Nature, Published online: 18 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01252-3The off-the-charts saturated greenish hue called olo has been seen by only five study participants.

Easter signals springtime and provides an opportunity to gather with loved ones to celebrate. However, hosting the get-together – whether brunch, lunch or dinner – requires planning and preparation to ensure the event is enjoyable. From the guest list and menu to the decor and activities for the kiddos, consider these steps to get ready for Easter hosting duties.Make a Guest...

The Ardennes Offensive, commonly known as the “Battle of the Bulge,”  stands as the single bloodiest battle fought by the United States during World War II. Waged in the bitter cold of mid-December 1944, it took the Allies a month to secure victory. The cost was staggering: nearly 20,000 Americans were killed in action, close to 50,000 wounded and another 20,000 captured. In...

As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, it’s time to fire up the grill and elevate your outdoor cooking game. Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or just starting out, success comes down to three essentials: quality ingredients, the right seasonings and reliable equipment that gives you full control over heat and timing. If you’re ready to turn up the heat this...

In this photo released by Senator Van Hollen's press office, Hollen, right, speaks with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland and deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Press Office Senator Van Hollen, via AP)2025-04-18T18:59:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen says Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported, told him he has been moved from the notorious Salvadoran prison known as CECOT to a detention center with better conditions.Van Hollen says the Salvadoran man told him in a meeting Thursday that he had shared a cell with 25 prisoners and was fearful of many of them.The senator who visited El Salvador told reporters the case is more than just about Abrego Garcia.Its about protecting the constitutional rights of everybody who resides in the United States, Van Hollen said.Abrego Garcias wife, Jennifer, wiped away tears as Van Hollen spoke of the mans comments about wanting to speak with his wife.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen was flying home from El Salvador on Friday after meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported there by the Trump administration. Its unclear what will happen next in the case. More Democrats have said they will fly to El Salvador to push for his release, but the partisan pressure hasnt yielded any results. President Donald Trump and El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele have dug in on keeping Abrego Garcia out of the United States, even as officials in Trumps Republican administration have called his deportation a mistake and the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to facilitate his return. Bukele posted images of Van Hollens meeting with Abrego Garcia on Thursday and said that the prisoner in the countrys notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, gets the honor of staying in El Salvadors custody. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said he will never live in the United States of America again. The fight over Abrego Garcia is the latest partisan flashpoint as Democrats have struggled to break through and push back during the opening few months of Trumps second time in office. Democrats say the fight isnt just about one mans immigration status but about Trumps defiance of the courts that have repeatedly weighed in on the case. A federal appeals court said Thursday in a blistering order that the Trump administrations claim that it cant do anything to free Abrego Garcia from the prison in El Salvador and return him to the United States should be shocking.Republicans arent budgingBut Republicans appear to have only become more determined to keep Abrego Garcia out of the country. They have sharply criticized Van Hollens trip and claimed that Abrego Garcia has ties to the MS-13 gang. His attorneys say the government has provided no evidence of gang involvement and he has never been charged with any crime related to such activity. Democrats have time and again prioritized politics over the safety and security of Americans, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said in a statement Friday. It is utterly divorced from reality. Van Hollen, who will talk to reporters after landing in the Washington area later Friday, has said he wont stop fighting for the release of Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland. This is about bringing home a man they ADMIT shouldve never been abducted, Van Hollen posted on X.The Democratic senator posted a photo of his meeting with Abrego Garcia on Thursday evening but did not provide an update on his status. He said he had called Abrego Garcias wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, to pass on a message of love and would provide a full update upon his return.Its unclear how the meeting was arranged, where they met or what will happen to Abrego Garcia. Vasquez Sura said in a statement released by an advocacy group that we still have so many questions, hopes, and fears. After days of denying that he knew much about Abrego Garcia, Trump on Friday said he knew Abrego Garcia was unbelievably bad and called him an illegal alien and a foreign terrorist.The president also responded Friday with a social media post saying Van Hollen looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention. Lots of Congress members are visiting the prison, or tryingSeveral House Republicans have visited the notorious gang prison in support of the Trump administrations efforts. Rep. Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, posted Tuesday evening that hed visited the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held. I leave now even more determined to support President Trumps efforts to secure our homeland, Moore wrote on social media.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials acknowledged in a court filing earlier this month that Abrego Garcias deportation was an administrative error. The governments acknowledgment sparked immediate uproar from immigration advocates, but White House officials have dug in on the allegation that hes a gang member.The fight has also played out in contentious court filings, with repeated refusals from the government to tell a judge what it plans to do, if anything, to repatriate him. The three-judge panel from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused Thursday to suspend the judges decision to order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials and said the judiciary will be hurt by the constant intimations of its illegitimacy while the executive branch will lose much from a public perception of its lawlessness. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, nominated by President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, wrote that he and his two colleagues cling to the hope that it is not nave to believe our good brethren in the Executive Branch perceive the rule of law as vital to the American ethos.Since March, El Salvador has accepted from the U.S. more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants whom Trump administration officials have accused of gang activity and violent crimes and placed them inside the countrys maximum-security gang prison just outside San Salvador.

