to the divisive new president. This year, much outspoken resistance to Trump has faded away, though there will be two notable absences: former first lady Michelle Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Neither gave an explanation as to why she was skipping the ceremony. After Trump takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address, there will be a ceremonial farewell to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. As the new Republican government takes power, Trump will head to a signing ceremony at the Capitol to approve some of his first official acts, followed by a congressional luncheon and review of U.S. troops.The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has morphed into an indoor event because of the cold, with Trump again planning to speak to his gathered supporters before he heads to the White House for a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. A trio of glitzy balls will follow in the evening, punctuated by musical performances.Trumps arrival in Washington will once again be accompanied by protests and vigils on issues such as abortion, immigration rights and, this time, the Israel-Hamas war, but the feel and the force of those demonstrations are expected to be different from the outset of his first term. The Womens March, spurred by women outraged over Trumps win in 2017, drew more than 500,000 people to Washington and millions more in cities around the country, marking one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history.The march is returning Saturday, rebranded as the Peoples March, with organizers saying their focus will be less on Trump and more on broader goals around womens and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, climate and democracy. It is expected to draw about 50,000 people, far fewer than eight years ago. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price is a national political reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto

This image from video from the Justice Department in the statement of facts supporting an arrest warrant, and annotated by the source, shows Rebecca Lavrenz, circled in yellow, entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (Justice Department via AP)2025-01-18T05:07:18Z WASHINGTON (AP) Thousands of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol after he lost the 2020 presidential election. Four years later, some of them are allowed to return to the nations capital so they can celebrate Trumps return to the White House.At least 20 defendants charged with or convicted of joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol have asked federal judges for permission to attend President-elect Trumps second inauguration Monday in Washington, D.C., according to an Associated Press review of court records.The majority can go. Several others cannot.In most cases, Justice Department prosecutors have argued that Capitol riot defendants shouldnt be able to return to the scene of their crimes while theyre under the courts supervision.Whats past is prologue, and the defendants could easily find themselves in another situation where they engage in mob violence, a prosecutor wrote in opposing a New York couples travel request. At least 11 defendants have received the courts permission to attend the inauguration, a day when Trump may issue mass pardons to Capitol rioters. Judges have denied requests made by at least seven others. Many other convicted Capitol rioters may be free to attend if they have completed their sentences. Typically, those who remain under the courts supervision after an arrest, a probation sentence or release from prison must get a judges approval to travel outside their home district. Among those who can attend is Deborah Lynn Lee, a Pennsylvania woman accused of posting social media messages calling for the execution of her political opponents in the days leading up to the riot. Lee was charged in August 2021, was convicted of four misdemeanors after a trial in October and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27. Justice Department prosecutor Carlos Valdivia argued that Lees return to Washington would endanger Capitol police officers and create an absurd situation. Lees presence in D.C. was restricted for years to keep the community safe, but in a few days, she would be allowed to return to attend a ceremony that demands heightened security, Valdivia wrote.Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui approved Lees request, noting that she isnt accused of engaging in violence and has complied with her release conditions. The magistrate said Lee is coming to celebrate, not demonstrate this time.While the Court is tasked with predicting the future, this is not Minority Report. There has to be credible evidence of future danger to justify related release conditions, Faruqui wrote.District Judge John Bates agreed to let a New York couple, Carol Moore and Kevin Moore, attend the inauguration while awaiting a trial in April. Prosecutors argued that police officers could be retraumatized by the Moores presence, but Bates said it was unlikely that any officers at the inauguration would recognize them.First, past is not prologue here, the judge wrote. The nature of the inauguration is wholly different from the last event the Moores attended that involved the transition of power. Put simply, the inauguration will involve a crowd largely supporting the peaceful transition of power, not opposing it. The couples attorney said the Moores plan to join others in displaying signs reading Day One an appeal for Trump to make good on a campaign promise to pardon Capitol rioters on his first day back in office. Trump repeatedly has referred to Jan. 6 defendants as hostages and patriots.The list of Jan. 6 riot defendants allowed to be in Washington on Monday also includes a New Jersey man who reported himself to the FBI, a New Hampshire woman who must serve a four-month prison sentence and a New Jersey man accused of using a bullhorn to encourage other rioters.Prosecutors didnt object to allowing Colorado bed-and-breakfast operator Rebecca Lavrenz the self-described J6 praying grandma to attend the inauguration while she is on probation. Lavrenz said her daughter is serving as the deputy director of Mondays swearing-in ceremony after working on Trumps campaign last year. Among those barred from attending the inauguration are Jared Miller, a Virginia man charged with assaulting police. Millers attorney, Stephen Brennwald, said Mondays inauguration presents a completely different scenario than the 2021 riot. The lawyer also argued that his clients conduct that day is irrelevant to his travel request.No longer will the participants and observers be in the District out of anger, ready to fight to try to wrest back the power they felt had been unjustly taken from them. Rather, they will be cheering the person they support, and law enforcement will not be in an antagonistic position to those attending the event, Brennwald wrote.District Judge Rudolph Contreras denied Millers request, pointing to his assault charges. Russell Taylor, a California man who had a knife and a hatchet in his possession when he helped other rioters overrun a police line outside the Capitol, said he was invited to attend the inauguration by former U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, a six-term Utah Republican who resigned in 2023.District Judge Royce Lamberth, who sentenced Taylor to six months of home detention, said it wouldnt be appropriate to allow somebody who tried to thwart the last presidential inauguration to attend such a hallowed event.To attend the Presidential Inauguration, which celebrates and honors the peaceful transfer of power, is an immense privilege, Lamberth wrote.Judges also rejected the travel requests made by a North Carolina man who participated in the first act of violence against Capitol police on Jan. 6, a Mississippi man charged with assaulting officers with a flagpole and a Maine man accused of attacking police with bear spray.___

A woman and a child walk outside their tent at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-01-18T08:04:41Z Qatars foreign ministry said the ceasefire between Israel and Hama s will go into effect at 0630 GMT on Sunday.The ceasefire will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israels Cabinet approved the deal early on Saturday; the ceasefire will see the first hostages released. Brokered by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt in months of indirect talks between the warring sides, the ceasefire is the second truce achieved in the devastating conflict. Israels war against Hamas has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. ___Heres the latest:Qatar says ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 6:30 GMT on SundayUnder the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.Hamas has agreed to free three female hostages on Day 1 of the deal, four on Day 7 and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks. Israel publishes list of more than 700 Palestinian prisoners to be released under the ceasefire dealJERUSALEM Israels Justice Ministry has published a list of over 700 Palestinian prisoners who are to be released under the ceasefire deal pausing the war with Hamas militants in Gaza. The list came just hours after Israels full Cabinet approved the ceasefire deal.The Justice Ministry said the Palestinian prisoners would be released no earlier than 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the day the exchange is set to begin. The list includes members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups, some of whom are serving lifetime sentences and are convicted of serious offenses such as murder. The list did not appear to include Marwan Barghouti, the 64-year-old who is the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel and seen by many Palestinians as a prime candidate to become their president in the future. He was a leader in the West Bank during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.Hamas has demanded that Israel release him as part of any ceasefire agreement, a possibility Israeli officials have ruled out. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A woman and a child walk outside their tent at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-01-18T07:54:14Z CAIRO (AP) The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect in less than 24 hours, said Qatars foreign ministry on Saturday.In a post on X, Qatars foreign minister Majid al-Ansari, said the ceasefire will go into effect at 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) Sunday. He advised people to exercise caution when the agreement goes into effect and wait for directions from officials.Early Saturday morning, Israels Cabinet approved the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.Under the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Key questions remain about the ceasefire, however the second achieved during the war including the names of the 33 hostages who are to be released during the first, six-week phase and who among them is still alive. Hamas has agreed to free three female hostages on Day 1 of the deal, four on Day 7 and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks. Palestinian detainees are to be released as well. Israels justice ministry published a list of more than 700 who are to be freed in the deals first phase and said the release will not begin before 4 p.m. local time Sunday. All people on the list are younger or female. The largely devastated Gaza should see a surge in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid lined up Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead. SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the West and Central Africa reporter for the Associated Press. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. twitter

First responders work the scene following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2025-01-18T07:01:41Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with a barrage of drones and missiles in the early morning on Saturday, leaving at least four people dead. Russia launched 39 Shahed drones, other simulator drones and four ballistic missiles according to Ukraines Air Force. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down two missiles and 24 drones. A further 14 drone simulators were lost in location, the statement said.The four were killed after a shot-down missile fell over the Shevchenkivskyi district, said Kyiv City Military Administration head Timur Tkachenko. There was also falling debris in the Desnyansky district, he said.Kyivs mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said that in the Shevchenkivskyi district, windows were broken and there was smoke at the entrance of a residential building, adding that a water supply pipeline was also damaged. AP journalists at the scene saw a man lying dead amid the debris in a pool of blood. Water flooded the streets as firefighters put out the blaze from the attack. Klitschko also said the Lukyanivska metro station was shuttered after the attacks damaged its glass entrance. Drones and missiles were shot down across Ukraine, in the Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Donetsk regions.

Cole Archer works on a protest sign during a meeting of NC Forward in High Point, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The group is traveling to Washington to take part in the People's March on Jan. 18 ahead of the inauguration. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)2025-01-18T05:06:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) Eight years since its historic first march, the Womens March is returning Saturday to the nations capital just before President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.Rebranded and reorganized, the rally has a new name the Peoples March as a means to broaden support, especially during a reflective moment for progressive organizing after Trumps decisive win in November. The Republican takes the oath of office Monday.Women outraged over Trumps 2016 presidential win flocked to Washington in 2017 and organized large rallies in cities throughout the country, building the base of a grassroots movement that became known as the Womens March. The Washington rally alone attracted over 500,000 marchers, and millions more participated in local marches around the country, marking one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history. This year, the march is expected to be about one-tenth the size of the first one and comes amid a restrained moment of reflection as many progressive voters navigate feelings of exhaustion, disappointment and despair after Vice President Kamala Harris loss. The comparative quiet contrasts sharply with the white-knuckled fury of the inaugural rally as massive crowds shouted demands over megaphones and marched in pink pussyhats in response to Trumps first election win. The reality is that its just hard to capture lightning in a bottle, said Tamika Middleton, managing director at the Womens March. It was a really particular moment. In 2017, we had not seen a Trump presidency and the kind of vitriol that that represented. The movement fractured after that hugely successful day of protests over accusations that it was not diverse enough. This years rebrand as a Peoples March is the result of an overhaul intended to broaden the groups appeal. Saturdays demonstration will promote themes related to feminism, racial justice, anti-militarization and other issues and will end with discussions hosted by various social justice organizations. The Peoples March is unusual in the vast array of issues brought together under one umbrella, said Jo Reger, a sociology professor who researches social movements at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Womens suffrage marches, for example, were focused on a specific goal of voting rights.For a broad-based social justice movement such as the march, conflicting visions are impossible to avoid and there is immense pressure for organizers to meet everyones needs, Reger said. But she also said some discord isnt necessarily a bad thing.Often what it does is bring change and bring in new perspectives, especially of underrepresented voices, Reger said.Middleton, of the Womens March, said a massive demonstration like the one in 2017 is not the goal of Saturdays event. Instead, its to focus attention on a broader set of issues womens and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, climate and democracy rather than centering it more narrowly around Trump.Were not thinking about the march as the endgame, Middleton said. How do we get those folks who show up into organizations and into their political homes so they can keep fighting in their communities long term?

