Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) shoots for three in front of Connecticut forward Alex Karaban (11) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)2025-03-23T18:39:27Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness.Get the AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Walter Clayton Jr. and No. 1 seed Florida ended UConns pursuit of a third straight national championship, with Clayton burying two key 3-pointers in the final three minutes of a scintillating 77-75 victory for the Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.Clayton, a first-team All-America guard, finished with 23 points as Florida (32-4), one of the favorites for this years title, survived a strong challenge from coach Dan Hurleys Huskies (24-11), who came in with modest expectations as a No. 8 seed but led for most of the second half.Florida advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will play Colorado State or Maryland in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco.UConn was seeking to become the first team to three-peat since UCLAs run of seven straight titles from 1967-73.The Huskies won the 2023 title in Houston and last year in Glendale, Arizona, joining Duke (1991-92) and Florida (2006-07) as the only schools to win back-to-back since the Bruins run under John Wooden. ___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Conan O'Brien takes part in a panel discussion during the South by Southwest Conference and Festival, March 11, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)2025-03-23T11:55:20Z WASHINGTON (AP) Conan OBrien is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize on Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where the backstage drama of the host institution may hang over the celebration.OBrien, 61, was named the latest recipient of the award for lifetime achievement in comedy in mid-January, about three weeks before President Donald Trump upended the Kennedy Center by ousting the longtime president and the board chairman. Trump dismissed the board of directors and replaced them with loyalists, who then elected him as chairman. In announcing the changes, Trump posted on social media that those who were dismissed do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.How that vision takes shape remains to be seen, but Trump has spoken about wanting to book more Broadway shows there and floated the idea of granting Kennedy Center Honors status to actor Sylvester Stallone and singer-songwriter Paul Anka. Into this maelstrom steps OBrien, whose comedic persona has never been particularly political. The comic has always tended more toward goofiness and self-deprecation. But he has also leaned into sensitive societal issues at times. In 2011, OBrien officiated a gay wedding live on his show, overseeing the marriage of his longtime costume designer Scott Cronick and his partner David Gorshein. OBrien vaulted into the spotlight from near-total obscurity in 1993 when he was chosen to replace David Letterman as host of Late Night despite no significant on-camera experience. The former Harvard Lampoon editor had spent the previous years as a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, appearing on camera only as an occasional background extra in SNL skits. He went on to host Late Night for 16 years, longer than any other host. OBrien was later tapped to replace Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show, but that experiment ended in public failure. After seven months of declining ratings, NBC executives brought Leno back for a new show that would bump The Tonight Show back. OBrien refused to accept the move, leading to a public spat that ended with a multimillion-dollar payout for OBrien and his staff to exit the network in early 2010. OBrien went on to host another talk show on the cable station TBS, while launching successful podcasts and travel shows. He is currently on a late-career elder statesman hot streak. His travel series, Conan OBrien Must Go, drew popular and critical acclaim, with a second season coming. His recent gig hosting the Academy Awards was so well received that the producers announced they are bringing him back next year. In the wake of Trumps takeover of the Kennedy Center, several artists, including the producers of Hamilton and actress and writer Issa Rae, announced they were canceling appearances at the venue. Others have chosen to perform while making their sentiments known from the stage. Leftist comic W. Kamau Bell directly addressed the controversy in his performance just days after the shake-up. Earlier this month, cellist Erin Murphy Snedecor ended her set with a performance of the Woody Guthrie protest anthem All You Fascists Bound to Lose. Mark Twain recipients typically receive tributes and testimonials from a star-studded collection of comics and celebrities. Given the nature of comedians, it seems likely that some of them on Sunday evening will address the issue of the institutions uncertain future. Other comedians receiving the lifetime achievement award include both Letterman and Leno, along with George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, Bill Murray and Dave Chappelle.The ceremony will be streamed on Netflix later this year. The date has not been announced. ASHRAF KHALIL Khalil writes about local issues in Washington, D.C., for The Associated Press and covers the social safety net around the country. twitter instagram mailto

South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became the country's acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 24, 2024. (Yonhap via AP, File)2025-03-24T01:12:12Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas Constitutional Court on Monday overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating the nations No. 2 official as acting leader, while not yet ruling on the separate impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.Han became acting president after Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his Dec. 3 imposition of martial law that triggered a massive political crisis. But Han was impeached by the assembly as well in late December following political strife with opposition lawmakers.The unprecedented, successive impeachments that suspended the countrys top two officials intensified a domestic division and deepened worries about the countrys diplomatic and economic activities. The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, had since serving as acting president. On Monday, seven of the courts eight justices overturned or dismissed Hans impeachment. They ruled the accusations against him werent against the law or werent serious enough to remove him from office or his impeachment motion didnt even met a required quorum when it passed thorough the assembly. One justice upheld Hans impeachment. Dismissing Han would have needed the support of at least six court justices.The court has yet to rule on Yoons impeachment. If the court upholds Yoons impeachment, South Korea must hold a election for a new president. If it rules for him, Yoon will be restored to office and regain his presidential powers. Yoon was impeached about two weeks earlier than Han. Observers earlier predicted the Constitutional Court would rule on Yoons case in mid-March but it hasnt done so. Yoon has been separately arrested and charged with rebellion in connection with his martial law decree. If convicted of that charge, he would face the death penalty or a life sentence. On March 8, Yoon was released from prison, after a Seoul district court allowed him to stand his criminal trial without being detained. Massive rival rallies backing Yoon or denouncing Yoon have divided the streets of Seoul and other major cities in South Korea. Earlier surveys showed that a majority of South Koreans were critical of Yoons martial law enactment, but those supporting or sympathizing with Yoon have later gained strength.At the center of squabbling over Yoon is why he sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the assembly after declaring martial law. Yoon says he aims to maintain order, but senior military and police officers sent there have said that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to prevent a floor vote to overturn his decree. Enough lawmakers eventually managed to enter an assembly hall and voted it down unanimously.Han, a career diplomat who was appointed by Yoon, had attempted to reassure diplomatic partners and stabilize markets, when he served as acting president. A major trigger for the oppositions push for his impeachment was Hans refusal to fill three vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court bench. Restoring the courts full membership was sensitive because a ruling upholding Yoons impeachment requires support from at least six justices. Hans successor, Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new justices but left the ninth seat vacant.Both Han and Choi cited needing bipartisan consent to add justices to the court, but their critics suspected they were siding with Yoons People Power Party, which wanted to increase Yoons chances of returning to power. On Friday, the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and other small opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion on Choi. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

Usha Vance attends a campaign rally, Nov. 1, 2024, in Selma, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)2025-03-23T17:33:29Z WASHINGTON (AP) Second lady Usha Vance plans a trip to Greenland, at a time when President Donald Trump has suggested the United States should take control over the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark.Vance will leave on Thursday and return Saturday, according to her office. Vance and one of her three children will be part of a U.S. delegation that will visit historic sites and learn about Greenlandic heritage.Media outlets in Greenland and Denmark reported that Vance would be accompanied by Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz. The White House and the National Security Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment. People take part in a march ending in front of the US consulate, under the slogan, Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People take part in a march ending in front of the US consulate, under the slogan, Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, in Nuuk, Greenland, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Trump had mused during his first term about buying the worlds largest island, even as Denmark, a NATO ally, insisted it wasnt for sale. The people of Greenland also have firmly rejected Trumps plan. On her visit, Vance will attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenlands national dogsled race, featuring about 37 mushers and 444 dogs. The statement said Vance and the U.S. delegation are excited to witness this monumental race and celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity.Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly said that the U.S. will come to control Greenland while insisting he supports the idea for strategic national security reasons not with an eye toward American expansionism. I think we will have it, Trump said of Greenland shortly after beginning his second term on Jan. 20. The U.S. already has a military base on Greenland and the presidents eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., visited it in January. During a recent Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said Denmarks very far away from Greenland, and questioned whether that country still had a right to claim the worlds largest island as part of its kingdom. The northern lights appear over homes in Nuuk, Greenland, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) The northern lights appear over homes in Nuuk, Greenland, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A boat landed there 200 years ago or something. And they say they have rights to it, Trump said. I dont know if thats true. I dont think it is, actually.All five parties in Greenlands parliament issued a joint statement last week rejecting Trumps remarks. Denmark has recognized Greenlands right to independence at a time of its choosing.Beyond his focus on Greenland, Trump has refused to rule out military intervention in Panama to retake that countrys canal, said that Canada should be Americas 51st state and suggested that U.S. interests could assume control of the war-torn Gaza Strip from Israel and redevelop it as a Riviera-like seaside resort.___Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Republican U.S. Rep. Mia Love, center, kisses her daughter Abby while hugging her sister Cyndi Brito, after she addresses supporters during an election night party, Nov. 6, 2018, in Lehi, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)2025-03-24T02:58:17Z SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love of Utah, a daughter of Haitian immigrants who became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died Sunday.She was 49. Loves family posted news of her death on Loves X account.She had undergone recent treatment for brain cancer and received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke Universitys brain tumor center. Her daughter said earlier this month that the former lawmaker was no longer responding to treatment.Love died at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, according to a statement posted by the family.With grateful hearts filled to overflowing for the profound influence of Mia on our lives, we want you to know that she passed away peacefully, her family said. We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.Utah Gov. Spencer Cox referred to Love as a true friend. Her legacy of service inspired all who knew her, Cox said in a statement. We pray for her family and mourn with them.Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a seat on the city council in Saratoga Springs, a growing community about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. She later became the citys mayor. In 2012, Love narrowly lost a bid for the House against the Democratic incumbent, former Rep. Jim Matheson, in a district that covers a string of Salt Lake City suburbs.She ran again two years later and defeated first-time candidate Doug Owens by about 7,500 votes. Love didnt emphasize her race during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the significance of her election after her 2014 victory. She said her win defied naysayers who had suggested that a Black, Republican, Mormon woman couldnt win a congressional seat in overwhelmingly white Utah.She was briefly considered a rising star within the GOP and she kept her distance from Donald Trump, who was unpopular with many Utah voters, while he was running for president ahead of the 2016 election. In 2016, facing reelection and following the release of a 2005 recording in which Trump made lewd comments about groping women, Love skipped the Republican National Convention and released a statement saying definitively that she would not vote for Trump. She instead endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the GOP race, but he dropped out months later.While seeking a third term in 2018, Love tried to separate herself Trump on trade and immigration while still backing her partys positions on tax cuts. Despite Republican voters outnumbering Democrats by a nearly three-to-one margin in her district, though, she lost by fewer than 700 votes to former Salt Lake City Mayor Ben McAdams, a Democrat.Trump called out Love by name in a news conference the morning after she lost, where he also bashed other Republicans who didnt fully embrace him.Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost, Trump said. Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.After her loss, Love served as a political commentator on CNN and as a fellow at the University of Sydney.Following Trumps election in November, Love said she was OK with the outcome.Yes, Trump says a lot of inconsiderate things that are unfortunate and impossible to defend. However, his policies have a high probability of benefiting all Americans, Love wrote in a social media post. HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Schoenbaum is a government and politics reporter based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also covers general news in the Rockies and LGBTQ+ rights policies in U.S. statehouses. twitter mailto

A state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction machine analyzes a glazed roof tile from the Forbidden City in a lab on the sprawling compound of the imperial palace also known as the Palace Museum in Beijing, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)2025-03-24T02:33:53Z BEIJING (AP) Its highly technical work in what looks more like a lab than a museum: A fragment of a glazed roof tile from Beijings Forbidden City is analyzed in a state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction machine that produces images, which are then projected onto computer screens.The fragment being examined has a dark area on its surface that restorers want to understand. Their objective is to better preserve the artifacts at the sprawling imperial palace, the former home of Chinas emperors and its seat of power for hundreds of years.We want to learn what the black material is, said Kang Baoqiang, one of the restorers at the complex, today a museum that attracts tourists from all over the world. Whether its atmospheric sediment or the result of substantial change from within.About 150 workers on the team fuse scientific analysis and traditional techniques to clean, patch up and otherwise revive the more than 1.8 million relics in the museums collection. They include scroll paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics and, somewhat unexpectedly, ornate antique clocks that were gifted to emperors by early European visitors. Down the hall from the X-ray room, two other restorers patch up holes on a panel of patterned green silk with the Chinese character for longevity sewn into it, carefully adding color in a process called inpainting. The piece is believed to have been a birthday gift to Empress Dowager Cixi, the power behind the throne in the late 19th and early 20th century. Much of the work is laborious and monotonous and takes months to complete.I dont have the big dreams of protecting traditional cultural heritage that people talk about, said Wang Nan, one of the restorers. I simply enjoy the sense of achievement when an antique piece is fixed.Now a major tourist site in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City is the name that was given to the sprawling compound by foreigners in imperial times because entry was forbidden to most outsiders. Its formally known as the Palace Museum. Many of its treasures were hurriedly taken away during World War II to keep them from falling into the hands of the invading Japanese army. During a civil war that brought the Communist Party to power in 1949, the defeated Nationalists took many of the most prized pieces to Taiwan, where they are now housed in the National Palace Museum. Beijings Palace Museum has since rebuilt its collection. Restoration techniques have also evolved, said Qu Feng, head of the museums Conservation Department, though the old ways remain the foundation of the work. When we preserve an antique piece, we protect the cultural values it carries, Qu said. And that is our ultimate goal.___Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report. KEN MORITSUGU Moritsugu covers political, economic and social issues from Beijing for The Associated Press. He has also reported from New Delhi, Bangkok and Tokyo and is the APs former news director for Greater China and for Japan and the Koreas. twitter

Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside of the Department of Health and Human Services, Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2025-03-24T04:10:38Z WASHINGTON (AP) As President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk work to overhaul the federal government, theyre forcing out thousands of workers with insider knowledge and connections who now need a job.For Russia, China and other adversaries, the upheaval in Washington as Musks Department of Government Efficiency guts government agencies presents an unprecedented opportunity to recruit informants, national security and intelligence experts say. Every former federal worker with knowledge of or access to sensitive information or systems could be a target. When thousands of them leave their jobs at the same time, that creates a lot of targets, as well as a counterespionage challenge for the United States.This information is highly valuable, and it shouldnt be surprising that Russia and China and other organizations criminal syndicates for instance would be aggressively recruiting government employees, said Theresa Payton, a former White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, who now runs her own cybersecurity firm. Many agencies oversee crucial dataEach year an average of more than 100,000 federal workers leave their jobs. Some retire; others move to the private sector. This year, in three months, the number is already many times higher.Its not just intelligence officers who present potential security risks. Many departments and agencies oversee vast amounts of data that include personal information on Americans as well as sensitive information about national security and government operations. Exiting employees could also give away helpful security secrets that would allow someone to penetrate government databases or physical offices. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, for instance, maintains information on trade negotiations that could help an adversary undercut the United States. Federal records house data on clandestine intelligence operations and agents. Pentagon databases contain reams of sensitive information on U.S. military capabilities. The Department of Energy oversees many of the nations most closely guarded nuclear secrets. This happens even in good times someone in the intelligence community who for personal financial or other reasons walks into an embassy to sell America out but DOGE is taking it to a whole new level, said John Schindler, a former counterintelligence official.Someone is going to go rogue, he said. Its just a question of how bad it will be.Only a tiny fraction of the many millions of Americans who have worked for the federal government have ever been accused of espionage. The overwhelming number are conscientious patriots who would never sell out their country, Payton said.Background checks, employee training and exit interviews are all designed to prevent informants or moles and to remind departing federal employees of their duty to preserve national secrets even after leaving federal service. Even one person can do serious damageIt takes only one or two misguided or disgruntled workers to cause a national security crisis. Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen and former CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who both spied for Russia, show just how damaging a single informant can be. Hanssen divulged sweeping information about American intelligence-gathering, including details that authorities said were partly responsible for the outing of U.S. informants in Russia who were later executed for working on Americas behalf.The odds that one angry former employee reaches out to a foreign power go up as many federal employees find themselves without a job, experts said. Whats not in doubt is that foreign adversaries are looking for any former employees they can flip. Theyre hunting for that one informant who could deliver a big advantage for their nation.Its a numbers game, said Schindler. Frank Montoya Jr., a retired senior FBI official and former top U.S. government counterintelligence executive, said he was less concerned about well-trained intelligence community employees betraying their oaths and selling out to American adversaries. But he noted the many workers in other realms of government who could be targeted by Russia or China, When it comes to the theft of intellectual property, when it comes to the theft of sensitive technology, when it comes to access to power grids or to financial systems, an IRS guy or a Social Service guy whos really upset about what DOGE is doing, they actually are the bigger risk, Montoya said.Once military and intelligence officials were the primary targets of foreign spies looking to turn an informant. But now, thanks to the massive amount of information held at many agencies, and the competitive edge it could give China or Russia, thats no longer the case.We have seen over the last generation, the last 2025 years, the Chinese and the Russians increasingly have been targeting non-national defense and non-classified information, because it helps them modernize their military, it helps them modernize their infrastructure, Montoya said. Online activity makes it easier than it once wasThe internet has made it far easier for foreign nations to identify and recruit potential informants. Once, Soviet intelligence officers had to wait for an embittered agent to make contact, or go through the time-consuming process of identifying which recently separated federal employees could be pliable. Now, all you need is a LinkedIn subscription and you can quickly find former federal officials in search of work. You go on LinkedIn, you see someone who was formerly at Department of Defense now looking for work and its like, Bingo, Schindler said.A foreign spy service or scammer looking to exploit a recently laid-off federal worker could bring in potential recruits by posting a fake job ad online.One particularly novel concern involves the fear that a foreign agent could set up a fake job interview and hire former federal officials as consultants to a fake company. The former federal workers would be paid for their expertise without even knowing they were supplying information to an enemy. Russia has paid unwitting Americans to do its business before.Paytons advice for former federal employees looking for work? Its the same as her guidance for federal counterespionage officials, she said: Be on high alert.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to questions about the risks that a former federal worker or contractor could sell out the country. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently announced plans to investigate leaks within the intelligence community, though her announcement was focused not on counterespionage concerns but on employees who pass information to the press or the public.In a statement, the office said it would investigate any claims that a member of the intelligence community was improperly releasing information.There are many patriots in the IC that have reached out to DNI Gabbard and her team directly, explaining that they have raised concerns on these issues in the past but they have been ignored, the office said. That will no longer be the case.___ ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

Actor Gerard Depardieu addresses the media during the press conference for the film 'Saint Amour' at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Axel Schmidt, File)2025-03-24T06:03:31Z PARIS (AP) French actor Grard Depardieu is standing trial on Monday in Paris accused of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of a movie in 2021.Depardieu, 76, is facing charges that he groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during production of the film Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters). Prosecutors allege the incidents included obscene remarks and inappropriate touching, including an incident in which Depardieu allegedly used his legs to trap one of the women before groping her in front of other crew members. Both women have filed formal complaints. Their identities have not been disclosed to protect alleged victims of sexual assault. The actor denies the charges.In an open letter published in Le Figaro in Oct. 2023, Depardieu wrote: Never, but never, have I abused a woman. The trial was initially scheduled for October 2024 but was postponed due to Depardieus health. His lawyer, Jrmie Assous, said the actor had undergone a quadruple heart bypass and suffers from diabetes. A court-appointed medical expert determined he is fit to stand trial. He is expected to attend the two-day hearing, reportedly with scheduled breaks. This is the first time Depardieu, one of Frances most prominent film actors, has gone to trial over sexual assault allegations. He has previously been accused of misconduct by about 20 women, but no other case has proceeded to court. Some were dropped due to lack of evidence or the statute of limitations.The court is expected to hear witness testimony during the trial. A verdict is not expected immediately.

A person walks by a sign for a meeting in progress at the Oregon state Capitol on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Salem, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)2025-03-24T04:03:08Z Virginia lawmaker Jackie Glass said she got a safety brief when she joined the Legislature. I was told who not to go drink with, who not to be alone with and who to just watch out for, she said on the Statehouse floor in 2024. Addressing the male House speaker, she said, I dont think you got that brief. The Democrat was discussing a pervasive culture of sexual misconduct in the Statehouse, something that remains despite the #MeToo movement hitting critical mass in 2017.The movement toppled politicians, celebrities and others across the country. Allegations of harassment and misconduct, some from many years prior, came to light highlighting a toxic culture where such behavior was perhaps as rampant and accepted as the silence that buried it. Many state legislatures responded by adopting or enhancing policies against sexual misconduct. As the number of female state lawmakers reaches new heights, some say statehouses are less of a boys club. But allegations continue to surface at the state level and beyond.In an interview with The Associated Press, Glass questioned why she would encourage women to join the legislative ranks when it feels little has changed.I just dont know how we keep women and well, quite frankly, people safe when it feels like it goes hand in hand with the work, she said. 12 dozen lawmakers accused in 8 yearsSince 2017, The Associated Press has cataloged at least 147 state lawmakers across 44 states who have been accused of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct.Over a third resigned or were expelled from office and roughly another third faced repercussions, such as losing party or committee leadership positions. A dozen top state executive officials, including governors and attorneys general, also faced sexual misconduct allegations during that time, and most resigned.The total includes allegations of incidents in state government and outside of it. That includes Minnesota Republican state Sen. Justin Eichorn, who resigned on Thursday after being charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution. A federal defender said Thursday that Eichorn was still in the process of hiring a private lawyer. Most allegations were reported in the first two years of #MeToo, but more have emerged every year since.In 2024 alone, the AP tallied at least 14 state lawmakers from a dozen states who were accused about twice as many as the previous year.According to the National Womens Defense League, which advocates for sexual harassment policies in statehouses and keeps its own count, Republicans and Democrats are nearly equally accused and 94% of those overall are men.New policies and training, but not always transparencyAn AP survey of the legislative chambers in each state, conducted from last November through January, found about half had updated their sexual harassment policies over the past five years. The Nevada Legislature, for example, expanded its definition of sexual harassment to include visual conduct such as derogatory photos or gestures.And the Kentucky General Assembly added sexual harassment to its list of ethical misconduct, taking action several years after revelations that four lawmakers had signed a secret sexual harassment settlement with a female employee. Near the beginning of #MeToo, an AP survey found about a third of legislative chambers didnt require lawmakers to take sexual harassment training.Almost all state legislatures now offer it, though its not always mandatory and content, format and frequency vary.Academic experts and womens advocacy groups say frequent training is best conducted in person and with real-life scenarios. While most chambers offer in-person training, only about one-third nationwide conduct training annually, according to APs survey.Not every legislative chamber is transparent about its policies or efforts to mitigate sexual harassment and misconduct, though.The Oklahoma Senate and both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature declined to provide their sexual harassment policies to the AP, asserting they are internal documents exempt from disclosure. The Mississippi Senate did not respond to requests for its written policy. The Arkansas Senate is the only legislative chamber without a specific sexual harassment policy, but Senate legal counsel said it has an ethics code and the authority to discipline members.Lawmakers in California created a body independent of the Legislature to investigate reports of sexual harassment with a call line. However, investigation findings are only released publicly if the complaint is found to be substantiated against a lawmaker or high-level staffer.If thats what it takes to keep people acting right, thats fineLawmakers and others are divided about whether anything has changed and if so, why.Rep. Abby Major, a Pennsylvania Republican, says male colleagues have treated women better after recent sexual harassment scandals. I think maybe the men are afraid to do anything lest I am doing a press conference about them next, Major said, referring to her disclosure that a fellow representative in 2022 propositioned her and followed her to her car. If thats what it takes to keep people acting right, then thats fine. Ill be the boogeyman. Michigan Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who filed a sexual harassment complaint against Republican state Sen. Peter Lucido in 2020, said improvements have less to do with policy changes and more to do with the fact more women are in charge.By our very nature, we changed how the Legislature operates, she said. Lucido did not respond to requests for comment.According to data kept by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, the number of female state lawmakers saw the greatest rise in 2018 since the 1990s, largely driven by the success of Democratic women in that years midterms. Women now occupy 33% of all legislative seats nationwide, although representation by state varies.Others still see sexism, especially in male-dominated, Republican-majority chambers.Sometimes it feels like we should just smile more and not be disruptive and not challenge anyone. That hasnt gone away, said Georgia state Rep. Shea Roberts, who resigned as Democratic Caucus treasurer to protest after the caucus leader was accused last year of sexually harassing a staffer.Coming forward sometimes has other consequencesEven with updated sexual harassment policies and cultural shifts, the decision to report is fraught.Misconduct reports may be handled by a third party or more commonly, by ethics committees or caucus leadership. Accusers often consider which leaders and parties are in power, according to the National Womens Defense League.This is a political workplace and therefore harassment issues inside of the statehouse are inherently political, said Emma Davidson Tribbs, the NWDLs founding director.Experts say a third party is crucial to ensuring a fair investigation and to encourage reporting.Only about one-quarter of legislative chambers require external investigations when such complaints are made, according to APs survey. Dozens of others allow external investigations at the case-by-case discretion of legislative leaders. Oregons Legislative Equity Office, which investigates complaints, found in its annual report released earlier this month that legislative staff reached out to the office more than any other group.Oregon Democratic state Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin was one of two female lawmakers who filed complaints about unwanted touching by a fellow senator in 2017.I still remember the first time I turned on the radio and heard my name and people talking about my breasts or my thighs, she told the AP. It felt very, very invasive. And it made it a lot more clear to me why people dont make their complaints or why they dont come forward.Despite legal protections against retaliation, accusers reputations and careers often take a hit after coming forward.Gabrielle Brock, then a communications staffer for Indiana Senate Democrats, was 23 when she and three other women accused then-Attorney General Curtis Hill, a Republican, of groping them at a 2018 party. Their accusations led to a misconduct hearing before the state Supreme Court and Hills law license was suspended for 30 days.Hill, who denied the allegations, lost his 2020 reelection bid thereafter and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2024.Brock and the other women left their jobs in the Statehouse as a result.I felt like that story overshadowed any work that I was doing for the state, for my caucus at the time, Brock said.Brock had found a passion for working in government but says the Statehouse environment made it too uncomfortable a place to work.Every woman had a story of some kind of inappropriate interaction, primarily with an elected official, she said.The women dropped a lawsuit against Hill last December, saying through their attorney they felt the trial would bring no relief monetary or otherwise. When reached for comment, Hill called the original allegations vague and thin. Were blaming the wrong peopleMen still make up two-thirds of all state lawmakers in the U.S. and though #MeToo has primarily spotlighted womens voices, some say the reckoning gave them the space to join women in discussing misconduct and to acknowledge more work is needed.Republican state Rep. Mark Schreiber of Kansas, who joined the Legislature in 2017, said he saw a boys will be boys ethos when he started coming to the Statehouse decades ago as a utility company executive. That later gave way to acknowledging harassment while still blaming women.In more recent years, he said, men realized, Were blaming the wrong people, and We need to correct the behavior of these men.Advocates and lawmakers alike hope that improvements continue, saying hostile work environments remain pervasive enough to keep women from running for office.When men run for office, its about whether they can do the job, said Erin Maye Quade, a Minnesota Democratic senator. When women run for office, its about a lot more than that.Many question the overall progress of #MeToo, pointing to sexual misconduct allegations against several of President Donald Trumps cabinet nominees and the president himself many of whom have denied them.It sends a message of normalization about this kind of behavior, said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics.I do think things are better than they were. I do think the MeToo movement had an impact, she added. But that momentum has to stay because it doesnt just get fixed in a couple of years.___Associated Press writers Claire Rush, Sophie Austin, Mark Scolforo, Jeff Amy, John Hanna, Steve Karnowski and AP writers covering statehouses around the U.S. contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. 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. ISABELLA VOLMERT Volmert covers Michigan government and politics for The Associated Press, with a focus on women in state government. She is based in Lansing. twitter mailto DAVID A. LIEB Lieb covers issues and trends in state governments across the U.S. Hes reported about government and politics for The Associated Press for 30 years. twitter mailto OLIVIA DIAZ Diaz covers Virginia politics with the Associated Press. twitter mailto

Mourners react next to the body of their relative Ahmed Al Shaer who was killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip as he brought for burial at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-24T07:26:54Z Officials say Egypt has introduced a new proposal to try and get the Israel-Hamas ceasefire back on track.Hamas would release five living hostages, including an American-Israeli, in return for Israel allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and a weekslong pause in the fighting, an Egyptian official said. Israel would also release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.A Hamas official said the group had responded positively to the proposal, without elaborating.Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media on the closed-door talks.Israel ended the existing ceasefire last week by launching a surprise wave of airstrikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians. That came after Hamas rejected Israeli-backed proposals to change the agreement in order to free more hostages before talks on a lasting ceasefire, which were supposed to begin in early February. Hamas has said it will only free the remaining 59 hostages 24 of whom are believed to be alive in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Samy Magdy ___Heres the latest: US surgeon in Gaza says most patients hurt in Israeli attack on hospital had been wounded in earlier strikesAn American trauma surgeon working in Gaza says most of the patients injured in an Israeli attack on the largest hospital in southern Gaza had been previously wounded when Israel resumed airstrikes last week.Californian surgeon Feroze Sidhwa, who is working with the medical charity MedGlobal, said Monday he had been in the intensive care unit at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis when an airstrike hit surgical wards on Sunday.Most of the injured had been recovering from wounds suffered in airstrikes last week when Israel resumed the war, he said.They were already trauma patients and now theyve been traumatized for a second time, Sidhwa, who was raised in Flint, Mich., told Australian Broadcasting Corp.Sidhwa said he had operated on a man and boy days before who died in the attack.