Students place flowers on a stretch of sidewalk near the center of the Florida State campus in sight of the Student Union building, Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)2025-04-18T18:38:44Z TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Two people were killed and six others were injured when a gunman opened fire at Florida State University, sending students fleeing from the student union and putting the Tallahassee, Florida, campus under lockdown.Authorities have identified the shooter as Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old Florida State student who is the son of a sheriffs deputy. He began firing with his mothers former service weapon before he was shot and wounded by officers when he refused to comply with commands, investigators said. Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting, which began around lunchtime Thursday just outside the student union.Officials have also not identified the victims who died. A family member said that university employee Robert Morales was one of those who were killed. Attorneys for the family of the second victim identified him as Tiru Chabba, a food service vendor executive. Here is what we know about Morales and Chabba.Robert MoralesRobert Morales was a university dining coordinator who had worked at Florida State since 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile. Today we lost my younger Brother, he was one of the victims killed at FSU, Ricardo Morales Jr. posted on social media late Thursday. He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful Wife and Daughter. Im glad you were in my life.Morales had studied criminology at the school in the early 1990s, according to the LinkedIn profile. The profile also said he was CEO of Black Bean Food Group, though state records show that the business was dissolved a decade ago.Morales developed innovative menus, especially Cuban food, and was a former assistant football coach at nearby Leon High School, Kyle Clark, a senior vice president at FSU, said Friday afternoon at a vigil. He didnt just do a job. He lived the job, Clark said. He was a stellar person.The Morales brothers father, Ricardo Morales, was a Cuban exile turned CIA operative in South Florida with the nickname Monkey. Ricardo Morales Jr. describes his fathers work as a contract agent for the CIA in the forthcoming book, Monkey Morales: The True Story of a Mythic Cuban Exile, Assassin, CIA Operative, FBI Informant, Smuggler, and Dad, which is expected to be published later this year. Dubbed The Monkey for his disruptive and unpredictable escapades, Morales grabbed headlines for decades as tales of his bombings, arrests, assassination attempts (both those he executed and those he suffered), and testimony constructed a real-life spy adventure unlike anything brought to page or screen, reads promotional material from publisher Simon & Schuster.The elder Morales was fatally shot in a bar brawl in 1982 at the age of 43. Tiru ChabbaTiru Chabba was working for food service vendor Aramark when he was killed on the Florida State campus, said Michael Wukela, a spokesperson for attorneys hired by the family. A LinkedIn profile listed Chabba as a regional vice president of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality who had worked for the company for more than two decades. The 45-year-old Greenville, South Carolina, resident was a married father of two children who had earned an MBA from The Citadel in South Carolina. Tiru Chabbas family is going through the unimaginable now, Bakari Sellers, one of the attorneys hired by the family, said in a statement. Instead of hiding Easter eggs and visiting with friends and family, theyre living a nightmare where this loving father and devoted husband was stolen from them in an act of senseless and preventable violence.