Supporters display MAGA flags near the Mar-a-Lago estate of President-elect Donald Trump, in Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2025-01-18T05:10:55Z JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) A new year of lawmaking and politicking is underway in U.S. statehouses. Governors are acting quickly to outline their agendas. And in many cases, the influence of President-elect Donald Trump already is rippling through states in both symbolic and substantive ways. Some state officials are trying to tackle concerns that propelled Trump to office such as the economy, affordable living and immigration. Some are mimicking Trumps government efficiency panel, though they lack a headlining billionaire like Elon Musk to lead it. And many have waded into the debate about whether U.S. flags should fly high on Inauguration Day to honor the new president or remain low to honor a deceased predecessor. Those themes were prominent over the past two weeks as state legislatures convened, new governors took the oath of office and incumbent governors laid out their agendas in formal state of the state addresses. Some Trump-like policy, quickly!Just as Trump plans an array of actions on Day 1, some governors were quick to sign various proclamations and declarations.Within minutes of taking office, Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe issued several anti-crime orders, including Trump-themed moves requiring training for state troopers to aid federal immigration authorities and requiring law enforcement agencies to document the immigration status of people they arrest. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a special legislative session to begin Jan. 27, the week after Trump is sworn in, to ensure the state can help the Trump administration enforce our nations immigration laws. Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced a special session to start that same day with an agenda including public safety measures related to illegal immigration. In West Virginia, new Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued numerous orders on his first day, including one ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at state agencies and institutions. Trump also wants to abolish diversity and inclusion offices.Another of Morriseys orders allows families to receive religious exemptions from required school vaccinations. Trumps nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a lawyer with no medical or public health degrees, has long questioned some vaccines. Democrats recalibrate for Trumps termSome Democratic governors are adjusting their approach to Trump in the hopes of having a working relationship with his administration and in recognition of his partys success in November. Others are preparing a defense against his potential policies. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat facing a split legislature and a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said she wants to work with Trump but also has concerns about his proposed tariffs, asserting: We certainly shouldnt use them to punish our closest trading partners. In her State of the State address, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed Trumps focus on inflation and tax cuts by outlining an affordability plan that would cut income taxes for most people, expand the child tax credit and send New Yorkers up to $500 as an inflation refund. She also pledged more police in New York Citys subways, among other crime-fighting initiatives. Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey hardened her stance on immigration this week, proposing that at least one member of a family staying in emergency shelters be in the country legally. The states shelter system for homeless families has been overwhelmed by a surge in migrants. In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced he will join California, Massachusetts and Washington in stockpiling the abortion pill mifepristone. Though Trump hasnt announced plans to restrict abortion drugs, some Democrats are concerned about the possibility. A power struggle in Minnesota The U.S. House is closely divided, with Republicans holding a 219-215 majority over Democrats, with one vacancy. The Minnesota House is even more closely divided. Republicans hold a temporary 67-66 majority until a special election can be held to fill a vacant seat in a heavily Democratic district. That is expected to yield a tied chamber. So far, things are off to a rocky start. Democrats have boycotted floor sessions to prevent a quorum while Republicans have plowed ahead by electing their top leader as speaker and appointing committee chairs. The state Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments Thursday on whether the GOPs moves are legal.The parties will eventually need to cooperate if they are to reach the 68-vote threshold needed to pass bills under their rules. Trumps Department of Government Efficiency goes statesideTrump turned heads when he named Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, a task force that is not actually a government agency but is meant to shrink the federal government.Some governors and state legislative leaders have imitated the effort, minus the famous co-chairs. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds this week announced our own State DOGE led by an attorney for Sukup Manufacturing, which makes grain storage bins. In Missouri, new House Speaker Jon Patterson announced a Republican lawmaker to chair the Committee on Government Efficiency. The first thing cut was the panels name, which was previously called the Committee on Government Efficiency and Downsizing. Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos last month announced the GOAT: not the greatest of all time, but rather the Government Operations, Accountability and Transparency committee.Officials also are forming government efficiency panels in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana and New Hampshire. Flags for TrumpAcross the U.S., many flags have been flying at half staff in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29. Outgoing President Joe Biden directed flags to remain lowered for 30 days.But Trump was upset that flags wouldnt be high when he is inaugurated Monday. No American can be happy about it, he posted on his social media platform.Some governors apparently agreed. Republican governors in more than 20 states have ordered Old Glory to fly high on Trumps inauguration day. So, too, has Washingtons new Democratic governor and Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent Trump critic and common target of Trumps derision. Flags also will fly at full staff at the U.S. Capitol under an order from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Attorney General Merrick Garland reacts during a farewell ceremony at the Department of Justice, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-18T05:08:29Z WASHINGTON (AP) During hearings on Merrick Garlands nomination to be President Joe Bidens attorney general, the longtime federal appeals court judge told senators in 2021 that he hoped to turn down the volume on the public discourse about the Justice Department and return to the days when the agency was not the center of partisan disagreement.It didnt go as planned.Garland came in with a mission to calm the waters and restore the departments reputation for independence after four turbulent years under Republican President Donald Trump, who fired one attorney general and feuded with another. Now the soft-spoken Garland, who was denied a seat on the Supreme Court by the Republican-led Senate before Trumps 2016 election, is leaving with the department under siege on all sides and his own legacy in question.Those on the right are incensed over the departments effort to hold Trump criminally responsible for his failed effort to overturn his 2020 election loss, and have accused prosecutors of going too easy on Bidens son Hunter. Democrats have claimed Garland failed to pursue Trump aggressively enough immediately after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and have criticized Garlands reliance on a special counsel, who, they thought, took gratuitous swipes at Biden. Some senior Biden aides have said privately that Garland was the wrong choice for the job and they believe he bent too far backward to show he wasnt protecting the Democratic president. Garland must now hand the department back to Trump, who has suggested hell try to use the executive agency to exact revenge against his perceived enemies. Trump has nominated his personal lawyers and loyalists to run the Cabinet department, and they have promised to clean house of officials they consider part of the deep state working against Trump. People close to Garland say he was dealt a monumentally difficult hand, taking over at a deeply divisive political time after the riot and inheriting a department shaken to its core during Trumps first term. Garland faced one politically sensitive matter after another. What Merrick Garland had to deal with: confronting Jan. 6 and its aftermath, the investigations into the presidents son ... its just a series of almost impossible decisions that were going to have huge ramifications for the country and the body politic, said Vanita Gupta, the third-highest ranking Justice Department official under Garland until leaving government last year. I just dont think any AG in recent time has had to confront that constellation of really, really difficult questions. The Justice Department declined to make Garland available for an interview with The Associated Press. His defenders say that despite the political pressures, he stood firm in his commitment to independence and impartiality. What the AG brought is energetic and compassionate leadership leadership that was about reinvigorating the institution as an institution, said Marshall Miller, principal associate deputy attorney general before recently leaving the department. I think thats critically important to the longevity of the institution to have attorneys general who understand its history and its norms and buttress those. Yet in a hyperpartisan era, Garlands approach managed to anger just about everyone outside the department. Garland pushed back forcefully at times, such as when he told lawmakers during a congressional hearing, I will not be intimidated.The story that has been told by some outside of this building about what has happened inside of it is wrong, he told employees Thursday during an emotional farewell address inside the Justice Departments Great Hall. You have worked to pursue justice not politics. That is the truth and nothing can change it. But Garland never seemed fully comfortable in the media spotlight, and some wonder whether he should have made clearer to the country why the department did what it did. There were not only attacks from Republicans alleging weaponization of the department for political purposes and but also claims by the president who had picked him about a politicized justice system. Merrick Garland has not, I think, been a very effective public defender of the integrity and impartiality of the Department of Justice, Andrew Kent, a Fordham University law school professor, said in an email. Given the issues the department faced, Garland needed to explain to the public more frequently and more specifically how the Departments actions are consistent with a commitment to nonpartisan and impartial justice. From judge to the Justice Department Garland was the chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where presidents have often searched for Supreme Court justices, when he was nominated by President Barack Obama in March 2016. But in a stunning display of partisanship, Republican senators led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky refused to vote on the nomination, saying it had come too close to the November election and the next president should make the choice. Garland told CBS 60 Minutes years later that it was an enormous honor to be chosen. So I was of course, a human being, very disappointed, he said. But, quoting Taylor Swift, he said, As you know my favorite poet says you got to shake it off. Garland remained on the appeals court until he was nominated by Biden as attorney general.A detail-oriented leader known for asking probing questions in meetings, Garland spent much of his career as a Justice Department lawyer and worked under five attorneys general. He burnished his reputation as a hard-charging prosecutor supervising the case against Timothy McVeigh for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. Garland has called his work on the investigation the most important thing he has ever done. On the wall in his Justice Department office is a framed photo of the destroyed Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.Those close to Garland say he has been a fierce defender of the department and has not been afraid to take arrows, such as when he announced amid heavy criticism of the FBI that he had personally approved the decision to seek a warrant to search Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2022 for classified documents. Inside the department, Garlands allies say, he succeeded in restoring calm and strengthening morale after years of firings and other scandals under Trump. While Garlands predecessor, William Barr, publicly criticized career prosecutors, Garland praised department lawyers as the heart and soul of the workforce. A steadfast institutionalist, Garland would often get emotional when talking publicly about the departments work and its staff. He did so much to restore the morale of career folks in the department, to restore normal order of decision making, said Gupta, the former associate attorney general. On civil rights matters, the Justice Department under Garland undertook a dozen investigations into law enforcement agencies, uncovering widespread abuse and misconduct work that had been curtailed under Trumps first term. The department was also aggressive in its antitrust enforcement, bringing cases against Google, Apple and others. But it always came back to political investigations. Garland was hardly the first attorney general to find himself mired in politically sensitive investigations. Prosecutors in the Obama era investigated both the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and the Trump campaign in 2016. Trumps Justice Department, through a special counsel, investigated him. But the confluence of investigations on his desk at once presented arguably the biggest test in the Justice Departments 150-year history.Political investigations swirled, especially around the Capitol riotThe department, at one point, was investigating Joe Biden for his handling of classified documents, Hunter Biden for tax and gun offenses, and Trump the presidents chief political rival. To do this, Garland appointed special counsels in an effort to remove any whiff of political bias. Yet no event shaped Garlands tenure more than the Capitol riot, which unfolded on live TV on the same day news broke that Biden had picked Garland for the job.By the time Garland was sworn in as attorney general in March 2021, the Justice Department had begun charging rioters, building what would become the largest investigation in its history. Garland would not say publicly whether the department was investigating Trump, but insisted investigators were pursuing Jan. 6 perpetrators at any level. In November 2022 days after Trump formally launched his 2024 candidacy Garland announced he had appointed special counsel Jack Smith to lead the investigation and a separate inquiry into Trumps retention of classified documents. The classified documents investigation was seen as more straightforward, given the breadth of evidence that prosecutors said they had accumulated. Yet that case, too, stalled amid a series of rulings from the trial judge that delayed its progression before its ultimate dismissal last July.Critics, meanwhile, fretted about the pace. What should have happened in real time was a special counsel should have been appointed to investigate January 6th with more urgency than we now know happened, said Jed Shugerman, a Boston University law professor. Garlands defenders reject any suggestion the attorney general dragged his feet. Long before Smith was appointed, the department in 2021 launched an investigative unit looking at Trump allies who were at Washingtons Willard Hotel around Jan. 6, 2021. Investigators searched for financial ties between Trump allies and the rioters which, if found, officials believed could have allowed them to bring a more straightforward case. But that hit a dead end. The investigation got bogged down in court fights around executive privilege and other matters. The Supreme Court tied up Smiths case for months before granting former presidents broad immunity from prosecution and sending the case back to the trial court. It likely would have gone back to the high court at least once or twice before it could reach trial, making a trial before Novembers election unlikely, even if the charges had come months earlier. Jan. 6 was one of the most polarizing events in our nations history, said Jamie Gorelick, a close friend of Garlands who was deputy attorney general in the Justice Department under former President Bill Clinton. I think he did as well as he could, but institutionally, it has been a tremendously challenging matter to deal with ... and it has been a tremendously challenging fact of life in our society.But while the cases against Trump moved through the courts, Trump was surging back to political prominence. He had been convicted in New York City in a state hush-money trial and still would go on to seize the nomination, casting himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system and pledging to seek revenge on his enemies.For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans Not anymore, Trump said when announcing that he would nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the department. Some in the White House sour on the attorney generalInside the White House, frustration mounted over Garland. Biden felt hemmed in by his choice, particularly as the Justice Department investigated both him and Hunter.White House officials were particularly dismayed at special counsel Robert Hurs report on his investigation into Bidens handling of classified documents. That report portrayed the president as a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory, and White House officials said it was inappropriate to include such prejudicial language in a report explaining why no criminal charges were warranted. The report was released just as Bidens age (he turned 82 in November) and mental acuity were becoming major political liabilities that would eventually, following his disastrous debate performance in June, sink his reelection effort.Garland said the idea that he would edit or censor Hurs report was absurd. That may have frustrated the White House but it also spared Garland the groundswell of criticism he would have encountered from the right had he stepped in to shade the special counsels findings. By releasing the entire document in unedited form, Garland reflected his determination not only to avoid the appearance of being the presidents protector but also to turn the page from his predecessor. Barr was castigated by the left after he issued his own four-page summary of special counsel Robert Muellers report on Russian election interference that was seen as glossing over some of the documents more damning assessments.Republicans in the House, angry over what they viewed as the Biden Justice Departments unfair treatment of Trump, later voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio of Bidens interview with Hur. The unraveling of years of workGarland is about to see years of work dismantled when the new administration takes over. The cases against Trump have unraveled. The Justice Department has decided to withhold from the public for now the section of Smiths final report on Trumps classified documents case because an appeal involving Trumps co-defendants is pending. Its possible that will never be seen by the public because Trumps Justice Department almost certainly will not release it. The future of the Jan. 6 investigation, which has resulted in more than 1,200 convictions against rioters, is in peril. Trump has said he plans to pardon many of them. Biden, too, pardoned his son after Hunters trial conviction and guilty plea. Justice Department officials were surprised and frustrated by Bidens statement claiming the case against his son had been politicized, especially after the presidents repeated vows to respect the rule of law. Justice Department staff lined up Friday to cheer for Garland as he left the building. Several employees wiped tears and hugged as the SUV he climbed into drove off. In his final speech to the workforce, Garland made no overt mention of Trump or the president-elects suggestions that he might use the agencys powers to go after his foes. But Garland warned that the same powers that enable the federal prosecutor to pursue justice also create the potential for grave injustice.We must understand that there is a difference between what we can do and what we should do, Garland said. ___ ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department and the special counsel cases against former President Donald Trump. twitter mailto COLLEEN LONG Long covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a focus on domestic policy including immigration, law enforcement and legal affairs.