A resident cleans up the damaged apartment in a multi-storey house after Russia's night drone attack, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2025-03-24T08:04:29Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) U.S. and Russian negotiators on Monday sat down for talks in Saudi Arabia on a partial ceasefire in Ukraine, hours after a round of negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, Russian news reports said.The state Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies said the negotiations began in Riyadh. The meeting is expected to be followed by another contact between U.S. and Ukrainian teams.The separate meetings are set to discuss details of a pause in long-range attacks against energy facilities and civilian infrastructure and a halt on attacks in the Black Sea to ensure safe commercial shipping.Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with the countries leaders, but the parties have offered different views of what targets would be off-limits to attack. While the White House said energy and infrastructure would be covered, the Kremlin declared that the agreement referred more narrowly to energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would also like railways and ports to be protected. Russia launched a barrage of drones across Ukraine overnight into Sunday that killed at least seven people, including a father and his 5-year-old daughter in Kyiv.There must be more pressure on Russia to stop this terror, Zelenskyy said in a statement, adding that it depends on all our partners the U.S., Europe, and others around the world. Zelenskyy has emphasized that Ukraine is open to a full, 30-day ceasefire that Trump has proposed, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a complete ceasefire conditional on a halt of arms supplies to Kyiv and a suspension of Ukraines military mobilization demands rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff said he expected some real progress at the talks in Saudi Arabia, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries, and from that youll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Usha Vance attends a campaign rally, Nov. 1, 2024, in Selma, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)2025-03-24T09:09:31Z Danish police sent extra personnel and sniffer dogs to Greenland as the icy island steps up security measures ahead of a planned visit this week by Second Lady Usha Vance, the chief spokesman for Denmarks national police said.Ren Gyldensten said Monday the extra officers, deployed the day before, were part of regular steps taken during visits by dignitaries to Greenland, a self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark.Citing office procedure, Gyldensten declined to specify the number of extra police flown on the chartered flight. News reports put the number at dozens of officers.Vances visit comes at a time when President Donald Trump has suggested the United States should take control of Greenland. Greenlandic news outlet Sermitsiaq posted images of two U.S. Hercules workhorse military aircraft on the tarmac Sunday in Nuuk, the capital, adding that the planes later departed. Vance will leave on Thursday and return Saturday, a statement from her office said. She and one of her three children will be part of a U.S. delegation that will visit historic sites and learn about Greenlandic heritage. On her visit, Vance will attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenlands national dogsled race, featuring about 37 mushers and 444 dogs. The statement said Vance and the U.S. delegation are excited to witness this monumental race and celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity. Media outlets in Greenland and Denmark reported that Vance would be accompanied by Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz. The White House and the National Security Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Trump had mused during his first term about buying the worlds largest island, even as Denmark, a NATO ally, insisted it wasnt for sale. The people of Greenland have also firmly rejected Trumps plans. Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly said that the U.S. will come to control Greenland while insisting he supports the idea for strategic national security reasons not with an eye toward American expansionism. JAMEY KEATEN Keaten is the chief Associated Press reporter in Geneva. He previously was posted in Paris and has reported from Afghanistan, the Middle East, North Africa and across Europe. twitter

Posters and other paraphernalia are seen scattered outside the studio where Indian comedian Kunal Kamra allegedly made "defamatory" remarks against Shiv Sena politician Eknath Shinde, in Mumbai, India, Monday, March 24, 2025, after the venue was ransacked by Shiv Sena party workers. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)2025-03-24T07:43:55Z NEW DELHI (AP) A comedian popular for his biting political humor is being investigated for possible defamation over jokes made about an Indian state leader who is an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in yet another case raising questions over freedom of speech in the country.Police in the western city of Mumbai opened the investigation Monday against Kunal Kamra over a comedy skit referring to Eknath Shinde, the second highest elected leader of Maharashtra state, following a complaint filed by a politician from Shindes Shiv Sena party. Kamra had made the remarks in a comedy skit, but it was unclear when the performance took place.A video clip of the skit Kamra posted on his Instagram profile on Sunday showed him taunting Shinde in a parody song. Kamras use of the term traitor particularly triggered Shiv Sena party workers and on Sunday they ransacked the studio where he had performed the skit. Police are also investigating the vandalism. One lawmaker from the party Sunday threatened Kamra, saying he would be chased by the party workers throughout the country. You will be forced to flee India, lawmaker Naresh Mhaske warned Kamra in a video message. Shinde has not commented about the matter, but Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Kamra should apologize for his remarks.We respect freedom of expression, but recklessness will not be tolerated, Fadnavis told reporters. Kamra has made no comment on the investigation, but late Sunday he shared on his Instagram a picture of himself holding the Indian Constitution with caption: The only way forward.The Habitat Comedy Club, where Kamra had performed, said it was shutting down following the vandalism.We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us, it said in a statement Monday, adding that the club will remain shut till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy. Kamra has faced the ire of Hindu nationalist groups and political parties in the past, particularly for jokes about Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party politicians.Other Indian comedians have been arrested or had shows canceled for making fun of politicians or making references to the Hindu religion or national icons.

The Mozilla Foundation is calling upon 30 technology companies, social networks, and websites to block web scraping by an ICE surveillance contractor called ShadowDragon after 404 Media published a list of sites that the contractor pulls data from.The thorniest concern here is the meticulous targeting such data enablesputting the lives of protesters, researchers, immigrants, and human rights defenders participating in any form of civil resistance that challenges political powers at risk of arrest and intimidation. SocialNets widespread reach across major social networking sites and forums also puts data from millions of people at risk of unconsented exposure or exploitation, the Mozilla Foundation said in a statement.ShadowDragon sells a tool called SocialNet that streamlines the process of pulling public data from various sites, apps, and services. Marketing material available online says SocialNet can follow the breadcrumbs of your targets digital life and find hidden correlations in your research. In one promotional video, ShadowDragon says users can enter an email, an alias, a name, a phone number, a variety of different things, and immediately have information on your target. We can see interests, we can see who friends are, pictures, videos.The leaked list of targeted sites include ones from major tech companies, communication tools, sites focused around certain hobbies and interests, payment services, social networks, and more. The 30 companies the Mozilla Foundation is asking to block ShadowDragon scrapers are Amazon, Apple, BabyCentre, BlueSky, Discord, Duolingo, Etsy, Metas Facebook and Instagram, FlightAware, Github, Glassdoor, GoFundMe, Google, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, OnlyFans, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Strava, Substack, TikTok, Tinder, TripAdvisor, Twitch, Twitter, WhatsApp, Xbox, Yelp, and YouTube.When 404 Media contacted a large number of companies mentioned in the leaked list, several said that scraping would violate their terms of service. Many did not reply.When previously asked if ShadowDragons activity constitutes scraping, Sandy MacKay, VP of business operations at ShadowDragon, told 404 Media in an email that ShadowDragon doesnt log customer inquiries or the resulting data, so we cant provide information that violates the privacy settings of individual account owners using these platforms, including data theyve deleted. In other words, the searches are performed live on sites when the ShadowDragon user requests it. That might arguably still violate some of the companies terms of use, however.Do you know anything else about this? 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.Governments are using visible and invisible tactics to silence individuals speaking out against human rights abuse, Nabiha Syed, the Mozilla Foundations executive director said in a statement. Our job is to throw sunlight on these invisible tactics so that companies arent betraying consumer trust in data protection.News of the sites ShadowDragon targets came as the Trump administration plans to use AI to scan the social media profiles of foreign students that it believes support Hamas.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00903-9Some low-profile meetings are helpful for parts of the scientific community. Others look like more of a cash grab.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00695-yYohannes Haile-Selassie wants to shift the trajectory of palaeoanthropology in fossil-rich Ethiopia away from its long colonial heritage.

This photo provided by Thailand's daily web newspaper Prachatai shows a truck with black tape covering the windows leave a detention center in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 27, 2025. (Nuttaphol Meksobhon/Prachatai via AP, File)2025-03-24T09:28:36Z BANGKOK (AP) In late February, representatives of a Thai Muslim organization brought a reassuring message to 40 Uyghur men terrified they were going to be sent back to China: The government had no immediate plans to deport them.Less than 72 hours later, the men were on a plane bound for Chinas far west Xinjiang region, where U.N. experts say they could face torture or other punishment. Thailand decided to deport the men more than a month earlier, while denying plans to do so to the public, lawmakers and Muslim religious leaders until almost the very end, according to testimony from parliamentary inquiries, interviews, meeting notes and voice messages. That gave the detainees and their advocates no chance to make a last-ditch appeal before they were bundled off and sent back to China. FILE- This photo shows an immigration detention center where Uyghur detainees were held in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Haruka Nuga, File) FILE- This photo shows an immigration detention center where Uyghur detainees were held in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Haruka Nuga, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Now, the Thai government is dealing with the fallout of a move that outraged human right activists and allies. The decision is at the heart of Thai parliamentary inquiries and a diplomatic rift between Thailand and its biggest military ally. The United States has imposed sanctions on multiple Thai officials while the European Union and other allies issued condemnations.Thai officials visited Xinjiang last week to meet some of the deported Uyghurs and said they are being treated well. They have also said the men returned voluntarily, despite evidence to the contrary. Thailands dilemma Members of the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement protest Chinas treatment of Uyghurs, near the State Department, on Dec. 22, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Members of the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement protest Chinas treatment of Uyghurs, near the State Department, on Dec. 22, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The Uyghurs are a Turkic, majority Muslim ethnicity native to Xinjiang. After decades of conflict over suppression of their cultural identity, Beijing launched a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs that some Western governments deem a genocide. The men deported last month were part of a larger group of Uyghurs detained in Thailand in 2014 after fleeing China. That left Thailand facing competing demands from Beijing and Washington.Beijing said the Uyghurs were terrorists and wanted them sent back, but hasnt presented evidence. Uyghur activists and Western officials said the men are innocent and have urged their resettlement elsewhere. Facing potential backlash from all sides, Thailand kept the men in detention for over a decade.That changed when Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra took office last year. Her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has close links to top Chinese officials. HOLD- FILE- In this photo released by the Thailands Government Spokesman Office, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Thailands Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Beijing, China, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Thailands Government Spokesman Office via AP, File) HOLD- FILE- In this photo released by the Thailands Government Spokesman Office, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Thailands Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Beijing, China, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Thailands Government Spokesman Office via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Thai officials began secretly discussing plans to deport the Uyghurs as early as December, a month after Paetongtarn met Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the AP earlier reported.China sent a formal request to repatriate the Uyghurs on Jan. 8, according to records of a parliamentary inquiry held after the men had been sent back and lawmaker Rangsiman Rome. The same day, the men were asked to sign deportation papers, alarming them. They made a public appeal and went on a hunger strike, giving pause to Thai officials. Nonetheless, on Jan. 17, the National Security Council decided behind closed doors to deport the Uyghur detainees at a meeting attended by the ministers of defense and justice, the councils Secretary-General Chatchai Bangchuad revealed to the parliamentary investigation. Chatchai said the decision was based in part on commitments from China that the men would be treated well and that Thailand would be allowed to check on them.Repeated denials This photo provided by Thailands daily web newspaper Prachatai shows trucks with black tape covering the windows leave a detention center in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 27, 2025. (Nuttaphol Meksobhon/Prachatai via AP, File) This photo provided by Thailands daily web newspaper Prachatai shows trucks with black tape covering the windows leave a detention center in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 27, 2025. (Nuttaphol Meksobhon/Prachatai via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Thats when the denials began.Shortly after the Jan. 17 meeting, Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters the government had no immediate plans for deportation.In a Jan. 29 parliamentary inquiry, the Thai government again denied plans to deport the men, according to the records of the meeting and an interview with Thai lawmaker Kannavee Suebsang.Thai Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit said the justice minister told her personally there were no plans to send the men to China just a week before they were deported.The Ministry of Justice referred the AP to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment. The foreign ministry declined to comment.In a Feb. 24 meeting, representatives of Sheikhul Islam, an official Islamic organization close to the Thai authorities, told the Uyghurs the government said they wouldnt be sent to China, according to notes and recordings obtained by AP. A detainee described what Sheikhul Islam told them in two recordings, one sent to an advocate and the other to a relative in Europe.They said theyre in touch with the government and they cannot guarantee the government wont send us back later, but till now, theyre saying we wont be sent back, the detainee said. Both recordings were provided to the AP by the advocate and are two to three minutes long. The advocate asked for anonymity for themself and for the detainee to protect them from retribution.The description of the meeting in the recordings was corroborated by notes taken by a participant and shared by an activist, as well as an interview with another person with direct knowledge of the situation. That person, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, added that at least some of the Sheikhul Islam representatives believed that the men were not about to be deported based on assurances from the government. Sheikhul Islam declined to comment. The notes also make it clear the men did not want to go to China, contrary to the governments claims.The detainees asked for a prayer for them to not be deported, the notes said.Three days later, in the early morning hours of Feb. 27, the men were put on trucks and driven away in the dead of night, black sheets drawn over the windows. The next day, Prime Minister Paetongtarn confirmed to reporters that she had discussed deportation with Chinese officials during a visit to Beijing in February.The Prime Ministers office referred a request for comment to the relevant parties without saying who those parties were. The Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The backlashIn the wake of the deportation, Kannavee, Angkhana, Rangsiman and other lawmakers expressed outrage and demanded answers. The Thai parliaments national security committee held an inquiry and called for footage of the deportation to be released. At first, top Thai officials said there were no other countries willing to offer asylum to the Uyghurs, but the U.S. and other countries have said they made repeated offers to take the men. In a further attempt to address the criticism, over half a dozen senior Thai officials visited Xinjiang last week at Beijings invitation. Select Thai media were invited, but an AP request to participate was denied.There is no need to worry about the Uyghurs, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsab said Thursday in a statement. They are living happily with their families. Tourists take photos near a tower at the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi in western Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as seen during a government organized trip for foreign journalists on April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) Tourists take photos near a tower at the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi in western Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as seen during a government organized trip for foreign journalists on April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Press releases and instructions given to media show the trip was carefully managed: The delegation met only six of the 40 men, according to a spokesperson, while media on the trip were ordered to avoid shooting images of the Uyghurs and Chinese officials, according to notes circulating among Thai reporters seen by AP. Images released from the visit blurred out almost all faces except those of Thai officials.Their deportation also caused a diplomatic rift between Thailand and Western countries. On March 14, the U.S. State Department announced visa sanctions on an unknown number of Thai officials for their role in the deportations, while the EU parliament passed a resolution condemning the deportation. The officials sanctioned by the U.S. were not named. Xinjiang authorities did not respond to a faxed request for comment. During a press conference last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the U.S. sanctions illegal.China ... opposes the U.S. using human rights as a pretext to manipulate Xinjiang-related issues, interfere in Chinas internal affairs, and disrupt normal law enforcement cooperation, Mao said.___Kang reported from Beijing. Associated Press journalists David Rising in Bangkok and Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this story. DAKE KANG Kang covers Chinese politics, technology and society from Beijing for The Associated Press. Hes reported across Central, South, and East Asia, and was a Pulitzer finalist for investigative reporting in China. twitter mailto HUIZHONG WU Wu covers Chinese culture, society, and politics for The Associated Press, as well as the countrys growing overseas influence from Bangkok. She was previously based in Taiwan and China. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Patrons attend the grand opening of the Title 9 Sports Grill, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)2025-03-24T10:00:07Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. PHOENIX (AP) When you walk into Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenixs Melrose District, its mission to be a haven for watching womens sports permeates every nook and cranny. From the over dozen TVs mounted on pink and orange walls to the Play Like a Girl! neon sign against a giant image of retired WNBA star Diana Taurasi.Its an impressive turnaround for co-owners Audrey Corley and Kat Moore. Just before Christmas, the space was still Moore and her husband Brads hot dog restaurant. But last summer they sold the business and the new owners didnt want to stay in the property. Thats when Corley, who owns a popular lesbian bar on the next block, proposed partnering on the citys first womens sports-centric bar. She had been mulling the idea since reading about the Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, which opened in 2022, and then seeing a half-dozen similar bars emerge in the last year. Then I see, you know, another one popped up here and another one. And then I was like, its just time. It has to be, Corley said before Title 9s grand opening earlier this month. Several new bars dedicated to womens sports have made the mad dash to open in time to capitalize on March Madness, now in full swing. From San Francisco to Cleveland, there will be more than a dozen across the country before the year is over. The femme-focused bar scene has made huge strides from three years ago when The Sports Bra was the only one. It comes during an exciting first year during which teams in the womens bracket will finally be paid for playing in the NCAA tourney. Many credit stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for increasing the marketability of female players. Last season, Reese and Clarks teams never saw a dollar. Now, the womens teams will finally earn individual revenue, known as units. A unit is money paid to conferences when one of its teams appears in the NCAA Tournament. Teams earn another with every game played. The most seamless part of transforming her old restaurant into Title 9 has been the built-in community anticipation of having a place to view womens sports, Moore said. The only question Ive gotten from quite a few men, especially when we first started telling people, was, Are men allowed? Yeah! Moore said, with a chuckle. Named for the landmark 1972 law that forbids discrimination based on sex in education, including athletics, Title 9 is filled with tributes to female athletes, from framed photos with QR codes to a cocktail roster with drinks such as the Pat Summitt Sour and Taurasi Goat-Tail. However, the owners emphasize a family-friendly atmosphere where young girls can come celebrate after a school game. Even some of the little girls, they could come here and dream of being on the TV someday and actually getting paid for it, Corley said. Debra Hallum and Marlene du Plessis were also inspired by the Sports Bra. They made their targeted opening in Austin last week of 1972 ATX Womens Sports Pub across from the University of Texas campus. The day included a rainbow ribbon cutting and officials from the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. While they are in a conservative state, the women have been emphasizing the bars LGBTQ-friendliness.We want to be very clear that we will be a very welcoming and inclusive space for all women sports fans, Hallum said. We want to invite everyone to grow the interest and the viewership, because thats the only way were going to fix that gap for women, including the pay gap.Neither woman has hospitality experience. Hallum has a corporate background and du Plessis is in education. But, they researched running a business like this and hired a talented chef and staff. Its clear both are passionate.It is so hard to find a bar or a pub that will show womens sports, du Plessis said. You always have to call around, ask around to find where they going to show it. And then most of the time you know they will not have the sound on. And we will.Theyve been touched by the reactions from residents, even parents of boys. We had a mom and dad, two daughters and their son show up and (the mom) was all about, This is exactly what we need, Hallum said. We want our son to be raised knowing that this is just as great and just as wonderful as mens sports.In Denver, Annie Weaver and Miranda Spencer met playing on opposing flag football teams. A month later, they began drafting a business plan for a similar concept, also inspired by The Sports Bra. Open since December, the 99ers Sports Bar is now hosting its first March Madness crowds.They were first mulling a name that would play off of Mia Hamm, the 1990s soccer icon who inspired Weavers Halloween costume for years. They settled on a name that honors the 1999 U.S. Womens World Cup soccer team, filled with names and faces that didnt get as much attention as Hamm. On a recent Sunday, the bar was standing room only as the TVs aired an NWSL game, Unrivaled semifinal games, and the Selection Sunday broadcast announcing the brackets for the NCAA Tournament. The city doesnt even have any womens teams in the major national leagues, but it was recently awarded the 16th NWSL expansion team, to begin play in 2026.A tri-fold bracket covered one table, and an impromptu friendship bracelet-making station occupied another.I wish I would have had this space growing up, Spencer said. These new bar operators agree this is not a trend but an indicator of a market that hasnt been served. But hopefully, anyone looking to open a womens sports bar isnt doing it just to be trendy, said Moore, of Title 9. Corleys most important advice for any would-be barkeep: The same way you play sports for the love, open this up for the love.___ Peterson reported from Denver. TERRY TANG Tang reports on race and ethnicity issues, including Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for The Associated Press. She is based in Phoenix and previously covered breaking news in the Southwest. twitter mailto BRITTANY PETERSON Peterson is an Associated Press video journalist based in Denver. She covers water in the western U.S. for APs global climate team. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00809-6The ultrahot exoplanet WASP121 b has strong winds that transport material in different directions depending on the altitude in the planets atmosphere. High-resolution observations have mapped these winds for the first time, challenging the current understanding of atmospheric dynamics.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00897-4As glaciers begin to disappear, technological fixes to slow or halt ice melt are emerging. But regulations are urgently required before these fixes are used widely.