In this photo released by Senator Van Hollen's press office, Hollen, right, speaks with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland and deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Press Office Senator Van Hollen, via AP)2025-04-18T22:06:31Z There was the pool furniture in the background. There were the tropical drinks, which looked to be margaritas garnished with cherries. And then there were the deported prisoner and the American senator, sitting and chatting. That senator, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, accused El Salvadors government on Friday of aiming to paint the picture of a leisurely respite for the wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia by staging their meeting with drinks appearing to be alcohol, and angling to set the meeting by a hotel pool.Van Hollen referred to the stagecraft with a term that had ricocheted around social media for much of the day: Margaritagate.Nobody drank any margaritas or sugar water or whatever it is, the Democratic senator said, calling the whole situation a lesson in the lengths that President Bukele will do to deceive people about whats going on. A Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland, Abrego Garcia was sent to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation. U.S. President Donald Trump and El Salvadors president, Nayib Bukele, said this week that they have no basis to return him to the United States, even as the Trump administration has called his deportation a mistake and the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to facilitate his return. During a news conference Friday at Dulles International Airport, just after returning from El Salvador, the Maryland Democrat said Bukele is aiming to deceive people about what happened during his meeting with Abrego Garcia, in part by posting a photo with drinks appearing to be alcohol. When he and Abrego Garcia first sat down for a meeting at the hotel where Van Hollen had been staying, the senator said, they just had glasses of water on the table, maybe some coffee.Subsequently, Van Hollen said, one of the government people on the sidelines of their half-hour meeting deposited other beverages on the table, with salt or sugar around the top but they look like margaritas. On X Thursday night, Bukele posted photos of Van Hollen seated with Abrego Garcia, including with the drinks, garnished with maraschino cherries.Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the death camps & torture, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador! Bukele wrote, adding an emoji of a tropical drink.Van Hollen also noted that the Bukele government had initially proposed that he and Abrego Garcia conduct their meeting poolside at the hotel, rather than in the restaurant setting where they convened.They want to create this appearance that life was just lovely for Kilmar, Van Hollen said.In Fridays news conference, Van Hollen also revealed that Abrego Garcia told him that he was no longer being held at the high-security Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, where he and others were initially taken upon leaving the U.S. Van Hollen said he was initially denied entry to the facility but surmised Friday that had been because Abrego Garcia had already been moved from there to a detention center with better conditions. They decided that it was not a good look to continue to detain Abrego Garcia without anybody having access to him, Van Hollen said. He added that Abrego Garcia told him he had not had contact with anyone outside prison at all since he was removed from the United States.It was unclear where Abrego Garcia was taken after the meeting with Van Hollen. Abrego Garcias wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wiped away tears as Van Hollen spoke of her husbands comments about wanting to speak with his wife. She did not speak during the news conference.___Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP MEG KINNARD Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

  In a world where viral headlines and meme-worthy “facts” spread faster than wildfire, fact-checkers have become the digital age’s firefighters. But how exactly do they work? What can they really detect—and what slips through the cracks? And perhaps the biggest question of all: can we trust them? As we recently announced, we have implemented Fact Checking here on...

A masked penitent in chains with cacti attached to his arms takes part in a Holy Week procession in Atlixco, Mexico, on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)APTOPIX2025-04-19T00:50:41Z ATLIXCO, Mexico (AP) Every year, crowds fill the streets of the central Mexican town of Atlixco on the Catholic holiday of Good Friday to witness the sight.Throngs of half-naked men walk through the scorching streets blindfolded, toting 70-pound chains and pieces of cactus lodged in their arms and legs. Its part of a tradition in the town where participants say they are paying penance for their sins.But participation has dipped in recent years, and a tradition that once involved more than 100 people now has just 35. It coincides with a larger dip in people who consider themselves Catholic in the Latin American nation.Locals and organizers believe its due to the loss of faith among young people, who find the practice too burdensome.Since 1990, the share of Mexicans who identify themselves as Catholic has dropped from just over 90% to 78%, according to Mexicos 2020 census.Young people, theyre losing their faith, said 68-year-old Atlixco businessman Vicente Valbuena, who conceded: Also, the physical toll is pretty tough. FERNANDA PESCE Pesce covers Mexico and Central America for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto

President Donald Trump, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov, File)2025-04-19T04:01:29Z During his campaign, Donald Trump said repeatedly that he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours upon taking office. He has changed his tone since becoming president again. As various U.S. emissaries have held talks looking for an end to the war, both Trump and his top officials have become more reserved about the prospects of a peace deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday suggested the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations altogether without more progress, adding a comment that sounded like a repudiation of the presidents old comments. No ones saying this can be done in 12 hours, he told reporters. The promises made by presidential candidates are often felled by the realities of governing. But Trumps shift is noteworthy given his prior term as president and his long histories with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The White House on Friday did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Trumps evolving deadline comments.Heres a look at Trumps evolution on the way he talks about the Russia-Ukraine war: A very easy negotiation MARCH 2023: Theres a very easy negotiation to take place. But I dont want to tell you what it is because then I cant use that negotiation; itll never work, Trump told Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity, claiming that he could solve the war in 24 hours if he were back in the White House. But its a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them, Trump said of the war, which at that point had been ongoing for more than a year since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.MAY 2023: Theyre dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And Ill have that done Ill have that done in 24 hours, Trump said during a town hall on CNN. JULY 2024: When asked to respond to Trumps one-day claim, Russias United Nations Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters that the Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day. Afterward, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.AUGUST 2024: Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled, Trump told a National Guard Conference. Ill get it settled very fast. I dont want you guys going over there. I dont want you going over there.After Trump wins in NovemberDEC. 