People work inside the TikTok Inc. building in Culver City, Calif., on March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)2025-01-18T05:07:43Z The possibility of the U.S. outlawing TikTok kept influencers and users in anxious limbo during the four-plus years that lawmakers and judges debated the fate of the video-sharing app. Now, the moment its fans dreaded is here, but uncertainty over TikToks future lingers. On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law that bans the immensely popular, trend-setting social media platform starting Sunday unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., sells to an approved buyer. The unanimous decision ended a legal battle that pitted national security concerns against free speech rights. TikTok, ByteDance and some of the devoted users who rely on the platform for entertainment, income and community argued the statute violated the First Amendment. The Biden administration sought to show ByteDances ownership and control of TikTok posed an unacceptable threat. The Supreme Court ruling, however, is not guaranteed to end the TikTok saga, which has become enveloped in the wider battle between Beijing and Washington. A Biden administration official told The Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration would leave the laws implementation and potential enforcement to President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, who is set to return to the White House the day after the ban takes effect, has credited TikTok with helping him win the support of more young voters in last years election. A Trump adviser said this week that the incoming administration would put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark. What those measures will look like and if they can withstand legal scrutiny remained unknown Saturday. Heres a look at how TikTok became a global cultural phenomenon and the political wrangling that followed the apps commercial success: The rise of TikTok TikTok is one of more than 100 apps developed in the past decade by ByteDance, a technology firm founded in 2012 by Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming and headquartered in Beijings northwestern Haidian district. In 2016, ByteDance launched a short-form video platform called Douyin in China and followed up with an international version called TikTok. It then bought Musical.ly, a lip-syncing platform popular with teens in the U.S. and Europe, and combined it with TikTok while keeping the app separate from Douyin. Soon after, the app boomed in popularity in the U.S. and many other countries, becoming the first Chinese platform to make serious inroads in the West. Unlike other social media platforms that focused on cultivating connections among users, TikTok tailored content to peoples interests. The often silly videos and music clips content creators posted gave TikTok an image as a sunny corner of the internet where users could find fun and a sense of authenticity. Finding an audience on the platform helped launch the careers of music artists like Lil Nas X.TikTok gained more traction during the shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, when short dances that went viral became a mainstay of the app. To better compete, Instagram and YouTube eventually came out with their own tools for making short-form videos, respectively known as Reels and Shorts. By that point, TikTok was a bona fide hit. TikTok encounters criticsChallenges came in tandem with TikToks success. U.S. officials expressed concerns about the companys roots and ownership, pointing to laws in China that require Chinese companies to hand over data requested by the government. Another concern became the proprietary algorithm that populates what users see on the app. During his first term in office, Trump issued executive orders in 2020 banning TikTok and the Chinese messaging app WeChat, moves that courts subsequently blocked. India banned TikTok along with other Chinese apps the same year following a military clash along the India-China border that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. In 2021, the Biden administration dropped the Trump-era orders but left in place a national security review of TikTok by a little-known government agency known as Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. Negotiations falterBetween January 2021 and August 2022, representatives for TikTok engaged in serious negotiations with the Biden administration about the apps future in the U.S. The talks resulted in a 90-page draft security agreement that the company presented to CFIUS in August 2022. The two sides then ceased substantive negotiations, according to TikToks attorneys, though some meetings also took place in following months. A copy of the draft agreement submitted in court showed that it would have opened up TikToks U.S. platform for security inspections and blocked access of U.S. user data from China. The company says it has already implemented some provisions of the agreement, including routing U.S. user data to servers operated by software giant Oracle. In its lawsuit to overturn the sell-or-ban law, the company said it spent more than $2 billion to implement aspects of its appeasement plan, which it calls Project Texas. But the Department of Justice and administration officials argued in court documents that the proposal failed to create sufficient separation between TikToks U.S. operations and China. They also said the opacity of TikToks algorithm, coupled with the size and technical complexity of the platform, made it impossible for the U.S. government or its technology provider, Oracle to effectively guarantee compliance with the proposal. In February 2023, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from government-issued devices, mirroring some other countries that also prohibited the use of the app on official devices. The following month, lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Chew during an hours-long hearing in which he sought to reassure a tense House committee that the platform prioritized user safety and should not be banned due to its Chinese connections. According to court documents, TikToks representatives had their last meeting with CFIUS in September 2023. Later that year, criticism against the platform increased in volume among Republicans in Washington who claimed the platform amplified pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel content, an accusation the company vigorously denied. Ban-or-sale law Efforts to ban TikTok resurfaced in Congress early last year, and quickly gained bipartisan support among lawmakers who voiced about the potential for the platform to surveil and manipulate Americans.The legislation the Supreme Court upheld passed the House and the Senate in April after it was included as part of a high-priority $95 billion package that provided foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. President Joe Biden quickly signed it, and the two companies and a group of content creators quickly sued. A lower court upheld the statute in early December. The legislation gave ByteDance nine months from the enactment date to sell TikTok, and a possible three-month extension if a sale was in progress. The deadlines arrival the day before Trumps inauguration makes things tricky. Only the sitting president can issue a 90-day stay on the ban and can do so only if a buyer has taken concrete steps toward a purchase. Although experts have said the app would not disappear from existing users phones Sunday, new users wont be able to download it and updates wont be available. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings. HALELUYA HADERO Haleluya covers Amazon, retail and technology. twitter mailto

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment outside the Seoul Western District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)2025-01-18T02:26:45Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas impeached president arrived at a Seoul court for a hearing on Saturday to oppose a formal arrest over last months imposition of martial law. Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the countrys most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, requested the Seoul Western District Court to grant a warrant for Yoons formal arrest. Yoon is expected to argue that theres no need for him to be in custody during an investigation at a hearing set for 2 p.m. this afternoon. The judge is anticipated to make a decision by late Saturday or early Sunday. Yoon was transported from a detention center in Uiwang, near Seoul, in a blue Justice Ministry van escorted by police and the presidential security service. The motorcade entered the courts basement parking space as hundreds of Yoons supporters rallied in nearby streets amid a heavy police presence, waving banners and shouting slogans calling for his release. Yoon did not speak to reporters before heading to the hearing. After meeting Yoon at the detention center, Yoon Kab-keun, one of the presidents lawyers, said in a text message that Yoon had accepted his legal teams advice to appear personally before the judge. The president plans to argue that his decree was a legitimate exercise of his powers and that accusations of rebellion would not hold up before a criminal court or the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him, his lawyer said. If Yoon is arrested, investigators can extend his detention to 20 days, during which they will transfer the case to public prosecutors for indictment. If the court rejects the investigators request, Yoon will be released and return to his residence. Nine people, including Yoons defense minister, police chief, and several top military commanders, have already been arrested and indicted for their roles in the enforcement of martial law.The crisis began when Yoon, in an attempt to break through legislative gridlock, imposed military rule and sent troops to the National Assembly and election offices. The standoff lasted only hours after lawmakers who managed to get through a blockade voted to lift the measure. The opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.If Yoon is formally arrested, it could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody for him, lasting months or more.If prosecutors indict Yoon on rebellion and abuse of power charges, which are the allegations now being examined by investigators, they could keep him in custody for up to six months before trial. Under South Korean law, orchestrating a rebellion is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty. Yoons lawyers have argued that there is no need to detain him during the investigation, saying he doesnt pose a threat to flee or destroy evidence.Investigators respond that Yoon ignored several requests to appear for questioning, and that the presidential security service blocked an attempt to detain him on Jan. 3. His defiance has raised concerns about whether he would comply with criminal court proceedings if hes not under arrest. KIM TONG-HYUNG Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Koreas nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Koreas economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children. twitter mailto