In this photo taken on March 31, 2015 and provided by the French Interior Ministry, French emergency rescue services work among the debris of the Germanwings passenger jet at the crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, France. (Yves Malenfer/Ministere de l'Interieur, File)2025-03-24T06:06:38Z BERLIN (AP) Hundreds of victims families will commemorate on Monday the 10th anniversary of the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps, which killed all 150 people on board. The plane departed in the morning of March 24, 2015, in Barcelona, Spain and was supposed to land a few hours later in Duesseldorf, Germany. But it never arrived because, investigators said, the plane was deliberately downed by the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz. The victims included a group of 16 students and two teachers from a high school in the western German town of Haltern am See who were flying home from an exchange trip to Spain.Also killed were two babies, a pair of acclaimed German opera singers and a member of an Argentine rock band, three generations of the same family, a vacationing mother and son, a recently married couple, people on business trips and others going home. Memorial ceremonies are planned for 10:41 a.m. the moment of the crash at the German high school that lost so many students and also in the French village of Le Vernet, near the crash site in the mountains. In Haltern, high school students will lay down white roses for the victims and the towns church bells will ring. There was hardly a family that wasnt affected somewhere in their circle of friends or relatives, the high schools principal, Christian Krahl, told German news agency dpa. Many family members also traveled to Le Vernet. Lufthansa, which owned Germanwings, is inviting the victims relatives every year to the village near the crash site and is expecting around 300 mourners to attend this years memorial service, dpa reported.Commemorations are also planned at the airports in Dsseldorf and Barcelona. At Dsseldorf Airport, a book of condolences was available in the so-called Room of Silence for employees and travelers, dpa reported.The crash shocked and caused disbelief when investigators revealed that co-pilot Lubitz locked the flights captain out of the cockpit to deliberately set the plane on a collision course with a mountainside. Lubitz had in the past suffered from depression, but authorities and his airline later deemed him fit to fly. In the months ahead of the crash, Lubitz suffered from sleeplessness and feared losing his vision, but he hid that from his employer.This state of shock, the deeply felt sympathy of all the residents for the families and the question of why this happened are still with us today, Haltern Mayor Andreas Stegemann told dpa. The Germanwings crash is a permanent part of our towns history, he said. KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Grieshaber is a Berlin-based reporter covering Germany and Austria for The Associated Press. She covers general news as well as migration, populism and religion. mailto

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00896-5One century after Edwin Hubble revealed his astonishing discovery of a cosmos beyond the Milky Way, the most precise measurements still cant agree on how fast galaxies are moving.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00920-8AlphaFolds highly accurate structural models transformed protein biology,but RNA lags behind.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00863-0Another man also regained some movement, but two others experienced minimal improvement.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00919-1Geophysicist Shiba Subedi combines science and songwriting to raise awareness and debunk earthquake myths.

A worker at The Pier, one of three restaurants in town, readjusts Canadian and American flags hanging outside the business, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)2025-03-24T10:00:08Z POINT ROBERTS, Wash. (AP) In the northwest corner of Washington state lies a quirky U.S. exclave so dependent on Canadas goodwill that the strain of President Donald Trumps tariff war is inescapable in the sole grocery store, at any of the three eateries, and for the many residents who never voted for him.Locals and visitors alike in Point Roberts, Washington, are increasingly worried about how this unusual waterfront border town that has embodied the two countries interdependency can survive the hostility brewing on both sides.This was really devastating, said Tamra Hansen, a longtime Point Roberts resident and business owner whose eyes welled with tears as she described her two restaurants on the brink. If we dont get the support from the Canadians, this town will die. Known as a geographic oddity since the boundary with Canada was drawn in 1846, this detached 5-square-mile community called an exclave because its completely separated from mainland America is surrounded by water on three sides. Its only land connection is to Canada and it takes one border crossing and about 25 miles north by car to get to downtown Vancouver, B.C.; or two border crossings and about 25 miles through Canada to re-enter the United States along Boundary Bay.The beaches, marina, golf course and hiking trails have long made Point Roberts a cherished getaway destination, but today locals say business has never been worse. Canadian visitors are staying away and some American residents say theyve even been harassed over their nationality. Towers in the water denote the international boundary line between Canada, at left, and the United States, at right, as a car approaches the border checkpoint heading into Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Towers in the water denote the international boundary line between Canada, at left, and the United States, at right, as a car approaches the border checkpoint heading into Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Point Roberts Fire Chief Christopher Carleton said Point Roberts is one the last remaining untouched natural gems of the United States, but the tight-knit community with no stop lights is now under threat by politicians who know nothing about their way of life. We need to take care of one another and have grace for one another and not allow people who dont even know we exist to disrupt the relationships we currently have, said Carleton, whose firefighters mostly live across the border. Tensions between the U.S. and Canada have spiked to a level not seen before in modern times thanks to Trumps on-again, off-again threat over the past two months to place taxes on a long list of goods going across the border. In response, Canada has promised retaliatory tariffs.For a population that has famously prided itself on being nice, polite and loyal allies, Canadians arent hiding their disgust for Trumps polarizing rhetoric, especially taking offense with the U.S. presidents claim that Canada could be the 51st state.Mark Nykolaichuk said he refuses to go to the mainland U.S. but describes Point Roberts as a unique exception because the border here has never felt like an actual divide for Canadians like him who grew up visiting. Point Roberts, Washington, is the rare U.S. exclave so dependent on Canadas goodwill that the strain of Trumps tariff war is inescapable in the grocery store, at the pub and for the majority of residents who never voted for the president. (AP Video: Manuel Valdes) Most of the property owners here are from Canada, and many of the 1,000 year-round residents have dual citizenship. Once a booming fishing town, the leading industry now, according to U.S. Census data, is retail primarily driven from tourism because of the number of vacation properties. The unincorporated Whatcom County community is now mostly home to retirees, though this year there are seven students nicknamed The Borderites at the lone public school.Nykolaichuk, who lives in the Vancouver, B.C. area, said he hopes he can help keep the Point Roberts International Marketplace open by shopping there, given that management reports business is down 20% to 30%. He depends on Point Roberts only grocery store to be able to cook at his vacation home because U.S. customs doesnt permit raw meat to enter its borders, for example, so he must buy it in town. A shopper at the Point Roberts International Marketplace inspects a bag of oranges Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) A shopper at the Point Roberts International Marketplace inspects a bag of oranges Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A cash register at the Point Roberts International Marketplace has two trays for both Canadian and U.S. currencies, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) A cash register at the Point Roberts International Marketplace has two trays for both Canadian and U.S. currencies, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Nobody wants to see this place shut down, Nykolaichuk said. If this place goes, where are the U.S. citizens going to eat? Where are they going to get their food from?Many in Point Roberts dont blame the Canadians for their disdain over Trumps perceived sovereignty threat. Instead, theres a deep sadness for both sides.Weve always gotten along and its just nonsensical because now the U.S. is going to suffer too, said Hansen, who is a dual citizen. I definitely feel for the Canadian people at this time because theyve got their backs against the wall, really, and they have to retaliate.Like many locals, Larry Musselwhite, owner of Larrys Liquor Locker, is angry at Trump and blames the president for Point Roberts economic problems. The 75-year-old said he cant even think about retiring right now because of the economy. His liquor store was down 40% in sales last month. AP PHOTOS: U.S. border town dependent on Canada worries how it will survive Trumps tariff war 1 of 14| Brian Calder, a fourth-generation resident and former chamber of commerce president, talks with Rich Swanson, center, and Mark Nykolaichuk, right, at the Point Roberts International Marketplace, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 2 of 14| A sign and boundary marker behind a house in Delta, British Columbia, denote the international boundary line between the United States and Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 3 of 14| The international boundary line between Canada, at left, and the United States, at right, is marked by towers in the waters of Boundary Bay reaching to the Peace Arch border crossing and by clear cut trees in the North Cascade mountains, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 4 of 14| A pair of bald eagles rest in a tree Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 5 of 14| A sea lion rests on a dock at the towns marina Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 6 of 14| A customized LED sign on the back of Ray Scott Capanis car scrolls with the message Trump is a buffoon, along with messages of support for Canada, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 7 of 14| A Trump 2024 flag flies Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 8 of 14| Community members gather after a morning walking group at the Point Roberts Community Center, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 9 of 14| Tamra Hansen, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, poses for a portrait at her restaurant The Pier, which is down over fifty percent in sales compared to last year, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 10 of 14| A driver passes by a small Statue of Liberty replica outside a home Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 11 of 14| People walk on the Canadian side of Maple Beach during low tide, with the international boundary line marked by a cement tower at left, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 12 of 14| Larry Musselwhite, owner of Larrys Liquor Locker, answers a call from a Canadian citizen asking if they could still buy alcohol from his store and bring it back to Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 13 of 14| Owner Beth Calder sorts packages at Point to Point Parcel, her shipping and receiving business that mostly caters to Canadians and has seen a significant downturn this year, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 14 of 14| A bicyclist approaches the Nexus lane at the border crossing checkpoint into Delta, British Columbia, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More AP PHOTOS: U.S. border town dependent on Canada worries how it will survive Trumps tariff war 1 of 14| Brian Calder, a fourth-generation resident and former chamber of commerce president, talks with Rich Swanson, center, and Mark Nykolaichuk, right, at the Point Roberts International Marketplace, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 1 of 14 Brian Calder, a fourth-generation resident and former chamber of commerce president, talks with Rich Swanson, center, and Mark Nykolaichuk, right, at the Point Roberts International Marketplace, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 2 of 14| A sign and boundary marker behind a house in Delta, British Columbia, denote the international boundary line between the United States and Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 2 of 14 A sign and boundary marker behind a house in Delta, British Columbia, denote the international boundary line between the United States and Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 3 of 14| The international boundary line between Canada, at left, and the United States, at right, is marked by towers in the waters of Boundary Bay reaching to the Peace Arch border crossing and by clear cut trees in the North Cascade mountains, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 3 of 14 The international boundary line between Canada, at left, and the United States, at right, is marked by towers in the waters of Boundary Bay reaching to the Peace Arch border crossing and by clear cut trees in the North Cascade mountains, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 4 of 14| A pair of bald eagles rest in a tree Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 4 of 14 A pair of bald eagles rest in a tree Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 5 of 14| A sea lion rests on a dock at the towns marina Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 5 of 14 A sea lion rests on a dock at the towns marina Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 6 of 14| A customized LED sign on the back of Ray Scott Capanis car scrolls with the message Trump is a buffoon, along with messages of support for Canada, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 6 of 14 A customized LED sign on the back of Ray Scott Capanis car scrolls with the message Trump is a buffoon, along with messages of support for Canada, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 7 of 14| A Trump 2024 flag flies Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 7 of 14 A Trump 2024 flag flies Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 8 of 14| Community members gather after a morning walking group at the Point Roberts Community Center, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 8 of 14 Community members gather after a morning walking group at the Point Roberts Community Center, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 9 of 14| Tamra Hansen, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, poses for a portrait at her restaurant The Pier, which is down over fifty percent in sales compared to last year, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 9 of 14 Tamra Hansen, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, poses for a portrait at her restaurant The Pier, which is down over fifty percent in sales compared to last year, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 10 of 14| A driver passes by a small Statue of Liberty replica outside a home Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 10 of 14 A driver passes by a small Statue of Liberty replica outside a home Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 11 of 14| People walk on the Canadian side of Maple Beach during low tide, with the international boundary line marked by a cement tower at left, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 11 of 14 People walk on the Canadian side of Maple Beach during low tide, with the international boundary line marked by a cement tower at left, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as seen from Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 12 of 14| Larry Musselwhite, owner of Larrys Liquor Locker, answers a call from a Canadian citizen asking if they could still buy alcohol from his store and bring it back to Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 12 of 14 Larry Musselwhite, owner of Larrys Liquor Locker, answers a call from a Canadian citizen asking if they could still buy alcohol from his store and bring it back to Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 13 of 14| Owner Beth Calder sorts packages at Point to Point Parcel, her shipping and receiving business that mostly caters to Canadians and has seen a significant downturn this year, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 13 of 14 Owner Beth Calder sorts packages at Point to Point Parcel, her shipping and receiving business that mostly caters to Canadians and has seen a significant downturn this year, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 14 of 14| A bicyclist approaches the Nexus lane at the border crossing checkpoint into Delta, British Columbia, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Read More 14 of 14 A bicyclist approaches the Nexus lane at the border crossing checkpoint into Delta, British Columbia, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More This is because of our elected president, who really doesnt care about the common man and the struggles that we have to go through, Musselwhite said. It greatly affects how I live my life.About 75% of the Point Roberts precinct voted for a presidential candidate other than Trump, which is a higher percentage than across Whatcom County as well as the statewide turnout, according to the 2024 election results. Locals say one of the most frustrating things about the tit-for-tat is the way that the tariffs have abruptly started and stopped, creating an unsteady flow of changes to customs. The whiplash for residents who often cross the border multiple times a day leaves them unsure whether or when theyll be surprised with a new penalty.This fear over unexpected tariff fees has made people cautious about buying things in Point Roberts if theyre coming into town at all. Hugh Wilson, a real estate agent who also manages several local Airbnb listings, said properties have seen more cancellations than bookings lately. Real estate agent Hugh Wilson stands for a portrait at an Airbnb overlooking Boundary Bay and British Columbia in the distance on Maple Beach, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Real estate agent Hugh Wilson stands for a portrait at an Airbnb overlooking Boundary Bay and British Columbia in the distance on Maple Beach, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Nobody is sure of the rules at any one day here, Wilson said. The border agents do the best they can to stay up to date and they relay that to us as normal people crossing the border.With no end in sight, theres also a high-stakes fear that the dispute could escalate with Canada possibly imposing tariffs on the water and electricity that it supplies to Point Roberts, or even turning off the utilities altogether.If it gets more brutal, they can cut off the water just like that, or the power, said Brian Calder, a fourth-generation resident who was previously the president of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce. And it just depends how much more confrontation is fomented by Trumps office. Brian Calder, a fourth-generation resident and dual citizen, poses for a portrait at a historic international boundary marker between the United Sates and Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Brian Calder, a fourth-generation resident and dual citizen, poses for a portrait at a historic international boundary marker between the United Sates and Canada, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Calder said he and other town leaders are trying to plead for help with the British Columbia premier and the governor of Washington state. He said the local Whatcom County leadership has all but abandoned this far-away community in a time of crisis.Jed Holmes, a spokesman for the county, said they are communicating with Washington states congressional delegation in D.C. to address the rapid deterioration in U.S.-Canada relations that has especially affected Point Roberts. I understand that folks want us to do more, but its really challenging to identify what meaningful things a county government can do to change this dynamic at the international level, Holmes said in an email. Tamra Hansen, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States who runs two of the three restaurants in town, poses for a portrait outside The Pier, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Tamra Hansen, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States who runs two of the three restaurants in town, poses for a portrait outside The Pier, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Point Roberts, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More For Hansen, shes asking herself how much more can she afford to lose personally while running the Saltwater Cafe breakfast spot and a restaurant called The Pier. She has 15 employees to pay but business was down 55% in February compared with last year. There have been times when her pub doesnt even net $100 a day.There are some businesses that are going out of business right now as we speak, Hansen said. Its very emotional for me because I care about everybody that lives here. SALLY HO Ho is an investigative and business news reporter for The Associated Press. Shes filed public records requests in all 50 U.S. states and covered a range of major world events. twitter mailto