16, 2024: Im going to try, Trump said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club, asked if he thought he could still make a deal with Putin and Zelenskyy to end the war.JAN. 8, 2025: In a Fox News Channel interview, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg now serving as Trumps special envoy to Ukraine and Russia proposed a 100-day deadline to end the war. Friday marked 100 days since that interview. The 100th day of Trumps presidency is April 30. Trump becomes president and starts negotiationsJAN. 31: Trump says his new administration has already had very serious discussions with Russia and says he and Putin could soon take significant action toward ending the grinding conflict.We will be speaking, and I think will perhaps do something thatll be significant, Trump said in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. We want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.FEB. 12: Trump and Putin speak for more than an hour and Trump speaks afterward with Zelenskyy. Trump says afterward, I think were on the way to getting peace. FEB. 19: Trump posts on his Truth Social site that Zelenskyy is serving as a dictator without elections. He adds that we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only TRUMP, and the Trump Administration, can do.FEB. 28: Trump and Zelenskyy have a contentious Oval Office meeting. Trump berates Zelenskyy for being disrespectful, then abruptly calls off the signing of a minerals deal that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending the war. Declaring himself in the middle and not on the side of either Ukraine or Russia in the conflict, Trump went on to deride Zelenskyys hatred for Putin as a roadblock to peace.You see the hatred hes got for Putin, Trump said. Thats very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate.The Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers shortly after Trump shouted at him. Trump later told reporters that he wanted an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine but expressed doubt that Zelenskyy was ready to make peace.MARCH 3: Trump temporarily pauses military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy to seek peace. Trump claims his 24-hour promise was sarcastic MARCH 14: Trump says he was being a little bit sarcastic when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours. Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that, Trump says in a clip released from an interview for the Full Measure television program. What I really mean is Id like to get it settled and, Ill, I think, I think Ill be successful.MARCH 18-19: Trump speaks with both Zelenskyy and Putin on successive days.In a March 18 call, Putin told Trump that he would agree not to target Ukraines energy infrastructure but refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire that Trump had proposed. Afterward, Trump on social media heralded that move, which he said came with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine.In their own call a day later, Trump suggested that Zelenskyy should consider giving the U.S. ownership of Ukraines power plants to ensure their long-term security. Trump told Zelenskyy that the U.S could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise, according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.APRIL 14: Trump says everybody is to blame: Zelenskyy, Putin and Biden. Thats a war that should have never been allowed to start and Biden could have stopped it and Zelenskyy could have stopped it and Putin should have never started it, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Talk of moving onAPRIL 18: Rubio says that the U.S. may move on from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days.He spoke in Paris after landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials produced outlines for steps toward peace and appeared to make some long-awaited progress. A new meeting is expected next week in London, and Rubio suggested it could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement.We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not, Rubio told reporters. Because if its not, then I think were just going to move on. Its not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.He said the U.S. administration wants to decide in a matter of days.Later that day, Trump told reporters at the White House that he agreed with Rubio that a Ukraine peace deal must be done quickly.I have no specific number of days but quickly. We want to get it done, he said.Saying Marco is right that the dynamic of the negotiations must change, Trump stopped short of saying hes ready to walk away from peace negotiations.Well, I dont want to say that, Trump said. But we want to see it end. ___Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP MEG KINNARD Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina. twitter instagram mailto

Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)2025-04-18T18:50:42Z The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law.In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center until further order of this court.Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.The high court acted in an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union contending that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The Supreme Court had said earlier in April that deportations could proceed only if those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given a reasonable time to contest their pending removals.We are deeply relieved that the Court has temporarily blocked the removals. These individuals were in imminent danger of spending the rest of their lives in a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having had any due process, ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said in an email. On Friday, two federal judges refused to step in as lawyers for the men launched a desperate legal campaign to prevent their deportation. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to act. One of the judges said the case raised legitimate concerns but he could not issue an order.The ACLU had already sued to block deportations of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet facility and sought an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the Alien Enemies Act. In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which would make them subject to President Donald Trumps use of the act.The act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration contended it gave them power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status. Following the unanimous high court order on April 9, federal judges in Colorado, New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the AEA until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court. But there had been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is located 24 miles north of Abilene in the far northern end of the state.District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, this week declined to bar the administration from removing the two men identified in the ACLU lawsuit because Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed sworn declarations that they would not be immediately deported. He also balked at issuing a broader order prohibiting removal of all Venezuelans in the area under the act because he said removals hadnt started yet.But the ACLUs Friday filing included sworn declarations from three separate immigration lawyers who said their clients in Bluebonnet were given paperwork indicating they were members of Tren de Aragua and could be deported by Saturday. In one case, immigration lawyer Karene Brown said her client, identified by initials, was told to sign papers in English even though the client only spoke Spanish. ICE informed F.G.M. that these papers were coming from the President, and that he will be deported even if he did not sign it, Brown wrote.Gelernt said in a Friday evening hearing before District Judge James E. Boasberg in Washington, D.C., that the administration initially moved Venezuelans to its south Texas immigration facility for deportation. But since a judge banned deportations in that area, it has funneled them to the Bluebonnet facility, where no such order exists. He said witnesses reported the men were being loaded on buses Friday evening to be taken to the airport.With Hendrix not agreeing to the ACLUs request for an emergency order, the group turned to Boasberg, who initially halted deportations in March. The Supreme Court ruled the orders against deportation could only come from judges in jurisdictions where immigrants were held, which Boasberg said made him powerless Friday. Im sympathetic to everything youre saying, Boasberg told Gelernt. I just dont think I have the power to do anything about it.Boasberg this week found theres probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt by disobeying his initial deportation ban. He was concerned that the paper that ICE was giving those held did not make clear they had a right to challenge their removal in court, which he believed the Supreme Court mandated.Drew Ensign, an attorney for the Justice Department, disagreed, saying that people slated for deportation would have a minimum of 24 hours to challenge their removal in court. He said no flights were scheduled for Friday night and he was unaware of any Saturday, but the Department of Homeland Security said it reserved the right to remove people then. ICE said it would not comment on the litigation.Also Friday, a Massachusetts judge made permanent his temporary ban on the administration deporting immigrants who have exhausted their appeals to countries other than their home countries unless they are informed of their destination and given a chance to object if theyd face torture or death there. Some Venezuelans subject to Trumps Alien Enemies Act have been sent to El Salvador and housed in its notorious main prison. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, listening to French President Emmanuel Macron prior to a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Ludovic Marin, Pool Photo via AP)2025-04-19T02:27:14Z ROME (AP) Iran and the United States prepared Saturday for a second round of negotiations over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program in RomeThe talks in Italy over Easter weekend again will hinge on U.S. billionaire Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Mideast envoy of President Donald Trump, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Whether the two men find common ground in the high-stakes negotiations could mean success or failure in the talks. That talks are even happening represent a historic moment, given the decades of enmity between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew from Irans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, setting off years of attacks and negotiations that failed to restore the accord that drastically limited Tehrans enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. At risk is a possible American or Israeli military strike on Irans nuclear sites, or the Iranians following through on their threats to pursue an atomic weapon. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have spiked over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and after U.S. airstrikes on targeting Yemens Iranian-backed Houthi rebels killed more than 70 people and wounded dozens more. Im for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon, Trump said Friday. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote Saturday on the social platform X that Iran always demonstrated, with good faith and a sense of responsibility, its commitment to diplomacy as a civilized way to resolve issues.We are aware that it is not a smooth path but we take every step with open eyes, relying also on the past experiences, he added. Araghchi, Witkoff both traveled ahead of talksBoth men have been traveling in recent days. Witkoff had been in Paris for talks about Ukraine as Russias full-scale war there grinds on. Araghchi will be coming from Tehran, Iran, after a visit to Moscow where he met with officials including Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia, a member of the world powers involved in Tehrans 2015 nuclear deal, could be a key participant in any future deal reached between Tehran and Washington. Analysts suggest Moscow could potentially take custody of Irans uranium enriched to 60% purity a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated the first round, already has arrived in Rome and met with his Italian counterpart on Friday. Baghaei said al-Busaidi again mediate between the countries.Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West. Muscat hosted the first round of negotiations between Araghchi and Witkoff last weekend, which saw the two men meet face to face after indirect talks. Iran seeks a deal to steady troubled economy Irans internal politics are still inflamed over the mandatory hijab, or headscarf, with women still ignoring the law on the streets of Tehran. Rumors also persist over the government potentially increasing the cost of subsidized gasoline in the country, which has sparked nationwide protests in the pastIrans rial currency plunged to over 1 million to a U.S. dollar earlier this month. The currency has improved with the talks, however, something Tehran hopes will continue. Meanwhile, two used Airbus A330-200 long sought by Irans flag carrier, Iran Air, arrived to Tehrans Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday, flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed. The planes, formerly of Chinas Hainan Airlines, had been in Muscat and re-registered to Iran. The aircraft had Rolls-Royce engines, which include significant American parts and servicing. Such a transaction would need approval from the U.S. Treasury given sanctions on Iran. The State Department and Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under the 2015 deal, Iran could purchase new aircraft and had lined up tens of billions of dollars in deals with Airbus and Boeing Co. However, the manufacturers backed away from the deals over Trumps threats to the nuclear accord.___Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