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, joined by wife Melania Trump, left, and son Barron Trump, arrives to speak at an election night watch party, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-01-18T12:27:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) When Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, his family circle will look a little different than it did when he first arrived eight years ago. His youngest son, Barron, was in fifth grade back then. Hes now a college freshman who towers over his 6-foot-plus (1.8-meter-plus) dad. Granddaughter Kai, who was 9 in 2017, is now an aspiring social media influencer and impressive golfer. Grandson Joseph, who posed in Trumps lap with a Lego model of the White House last time, is 11 now. The most prominent relatives in Trumps political sphere, daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared, are in Florida this time around after working in his first administration.Family members can provide presidents with a ready source of moral and sounding-board support, companionship and even relief from the worlds problems. Not to mention creating headaches for the president at times, too. Family can do things that other people cant, and they can be trusted in a way that other people also cant, said Tevi Troy, a former George W. Bush administration official and author of several books about the presidency. Everyone needs someone they can talk to late at night when you let your hair down, so to speak. The president-elect has five children three of whom are married from his marriages to Ivana Trump, Marla Maples and current wife Melania Trump. He has 10 grandkids, with an 11th on the way. A look at Trumps family circle, then and now: His wife:Melania TrumpTHEN: She spent the opening months of Trumps term at the familys Manhattan penthouse so that 11-year-old Barron wouldnt have to switch schools in the middle of the year. After moving to the White House, she traveled around the United States and to other countries, alone and with Trump, partly to promote her Be Best childrens initiative while fiercely guarding her privacy. NOW: She avoided active campaigning during Trumps 2024 run, limiting her public appearances to key moments, such as the campaigns launch, the Republican National Convention and election night. She released a self-titled memoir late last year and will be the subject of a documentary distributed by Amazon Prime Video that is expected to be released later this year. While some doubt that Trumps 54-year-old wife will spend much time at the White House, she said on Fox News Fox & Friends that she has already packed and picked out the furniture she wants to take to the executive mansion. His children:Donald Trump Jr.THEN: Trumps eldest son, now 46, campaigned for his father in 2016 and 2020. NOW: Trump Jr.s influence has grown to the point that he lobbied his father to choose close friend JD Vance for vice president. He also pushed for former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president-elects picks for director of national intelligence and health and human services, respectively. Trump Jr. helps run the family real estate business and is an honorary chairman of Trumps transition. He has a podcast and has said his role is to prevent bad actors from getting into the administration. He recently flew on his fathers airplane to Greenland; the president-elect has expressed a desire to take control of the mineral-rich Danish territory.Trump Jr. has five children or smurfs, as he sometimes refers to them with his former wife, Vanessa Trump. They are Kai Madison, 17; Donald John III, 15; Tristan Milos, 13; Spencer Frederick, 12; and Chloe Sophia Trump, 10. Ivanka TrumpTHEN: Ivanka, 43, campaigned for her father in 2016 and moved her family from New York City to Washington to work in his White House as a senior adviser. She was on the campaign trail in 2020, too, but she and her family moved to Florida and retreated from the spotlight after his loss.NOW: As Trump geared up for the 2024 run, Ivanka announced that she loved and supported him but was getting out of politics to focus on her husband and their three kids. She did, however, join her father and other family members on election night and when he rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in early December after Time magazine named him Person of the Year. She told The Skinny Confidential podcast that this time around she just wanted to show up for him as a daughter and be there to watch a movie or a sports game.Ivanka and her husband have three children: Arabella Rose, 13; Joseph Frederick, 11; and Theodore James Kushner, 8. Eric TrumpTHEN: The 40-year-old helped run the family business and participated in his fathers campaigns. NOW: Eric is also an honorary chair of the transition and a close adviser to his father. But he continues to focus more on running the family business. In September, he and his brother started a crypto platform called World Liberty Financial, and their father helped launch it in an interview on the X social media platform.Eric and his wife, Lara, have two children: Eric Luke, 7, and Carolina Dorothy Trump, 5. Tiffany TrumpTHEN: Trumps daughter with second wife Marla Maples was 23 and a recent University of Pennsylvania graduate who kept a low profile when Trump was first elected. NOW: She was more present in the 2024 campaign but still largely avoids the spotlight. Tiffany, 31, and her husband, Michael Boulos, are expecting their first child this year. Boulos is a businessman who traveled with Trump in the final stretch of the campaign. His father is Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman who helped Trump with the influential Arab American community in the swing state of Michigan. Trump has named Massad Boulos to be a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Barron TrumpTHEN: At the start of Trumps first term, Barron and his mother stayed at the familys Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan so he could finish his school year. When they got to Washington, his soccer net appeared in whats known as the first ladys garden. NOW: Barron, 18, is a freshman New York University business student. His parents and Trump campaign officials credit him for recommending podcasts popular with young men that the president-elect appeared on during the campaign. Barron will have a bedroom in the White House, Melania Trump said on Fox & Friends.Im very proud of him, about his knowledge, even about politics and giving an advice to his father, his mother said on the program. He brought in so many young people. He knows his generation.Other family members in the spotlight:Lara TrumpTHEN: Trumps daughter-in-law, 42, campaigned for him during all his runs. After Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, she considered running for a U.S. Senate seat from her home state of North Carolina but ultimately decided against it. She became a Fox News commentator. NOW: As Trump revved up his 2024 campaign, he installed his daughter-in-law as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, where she was a TV-ready advocate overseeing fundraising, voter outreach and the partys election integrity initiative. She stepped down from the RNC after the election and removed her name from consideration as a possible successor to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trumps choice for secretary of state. Lara Trump is passionate about fitness and has her own line of activewear. She also has explored a side venture as a singer and has released some songs. Daughter Carolina is named after her home state.Jared KushnerTHEN: Kushner, 44, was also a key figure in Trumps 2016 campaign. He joined his wife in the White House as a senior adviser, a role that included working on U.S. policy toward Israel and the broader Middle East. NOW: Kushner has stepped out of the political spotlight but his father could soon step in. Trump announced after the election that he intends to nominate Charles Kushner, a real estate developer, to be U.S. ambassador to France. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after he pleaded guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions. Kai TrumpTHEN: Kai was in elementary school when her grandfather became president.NOW: Donald Trump Jr.'s 17-year-old granddaughter is an aspiring social media influencer. Her behind-the-scenes video from election night garnered 3.7 million views on YouTube. Other posts related to her grandfather have been watched millions more times on TikTok. Kai delivered her first public speech at the Republican convention and is an avid golfer who sometimes plays with her grandfather.If Im not on his team, hell try to get inside of my head, and hes always surprised that I dont let him get to me, she said at the convention. But I have to remind him, Im a Trump, too. Arabella KushnerTHEN: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushners daughter was 6 when her grandfather showed Chinas Xi Jinping a video of her, in a traditional Chinese dress, belting out Chinese-language songs. Its very good, right? Shes very smart, Trump said. Xi responded that Arabella was her grandfathers little angel and a messenger of China-U.S. relations.NOW: Arabella is 13 and enjoys singing, playing the piano, horseback riding and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, according to a social media post from her mother. ___Gomez Licon reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. DARLENE SUPERVILLE Superville covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a special emphasis on first ladies and first families. ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Gomez Licon writes about national politics for The Associated Press. She is based in Florida. twitter mailto

Sharone Lifschitz holds a photograph of herself with her father, Oded Lifshitz, who was abducted by Hamas militants, at her home in London, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)2025-01-17T21:27:43Z LONDON (AP) Sharone Lifschitz is well aware that the odds are against her 84-year-old father. As one of the oldest hostages taken by Hamas, Oded Lifshitz would be among the first to be released under a ceasefire deal expected to begin Sunday. Sharone Lifschitz, daughter of 84-year-old hostage Oded Lifshitz, hopes for answers in a cease-fire deal that is expected to begin on Sunday. (AP Video by Kwiyeon Ha) But after 469 days of captivity in Gaza, she can only hope he survived.We have learned so much about trauma, about losing loved ones, the London-based artist said. I have to say that we are prepared.About 100 hostages remain unaccounted for in Gaza, including 62 who are believed to be alive. Family and friends are still waiting to learn who survived and about their conditions.Lifschitzs ordeal began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed kibbutz Nir Oz, a place where her parents had created their own little kingdom, complete with a cactus garden that was her fathers pride. The militants took a quarter of the communitys 400 residents hostage that day, including her parents. My father was shot in the hand and was lying at the edge of his kingdom, said Lifschitz, 53. Thats when my mom saw him last, and she was taken over on a motorbike and then the terrorists burned the house down. They put gas into the house, and it burned and it burned and it burned until everything they ever owned, everything, was ashes.Oded Lifshitz, who spells his name slightly differently than his daughter, wasnt spared, even though he spent his life fighting for Arab rights. Throughout a long career in journalism, Oded campaigned for the recognition of Palestinian rights and peace between Arabs and Jews. In retirement, he drove to the Erez border crossing on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip once a week to ferry Palestinians to medical appointments in Israel as part of a group called On the Way to Recovery.Oded is most proud of his work on behalf of the traditionally nomadic Bedouin people of the Negev Desert, his daughter said, describing a case that went to Israels High Court and resulted in the return of some of their land. That deep-seated hope for co-existence was evident when the militants released Lifschitzs mother, Yocheved, on Oct. 23, 2023. Just before leaving Gaza, Yocheved turned to her captors and said shalom, the Hebrew word for peace.Yocheved later described her experience as hell, saying she was beaten with sticks and held in a spiders web of tunnels with as many as 25 other hostages. But she also said her guards provided medicine to those who needed it and gave the hostages pita bread with cheese and cucumber to eat.Lifschitz said she wonders every day about her fathers treatment and how he is faring.I am the last one to put words into his mouth, but I can tell you that he spent a lifetime believing that another alternative is possible for Zionism, for socialism, she said.Hamas militants killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages during the Oct. 7 attack. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched air and ground attacks on Gaza that have killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The ceasefire proposal calls for 33 hostages to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The remainder, including the bodies of the dead, are to be released in a second phase that is still under negotiation. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.The contours of the agreement are strikingly similar to those negotiated by the administration of outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden in May. But Israel rejected that deal.That outraged the families of many of the captives, especially after hostages continued to die.The families have pushed hard for their loved ones release, leading a series of protests to force the Israeli government to live up to its promise to bring the hostages home. They have also crisscrossed the globe, meeting with presidents, prime ministers and even the pope to keep the hostages at the center of negotiations. So many people were killed that should have been alive if they did not sabotage this deal, Lifschitz said. I hope that they know they will have to live with that for the rest of their life, and we will remind them. We will remind them of ... the suffering of both sides their action brought about.But even as she describes the anguish of the past 15 months, Lifschitz says she hopes the pain experienced by people on both sides of the conflict will breed compassion among both Israelis and Palestinians.We are about to receive our loved ones after so long where we were unable to love and care for them. She said. Theres so much trauma. I think people have to have a little softness toward it all, just feel it a bit in their hearts.I think feeling the pain of others is the start of building something better.And if her father doesnt come back? Then what?We will know, she said. We will know.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, from left, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin watch during a Department of Defense Commander in Chief farewell ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-18T12:54:21Z WASHINGTON (AP) It is unclear who will take over at the Pentagon and the military services when the top leaders all step down Monday as President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.As of Friday, officials said they had not yet heard who will become the acting defense secretary. Officials said the military chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force were getting ready to step in as acting service secretaries a rare move because no civilians had been named or, in some cases, had turned down the opportunity. As is customary, all current political appointees will step down as of noon EST on Inauguration Day, leaving hundreds of key defense posts open, including dozens that require Senate confirmation. In addition to the top job and all three service secretaries, all of their deputies and senior policy staff will leave.The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote Monday on Trumps choice to head the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, but the full Senate vote may not happen until days later. As a result someone from the Biden administration would have to take over temporarily. For the service secretaries, officials said that while things could still change before the inauguration, the Trump team is eyeing Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, to be that services temporary head. They said Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy chief, are aware they may have to step in if no civilian is named as acting secretary, and they are preparing for that possibility. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said many senior Biden administration leaders are reluctant to serve in the incoming Trump administration because they are concerned about policy changes they may be required to handle or enforce. Usually, only people appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate serve as a defense or service secretary, including in an acting capacity during a transition. Trump could pull a confirmed member of the Biden administration from another agency and put that person at the Pentagon. Civilian control of the military is a key tenet, but under the law the military chiefs of the services who are all Senate confirmed can take over on a temporary basis. Its rare, but did happen more than 30 years ago.Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine Corps Reserve two-star general, said that in 1993, Adm. Frank Kelso, who was Navy chief, was asked to serve as acting Navy secretary when Bill Clinton became president because civilian leaders did not step up. It doesnt happen very often, said Punaro, who spent 14 years as a staff director on the Senate Armed Services Committee and has advised nominees through the confirmation process for decades. Normally you dont want the active-duty military serving in the civilian control positions. The practical reality is they are wearing both hats. The transition to a new secretary of defense has usually been an orderly process. Four years ago, the deputy secretary of defense under Trump, David Norquist, became acting secretary for the two-day gap between the inauguration of Democratic President Joe Biden and the Senate vote to confirm Lloyd Austin as Pentagon chief. President Barack Obama asked his Republican predecessors defense secretary, Robert Gates, to stay on as his own Pentagon leader in 2009. In 2017, Jim Mattis, Trumps pick to be secretary during his first term, was confirmed on Inauguration Day.Various administrations have handled the handover differently. In many cases, people have been asked to stay on in a temporary role. In one recent instance, officials said, the comptrollers of the services stepped in as acting secretaries because a key job in the coming months is to put together the massive, complex budget and more often the money people are considered less political.This years gap is further complicated by the fact that Trump and Hegseth have both pledged ro rid the Defense Department of what they call woke generals or those who have supported diversity programs. That raises the possibility that even as the administration struggles to fill its political appointee slots, it may also be carving holes in the military leadership structure that will have to be filled. When Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., asked Hegseth during his nomination hearing if he intended to fire the current Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. CQ Brown, he answered, Senator, every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality, and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.Hegseth previously said that Brown should be fired. Conservative groups have compiled lists of generals they believe should be fired for supporting diversity programs. If Brown is fired, the vice chairman would take over until a new chairman is confirmed.____Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed to this report.