Rep. Chuck Edwards talks during a town hall in Asheville, N.C., March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera, File)2025-03-24T11:40:03Z WASHINGTON (AP) As congressional lawmakers scramble to respond to President Donald Trumps slashing of the federal government, one group is already taking a front and center role: military veterans.From layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs to a Pentagon purge of archives that documented diversity in the military, veterans have been acutely affected by Trumps actions. And with the Republican president determined to continue slashing the federal government, the burden will only grow on veterans, who make up roughly 30% of the federal workforce and often tap government benefits they earned with their military service.At a moment of crisis for all of our veterans, the VAs system of health care and benefits has been disastrously and disgracefully put on the chopping block by the Trump administration, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, at a news conference last week. Most veterans voted for Trump last year nearly 6 in 10, according to AP Votecast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters. Yet congressional Republicans are standing in support of Trumps goals even as they encounter fierce pushback in their home districts. At a series of town halls this week, veterans angrily confronted Republican members as they defended the cuts made under Trump adviser Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. Do your job! Jay Carey, a military veteran, yelled at Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards at a town hall in North Carolina. Im a retired military officer, an attendee at another forum in Wyoming told Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman before questioning whether DOGE had actually discovered any fraud.Although Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson advised his members to skip the town halls and claimed that they were being filled with paid protesters, some Republicans were still holding them and trying to respond to the criticism. It looks radical, but its not. I call it stewardship, in my opinion, Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida said on a tele-town hall. I think theyre doing right by the American taxpayer. And I support that principle of DOGE.Still, some Republicans have expressed unease with the seemingly indiscriminate firings of veterans, especially when they have not been looped in on the administrations plans. At a town hall on Friday, Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw told the audience, Were learning about this stuff at the speed of light, the way you are. I think theres been some babies thrown out with the bath water here, but were still gathering information on it.Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, added, If youre doing a job that we need you to do, youre doing it well, yeah, weve got to fight for you.The Republican chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mike Bost, assured listeners on a tele-town hall last week that he and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins are talking regularly. As the VA implements plans to cut roughly 80,000 jobs, Bost has said he is watching the process closely, but he has expressed support and echoed Collins assurances that veterans health care and benefits wont be slashed. Theyve cut a lot, but understand this: Essential jobs are not being cut, Bost said, but then added that his office was helping alert the VA when people with essential jobs had in fact been terminated.Two federal judges this month ordered the Trump administration to rehire the probationary employees who were let go in the mass firings. At the VA, some of those employees have now been put on administrative leave, but a sense of dread and confusion is still hanging over much of the federal workforce.Were all kind of wondering whats next, said Dan Foster, a Washington state Army veteran who lost his job when the VA canceled a contract supporting a program that educates service members on how to access their benefits and VA programs.Others are angry they have been portrayed as deadweight and cut from jobs they felt played a direct role in helping veterans get health care. For somebody to go on the news and say we are incompetent or lazy that is just false, said Future Zhou, an Army veteran who had a job managing medical supply inventories for operating rooms at the VA facility in Puget Sound, Washington, before she was fired in February.As Democrats search for their political footing and a rallying point to unify them, they have zeroed in on the cause of protecting veterans. In both the House and the Senate, Democrats have introduced legislation that would shield veterans from the mass layoffs. And when Trump spoke to Congress this month, many lawmakers invited veterans as their guests.They are outraged, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who is an Iraq War veteran and former assistant secretary at the VA. They said Donald Trump promised to watch out for them. And the first thing he does is fire them. Democrats are already pressing their Republican colleagues to show their support for veterans. In negotiations to allow passage of a Republican-backed government funding bill this month, Democrats secured a vote to amend the package to include language that would protect veterans from the federal layoffs. But it failed on party lines in part because the last-minute change would have ensured that Congress missed the deadline to avert a shutdown.With an eye on the midterm elections, VoteVets, a left-leaning veterans advocacy group, is already launching video ads that feature veterans sharing their stories of being fired and accusing congressional members of doing absolutely nothing. The ads are directed to five potential swing districts held by Republicans who are veterans themselves.Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat who is also a veteran, said he was unsure whether veterans would shift their political allegiance.But he said it is at least clear veterans are pissed.Gallego said theres an opportunity for Democrats to hammer home the message that Elon Musk and his buddies would rather just deal with the bottom line and try to save billions of dollars so they can have more tax cuts at the expense of veterans.___Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Chapin, S.C., and Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday, leaving the fate of millions of peoples genetic information up in the air as the company deals with the legal and financial fallout of not properly protecting that genetic information in the first place. The filing shows how dangerous it is to provide your DNA directly to a large, for-profit commercial genetic database; 23andMe is now looking for a buyer to pull it out of bankruptcy.23andMe said in court documents viewed by 404 Media that since hackers obtained personal data about seven million of its customers in October 2023, including, in some cases health-related information based upon the users genetics, it has faced over 50 class action and state court lawsuits, and that approximately 35,000 claimants have initiated, filed, or threatened to commence arbitration claims against the company. It is seeking bankruptcy protection in part to simplify the fallout of these legal cases, and because it believes it may not have money to pay for the potential damages associated with these cases.CEO and cofounder Anne Wojcicki announced she is leaving the company as part of this process. The company has the genetic data of more than 15 million customers.According to its Chapter 11 filing, 23andMe owes money to a host of pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, artificial intelligence companies (including a company called Aganitha AI and Coreweave), as well as health insurance companies and marketing companies.The filing is a devastating reminder that once you give your genetic information to a company like 23andMe, there is no way to have any clue what is going to happen to that data, how it is going to be analyzed, how it is going to be monetized, how it is going to be protected from hackers, and who it is going to be shared with for profit. Sharing your own DNA with 23andMe also necessarily implicates your close family members, who may or may not want their genetic information submitted to a company that is financially precarious and sitting on a trove of highly sensitive information.On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an urgent alert to 23andMe customers telling them to ask the company to delete their data and destroy their genetic samples under a California privacy law: Given 23andMes reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.Other genetic sequencing companies have shared customer information with police and governments, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurers. GED Match, a non-profit that once claimed it would protect customers genetic data, was sold to a for-profit company called Verogen, which works with the FBI and was later sold to a Dutch multinational conglomerate.Police now regularly attempt to identify suspects using information pulled from commercial genetic databases like the one that 23andMe has created.23andMes bankruptcy means that the company will be put up for sale, and theres no way of knowing who is going to buy it, why they will be interested, and what will become of its millions of customers DNA sequences. 23andMe has claimed over the years that it strongly resists law enforcement requests for information and that it takes customer security seriously. But the company has in recent years changed its terms of service, partnered with big pharmaceutical companies, and, of course, was hacked.In a letter to customers Sunday, 23andMe said Your data remains protected. The Chapter 11 filing does not change how we store, manage, or protect customer data. Our users privacy and data are important considerations in any transaction, and we remain committed to our users privacy and to being transparent with our customers about how their data is managed. It added that any buyer will have to comply with applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data, which means essentially nothing because there are few laws that protect against the monetization of customer genetic data, as evidenced by the fact that other genetic databases proactively offer information to law enforcement and partner with big pharma.The company now could be sold to anyone, and there is no way to know what that buyer will want to do with the reams of genetic information it has collected. Customers, meanwhile, still have no way to change their underlying genetic data.

Dogequest, the recently launched website which is doxing some Tesla owners and members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and putting their personal information on a searchable map along with the location of Tesla charging stations, has published a version of its site on the dark web, potentially making it harder to shut down or investigate people who visit the site.The news shows the escalating dynamic between authorities and those who are engaged in, or facilitating, targeting of Tesla facilities or vehicles. Last week 404 Media reported on how authorities investigated three alleged Tesla vandals. In a press release announcing charges against those suspects, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.The dark web site also comes with the backdrop of continued, mostly non-violent protests against Tesla, with this last weekend seeing more people gathering as part of the Tesla Takedown movement.The clear web version of Dogequest, which went down shortly after 404 Media reported on it, is back online. The sites cursor is still of a Molotov cocktail. After 404 Media spoke to one Tesla owner included in the data, multiple other outlets spoke to more.The site now refers to the dark web version as DOGEQUEST Unleashed.Disrupt the paradigm and accelerate to our decentralized, dark web hubwhere the synergies between Tesla evangelists and DOGE visionaries converge, fostering a revolutionary ecosystem that's off the chain, the website says, before providing the .onion URL for the dark web version.Image: a screenshot of the Dogequest site announcing its dark web version..onion sites use the Tor anonymity network, which routes a users traffic through multiple volunteer-run servers before they visit a website. Originally a creation of the U.S. Naval Research Lab, Tor is used by journalists, activists, and government officials globally. It is also a go-to tool for various stripes of criminal, including ransomware operators and drug traffickers.Do you know anything else about this site? 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.Tor onion services broadly benefit two groups of people. The first is the sites administrators, because Tor can hide the ultimate location of the server running the website, making it harder for authorities or internet companies to take down. In Dogequests case, however, the clear web version is also still available, undercutting that protection. The second group is visitors to the site. By forcing users to connect through Tor, the website itself is less likely to be able to collect identifying information about its visitors, such as a geolocatable IP address, and visitors get the usual protections of using the Tor network and Tor browser as well, such as their browsing activity not being logged by third-parties.The dark web site says DOGEQUEST values your privacy and does not collect any personal information about our users.The administrators of Dogequest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, March 16, 2023. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via AP, File)2025-03-24T14:54:42Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Monday questioned the impartiality of the federal judge who blocked his plans to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador, levelling his criticism only hours before his administration will ask an appeals court to lift the judges order.Just after midnight, President Donald Trump posted a social media message calling for Chief Judge James Boasberg to be disbarred. Trump reposted an article about Boasbergs attendance at a legal conference that purportedly featured anti-Trump speakers.The judge, meanwhile, refused Monday to throw out his original order before an appeals court hearing for the case. Boasberg ruled that the immigrants facing deportation must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. He said there is a strong public interest in preventing the mistaken deportation of people based on categories they have no right to challenge. The public also has a significant stake in the Governments compliance with the law, the judge wrote.Boasberg didnt immediately decide what form a challenge should take. The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law that hadnt been invoked since World War II. Flights already were in the air on March 15 when Boasberg agreed to bar the deportations temporarily and ordered planes to return to the U.S. with the deportees. That did not happen. The administration appealed the order. On Monday afternoon, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is scheduled to hear attorneys arguments.The Alien Enemies Act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge. Trump issued a proclamation calling the Tren de Aragua gang an invading force. Government attorneys argued in a court filing that Boasbergs order was an unprecedented intrusion upon the Executives authority to remove dangerous aliens who pose grave threats to the American people. And even if reviewable, the Presidents action is lawful and based upon a long history of using war authorities against organizations connected to foreign states and national security judgments, which are not subject to judicial second guessing, they wrote.Civil rights attorneys who sued to stop the deportations said the implications of the governments position are staggering.If the President can designate any group as enemy aliens under the Act, and that designation is unreviewable, then there is no limit on who can be sent to a Salvadoran prison, or any limit on how long they will remain there, they wrote. During a hearing Friday, Boasberg vowed to determine whether the government defied his oral order from the bench to turn at least two planes around. The Justice Department has said that the judges oral directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed and that it couldnt apply to flights that had already left the U.S.Trump and some Republican allies have called for impeaching Boasberg, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. In a rare statement, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.