This combination image of pictures show President Donald Trump, left, addressing a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2025, and a handout of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attending a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis - Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP, File)2025-04-19T04:16:33Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran and the United States will hold talks Saturday in Rome, their second round of negotiations over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program.The talks follow a first round held in Muscat, Oman, where the two sides spoke face to face. Trump has imposed new sanctions on Iran as part of his maximum pressure campaign targeting the country. He has repeatedly suggested military action against Iran remained a possibility, while emphasizing he still believed a new deal could be reached by writing a letter to Irans 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to jump start these talks.Khamenei has warned Iran would respond to any attack with an attack of its own.Heres what to know about the letter, Irans nuclear program and the tensions that have stalked relations between Tehran and Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Why did Trump write the letter?Trump dispatched the letter to Khamenei on March 5, then gave a television interview the next day in which he acknowledged sending it. He said: Ive written them a letter saying, I hope youre going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, its going to be a terrible thing.Since returning to the White House, the president has been pushing for talks while ratcheting up sanctions and suggesting a military strike by Israel or the U.S. could target Iranian nuclear sites.A previous letter from Trump during his first term drew an angry retort from the supreme leader.But Trumps letters to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term led to face-to-face meetings, though no deals to limit Pyongyangs atomic bombs and a missile program capable of reaching the continental U.S. How did the first round go?Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, hosted the first round of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff last weekend. The two men met face to face after indirect talks and immediately agreed to this second round. Witkoff later made a television appearance in which he suggested 3.67% enrichment for Iran could be something the countries could agree on. But thats exactly the terms set by the 2015 nuclear deal struck under U.S. President Barack Obama, from which Trump unilaterally withdrew America.Witkoff hours later issued a statement underlining something: A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal. Araghchi and Iranian officials have latched onto Witkoffs comments in recent days as a sign that America was sending it mixed signals about the negotiations.Why does Irans nuclear program worry the West?Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60%, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so.Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Irans program put its stockpile at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds) as it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.Ali Larijani, an adviser to Irans supreme leader, has warned in a televised interview that his country has the capability to build nuclear weapons, but it is not pursuing it and has no problem with the International Atomic Energy Agencys inspections. However, he said if the U.S. or Israel were to attack Iran over the issue, the country would have no choice but to move toward nuclear weapon development.If you make a mistake regarding Irans nuclear issue, you will force Iran to take that path, because it must defend itself, he said. Why are relations so bad between Iran and the U.S.? Iran was once one of the U.S.s top allies in the Mideast under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military weapons and allowed CIA technicians to run secret listening posts monitoring the neighboring Soviet Union. The CIA had fomented a 1953 coup that cemented the shahs rule.But in January 1979, the shah, fatally ill with cancer, fled Iran as mass demonstrations swelled against his rule. The Islamic Revolution followed, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and created Irans theocratic government.Later that year, university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shahs extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that saw diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. severed. The Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s saw the U.S. back Saddam Hussein. The Tanker War during that conflict saw the U.S. launch a one-day assault that crippled Iran at sea, while the U.S. later shot down an Iranian commercial airliner that the American military said it mistook for a warplane. Iran and the U.S. have see-sawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy in the years since, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. But Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, sparking tensions in the Mideast that persist today.___Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.___The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.___Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/ JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, left, with their daughter Mirabel, attend a Good Friday service led by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, right, inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-04-19T05:10:10Z VATICAN CITY (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance is meeting with the Vatican No. 2 official, following a remarkable papal rebuke of the Trump administrations crackdown on migrants and Vances theological justification of it.Vance, a Catholic convert, was due to meet Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. There was speculation he might also briefly greet Pope Francis, who has begun resuming some official duties during his recovery from pneumonia.Vance was spending Easter weekend in Rome with his family and attended Good Friday services in St. Peters Basilica on Friday after meeting with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.Francis and Vance have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administrations plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy and his progressive views on social justice issues have often put him at odds with members of the more conservative U.S. Catholic Church. Vance, who converted in 2019, identifies with a small Catholic intellectual movement, viewed by some critics as having reactionary or authoritarian leanings, that is often called postliberal. Postliberals share some longstanding Catholic conservative views, such as opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. They envision a counterrevolution in which they take over government bureaucracy and institutions like universities from within, replacing entrenched elites with their own and acting upon their vision of the common good. Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the Trump administrations deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.Vance had defended the administrations America-first crackdown by citing a concept from medieval Catholic theology known in Latin as ordo amoris. He has said the concept delineates a hierarchy of care to family first, followed by neighbor, community, fellow citizens and lastly those elsewhere. In his Feb. 10 letter, Francis appeared to correct Vances understanding of the concept.Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extends to other persons and groups, he wrote. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan, that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.Vance has acknowledged Francis criticism but has said he would continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didnt address the issue specifically but called himself a baby Catholic and acknowledged there are things about the faith that I dont know.While he had criticized Francis on social media in the past, recently he has posted prayers for Francis recovery. On Friday, Vance, his wife and three young children had front-row seats at the Vaticans Good Friday service in St. Peters, a two-hour solemn commemoration featuring Latin and Italian readings. Francis did not attend.But the pope has begun receiving visitors, including King Charles III, and this week ventured out of the Vatican to meet with prisoners at Romes central jail to keep a Holy Thursday appointment ministering to the most marginalized.He has named other cardinals to preside over Easter services this weekend, but officials havent ruled out a possible brief greeting with Vance.Im grateful every day for this job, but particularly today where my official duties have brought me to Rome on Good Friday, Vance posted on X. I wish all Christians all over the world, but particularly those back home in the US, a blessed Good Friday.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attend an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace in Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)2025-04-19T04:03:03Z ATHENS, Greece (AP) For more than 400 years, Catholic and Orthodox churches have used different ways to determine the date of Easter. But this Sunday will mark a special moment for Christians, as the churches celebrate of Jesus resurrection on the same day.Whats more, top religious leaders including Pope Francis are expressing a desire to keep it that way. But the unusual alignment has stirred underlying mistrust between the two major Christian communions. A Greek Orthodox priest holds a statue of Christ during a Good Friday reenactment of the Deposition of Jesus Christ at Agios Antonios church in the northern suburb of Chalandri during Holy Week in Athens, Greece, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A Greek Orthodox priest holds a statue of Christ during a Good Friday reenactment of the Deposition of Jesus Christ at Agios Antonios church in the northern suburb of Chalandri during Holy Week in Athens, Greece, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Calendars and calculations differThe movable date for Easter follows a seemingly straightforward rule: the Sunday following the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. But the two churches started using different calendars after Pope Gregory XIIIs adaptation in 1582, when the Western church adopted the Gregorian calendar while the Eastern Orthodox Church kept the older Julian one. Moreover, each church uses its own ecclesiastical calculations for lunar cycles and the equinox, which dont neatly match scientific projections. A Catholic believer attends the mass of last supper at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A Catholic believer attends the mass of last supper at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The result is that Easter dates can be as much as five weeks apart. They can coincide in back-to-back years, or a decade can pass without it happening. Pope Francis wishDays before his five-week hospitalization, Pope Francis referred to this years Easter celebration while invoking the 1,700th anniversary of the historic Council of Nicaea, when Christian leaders gathered to settle foundational disputes about the faith. Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attend an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace in Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attend an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace in Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Once again, I renew my appeal: Let this coincidence serve as a sign a call to all Christians to take a decisive step toward unity around a common date for Easter, Francis said while leading prayers at the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome. Francis invitation, delivered at the end of a prayer for Christian Unity with Orthodox priests present, wasnt new. Returning from a trip to Turkey in 2014, he told reporters on the plane that a unified date would be logical.It is a bit ridiculous, he said, then staged a pretend conversation: Tell me, your Christ, when is he resurrected? Next week? Mine was resurrected last week. He has found an ally in Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a fellow octogenarian and spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians. The two speak to one another like brothers, Francis has said. For his part, Bartholomew has called Francis our elder brother and described the Easter initiative as a real step toward repairing old conflicts. Only winners, no losers?The idea of a common Easter has been discussed since the 1960s, with interest often peaking when celebrations coincide. The key obstacle has always been the implication that one side would need to concede.Protestants, who follow the same calendar as Catholics, have also been in on the discussions.The Geneva-based World Council of Churches a fellowship of Orthodox and Protestant bodies has proposed a compromise. It suggests using modern astronomy, basing the calculation on Jerusalem time and following the same basic rule set centuries ago. Men carrying the body of Jesus Christ pass the Bank of Greece headquarters during the Epitaph Procession of the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Good Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Men carrying the body of Jesus Christ pass the Bank of Greece headquarters during the Epitaph Procession of