In this Jan. 3, 2025 photo, Rogers Lopez, sits with his wife Karina Canizarez, right, and son Jesus David outside their apartment in New Milford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)2025-01-18T05:04:04Z NEW MILFORD, Conn. (AP) Rogers Lopez knows just how lucky his family is as they settle into their furnished two-bedroom apartment in suburban Connecticut, just before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.Lopez, his wife Karina Caizarez and their 5-year-old son Jesus are refugees from Venezuela and Colombia who were embraced by a team of supportive volunteers when they arrived in December. Similar encounters happened nationwide as resettlement groups scrambled in the final days of President Joe Bidens administration to find homes for refugees before Trump sharply limits, if not closes, this path to safety and citizenship.Always, the refugee process is very difficult, said Lopez, 29, who said political problems forced him from Venezuela. But it will be more difficult in the future. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has brought in more than 3 million people since Congress created it in 1980 for refugees fearing persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion. Trump, who put tight limits on refugees in his first term, has vowed to suspend refugee resettlement as part of a broader effort to immediately end the migrant invasion of America. Presidents set targets and Biden ramped them up, citing the generosity that has always been at the core of the American spirit, and the billions of dollars refugees have contributed to the U.S. economy. Nearly 30,000 refugees arrived during the final three months of 2024, coming close to meeting Bidens annual cap of 125,000. Trump admitted about 11,000 during the final year of his first term, the fewest since the U.S. began resettlements.People are desperate to do the work right now because we have a pretty good idea that all immigration is going to cease, at least for a while, when he takes office, said Michele Shackelford, president of the New Milford Refugee Resettlement group thats helping Lopez and his family. Often conflated with asylum-seekers who come directly to the U.S.-Mexico border, these refugees face a much more rigorous process. If the U.N. refugee agency determines they qualify, they are interviewed by U.S. immigration officials and must pass criminal background checks and medical screening. It can take years.Aware that Trump can close the doors almost immediately, Maria Mostajo, a former Manhattan prosecutor, and Carolyn Setlow, a retired business executive, have been working furiously to settle families in Connecticut through a project they founded in their small town of Washington. If Trump comes in and either puts the kibosh on these entries or, as hes done in the past, reduces the number of people that can enter per year, then that basically means all these people that are in the pipeline, fewer and fewer of them are actually going to get in, Mostajo said.During the fall of the U.S.-supported government in Afghanistan, Mostajo and Setlow held a community meeting, appealing for volunteers and funds to help settle one Afghan family of six. Through various fundraising efforts, including a GoFundMe campaign and a party donated by a local distillery, they raised $80,000, as well as donations of furniture, and clothing, free legal help, English tutoring and other assistance. She and Setlow realized that their Washington Resettlement Project could leverage support for more refugees by providing grants of up to $10,000 to other volunteers. Since the election, they have awarded grants to the New Milford group and three others, with two more in the pipeline, Mostajo said. After Trumps victory, global charities such as Church World Service urged volunteers across the U.S. to quickly create more private sponsorship groups as part of Welcome Corps, a U.S. State Department initiative launched in 2023 to encourage teams of citizens to take responsibility for incoming refugees. Groups need to raise a minimum of $2,425 per refugee to cover their initial 90 days of living expenses.Larger resettlement organizations make the matches. For Connecticut, federal officials told Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services in New Haven to expect about 130 arrivals between late November and January. IRIS, which receives $2,375 per refugee from the State Department, reached out to around 50 community groups to resettle as many as possible before Inauguration Day, according to Mohammad Daad Serweri, who manages the sponsorships at IRIS. In just two weeks, the New Milford volunteers managed to find an apartment and fill it with food, toys and thrift store furniture. They hope the Lopez-Caizarez family will be integrated into the community, find jobs and be ready to fully take over their living expenses within a year. The couple didnt realize theyd receive such help, and never dreamed they could live in a place where they would feel so safe.We had no idea, Caizarez said in Spanish. This has been marvelous for us because these are excellent people ... they took us in like we are family. SUSAN HAIGH Haigh covers the Connecticut General Assembly, state government, politics, public policy matters and more for The Associated Press. She has worked for The AP since 2002. twitter mailto

Welcome back to the Abstract!This week, were going to the movies. For 77 hours straight. At the end, well know whether we are doomed to villainy or driven to heroism. These are the only two options!Then, youre not going to believe this, but the global trade for exotic ornamental plants is a bit sus. Next, OCTOPUS BRAINS! Last, scientists solve the mystery of the missing Moon craters, which has been a cold case for about four billion years.May you all be burdened with glorious purpose.With Great Power Comes Great ReproducibilityWigmore, Julia et al. Are adverse childhood experiences scores associated with heroism or villainy? A quantitative observational study of Marvel and DC Cinematic Universe characters. PLOS ONE.Losing parents. Survivng genocide. Having your home planet explode. Superheroes and supervillains sure go through a lot of trauma. Now, this emotionally manipulative trope has undergone scientific scrutiny in a new study that assessed whether traumatic experiences in childhood predict heroism or villainy in superhero movies.Put another way, researchers devised a professional justification for watching 33 films from the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, totaling 77 hours and 5 minutes. By scoring 28 characters19 men, 8 women, and a gender-fluid Lokithe team established that trauma has no impact on whether a character becomes a hero or a villain.No one is doomed to be a villain just because of early childhood experiences, concluded researchers led by Julia Wigmore of the University of Calgary.In other words: Magneto, no more excuses, dude. Stop murdering people with metal. Go touch grass.Naturally, characters like Harley Quinn and Loki were head-scratchers, given that they can swing both ways (Im officially coining the term: bimoral). The team categorized Harley as a hero, because she has a redemption arc after dumping the Joker. Loki is classified as a villain because he spends most of his screentime making mischief. I dont get the distinction here and think it should be contested in future academic literature.The study includes some interesting context about how therapists use superhero stories to help children process grief and trauma, and other Serious Stuff. But mostly, Im here for the authors cheeky little flourishes, letting us know that they really got away with this one.No superheroes or villains were involved in this research study, the team said, presumably while winking in synchronous harmony. If anyone could connect us with them, we would be happy to conduct a follow up study to overcome this limitation.Snakes (in a Pot) on a PlaneHinsley et al. Understanding the environmental and social risks from the international trade in ornamental plants. BioScience.The next time you decide to order an ornamental plant from overseas, a thing I assume we are all constantly doing, make sure to check it for hitchhikers. A study this week revealed that the multi-billion dollar trade in ornamental plantsincluding olive trees, cut roses, and exotic shrubsis opening up new vectors for invasive species, such as insects, frogs, geckos, and snakes.Given the number and diversity of vertebrates, including fragile ones such as tropical frogs, reported live in imported products, the number of imported invertebrate pests is likely underestimated, and more consistent measures are needed to provide an accurate understanding of the true implications of trade and how they might be managed, said researchers led by Amy Hinsley of the University of Oxford.People are straight-up bagging plants that still have a bunch of creepy crawlies still on them, and flying them out to customers in other continents. The authors of the study outline a range of actions to help mitigate the risks, including introducing plant passports.Ultimately, though, we might have to break out the big guns and get Samuel L. Jackson to reprise his role as the globetrotting FBI agent Neville Flynn, who could solve this problem, like all others, with eruptive profanity. Because I, for one, have had it with these (bleep) biosecurity risks due to (bleep) under-regulated industries in this (bleep) complex integrated global economy.Octopuses Map Their World Through SuckerotopyOlson, Cassady et al. Neuronal segmentation in cephalopod arms. Nature Communications.Scientists have confirmed once again, and to the surprise of nobody, that octopuses are epic. While its well-established that these charismatic mollusks basically have prehensile brains, a team has now zoomed in on the axial nerve cords that animate the tentacles, revealing some of the mechanics behind their coordination of such segmented anatomy.The octopus has a motor control challenge of enormous complexity, said researchers led by Cassady Olson of the University of Chicago. Each of its eight arms is a muscular hydrostat, a soft-bodied structure that lacks a rigid skeleton and moves with near infinite degrees of freedom.Even with this complexity, octopuses control behaviors effectively along the length of a single arm, across all eight arms and between suckers, the team said. The neural circuits underlying these behaviors have been unexplored with modern molecular and cellular methods.By studying the nervous system of the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) the researchers discovered that axial cords nerves form a spatial topographic map for each sucker, which they call suckerotopy. In other words, octopuses generate topographic maps of their own suckers, which helps them coordinate the immense motor and sensory input from these appendages.Bonus points to the authors for including video footage of octopuses doing neat stuff, like playing with a baseball and emerging from what looks like ancient Greek pottery.Mother Nature gets a 10/10, would evolve eight-limbed intelligent molluscs again.The Moon is a Harsh ViscousZhu, Meng-Hua et al. Obliteration of ancient impact basins on the Moon by viscous relaxation. Nature Astronomy.The Moon was born in the cataclysmic fallout of a crash between Earth and a Mars-sized objectand that was the easy part. Earth and the Moon were bombarded with a heavy flux of space rocks for hundreds of millions of years after they formed (talk about a traumatic childhood!).Earth has erased most craters from this time because it moisturizes daily, but the Moon is an airless inactive world that should have preserved an estimated 300 craters with diameters greater than 185 miles. Yet there are only about 40 ancient crater basins on this massive scale on the lunar surface. What gives? Who ate all the craters?This week, scientists presented a new explanation for the mysterious discrepancy: Viscous relaxation. It sounds like something Gwynth Paltrow wants to sell you, but it is actually a geological process that smooths out terrestrial surfaces over time. In the case of the Moon, the team found that viscous relaxation from high temperatures in the crust, fueled in part by radioactive elements, could have obliterated hundreds of impact basins.This scenario offers a realistic explanation for the low number of basins observed on the Moon, said Meng-Hua Zhu of the Macau University of Science and Technology. The substantial relaxation of early basins suggests that terrestrial planetsmay have suffered far more impacts than the basin records indicate but those early epochs are obliterated.And with that, its time for all of us to experience the substantial relaxation of the weekend. Obliterate responsibly.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)2025-01-18T14:30:07Z PASADENA, Calif. (AP) Sal Almanza has worked 24-hour shifts in grueling terrain, cutting fire lines and hauling away brush trying to keep ahead of fires that have devastated several Los Angeles neighborhoods. But when the fires are finally out, he wont be going back to his family: Hell be returning to the prison fire camp where hes serving time for drunken driving that injured someone.I wanted to do something positive while I was here, the 42-year-old said. Something that would contribute back to the community and just help me feel better about my situation and right the wrongs that I did.Over 1,100 California inmates have been working around the clock in challenging conditions including howling winds and toxic smoke to help Cal Fire battle the Eaton and Palisades fires, the largest and most destructive of about a half-dozen fires that burned in the Los Angeles area in the past two weeks. Inmate firefighters battling the Palisades Fire construct hand line to protect homes along Mandeville Canyon Road, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) Inmate firefighters battling the Palisades Fire construct hand line to protect homes along Mandeville Canyon Road, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More They become firefighters for the chance to cut time off their sentences, to get outside the prison walls and for training that might help them land a job once theyre out.But some say the inmates, many earning less than $30 a day for their efforts, deserve better after risking their lives: to be paid on par with other firefighters.We always talk about how its an injustice and weve never addressed it, said California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who introduced a bill this week that would pay inmates the same as the lowest-paid non-incarcerated firefighter on the frontlines. I think its appropriate for us to have a conversation about what equity looks like even in the midst of a natural disaster. Braving powerful winds and debris, crews cut fire lines around homes, cleared vegetation, removed propane tanks and anything else that could fuel the fire. The firefighters described carrying 45 to 65 pounds or more of gear while hiking for hours in steep, rugged terrain to cut containment lines to keep flames from spreading. A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Almanza, who is serving a 4-year sentence at the minimum-security Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp, said the firefighting is physically demanding.Youre putting your (bodies) through things that you think they cant go through and pushing them to the limit, he said.At least 27 people have died in infernos that have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and left tens of thousands under evacuation orders. The fires are likely to be among the most destructive in California history, according to CalFire. California began training inmates to help fight wildfires during World War II, when many men were deployed overseas. Today, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the state forestry department and the Los Angeles County fire department operate 35 fire camps where inmates can become certified wildland firefighters.When deployed, those firefighters earn from $5.80 to $10.24 a day, depending on experience, and an extra $1 an hour during active wildfires, according to the corrections department. That means the lowest-paid firefighters earn $29.80 per 24-hour shift. Jeff Macomber, the Corrections secretary, called the inmate firefighters work an essential part of the effort against the Los Angeles fires. A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Corrections officials say the inmates volunteer and are aware of potential dangers. The department did not answer an Associated Press query about how many have been killed or injured on the job, but Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2022 that at least four inmates had died in the preceding few years including one struck by a boulder and another in a chainsaw accident.A 2018 Time investigation found that incarcerated firefighters were over four times more likely than professionals to suffer cuts, bruises or broken bones and over eight times more likely to have complications from inhaling smoke and other particles.Joseph McKinney, another inmate battling flames in Los Angeles, said its a risk hes willing to take. When you realize youre doing something ... for the greater good, youre willing to put that sacrifice up, he said. And not only that, I have a debt to pay to society and this is how Im choosing to pay it back. Bianca Tylek, executive director of the criminal justice advocacy group Worth Rises, questions whether incarcerated firefighters work is truly voluntary because California requires inmates to work. State voters in November rejected a measure that would have banned forced prison labor. She says its exploitative to offer low-paying firefighting jobs to those desperate to be on the outside and to shave time off their sentences.But labor is labor and ... should be compensated, Tylek said. A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Sam Lewis, executive director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, supports the fire camps but said its sad that it took a horrible tragedy to spark a movement for better pay that has gained support from many residents, including celebrity Kim Kardashian. It brings light to the people that are incarcerated and how ... they come to serve the community that they may have harmed, he said. But look at how theyve given back.His organization advocated for the development of an advanced training and certification program at the Ventura Training Center, which prepares parolees for firefighting careers. In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill giving paroled firefighters the chance to expunge their records to make it easier to find jobs.Bryan said he hopes his bill can be expedited and perhaps made retroactive so inmates can be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. He said the money could come from emergency federal funding.I think everybody who ... is risking their lives to save others is a hero, and that doesnt matter whether youre incarcerated or not, Bryan said. If that is who you are, that is your character and that is what you demonstrate in the middle of a crisis ... the state of California owes you a debt of gratitude. ___ Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. ___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP also receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. DORANY PINEDA Pineda writes about water, climate and the environment in Latino communities across the U.S. twitter