A federal employee, who asked not to use their name for fears over losing their job, protests with a sign saying "Federal Employees Don't Work for Kings" during the "No Kings Day" protest on Presidents Day , Feb. 17, 2025, near the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-03-24T14:24:11Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to halt a ruling ordering the rehiring of thousands of federal workers let go in mass firings aimed at dramatically downsizing the federal government.The emergency appeal argues that the judge cant force the executive branch to rehire some 16,000 probationary employees. The California-based judge found the firings didnt follow federal law, and he ordered reinstatement offers be sent as a lawsuit plays out. The appeal also calls on the conservative-majority court to rein in the growing number of federal judges who have slowed President Donald Trumps sweeping agenda, at least for now. Only this Court can end the interbranch power grab, the appeal stated.The courts have become ground zero for pushback to Trump with the Republican-led Congress largely supportive or silent, and judges have ruled against Trumps administration more than three dozen times after finding violations of federal law. The rulings run the gamut from birthright citizenship changes to federal spending to transgender rights. The order appealed Monday was one of two handed down the same day that both found separate legal problems with the way the Republican administrations firings of probationary employees were carried out. U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that the terminations were improperly directed by the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director. He ordered rehirings at six agencies: the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury. His order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations. Alsup, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, also expressed frustration with what he called the governments attempt to sidestep laws and regulations governing a reduction in its workforce which it is allowed to do by firing probationary workers with fewer legal protections. He was appalled that employees were told they were being fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier. ___Follow the APs coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court. LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court, legal affairs and criminal justice for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. Past stops include Salt Lake City, New Mexico and Indiana. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Although the debate around AI and its potential effects on creative fields is relatively recent, the technology at the center of the controversy has been around since the 1950s.There are two main forms of AI; predictive and the currently more controversial, generative.According to IBM, generative AI refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they weretrained on.Also according to IBM, predictive AI involves using statistical analysis and machine learning (ML) to identify patterns, anticipate behaviors and forecastupcoming events.The current controversy with AI started in 2022 with the introduction of ChatGPT and other generative AI programs.People in creative fields such as writers and artists have worried that it would be used to replace their jobs and that the machines were being trained on their work without permission. In the film industry, there were concerns about AI being used to write scripts and scan an actors likeness. This ended up being a point of contention duringcontract negotiations for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Following strikes, both unions were able to get AI protections added.For a more local look at AI and art, Philadelphia Gay News spoke to Ben Deane-Schierloh, the Philadelphia-based artist behindThats Bearly Artfor his take.Deane-Schierloh was born in England and moved to Philadelphia in middle school. He earned a theatre degree from West Chester University, where he also met his husband. He currently does coaching and facilitating for software development teams as his day job.In 2019, he got into digital illustration.Illustration is something that has always been part of my life, Deane-Schierloh said. Ive been doodling on the sides of notebooks since before I can remember, but I think I told myself I couldnt really pursue anything as an artist because Im color blind. And what I learned was that with digital illustration tools, there are a lot of accessibility tools and devices that are able to sort of help with my shortcomings in terms of my disability in that regard.In 2023, four years later, Deane-Schierloh launched Thats Bearly Art after numerous people told him they would wear his designs on a T-shirt.He describes his designs as nerdy, silly, stupid, sex-positive and queer-friendly, and offers them as T-shirts and art prints. He also does commission work; anything from logos to NSFW portraits. One of the biggest opportunities hes gotten from Thats Bearly Art has beendesigning the 2024 Philadelphia Pride Logo. He is also set to design the 2025 logo.So what does this local artist think about AI and its effect on the art community? He feels conflicted about AI as a general concept in part because he has used it in the past for his day job.In terms of art, I think its a much more complicated question, Deane-Schierloh said.He continued, If AI were perfect, I dont have a problem with artists using it as a tool. Im someone that does digital illustration, so Im using a lot of tools already. There are certain things in illustration programs, like pen stabilizers or brush stabilizers, so that you get a more straight line or a cleaner stroke to your lines that youre drawing with. There are things like color fill, where it auto-fills the color for you that you select. And these things are used as tools to make life easier, right? They dont take away from the creativity that someone is expressing.He added that he thinks some people use AI as a tool to get a mockup of ideas or as inspiration, like theyd do with images from Pinterest.My problem with it is that AI is not perfect, and a lot of these AI machines are built using stolen art and art that people did not consent to having fed to a machine. And so even if youre using it for inspiration, the ethical questions make me uncomfortable. I dont think its something that you can really ethically use, because it was sourced from stolen work a lot of times, he explained.Between the two forms of AI, Deane-Schierloh believes generative AI is the more pressing issue and that predictive could be more helpful with less ethical concerns.In terms of art, I think its a much more complicated question.Ben Deane-SchierlohAlthough he would never use generative AI for illustrations, he would use it for things like SEO and captions.Theres a lot of tools that are like generative AI to come up with the right caption and that can be helpful, especially when youre trying to advertise your very human-created work in a world that is run by machines. And by that, I mean the social media algorithms, Deane-Schierloh said.Even though he feels that using AI this way is helpful, especially for metadata for his website that isnt seen, he admitted that if something is going to be seen by people, then hell add a human component like a silly hashtag that the AI wouldnt have added.I think [what is] more useful for a business owner is the predictive AI, [showing] ways to analyze the data that you have available to you. So for example, on my website, I spend a lot of time looking through reports of whos viewing my website. What pages are they looking at? What products are they looking at? Do they start going through the checkout and then abandon it halfway through? And thats all really useful data to look at, but youre drawing hypotheses based off of the data that youre seeing, Deane-Schierloh said.From what hes seen, other artists in the online space are generally either very upset or warning people about AI and showing people how to protect their art from it. Hes also seen a lot of the artists he follows online getting their art stolen by AI.Art theft online in and of itself isnt new, he explained. In the past, its mostly been small things like someone reposting art without credit or bigger things like companies using artwork without permission on clothing.And you know thats stolen by humans, AI is stolen by machines. So the actual theft piece itself is not new. Its just [that] machines are way better at doing it on a larger scale, and so it becomes harder to catch and stay aware of that, he concluded.Another issue he sees is people using AI instead of commissioning an actual artist.Deane-Schierloh said, I think Im lucky in a way, to be in the queer community, because we are a group of people that tend to be well informed about marginalized people and distrustful of big corporations and big entities, you know, just from a historical context. So I think a lot of queer folks are sort of naturally skeptical of AI and thus want to support the actual human creators instead, which is really a blessing.On the other side of this, hes also seen queer AI artists who are able to get thousands of followers because of how quickly theyre able to put out new content.He worries that for the queer community and humanity at large that AI will lead to homogenization. Deane-Schierloh pointed out that AI combines the inputs its given to create one output; and since queer people arent the majority, the majority of the inputs arent based on their experiences. He believes that over time, this will lead to outputs that are less queer.His bigger concern is that AI has already become too normalized. He pointed out that many people on Facebook and Instagram use AI-generated profile pictures and see no issue with it simply because everyone around them does the same. Even those who might have otherwise paid for a commissioned portrait often opt for AI-generated images instead.No one then is getting a custom profile picture illustrated by a queer employee or a queer artist that they know, or any artist that they know, that has that human connection, that human experience, to it, he said.Instead of using an app for a profile picture, hed rather be able to talk about finding an artist he connected with based on shared interests.So if Im talking to my friends [and] they go, Oh, I love your profile picture. Thats really cool. I would much prefer to be able to tell them all the cool human stuff about human connection. Instead of Yeah, I took the phone in my face and submitted it to an app. So I hope people recognize the impact and the importance of art on the human experience, he continued.Deane-Schierloh would love to see regulation for AI put in place, but worries it might be too late for some things.The amount of data that these machines are analyzing and taking as input is just so vast already. How do you fix that? You know its already been done. How do you remove from an AI machine learning millions and millions of stolen pieces of artboard once theyre already in there? So I think its really messy, and I think its going to be messy, but that doesnt mean its not needed. I think a lot of these AI companies need to be held accountable, he said.I would love to see some regulation [where] you must provide details of the artwork that was scraped to create your machine learning. I would love to see financial compensation for artists whose work was stolen. That one seems like thats a stretch, but it shouldnt be, and I would love to see more regulations in place to prevent this.With no regulations, he sees a future where artists take steps, like some are doing now, to make their art unreadable to AI.Deane-Schierlohs overall message to people is to support queer artists, especially small and local ones.You know, there are people near you with talent and with expertise and skills, and those people want to be seen as much as the ones that are popular, as much as the machines that are being used. And so I encourage folks to look in your own communities, for people that can provide the things youre looking for. I think oftentimes youll find them.This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.The post Queer art in the age of AI: Challenges, ethics and the future appeared first on News Is Out.

This piece contains minor spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. When Apex Legends took the gaming world by storm with its surprise reveal and launch in February 2019, players fell in love with its six original playable characters and one in particular, Bloodhound, becoming a fan favorite. At the same time, however, Bloodhounds gender [...]The post The Search for Better Nonbinary Representation in Video Games first appeared on GLAAD.