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of a news conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)2025-01-18T04:59:43Z President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, but as he prepares to take office, peace seems as elusive as ever.Moscow and Kyiv are seeking battlefield gains to strengthen their negotiating positions ahead of any prospective talks to end the 3-year-old war.In the past year, Russian troops have slowly but steadily advancing through Ukrainian defenses, seeking to establish full control of the four regions in the east and south that Moscow illegally annexed early in the war but never completely captured. Its also launching waves of missiles and drones to try to cripple Ukraines energy network and other vital infrastructure.Ukraine, in turn, has tried to secure and extend its incursion into Russias Kursk region. Kyivs missiles and drones also have struck Russian oil facilities and other key targets important for Moscows war machine. Both sides have taken tough negotiating postures that leave little room for compromise.Trump, who vowed during his campaign to settle the war in 24 hours, changed that time frame earlier this month, voicing hope that peace could be negotiated in six months. His nominee for envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, says a deal could be brokered in 100 days. The views from Moscow and KyivRussian President Vladimir Putin has declared Moscows readiness for talks but emphasized that any peace deal should respect the realities on the ground, a not-so- subtle way of saying it must take into account Russias land gains.He emphasized in June that Ukraine must also renounce its NATO bid and fully withdraw its forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson the regions Russia annexed in September 2022 demands that Ukraine and the West have rejected. Moscow also wants the West to lift its sanctions that has limited Moscows access to global markets and dealt a heavy blow to Russias economy.Massive military spending has bolstered Russian economic output that grew by nearly 4% last year, but the weakening ruble and labor shortages fueled high inflation and increasingly destabilized the economy. Last week, President Joe Biden sharpened the pain for Moscow by expanding sanctions on Russias vital energy sector, including its shadow shipping fleet used to bypass earlier restrictions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys initial peace formula demanded Russias full withdrawal from all occupied territories, but he later softened his position as Moscow continued to make gains, and he is no longer making that retreat a condition for talks. Zelenskyy has faced reluctance from some allies to offer Kyiv quick membership in NATO, but he insists on strong security guarantees from the U.S. and other Western partners as the key element of any prospective peace deal.Zelenskyy has emphasized the need for a comprehensive agreement, not a temporary halt to hostilities that would only allow Russia to replenish its arsenal. He has pushed for the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers.Putin has similarly rejected a temporary truce, pointing out that Russian troops are pressing an offensive and any break in the fighting would allow Ukraine to get reinforcements and supplies.The Russians are seeing that Trump is going to push for some kind of resolution or some kind of settlement, and they want to grab as much as they can, said Kurt Volker, who served as special representative for Ukraine in Trumps first term. Ukraines manpower shortages and a surprise attackRussia controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula that was annexed illegally in 2014. It held the battlefield initiative for most of 2024, pressing offensives in several sections of the over 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Moscows gains in the fall were the largest since the opening stage of the invasion.Ukraine has faced dire manpower shortages as it struggles to mobilize enough recruits to compensate for its losses and increasing desertions.Michael Kofman, a senior fellow with Carnegie Endowment, observed that stabilizing the front line is essential to buying time and forcing Moscow to reassess. He noted that Ukraines mobilization rates fell considerably since summer and manning levels continued to decline, especially among infantry units holding the front lines. Moscow-based military analyst Sergei Poletaev noted that even though Russia lacks resources for a major breakthrough, it has refined the tactic of small-scale, slow advances in multiple sectors.Moscow is betting on the physical exhaustion of the Ukrainian armed forces and the Ukrainian states meltdown, Poletaev wrote recently.Kyiv sought to change its fortunes by launching an incursion into Russias Kursk region in August, aiming to distract Moscows forces in eastern Ukraine and strengthen its hand in negotiations. Russia, initially caught by surprise, intensified efforts to drive out the Ukrainian forces. The U.S., Ukraine and South Korea said North Korea sent 10,000- 12,000 troops to Russia to fight in the Kursk region. How peace talks could evolveKellogg, the new administrations nominee for Ukraine envoy, dismissed European fears that Trump could reduce support for Kyiv, saying hes not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians, hes actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty.Volker predicted Trump would urge Putin to end hostilities and warn him that he would sharply increase pressure on Moscow if the Russian leader fails to heed the demand.If Putin refuses to halt the fighting, Volker said Trump would open up the spigot and allow Ukraine to borrow as much money as it wants and buy whatever military equipment it wants while toughening sanctions on Russian oil and gas sector.I think those things would be aimed at driving Putin to conclude, OK, its time to stop, Volker said.Other observers warn that Putin would be unlikely to compromise on his war goals, particularly while Russian troops have the upper hand in Ukraine, and the Russian economy has so far survived ongoing Western sanctions.While seeking to cement his gains and win Western guarantees that Ukraine will never be invited to join NATO, Putin also wants Kyiv to accept a set of language, education and cultural policies to ensure its friendly policies toward Moscow.Putin has tied his war to achieving this and is unlikely to retreat, Tatyana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center wrote in a commentary. Instead, he will likely intensify efforts.She added that Russias demand for Ukraines demilitarization implies not only deep cuts in its armed forces but also seeks Western guarantees it wont rearm its ally.Moscow views any military support for Ukraine as inherently hostile, she said.Putin is unlikely to walk back his annexation of the four Ukrainian regions, a seizure that already has been written into the Russian constitution.Moscow believes that a recognition of Russias new borders by Ukraine is necessary to preclude the basis for a military revanche, political analyst Vladimir Frolov said in a commentary.Many Moscow analysts are skeptical of prospects for a peace deal, noting the widely divergent positions on both sides. Some say a failure in the talks could put Russia and the U.S. on the brink of a direct conflict if Trump decides to ramp up military support for Ukraine.They tend to think in the West that Putin will get scared and agree to a ceasefire, wrote Poletaev, the Moscow-based analyst. Just the opposite. Putin will likely opt for an escalation and fight fire with fire.___Associated Press writer Danica Kirka in London contributed.

In this photo provided by Massachusetts General Hospital, patient Mike Garrity, center, speaks with Drs. Joe Garasic, left, and Randy Zusman in Boston, on Sept. 25, 2024. (Jeffrey Andree/Massachusetts General Hospital via AP)2025-01-18T13:54:51Z WASHINGTON (AP) Nothing doctors prescribed controlled Michael Garritys dangerously high blood pressure until they zapped away some nerves on his kidneys.If that sounds weird, well, kidneys help regulate blood pressure in part through signals from certain nerves. The new treatment disrupts overactive renal nerves.My blood pressure would spike and Id run out of breath and feel tired, and that doesnt happen anymore, said Garrity, 62, of Needham, Massachusetts. He still takes medicine but at lower doses, his blood pressure normal for the first time in years. Im thrilled.About half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, a major risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, even dementia. Many people dont even realize they have hypertension until its done serious damage.Know your blood pressure, know the numbers, stressed Dr. Randy Zusman of Massachusetts General Hospital, who specializes in the hardest-to-treat cases and advises people who think theyre fine to at least get a yearly check. And only a fraction of patients have their hypertension well-controlled, meaning theres a need for novel strategies. The Food and Drug Administration approved that renal denervation option about a year ago, based on studies showing a modest benefit in patients whose blood pressure remains high despite multiple medicines.Now, after the American Heart Association recently deemed it promising, some hospitals including Mass General Brigham are cautiously offering it as they work out who are good candidates and whether their insurance will cover a minimally invasive procedure costing thousands of dollars. This article is part of APs Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well. What is high blood pressure?Two numbers describe blood pressure. The top, systolic pressure, is the force blood puts on the walls of arteries as its pumped out of the heart. The bottom diastolic number measures that same pressure but between heartbeats.Normal is less than 120 over 80. Blood pressure naturally fluctuates throughout the day, higher when youre physically active or stressed. But when it stays high consistently 130 over 80 or higher, according to the most recent guidelines it stiffens arteries and makes the heart work harder. How to measure blood pressureIt doesnt take a doctors visit. Pharmacies and sometimes even libraries offer screening, and people can use at-home monitors.To avoid falsely high readings, the American Medical Association has tips: Sit quietly with feet on the floor, legs not crossed. Place the cuff on a bare arm, not over clothing. Dont dangle the arm rest it on a table.Drugs arent the only way to treat high blood pressureLifestyle changes are the first step, especially for otherwise healthy people. Guidelines urge losing weight, exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, limiting salt and alcohol, and taking steps to handle stress.Medicine is a must once hypertension reaches 140 over 90. The average patient requires two or three drugs, sometimes more, along with healthier living, Zusman said.But the hypertension Garrity has struggled with since his late 20s is treatment-resistant. Despite taking four to six drugs plus a strict diet and exercise, his blood pressure regularly reached 150 over 100 or worse. What is renal denervation?Doctors thread a small catheter, or tube, through blood vessels to reach the kidneys, and then beam in ultrasound or radiofrequency energy. Those pulses pass through the renal arteries to selectively target surrounding nerves, said Dr. Joseph Garasic, a Mass General interventional cardiologist who performed Garritys procedure. It takes about an hour.Although already used in other countries, a key U.S. trial of renal denervation failed about a decade ago, prompting changes before researchers tried again. In November 2023, the FDA approved two catheter systems, from Recor Medical and Medtronic.Its not a cure and some patients get no benefit. But Garasic said multiple studies show on average an 8 to 10-point drop in blood pressure, a modest but important improvement. Some like Garrity see a bigger drop, enough to gradually scale back medications.The FDA deemed the procedure safe for carefully chosen patients it wasnt tested in those with kidney disease or narrowed arteries, for example. And studies have lasted only a few years, not long enough to tell if the nerves might eventually regenerate.Guidance from the American Heart Association urges would-be patients and experienced doctors to have thoughtful and informed discussions to decide whos a good candidate. ---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.

The Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assad's forces, is seen in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)2025-01-18T04:58:35Z DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) A train station in Damascus was once the pride of the Syrian capital, an essential link between Europe and the Arabian Peninsula during the Ottoman Empire and then a national transit hub. But more than a decade of war left it a wasteland of bullet-scarred walls and twisted steel.The Qadam stations remaining staff say they still have an attachment to the railway and hope that it, like the country, can be revived after the swift and stunning downfall of leader Bashar Assad last month. Train operator Mazen Malla inspects the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Train operator Mazen Malla inspects the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More On a recent day, train operator Mazen Malla led The Associated Press through the landscape of charred train cars and workshops damaged by artillery fire. Bullet casings littered the ground.Malla grew up near the station. His father, uncles and grandfather all worked there. Eventually he was driving trains himself, spending more than 12 hours a day at work. The train is a part of us, he said with a deep, nostalgic sigh, as he picked up what appeared to be a spent artillery shell and tossed it aside. I wouldnt see my kids as much as I would see the train.The Qadam station was the workhorse of the iconic Hejaz Railway that was built under the Ottoman Empires Sultan Abdulhamid II in the early 1900s, linking Muslim pilgrims from Europe and Asia via what is now Turkey to the holy city of Medina in present-day Saudi Arabia. The line also transported troops and equipment for the empire that controlled large swaths of the Arabian Peninsula. A man walks through an abandoned train carriage at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) A man walks through an abandoned train carriage at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More That glory was short-lived. The railway soon became a target of Arab fighters in an armed uprising during World War I backed by Britain, France and other Allied forces that eventually took down the Ottoman Empire.In the following decades, Syria used its section of the railway to transport people between Damascus and its second city of Aleppo, along with several towns and neighboring Jordan. While the main station, still intact a few miles away, later became a historical site and events hall, Qadam remained the busy home of the workshops and people making the railway run. As train cars were upgraded, the old wooden ones were placed in a museum. The Qadam station, however, retained its structure of Ottoman stone and French bricks from Marseille.But war tore it apart after Assads crackdown on protesters demanding greater freedoms.The army turned this into a military base, Malla said. Workers like him were sent away. Train operator Mazen Malla inspects damage to the Qadam train station, sustained during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Train operator Mazen Malla inspects damage to the Qadam train station, sustained during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Qadam station was too strategic for soldiers to ignore. It gave Assads forces a vantage point on key rebel strongholds in Damascus. Up a flight of stairs, an office became a snipers nest.Slogans praising Assad and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, a key ally of the ousted leader, can still be seen on the walls.We will kneel and kiss wherever Assad walks, one says. The Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) The Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The nearby neighborhood of Al-Assali is now mostly in ruins after becoming a no mans land between the station and the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk that became a rebel stronghold and was besieged and bombarded for years by government forces. The fighting entered the railway station at least once, in 2013. Footage widely circulated online showed rebels firing assault rifles and taking cover behind trains.Malla and his family fled their home near the station to a nearby neighborhood. He heard the fighting but prayed that the station that had long been his familys livelihood would be left unscathed. An abandoned train carriage is seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) An abandoned train carriage is seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Assads forces cleared the rebels from Damascus in 2018. The train station, though badly wrecked, was opened again, briefly, as a symbol of triumph and revival. Syrian state media reported that trains would take passengers to the annual Damascus International Fair. It broadcast images of happy passengers by the entrance and at the destination, but not of the stations vast damage.Syrias railway never returned to its former prosperity under Assad, and Malla stayed away as the military maintained control of much of Qadam. After Assad was ousted and the insurgents who forced him out became the interim administration, Malla returned. He found his home destroyed. The station, which he described as part of my soul, was badly damaged.What we saw was tragic, he said. It was unbelievable. It was heartbreaking. Graffiti left by supporters of the Assad regime is seen in the Qadam train station, damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Graffiti left by supporters of the Assad regime is seen in the Qadam train station, damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The train cars were battered and burned. Some were piles of scrap. The museum had been looted and the old trains had been stripped for sale on Syrias black market.Everything was stolen. Copper, electric cables and tools they were all gone, Malla said.The trains distinctive wooden panels had disappeared. Malla and others believe that Assads fighters used them as firewood during the harsh winters.In the former no mans land, packs of stray dogs barked and searched for food. Railway workers and families living at the train station say an urban legend spread that the dogs ate the bodies of captives that Assads notorious web of intelligence agencies killed and dumped late at night. Now Malla and others hope the railway can be cleared of its rubble and its dark past and become a central part of Syrias economic revival after war and international isolation. They dream of the railway helping to return the country to its former status as a key link between Europe and the Middle East. A defaced portrait of former Syrian president Hafez Assad is seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged by the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) A defaced portrait of former Syrian president Hafez Assad is seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged by the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More There is much work to be done. About 90% of Syrias population of over 23 million people live in poverty, according to the United Nations. Infrastructure is widely damaged. Western sanctions, imposed during the war, continue.But already, neighboring Turkey has expressed interest in restoring the railway line to Damascus as part of efforts to boost trade and investment.That prospect excites Malla, whose son Malek spent much of his teenage years surviving the war. At his age, his father and uncle were already learning how to operate a steam engine.I hope there will soon be job opportunities, so my son can be employed, Malla said. That way he can revive the lineage of his grandfather, and the grandfather of his grandfather. Train operator Mazen Malla inspects the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Train operator Mazen Malla inspects the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Abandoned keys and tools are seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Abandoned keys and tools are seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The abandoned Qadam train station, damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, is seen in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) The abandoned Qadam train station, damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, is seen in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A map and tire are seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) A map and tire are seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old train tickets are seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Old train tickets are seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A chess board next to members of the new Syrian security force is seen at the Qadam train station in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) A chess board next to members of the new Syrian security force is seen at the Qadam train station in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More A train carriage is seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) A train carriage is seen at the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Dogs walk on the tracks of the Qadam train station, which was damaged in the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Dogs walk on the tracks of the Qadam train station, which was damaged in the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Train operator Mazen Malla inspects the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Train operator Mazen Malla inspects the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Train operator Mazen Malla rides his bike through the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Train operator Mazen Malla rides his bike through the Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) The Qadam train station, which was damaged during the war between rebel forces and ousted President Bashar Assads forces, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More KAREEM CHEHAYEB Chehayeb is an Associated Press reporter in Beirut. twitter instagram mailto

People giving their first names Erika, left, and Leeann react after an abortion rights amendment to the Missouri constitution passed, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at a watch party in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)2025-01-18T05:06:22Z An incoming new president and state legislative sessions ramping up are likely to bring more changes to abortion policy across the U.S., which is still settling after the seismic shift in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door to state bans.State lawmakers across the country have introduced at least 400 abortion-related bills so far. On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term. His positions on abortion have sometimes been inconsistent. But no matter where he lands on some issues, his administration will be a contrast with President Joe Biden, who has favored abortion rights at every turn. Here is a look at the latest developments. 3 states can keep trying to roll back abortion pill accessMost U.S. abortions are now performed with medication rather than surgical procedures and much of the anti-abortion effort is aimed at limiting access to those pills. A lawsuit seeking to restrict access to mifepristone, one of the two drugs usually used together for medication abortions, picked up some steam this week.A federal judge on Thursday ruled Idaho, Kansas and Missouri can revive an attempt to roll back the federal approval of mifepristone, making it harder to get.The states want it to be allowed only in the first seven weeks of pregnancy, rather than the current 10, and to require three in-person doctors visits, eliminating telehealth prescriptions. The states argue that efforts to provide access to the pills undermine state abortion laws and frustrate state law enforcement, according to court documents.The Supreme Court rejected a similar effort last year, saying anti-abortion doctors and their organizations did not have the legal standing to challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations approvals. Stockpiling abortion pillsAbortion rights advocates worry Trumps administration could start enforcing the Comstock Act, a 19th century law barring materials used in abortions from being mailed, which hasnt been enforced for close to 100 years.While Trump has said he doesnt plan to restrict medication abortion, he also said things change, leaving open the possibility.This month, New Jersey became the latest Democratic-controlled state to start stockpiling abortion pills. Other liberal-leaning states, including California and Massachusetts were already stockpiling them.An Indiana lawmaker has proposed criminalizing shipping the drugs to individuals in the state. Several other states already have similar laws, which are among the priorities for anti-abortion groups.Some blue states have laws intended to protect providers who use telehealth to prescribe pills and mail them to states with bans. The practice accounted for about one-tenth of abortions in the U.S. by June 2024, one study found.Lawmakers considering new round of ballot questionsVoters in seven states approved ballot measures for constitutional amendments on reproductive freedom in November and more states could see ballot measures in coming years.Lawmakers in Hawaii and Virginia, where the legislature is controlled by Democrats, have proposed reproductive freedom amendments for 2026. The Virginia resolution passed the House of Delegates last week. But it needs approval from the Senate and then from both chambers again next year.Missouri was the only state with a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy to adopt an abortion-rights amendment in November. A judge invalidated the ban, but no clinic has opened as abortion rights advocates press courts undo other regulations that they say make it impossible to operate. Missouri lawmakers already are pushing measures to ask voters to roll back the abortion protections they adopted.Conservative lawmakers propose tougher restrictionsLawmakers in three states that now ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy are considering further restrictions.In Oklahoma, a GOP lawmaker is proposing a law that would allow women who obtain abortions to be charged with murder.A similar measure was introduced in South Carolina in 2023 but quickly stalled. The National Right to Life Committee, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and other anti-abortion groups oppose penalizing women who seek or obtain abortions. A measure introduced in Mississippi, which echoes laws adopted in the past two years in Idaho and Tennessee, criminalizes helping a minor obtain an abortion without the consent of a parent or guardian. A key difference: Mississippis calls for penalties up to life in prison.The Tennessee law, which has been put on hold by a judge, has a maximum punishment of a year in prison while Idahos law calls for up to five years.It is too early in legislative sessions to tell which measures could advance.Emergency care has an uncertain futureBidens administration sued Idaho over its abortion ban two years ago, arguing that under federal law it should not be enforced during life- and health-threatening emergencies. The Supreme Court ruled last year that such abortions can be provided while the issue works it way through the courts.The Trump administration is expected to abandon the lawsuit. St. Lukes Health System, Idahos largest health care provider, this week sued the state over the same topic, which would have the effect of keeping litigation on the topic alive. ___Associated Press writer Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this article. GEOFF MULVIHILL Covering state government issues nationally twitter mailto

Taormina Lepore, foreground, who has low vision, walks with a white cane during an accessible field trip to the San Andreas Fault organized by the International Association of Geoscience Diversity Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in San Bernadino, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)2025-01-18T12:00:07Z SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) The path to Lost Lake was steep and unpaved, lined with sharp rocks and holes.A group of scientists and students gingerly made their way, using canes or a helping hand to guide them. For those who couldnt make the trek, a drone brought the lake blue and narrow into view.The field trip was designed to illustrate the challenges disabled researchers often face and how barriers can be overcome.Just because you cant do it like someone else doesnt mean you cant do it, said Anita Marshall, a University of Florida geologist leading the outing. The group included scientists with sight, hearing and mobility disabilities. Marshalls organization ran the field trip to the lake along the San Andreas Fault, outside of San Bernadino. Her group the International Association for Geoscience Diversity and others are working to improve access to field and lab work so that those with disabilities feel welcome and stay. Taormina Lepore, a Western Michigan University paleontologist who went on the trip, said scientists tend to value a single, traditional way of getting things done. At Lost Lake, everyone got a view even if they couldnt physically get there.Its really about empathy, as much as it is about science, said Lepore, who also researches science education. Making research labs more accessibleDisabled people make up about 3% of the science, technology, engineering and math workforce, according to 2021 data from the National Science Foundation.Scientists with disabilities say thats in part because labs, classrooms and field sites arent designed to accommodate them. Students and faculty are still told that they cant work in a lab or do research safely, said Mark Leddy, who formerly managed disability-related grants for the National Science Foundation.The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, sets minimum regulations for new buildings and labs, including ramps and wheelchair-accessible walkways. But modifying older labs can be a complicated and lengthy process.Alyssa Paparella is working on her doctorate in biology at Baylor College of Medicine and founded an online community for disabled scientists. She said a science building at one of her former schools had no automatic buttons to open doors.What is that saying about who you want actually working in the laboratories? she said. Thats the front door that theyre not even able to get in.Leddy said researchers with disabilities are invaluable because of their life experiences. They have to constantly come up with creative ways to get past barriers in their lives a problem-solving skill thats indispensable in a lab.If they dont feel welcome, if they dont get access, then how can they contribute that talent? Leddy said.Venu Varanasi, a biomaterials engineer at the University of Texas at Arlington who has low vision, prints out signage using high-contrast color combinations and encourages his students to keep floors and counters clutter-free so he can navigate the lab more easily.He said those modifications also keep accidents to a minimum for non-disabled students. When you realize that you have a person with a disability, you have an opportunity, not a problem, he said.At Purdue University in Indiana, engineering professor Brad Duerstock helped design an accessible biomedical lab years ago with support from the school and a National Institutes of Health grant, removing cabinets under sinks and fume hoods so that wheelchairs can easily pull up.The cost of making a lab more accessible varies depending on how extensive the changes are, Duerstock said. Some schools set aside money for improvements and science organizations can offer grants. Accessibility in the outdoorsOn the California geology field trip, the group explored the lake carved into the landscape by the San Andreas Fault, where the grating of two tectonic plates can cause earthquakes.The group included rock enthusiasts at all different stages of their careers. A handful were students. Others were professors, eager to explore the outdoors in a group they could trust to look after them.Central Connecticut State University professor Jennifer Piatek, who uses a wheelchair, saw the lake through drone footage and used a pocket lens to examine rocks brought back by other participants.She said it was nice to be part of a community that anticipated her needs. For example, their bus pulled forward to park at a flatter location to make it easier for her to get off.You can learn a lot from images and maps, but really you need to get to the space to be in it, said Piatek, who studies planetary geology.Lepore, a neurodivergent person with low vision, scanned rocks using an artificial intelligence app that described their color and shape out loud.Nature is not inherently accessible, she said. Nature just doesnt have ramps and the kinds of things that we might wish it had. But there are so many workarounds and ways that we as geoscientists can make things truly open. Bushra Hussaini uses tips from the field trips to support interns and volunteers with disabilities at New Yorks American Museum of Natural History, where she works. She said the supportive community of geologists is what keeps her coming back. We learn from each other and we help each other, she said. Before heading out, Marshall urged the participants to ask for a hand or a shoulder to lean on if needed. She and others from the organization have been leading field trips every year as an offshoot from the Geological Society of Americas annual meeting. As a doctoral student, Marshall would go on field trips with her peers only to wait back in the van, frustrated, because the organizers hadnt thought about how to accommodate her disabilities. She wants things to be different for the next generation of scientists. The whole point of these little day trips is to just plant that seed out there, Marshall said, that theres another way forward.___AP video journalist Eugene Garcia contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Ramakrishnan is a science reporter for The Associated Press, based in New York. She covers research and new developments related to space, early human history and more. twitter mailto

Rapper A$AP Rocky at Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2019. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)2025-01-18T17:13:58Z LOS ANGELES (AP) A$AP Rocky is at a crossroads. He could soar to new heights of celebrity in 2025, or be brought back to earth quickly by a trial starting Tuesday that could led to his imprisonment for years.The hip-hop star, and longtime partner to Rihanna, with whom he has two toddler sons, is set to touch the highest levels of high fashion as one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May along with Pharrell Williams, LeBron James and others.And his modest acting career will get a major boost from starring alongside Denzel Washington in director Spike Lees Highest 2 Lowest, planned for a summer release.But at the Los Angeles trial thats expected to last about three weeks, he is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Hes accused of firing on a former friend on the streets near a Hollywood hotel in 2021. If convicted, he could get up to 24 years in prison. The 36-year-old has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney says he committed no crime.Were ready to go. Its been a long time, defense lawyer Joe Tacopina said after a hearing Wednesday. Its been something thats waiting over Rockys head and Rihanna and their familys heads for a while. Were anxious to get this thing underway and get this behind him. A$AP Rocky and A$AP RelliThe trial has its roots in high school in New York, when the Harlem-raised Rakim Mayers, now known as A$AP Rocky, met Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, who will be the trials most important witness.Ephron testified at a 2023 preliminary hearing that he brought Rocky into a crew of young creators who called themselves A$AP for Always Strive and Prosper.We had dreams, pretty much, Ephron said.He testified that the members remained close even as Rocky became rich and famous, but the relationships would eventually erode.The feud came to a head in Hollywood on the night of Nov. 6, 2021, when according to Ephron, Rocky fired at him three or four times, the shots grazing his knuckles. Ephron went to the police two days later, and brought shell casings he had picked up himself both points the defense will seize on.You need nothing more than Mr. Ephrons testimony by itself, Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec, the cases lead prosecutor, told a judge at the 2023 hearing, Key players in the A$AP Rocky trial A$AP Rocky, left, and Rihanna attend the Met Gala in 2021. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) A$AP Rocky, left, and Rihanna attend the Met Gala in 2021. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The trial is full of large personalities, along with two huge names that will loom over the proceedings despite having no direct role: President-elect Donald Trump and Rihanna. The trial begins the day after the second inauguration of Trump, whom Tacopina represented in the defamation and sexual abuse lawsuit of writer E. Jean Carroll. And Rocky himself became an unlikely cause celebre for then-President Trump during his first term when Trump publicly declared he was trying to get the rapper freed and returned to the U.S. when he was jailed after a brawl in Sweden in 2019.But Trump has no power over these proceedings, and could not pardon Rocky if hes convicted. Those anticipating the trial have long been asking whether Rihanna may attend. The mother of his children is she going to be here? Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold asked the defense at an October hearing. Shes welcome to be here whenever she wants Id just like to know.Tacopina has been unable to give a definitive answer, but has said that he does not expect it.Hes very protective of Rihanna and doesnt want her anywhere near this proceeding, he said after Wednesdays hearing. But thats a family decision theyll make.Tacopina said he has no intention of bringing Rihannas name up at trial, but Arnold suggested he may when screening jurors.The judge, a former sheriffs deputy, has an affable but no-nonsense style and dispenses with many court formalities. He said he will keep the juror selection process simple, and a jury should be seated quickly.In an uncommon move in LA County courts, he will allow cameras in court for nearly the entire trial.I believe that the public deserves to see what goes on in the courtroom, he said.Tacopina has also represented other hip-hop figures, including Meek Mill and YG. The lawyer who normally practices in New York is gregarious, quick with a joke and always happy to talk to the media, but can be ruthless in cross-examination. When discussing Ephrons minor injuries at the 2023 hearing, he said, Its a miracle he survived that shooting and was admonished for his tone.Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, best known for his successful murder prosecution of real estate scion Robert Durst, was a late addition to the prosecution team. Hes also known for his aggressive cross-examination, including a relentless, weeks-long questioning of Durst. The evidence against A$AP Rocky The case against Rocky will largely depend on how credible the jurors find Ephron.Police officers who searched the Hollywood sidewalk after a report of shots fired found no shell casings. Police recovered no fingerprints from the 9 mm casings Ephron brought them, and no 9 mm pistol was found when a search warrant was served on Rocky.Surveillance video captured parts of the incident. Prosecutors at the 2023 hearing showed a video still with a man in a hooded sweatshirt whose face is not visible holding what appears to be a gun, along with another image showing the face of the man in the sweatshirt, with no gun visible. A detective testified that investigators established it was Rocky.Tacopina said he has not decided whether Rocky will testify, which he is legally allowed to avoid.He is eager to tell his story, he would love the opportunity to do so, the lawyer said Wednesday. He is very articulate and very intelligent, hes a good human being, that would come out if he testifies, but that decision has not been made yet. It depends on how the case goes. ANDREW DALTON Dalton covers entertainment for The Associated Press, with an emphasis on crime, courts and obituaries. He has worked for the AP for 20 years and is based in Los Angeles. mailto

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-01-18T05:34:00Z WASHINGTON (AP) Theres not only one Donald Trump in the United States. Nor is there only one William J. Clinton.Plenty of people share names with famous presidents.Donald Trump, a veteran and resident of Alabama, said because of his name he often is gifted things for free. William J. Clinton, who goes by Billy, used to live in the Washington, D.C., area, and would receive interesting mail from inmates.The men with those names who served in the White House will be at the Capitol Monday to attend the inauguration of Trump, the president-elect. The Associated Press talked to people who share names with the presidents to find out what life is like for them. William J. Clinton, Tennessee residentMy dad is Bill, not the former president, but hes just, hes actually the seventh in the line of William J., William Clintons in our genealogy. So, Im the eighth. My nine-month-old son is the ninth. ... Theres definitely a lot of double takes, though, for sure. And its a daily occurrence. I have in my mind always like, well, theres the daily occurrence of somebody being like, Your names really Bill Clinton?Some of the craziest things that have happened because of my name, and especially because I had an address for, you know, basically my whole life that was like in and around the D.C. area, was receiving letters from federal inmates asking for presidential pardons addressed to me, like by accident. Donald Trump, a veteran and resident of Clanton, AlabamaTheres been a lot of times where I got upgraded, you know, like first class. There has been times where I did make reservations for a hotel and they gave me the penthouse free. Well, thank you very much. Ive had some free meals at restaurants. Abraham Lincoln, a banking professional from Washington stateIve found that its sort of a blessing and a curse. Like its really good for breaking the ice, sort of, people are just sort of amazed and it gets people talking. It also, you know, where first impressions really matter, people arent going to forget my name, therefore, theyre not going to usually forget the first impression. So, Ive got to really always sort of be on my A-game when Im meeting people.Reservations generally will go under (his wifes) name because I usually will get a, No really whats your name? Or, Youre messing with me. Grover Cleveland, a fire chief from Cresco, PennsylvaniaJust growing up, everyone was always pretty shocked on how I have the exact name.Ill give a credit card at a store that somebody might not know who I am. And yeah, then the manager gets called up and its fraud or something like that. So, you know, nope, heres my ID. MIKE PESOLI Pesoli is an Associated Press video journalist based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site