Move in or move on!Even in 2025, nearly all dating shows predominantly focus on straight, cisgender, and white cast members vying for love. Mainstream networks and streamers are slowly making some progress with all-queer seasons of Are You The One? on MTV, The Ultimatum: Queer Love on Netflix, For the Love of DILFs on OUTtv, and The Boyfriend on Netflix.You Hauled is a brand-new queer dating show entering the scene with a premise that leans into the stereotype of lesbians falling in love quickly and moving in together (with a U-Haul) right away.This lesbian dating series with the brilliant tagline "move in or move on" was created by Tori Davis with executive producers Davone Madison and PJ. This first season also features relationship expert Dr. Picolya McCall-Robinson, otherwise known as Dr. P., to help cast members navigate these relationships.Scroll through to learn more about the contestants on You Hauled coming soon to YouTube.AlexisSee on InstagramInstagram: @alexis.hicksAlexis says in the You Hauled intro video:"'How did I come out?' What a juicy question. For me, it started with subtle things that I would post on my social media, like queer quotes, or photos of sexy women that could easily imply that I liked women. But it wasn't until 2022 [that I came out,] when I started dating my very serious girlfriend at the time. When I posted photos of us on my Instagram like, boom. That's when the world found out. Distant family, distant friends, people that I grew up with who I maybe wouldn't communicate on a regular basis, [they all] now knew that I was into women.""It really wasn't uncomfortable for me because I've always been confident in who I am. But I was just at a point where I was ready to put it on blast, so to speak. And I also had a lot of support from my father. He and I are very close, and he just supported me wholeheartedly from the jump. So that was amazing, and that definitely gave me a lot of confidence just to feel like full, and the choices that I was making as it relates to how I projected that onto the rest of the world.""And I feel so validated in my love choices, and even helping to destigmatize within our Black community. Because there is still some [discomfort] when it comes to same-sex relationships. I feel like, by being my most authentic self, I'm doing my part in an authentic way. Love is love. I mean, women are amazing. I feel very confident in the choices that I make. I hope my next relationship with a woman will be my best one."Big KiSee on InstagramInstagram: @yu_nosyhuhBig Ki says in the You Hauled intro video:"I pretty much always dressed masculine. Always came with that, you know, big dick energy. I think my mom had a clue at a very young age for me. But, nosy as she is, she decided to go to my room one day, went through my closet I think I was about 14 or 15 years old at the time. She went through my closet [and] found some love letters from a girl, and also found my strap.""After that, she ain't ask no questions. She pretty much just accepted it for what it was. She understood the assignment. She knew that, at this point, 'I'm raising a stud.' So, yeah, I ain't really have to come out to my family. I've always, like I said, dressed masculine, so they kind of knew. They just didn't have that confirmation."And best believe she told everybody. She told everybody: 'Ki is gay. Y'all better not try her. Y'all better not say nothing about my baby.' But yeah, that's pretty much how my family found out I was gay. Found my strap, man. That's why you've got to mind your business. Stay on your own business."Cee CeeSee on InstagramInstagram: @sillyassceeceeCee Cee says in the You Hauled intro video:"7th grade year, my math teacher wrote on the board: homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual. At the time, I'm still figuring things out. So I just blurted out, 'I'm bisexual, y'all!' Now, keep in mind I'm at a hood school, so everybody was like, 'What?' Like, 'Uhhh.' Like, 'Mmm-mmm, we ain't with that.' The next day, I came to school, and everybody was bullying me.""But, eventually, they got on my wave, on my line. Like, they accepted it for what it was. ''Cause I was cool as hell, and I'm cool within the school or whatever. So they stopped bullying me because, otherwise like, fight me, you feel me? But by the time I went 9th grade, I knew, like, 'Yeah, I only like girls.' Hell, I've been liking girls since I was in kindergarten. I think that's when I seen Jessica Rabbit. Yeah, I've been liking girls.""Now how I came out to my mom was a whole different story. She took me to see my girlfriend's basketball game. Now, keep in mind, my first girlfriend was a stud. And no, I don't date studs no more. I was just trying to figure myself out. But yeah, she had seen me and a girl like writing little signs and stuff across the floor, and she was like, 'Come on, let's go, take it up. It's a wrap.' And she accepted it, but she was just like, she ain't buying me no boy clothes. So what I did I got a job, got the boy clothes, got the hoes, you feel me? But, yeah, that's how I came out. Now everybody knows little gay-ass Cee Cee."Dope EnergySee on InstagramInstagram: @_dopeenergyDope Energy says in the You Hauled intro video:"It's your girl Dope Energy from You Hauled. How did I come out? Oooh, girl. Okay, so let's talk about the fact that I didn't even know I was gay, or at least I didn't know what it meant. I remember in 3rd grade, coming home, and telling my sister that this girl named Kendall was giving me a tingly feeling in my no-no spot. That's what we called it: no-no.""And I was like hunting on my friends You know, we play house. Everybody play house. But it wasn't until like 6th grade that I made my official come-out debut, [and] came out to my parents. And boy, do I regret it, okay?! The shit was you would've thought I had committed the seven deadly sins, girl. I'm talking about having to read the Bible for 5 hours before dinner. I was no longer allowed to my uncle and aunt's house, and my girl cousins, because they was like a pastor and stuff.""You know how super religious families can be, but it didn't keep me from being myself [or] wanting to go back in the closet. I came out, and I stayed out. I'm gay. I'm here to stay unapologetically. It was a little bumpy road, but I was able to discover myself. I went through all my little phases: stud, fem, and then I discovered that I was androgynous, you know? But yeah, I know I don't really have a long, drawn-out story. That's pretty much how it happened, girl."KeoSee on InstagramInstagram: @yothatskeoKeo says in the You Hauled intro video:"Everybody wanna know: what's your coming out story? All right, I'll tell y'all mine. OK, so you know your girl poetic. I love music, you know, I'm an artist. Come on now. So I had to hit them with a poem, you know what I'm saying? So that's what I did. Being from Memphis, we're all about art. Come on now, y'all know this.""So, I hit them with a poem. I was like, alright, let me get my thoughts and feelings out. Let me bake that up in a poem, whatever go ahead and let it out. I wrote the poem about how I was feeling and stuff like that. [And then] hit up my best friend, like, 'Hey, I'm going through some stuff. I want to talk to you about some stuff. What time you got we could talk?'""We set a time for us to talk, went to the dorm room, and we talked. I read the poem to her and, you know, I did cry. I did, you know, talk to her, and she was like, I'm there for you as a friend and all that, and we're still best friends to this day, you know what I'm saying? Both of my best friends [since] 6th grade.""And then, my mom, I FaceTime her, and I was like, 'Hey mom, I need to talk to you about something. I need your undivided attention. And then [I] read her the same poem through FaceTime, and then we had our little heart-to-heart moment and stuff like that.""My mom and my best friend, to this day, like I love her or whatever, and she just had to come to terms with what I had told her and stuff like that. Learn to accept me, and love me, no matter what because I'm her daughter, you know? I'm the only child on my mom's side. My dad got like 12 kids. But, you know, on my mom's side. But, yeah, that's how it was."OmoSee on InstagramInstagram: @missomo.xoOmo says in the You Hauled intro video:"What's up y'all? My name is Omo, cast member of You Hauled. The first question that I've been tasked to answer is: 'How did you come out?' And a quick coming out story. So, I came out later on in life. I was 23 years old, and I had met this girl of my dreams I thought. She was a stud, and we hit it off real, real bad. Anyway, I was like, you know, getting to the age where, in my culture, we want to bring people home. So I was like, 'Look, this is who I am.'""Well, let me backtrack. I called my mom, and I was like, 'Ma, I'm gay.' And she was like, 'Finally, you came out.' And I was like, 'Alright, cool, whatever.' So then I called my dad and my stepmom, and that was a whole different story, but now we're good. After I did all that, I went on Facebook and just made a post. I was like, 'Some people call me Omo, the homo, this, that, and the third I don't care. Look, I like girls, and that's what it's gonna be.' And then people just came out with an amazing amount of support. And that's that, the rest is history."QSee on InstagramInstagram: @datninjaqQ says in the You Hauled intro video:"How did I come out? Yo, I didn't even get a chance to come out, you feel me? Allegedly, one of the homies from the block had told my mom, and then my mom had told me that one of my best friends from high school had called her up and told her Yeah, some bullshit, right?""The same best friend that my mom told me about, had called me up on speakerphone with all our friends at her crib. It was like, 'Yeah, Q, you gay.' Mind you, this is 04. Like, in 2004, being gay wasn't cool, even though I'm not trying to be cool because I'm already cool. Anyway, moral of the story is: I never got the chance to come out. That was stolen from me, you feel me? And I come from a very religious background like, straight bullshit."SSee on InstagramInstagram: @_sozaeS says in the You Hauled intro video:"What's up y'all? It's your girl, S, with You Hauled. 'How did I come out?' I never actually did, so that's something that I never really cared to talk about for real. I never had an actual sit-down or anything like that with anybody in my family. I kind of just always knew. I always dressed like a boy, wore boy clothes, had a masculine kind of presence. It wasn't really that hard to figure out since I was a little.""I think that is something that I just am, right? I didn't think twice about it. I didn't have any second thoughts about it. It was just, 'That's just me. If you rock with it, you're rocking with it. If you're not, hit rocks.' So, Yeah, that's my coming out story."WhitneySee on InstagramInstagram: @1xwheatWhitney says in the You Hauled intro video:"I had never told my family I was like into girls. But, of course, growing up, they suspected it because I played basketball. As soon as I touched the ball, they were like, 'You're gay.' But they couldn't confirm it. So, I'm like, 'I ain't gay, I ain't gay.' I went to get my first girlfriend, and I brought her home. One weekend, I was like, 'Yo, whatever you do My family doesn't know I'm gay. So you can't be gay. You can't act gay. You can't smell gay. Don't talk gay. Like, nothing. Don't even hug me.'""When I'm going to the club that night, I came back home, and the whole ride home I mean, we drunk too. She's talking and talking, right? She ain't about to do nothing, blah blah blah. We wind up pulling up in the yard. She's like, 'Oh, we're especially home now. I know you ain't doing that in your in front of your mama's house.' I'm like, 'Shit, snatch your ass over, 'cause I know me. You gonna talk that talk. I'm gonna, I'm gonna do what I do.'""We wind up just going in the front seat, and I wind up looking at the door. And I just see close real quick, and I'm like, 'Oh shit.' At this point, I'm like There's no fucking way we're going back in this house. Like, we're driving to the nearest bridge, going off that motherfucker. We're going back to Northern Virginia. I don't give a damn. We go to space, but we're not going back in this house. I'm like, 'Yo, my mom is gonna trip.' So, we go in the house, and my mom didn't even really say nothing, which was scary as fuck for me.""The next day, one of my brothers called me like, 'Yo, what's good with Shorty with you? She fine as hell, put me, put me down, put me on.' My brother, we're all headed to the family reunion. He's literally coming off of a highway exit and comes on the highway right beside me and my ex. He's like, 'Pull up. Yo, answer your phone.' I'm like, 'Oh fuck.'""I answered the phone and I pretty much just had to tell him at this point, 'cause he's trying to talk to a girl. And, yeah, he pretty much called my mom after that. And then my mom called me like, 'You got something to tell me?' I was like, 'No.' After that, I just was gay. I just came home with my girlfriends after that. 'Cause I was like, I mean, I know they know now, so."XiomaraSee on InstagramInstagram: @prettytomb0yXiomara says You Hauled intro video:"How did I come out? Honestly, I didn't come out. My brothers already knew. Everyone in my high school knew. I popped out with girlfriends. The only thing was, I had to tell my mom. And when I did, of course, she was flabbergasted. But, essentially, I didn't have to come out. Apparently, I just look gay."

Among the myriad ways the Trump administration is working hard to dismantle the federal government, the Defense Department seems to be purging people who are not cis, straight, white men from their website, including iconic Golden Girls actress Bea Arthur.As part of President Donald Trumps efforts to roll back DEI initiatives (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), the Department of Defense (DoD) has deleted Arthurs trailblazing contributions to the Marine Corps.Along with the accomplishments of other female veterans, the webpage dedicated to Arthur was deleted with only her enlistment photo remaining on the site and a 404 page not found warning connected to the former link, The Pink News reports. (@) Long before gay audiences fell in love with Arthur when she played boundary-pushing, strong female characters first on Maude and then on Golden Girls, Arthur became one of the first women to join the U.S. Marine Corps Womens Reserve. Arthur then known as Bernice Frankel joined the Marines in 1943 during World War II, just five days after they began recruiting women, according to the National World War II Museum.Arthur served as a typist at the Marine Corps headquarters in Washington D.C. before becoming a truck driver and dispatcher at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, between 1944 and 1945 and then left the military at the rank of staff sergeant.The Internet Archive database shows that the "404 warning" on the DoD website's page for Arthur was there back as far back as March 17, but it appears that at some point today, as criticisms have been leveled at the government by fans, Arthurs page has been returned, and her history within the U.S. Marine Corps is viewable by the public again.Arthur isnt the only famous name whose contributions were scrubbed, legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, who was the first Black player in Major League Baseball, was also removed from the DoD website.And because anything with the word gay in it apparently cant be allowed to stay on the DoD website, photos of the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan are also marked for deletion by the administration, alongside photos of the first women to pass Marine infantry training, the Associate Press reports.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00921-7Juan Ramn Fernndez Cardenete tends the Alhambras many water features and gardens.

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney gets a hug from Beulah Cooper as he arrives at her house in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, Monday, March 24, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-24T15:38:33Z TORONTO (AP) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney lamented Canadas lost friendship with the United States as he visited the town that sheltered thousands of stranded American airline passengers after the 9/11 attacks. Carneys visit Monday to Gander, Newfoundland on the second day of a national election campaign comes against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Trumps almost daily attacks on Canadas sovereignty have left Canadians feeling betrayed. In this crisis caused by the U.S. president and those who are enabling him, we lament a friendship lost, Carney said. In Gander Canadians did extraordinary things for Americans when they needed it. Now, we need to do extraordinary things for ourselves.Gander opened its arms to nearly 6,600 airline passengers diverted there when the U.S. government shut down airspace during 9/11. In a matter of a few hours, the town population of 10,000 in 2001 was overwhelmed by 38 planeloads of travelers, yet locals went to work in their kitchens and cleaned up spare rooms to offer space and food to the newcomers. When more than 200 flights were diverted to Canada following the attacks on the United States, the Canadians shunted the traffic away from Toronto and Montreal to the eastern seaboard.Obscure, little-used Gander got to relive its glory days as a stopover point for trans-Atlantic aviation before long-distance flights became possible. Built in 1938 in anticipation of the coming world war, it had the worlds longest runway, and on 9/11 it was the second busiest, taking in 38 flights to Halifax, Nova Scotias 47. When people needed help, you gave itFlight crews quickly filled Ganders hotels, so passengers were taken to schools, fire stations, church halls. The Canadian military flew in 5,000 cots. Stores donated blankets, coffee machines, barbecue grills. Unable to retrieve their luggage, passengers became dependent on the kindness of strangers, and it came in the shape of clothes, showers, toys, banks of phones to call home free of charge, an arena that became a giant walk-in fridge full of donated food.Once all the planes had landed or turned back to Europe, Ganders air traffic controllers switched to cooking meals in the building nonstop for three days.On Monday, Carney visited the home of Beulah Cooper, who opened her home and comforted many including Dennis and Hannah ORourke, an elderly couple whose New York firefighter son, Kevin, went missing at the World Trade Center and was later confirmed to have died there.The ORourkes remained friends with Cooper long after and went back to Gander, saying they felt eternally indebted.More than 6,000 passengers. Overnight, the towns population almost doubled, Carney said during a speech to residents. You showed friendship to people who were fearful. In a crisis, you showed your character. When people needed help, you gave it.Carney noted the story of that day became legend, immortalized in the Canadian-made Broadway hit musical Come from Away.It became yet another example of the unbreakable bond between Canadians and Americans. Because when Americans are in need, Canadians have always shown up, Carney said. Carney says Canadians have to look out for themselves Carney noted Canadians have always been by Americans side whether it was during the Iranian hostage crisis, or more recently during the California wildfires or in Afghanistan, where Canada lost 158 members of the armed forces and seven civilians. Trump has declared a trade war on his northern neighbor and continues to call for Canada to become the 51st state, a position that has infuriated Canadians. The American president has threatened economic coercion in his annexation threats and suggested the border is a fictional line.Trump put 25% tariffs on Canadas steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products as well as all of Americas trading partners on April 2. Carney said Canadians are over the shock of the betrayal but now have to look out for themselves. He said Canadians and Americans have been traditionally been like brothers. But thats changed. And it wasnt us who did the changing. Unfortunately, President Trumps actions have put that kinship under greater strain today than at any point in our storied history, Carney said. Carney and his Conservative opponent, Pierre Poilievre, said Trump must respect Canadas sovereignty as they kicked off their election campaigns on Sunday. Carney announced a five-week election campaign before the vote on April 28.Carney still hasnt had a phone call with Trump and suggested that might not happen until after the election. Im available for a call. But you know we are going to talk on our terms as a sovereign country, not as what he pretends we are, Carney said.He said the Americans are making a fundamental mistake in the trade war. They think they will weaken us. They think that they can own us quite frankly, thats what they think, he said. We are going to get stronger. We are going to wait this out. They are going to come to the table and we are going to negotiate a good deal for Canadians.

Demonstrators gather outside of the Edward A. Garmatz United States District Courthouse in Baltimore, on Friday, March 14, 2025, before a hearing regarding the Department of Government Efficiency's access to Social Security data. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)2025-03-24T15:14:37Z A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked billionaire Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency from accessing peoples private data at the Education Department, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction in a case filed last month by a coalition of labor unions in federal court in Maryland. Led by the American Federation of Teachers, the plaintiffs allege Trumps administration violated federal privacy laws when it gave DOGE access to systems with personal information on tens of millions of Americans without their consent.Boardman, who was nominated to the federal bench by former President Joe Biden, had previously issued a temporary restraining order. The preliminary injunction offers longer-term relief blocking DOGE access as the case plays out. The judge found the Trump administration likely violated the law. She said the government failed to adequately explain why DOGE needed access to millions of records to perform its job duties.She also said the Trump administration can still carry out the presidents agenda without receiving unfettered access to a trove of personal data on federal employees and people with student loans and government benefits. That includes their income and asset information, Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses and marital and citizenship status. They trusted the federal government to safeguard their information. That public trust likely has been breached, Boardman wrote in her opinion. The lawsuit accused the Trump administration of handing over sensitive data for reasons beyond its intended use, violating the Privacy Act. Instead of carrying out the functions of the federal student loan program, the lawsuit says, DOGE has been accessing loan data for purposes of destroying the Education Department. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week to dismantle the department, saying that student loans will be handled by the Small Business Administration and programs involving students with disabilities will be shifted to the Department of Health and Human Services.His administration says DOGE is targeting waste across the federal government by addressing alleged fraud and upgrading technology. One of the nations largest teachers unions, the American Federation of Teachers says it represents 1.8 million workers in education, health care and government. Also joining the suit were six people with sensitive information stored in federal systems, including military veterans who received federal student loans and other federal benefit payments.The suit also was backed by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.The injunction, which could be challenged on appeal, is limited to protecting the personal information of the individual plaintiffs and members of the groups.No matter how important or urgent the Presidents DOGE agenda may be, federal agencies must execute it in accordance with the law, Boardman wrote. That likely did not happen in this case.In a separate Maryland case last week, a judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Social Security databases that similarly contain vast amounts of personal information.

We love a good girl group. We also love a good competition. Netflix gave us the best of both worlds in 2024 with the competition docuseries Dream Academy that ultimately introduced the world to Katseye.For those unfamiliar, the show essentially takes K-pop methods of training their idols and puts girls through the ringer on their way to becoming part of the band. The intense training focuses on vocals, dancing, and the ultimate combination of doing both at the same time.Over the weekend, bandmate Lara Rajagopalan took to the platform Weverse to make some confessions about her sexuality. See on InstagramOn the platform, which is meant to allow celebrities to interact with their fans, Rajagopalan said she knew she was half fruitcake when I was like 8 so I really was wanting everybody.She also said shed likely known before age 8, and also said, isnt half fruitcake such a good way to explain it without saying it? (@) She further detailed that when the show aired, she was really really scared because she didnt know if people would accept her or if it would impede her chances on getting in.Fortunately, the fandom welcomed her, leaving her to say, And then you were all so nice about it and gave me so much love and support and it made me feel so confident in who I am, so I love you for that. (@) Her coming out also puts her in line as the first LGBTQ+ representation in the K-pop industry, where she joins J-pop artist Shinjiro Atae as the first to come out in their prospective industries. (@) After posting her coming out on Weverse, Rajagopalan released an audio clip talking about the challenges of being a girl who likes girls, either because people dont think its a real thing or because they fetishize it. (@) All we know is, we stan behind this. Welcome to the fam, girl!Keep scrolling for some other reactions to the news. (@) "when lara gets a woman as her love interest in katseyes cb music video" (@) "People saying theyre not surprised Lara is queer because apparently shes the least attractive in katseyeyall really saying anything atp" (@) "anyways, i will be focusing on the overwhelming support laras receiving outweighing the trolls fishing for hit tweets. even katseyes k-side fanbase r unanimously supportive, i hope she knows how loved and appreciated she is" (@) "So proud of Lara forever and always" (@) "I HOPE LARA RAJ KNOWS HOW LOVED SHE IS! The impact she is going to have on so many people is immense & no amount of jobless, soulless, mentally unwell, basement dwelling , neck bearded freaks could EVERR take away how amazing & how adored she truly is" (@) "lara from katseye coming out and talking about being gay on weverse" (@) "its so refreshing to see lara openly speaking about her sexuality (and just sexualities in general) in such a positive light im so glad katseye aren't idols" (@) "lara from katseye officially coming out as bisexual" (@) "LARA FROM KATSEYE CAME OUT AS QUEER HELLO??? WE LOVE YOU LARA" (@) "lara is getting hate?? I thought everyone knew katseye had a gay line whats new?"

In a groundbreaking moment for the K-pop industry and its global fanbase, Lara Raj, a member of the up-and-coming girl group Katseye, has publicly come out as queer. The confession, made over the weekend on the fan platform Weverse, has captured the attention of fans and sparked conversations about representation and acceptance within the K-pop world. Rajs announcement comes as part of theSource

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced that Alan Cumming will serve as the host for the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards, set to take place on May 11 at the Southbank Centres Royal Festival Hall in London. Known for his versatility and charisma, Cummings involvement marks an exciting chapter in the prestigious awards shows history. Cumming, a multi-talented performerSource

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00787-9The worlds largest particle-physics laboratory is approaching a pivotal moment in its history.

Nature, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00864-zMRI scans suggest runners brains might use the fatty substance myelin as fuel. The finding could lead to treatments for neurological diseases.

Will Smith poses for a portrait on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)2025-03-24T16:51:51Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Will Smith could have let his infamous Oscar slap be his cinematic fade out with a career bruised, marriage dissected and reputation in a free fall. But instead of retreating, he turned inward for self-reflection.In the process, Smith rediscovered a long-neglected creative outlet in music, using the mic as a vessel to voice his thoughts after years of prioritizing his Hollywood dominance.Ive taken the last couple of years to really do a deep dive on the parts of me that may or may not been in that level of certainty and asking those deep scary internal questions, said Smith, an Oscar and Grammy winner, who will release his fifth studio album Based on a True Story on Friday. Its his first music project in two decades since Lost and Found.It really is the result of my initial self-examination, he said. Every song is about some part of myself that I discovered or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share. Its the most full musical offering that Ive ever created. Smiths new offering features guest appearances from Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, DJ Jazzy Jeff, his son Jaden Smith, Jac Ross and Kanye Wests Sunday Service Choir. His album weaves in gospel melodies and messages, but he doesnt call it a full-blown gospel project, despite the success of You Can Make It, which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart. Still, Smith let his renewed faith take the lead, steering his creative direction. He plans to release three albums this year, shaping each project into what he calls seasons. The first season, Rave in the Wasteland, plays out across the 14 tracks of Based on True Story and represents his willingness to learn from lifes lessons.Ive come to some really beautiful answers for myself, Smith said. My perception of God and reality. Embracing adversity to fuel creativityThough Smith, 56, is still a bankable global star, rebuilding trust and momentum has been an uphill battle. Hes grappled with harsh realities while trying to move past the backlash from slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022 and his 10-year ban from the ceremony.Several entertainers including Zo Kravitz, Wanda Sykes and Rob Reiner criticized Smiths actions. Jim Carrey was particularly vocal, stating that Smith had been living beyond the bandwidth and cracked under the pressure.When asked about Carreys bandwidth remark, Smith agreed but reiterated that he needed to step back to gain a deeper understanding of himself and move beyond his own limitations.Theres a small self that the small concept of myself - can get to the end of his bandwidth, he said. And then, if I back up, theres like an infinite space, where my bandwidth is the bandwidth of life itself. Its like trying to not get stuck in having to be only a narrow band of things, to give myself permission to be wider in the truth of who and what I actually am.Smiths road to redemption grew tougher when Rocks comedy special reignited the controversy and his wife Jada Pinkett Smiths memoir Worthy put their marriage under fresh scrutiny, sparking headlines and endless social media memes. Smith said the adversity not only tested him but fueled his creativity.Theres a certain psychological and emotional fortitude that you cultivate from, leaning into the difficulty, not trying to run away, said Smith, who added he sought to build spiritual confidence inspired by the resilience of his late grandmother and Nelson Mandela. Along the way, he found Tibetan Buddhist Pema Chdrns teachings, embracing her mantra of leaning into the sharp points.These influences became pillars as Smith explored himself more deeply. The way his grandmother, Mandela and Chdrn approached life pushed him to channel his journey back into music.It is essentially learning how to accept and celebrate my challenges, recognizing that my challenges and my obstacles and my difficulties are actually divine curriculum, said Smith, a four-time Grammy winner, who is known for rap classics such as Summertime, Men in Black, Gettin Jiggy Wit It and Parents Just Dont Understand. Those tracks had a laid-back feel, but his new album strikes a more serious tone.Its what Ive been given to learn the truth, he continued. Theres a way that Im learning to be with hard times when things arise. Its like Good, yes, thank you. Im willing to learn these lessons.Will Smith: Greatest creative runBelieve it or not, Smith is set to embark on his first-ever headline tour this summer.He is structuring the shows around different phases of his life and career: One featuring Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, another highlighting his film and TV journey and third act he calls the new phase, new energy, where Jeff and others will return to the stage.Smith will kick off his tour including festivals starting June 25 at the Mawazine festival in Morocco and expected to wrap up early September in Paris. Hell perform his past hits from Miami to Summertime along with songs from the new album across England, France and Germany. As Smith gears up for his tour, he also has several films in pre-production, including Fast and Loose, Hancock 2, I Am Legend 2 and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, according to IMDb. Hes embracing this next phase of his career with renewed energy.This is about to be the greatest creative run of my entire career, he said. The things that Im about to do in music and cinema, and just artistic expression and exploration. Its like, I cant sleep at night. Im so ready to go. JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. Landrum is an entertainment reporter based in Los Angeles. He reports on television, film and music for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto

An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is brought into al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following what the U.N. described as a strike in which an explosive ordnance was "dropped or fired" in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-24T17:11:46Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) The United Nations has said it will reduce its footprint in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli tank strike hit one of its compounds last week, killing one staffer and wounding five others.Israel has denied it was behind the March 19 explosion at the U.N. guesthouse in central Gaza. In a statement Monday, U.N. Secretary-General spokesman Stphane Dujarric said that based on the information currently available, the strikes on the site were caused by an Israeli tank.He said the U.N. has made taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organizations footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar. He said the U.N. is not leaving Gaza but did not give details on the impact of the decision.

SPOILER ALERT through The White Lotus, season 3, episode 6.To nobodys shock, the third season of Mike Whites The White Lotus has taken us on a wild ride. It took a moment for the show to take off, but the sixth episode featured the bang heard around the world and has left the internet in a total frenzy.A few weeks ago, Harry Potter fans lost it when Jason Isaacs disrobed (though, to be fair, they were as equally shocked and outraged when Daniel Radcliffe did it on stage for Equus.Then, last week, in the shows fifth episode, on-screen brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola) shared a kiss, which prompted a mass of people clutching their pearls at the incestuous content. (It didnt seem to be as big of a deal when it was done with a straight couple on Game of Thrones, but I digress.)Well, if anyone felt uncomfortable with the kiss in the fifth episode, it had nothing on what happened in the sixth.After the night that led to the kiss with Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), Saxon and Lochlan piece together what happened. The flashes see Lochlan and Chloe having sex, but also reveal that Lochlan is jerking Saxon off. Lochlan realizes what happens at the end of the episode during a meditation with his sister Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook). Now judging by the reactions the internet is back in a frenzy. Scroll through for some of our favorite reactions, and be sure to tune in on Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO to see where the rest of this season takes us. (@) "I think Mike White threw in the whole Saxon and Lochlan incest thing just to show us how a homophobic republican is made." (@) "I bet the Saxon/Lochlan morality police are absolutely beside themselves after last nights episode of The White Lotus." (@) "The White Lotus episode 6 Saxon: Lochlan:" (@) "I'm already tired of seeing the White Lotus JO incest scene everywhere" (@) "yes i love the white lotus" (@) "me with the incestuous brothers from the white lotus" (@) "lorazepam mom: how was yalls boat party saxon and lochlan: #TheWhiteLotus" (@) "Saxon and Lachlan remembering that Saxon touched him where he pees #TheWhiteLotus" (@) "'I didnt force him to j*rk you off' Saxon: #WhiteLotus #TheWhiteLotus" (@) "My brain anytime these two are on my screen #TheWhiteLotus" (@) "lochlan remembering what happened the night before with saxon while meditating #TheWhiteLotus" (@) "Saxon thinking he fucked someone and then realizing he was watching his brother #TheWhiteLotus" (@) "lochlan after successfully turning saxon out #thewhitelotus" (@) "Saxon still high af, he tryna remember if he jacked off to Chloe or Lochlan last night" (@) "they say lochlan touch saxon thats why hes quiet #WhiteLotus"

Miley Cyrus is set to release her highly anticipated visual album, Something Beautiful, on May 30. The pop icons ninth studio album comes with a unique twist, promising not only original music but also a visual component, adding to the growing trend of multi-sensory musical experiences. Details about the album remain limited, but what we do know has fans buzzing with excitement.Source

As Yellowjackets returns for its third season, Liv Hewsons portrayal of teenage goalie Van Palmer continues to captivate audiences. The Australian actor has come a long way since the harrowing plane crash that left the girls soccer team stranded in the Canadian wilderness. Alongside her teammates, Van has survived extreme conditionsenduring a brutal winter, hunting animalsSource

People watch an Emirates plane at Heathrow Airport in London on Saturday March 22, 2025, after flights resumed at the west London airport on Friday evening. (Maja Smiejkowska/PA via AP)2025-03-24T11:29:48Z LONDON (AP) Heathrow Airport executives on Monday defended their response to a fire that shut down Europes busiest air hub for almost a day, after Britains energy system operator suggested that the facility had enough electricity from other sources to keep running.More than 1,300 flights were canceled on Friday after a fire knocked out one of the three electrical substations that supply Heathrow with power. More than 200,000 passengers had journeys disrupted, and industry experts say the chaos will cost airlines tens of millions of dollars.The airport reopened after about 18 hours when Heathrow had reconfigured its power supply something Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that required hundreds of systems to be safely powered down and then safely powered up with extensive testing.Heathrow said that it ran a full schedule on Saturday and Sunday, with 400,000 passengers passing through on 2,500 weekend flights. The fires huge impact raised concern about the resilience of Britains energy system to accidents, natural disasters or attacks. The government has ordered an investigation into any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure. Counterterrorism police initially led the investigation into the fire, which came as authorities across Europe gird against sabotage backed by Russia. The head of Britains MI6 spy agency has accused Moscow of mounting a staggeringly reckless sabotage campaign against allies of Ukraine, which has been trying to repel Russias full-scale invasion for more than three years. Police say they have found no indication of any foul play, and the London Fire Brigade said that its leading the investigation, which is focused on the substations electrical distribution equipment.Gareth Bacon, the transport spokesman of the opposition Conservative Party, said that malicious actors ... will undoubtedly have taken note of this weekends events. This episode underlines the urgent need to ensure that our critical infrastructure is safeguarded against both accidental incident and deliberate acts of sabotage by malign actors, he said in the House of Commons.Meanwhile, the utility company and airport executives are trading blame.John Pettigrew, chief executive of energy-supply network National Grid, told the Financial Times that each substation individually can provide enough power to Heathrow for the airport to stay open.Losing a substation is a unique event but there were two others available, he said. So that is a level of resilience.Heathrow said it had worked to reopen as soon as safely and practically possible.Hundreds of critical systems across the airport were required to be safely powered down and then safely and systematically rebooted, the airport said in a statement. Given Heathrows size and operational complexity, safely restarting operations after a disruption of this magnitude was a significant challenge.Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye is also facing questions about why he put the airports chief operating officer, Javier Echave, in charge of decision-making as the fire raged early Friday.Alexander declined to back Heathrow managements decision-making, saying, I dont have all the information that they had available when they made the decision.Safety should always be paramount, but, as I say, it was not my decision, she told the BBC. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A firefighter looks on as the California Branch wildfire burns Saturday, March 22, 2025 in New Jersey's Wharton State Forest. (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection via AP)2025-03-24T17:13:26Z Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said. Hundreds of miles north, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service was battling a blaze in the Wharton State Forest.Mandatory evacuations were announced over the weekend in parts of Polk County in western North Carolina about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte. The orders were still in place Monday morning for the 165 properties, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon. Three fires burned at least 7.5 square miles (19.5 square kilometers) in the county and the two larger blazes are completely uncontained, Cannon said in a social media update Monday morning. The Black Cove Fire, one of the larger ones, was moving toward neighboring Henderson County, Cannon said. Officials there recommended voluntary evacuations in some areas on Sunday night. A downed power line sparked the Black Cove Fire, but the causes of the other two fires in Polk County were under investigation, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop. The state Department of Environmental Quality issued air quality warnings in Polk, Rutherford, Henderson and Transylvania counties due to smoke.The North Carolina Forest Service was responding to wildfires across the state, with the most severe activity in western North Carolina and especially in Polk County, according to agency spokesperson Philip Jackson. Were seeing several wildfires across the state at this time, which is why it is absolutely paramount that folks respect the statewide ban on all open burning, he said.A statewide outdoor burning ban was issued in South Carolina, too. Much of the Carolinas are abnormally dry or experiencing moderate drought. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday as crews in Pickens County fought the Table Rock Fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Winds and difficult mountainous terrain allowed that blaze and the Persimmon Ridge Fire in Greenville County to grow significantly on Sunday, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The Table Rock Fire had expanded to more than 2 square miles (5.3 square kilometers) by Sunday evening, including several hundred acres that firefighters intentionally burned to reduce the possibility of the area burning out of control, the commission said. The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started Saturday, spread to more than 1.25 square miles (3.2 square kilometers) despite many dozens of water drops, the commission said. Human activity ignited both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires, and both were uncontained Sunday evening. No injuries had been reported, and while no structures were imminently threatened, voluntary evacuations of about 100 homes remained in place on Sunday. A message was left Monday seeking updated information.A forest fire burning in New Jerseys million-acre Pinelands region was 100% contained on Monday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Services said in a post on X. The fire was first spotted Saturday and burned through about 3.5 square miles (5.8 kilometers). That blaze led authorities to evacuate two campgrounds in Wharton State Forest, officials said. The cause was under investigation. Forest fires are not uncommon in the area, especially in early spring when the forest canopy hasnt yet filled in and timber and brush can dry out in the sun. Despite recent rain, the region is undergoing an extreme drought, according to federal monitors.