the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Good Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Greek Catholic believers and foreigners who live in Greece attend the Epitaph Procession at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Good Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Greek Catholic believers and foreigners who live in Greece attend the Epitaph Procession at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Good Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More It has never been more important than now, because we live in a polarized world and people all over the world yearn for more unity, Lutheran Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, a senior WCC official, told The Associated Press from his home outside Berlin. All other questions on calendar, on time, on the moon and the stars and everything its not primary; its secondary. Strings attachedWhile the popes wishes may carry powerful influence through the Vaticans highly centralized authority, Bartholomews role is largely symbolic over the self-governed national and local churches. And discussions between Russia, the Orthodox worlds most populous country, and churches of other Orthodox-majority countries remain stalled due to the war and church divisions in Ukraine. Further complicating prospects for consensus is a history characterized by centuries of mistrust, largely driven by wariness in the East about the Vaticans supremacy. At a Holy Week service Monday in Athens, Father Anastasios welcomed parishioners into the Church of Saint Dimitrios Loumbardiaris, a restored stone chapel near the Acropolis. He said he supports forging bonds with Christianitys other branches but with caution. Greek Catholic believers and foreigners who live in Greece attend the mass of last supper at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Greek Catholic believers and foreigners who live in Greece attend the mass of last supper at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More We can try to build bridges, but we cannot distort our faith or the traditions of our ancestors, or the dogmas Christ himself handed down, he said. There are deeply rooted differences. From my view and that of many people here, the unity sought in the past by the Roman Catholic Church often wasnt sincere; it came with strings attached, was more about dominance than genuine reconciliation. Great harmonyAs dialogue between the churches slowly unfolds, common Easter celebrations are already a practical reality in a few places. The Orthodox Church in Finland switched dates in the 1920s to align celebrations with the Lutheran majority. And Catholics in Greece while making no official change to their calendar have celebrated with the rest of the country since 1970. Joseph Roussos, a member of a Catholic community on the Greek island of Syros, took his first trip to the Vatican last month. At age 67, he remembers when Easters in Greece were separate: when schools and shopkeepers on the island closed for different holidays, and the church bells tolled mournfully during two distinct Holy Weeks. Greek Catholic believers and foreigners who live in Greece attend the mass of last supper at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Greek Catholic believers and foreigners who live in Greece attend the mass of last supper at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More It wasnt a good situation. But when we did celebrate Easter together, there was great harmony, he said. We live very well (today), and its truly beautiful. I hope it stays that way. ___Barry reported from Rome. AP journalist Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Crime scene vehicle at the Woodward Avenue entrance to the Florida State University campus after a shooting, in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)2025-04-19T04:03:31Z TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Amid the abandoned chemistry notes and other debris left behind after a deadly shooting at Florida State University are lingering questions about how the stepson of a beloved sheriffs deputy tasked with school safety at a middle school became the accused gunman. Political science student Phoenix Ikner was a long-standing member of a sheriffs office youth advisory council and was steeped in the family-like culture of the agency. When officers rushed to the universitys student union on reports of gunfire, authorities say it was the 20-year-old who used his stepmothers former service weapon to open fire, killing two men and wounding six others.As people fled in terror, Ikner was shot and taken into custody. He invoked his right not to speak to investigators, and his motive remains unknown as he lies in a hospital bed. The prosecutors office is weighing possible charges as stories emerge about a darker side. One classmate recalled him being kicked out of a student club over comments that other members found troubling.This is horrific, Jimmy Williams, the chief of safety for Leon County Schools, said of the shooting. This is a horrible, horrible event.Williams, who has known Ikners stepmother, Jessica Ikner, for a decade, said the allegations underscore that none of us are immune to tragedy. Suspect is the stepson of a beloved deputy His stepmother, whose own alma mater is Florida State, was reassigned from her position as a school resource officer Friday and granted the personal leave she requested, a sheriffs office spokesperson told The Associated Press. When the alert went out of an active shooter at Florida State University, Jessica Ikner was on duty around 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away at Raa Middle School. A sheriffs office spokesperson said Jessica Ikner worked to secure the campus to prevent anyone from entering as Raa went into lockout mode, along with all of the countys public schools. She was practiced at this work. Last year, she was named an employee of the month by the sheriffs office, where she has worked for 18 years.Police said they believed Phoenix Ikner shot the victims using his stepmothers former service handgun, which she had kept for personal use after the force upgraded its weapons. Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil described Phoenix Ikner on Thursday as having been steeped in the Leon County Sheriffs Office family and engaged in a number of sheriffs office training programs, adding that it wasnt a surprise that he would have access to guns.There was no record of him having a criminal record. And in Florida, training and a background check are not required to carry concealed guns in public. Custody disputes and name change in his childhood When Ikner was a child, his parents were involved in several custody disputes with his biological mother, court records show.In 2015, when he was 10, his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, said she was taking him to South Florida for spring break in 2015 but instead traveled to Norway. After returning to the U.S., she pleaded no contest to removing a minor from the state against a court order and was sentenced to 200 days in jail. She later moved to vacate her plea, but that was denied. In the fall of that same year, Eriksen filed a civil libel-slander complaint against Jessica Ikner, along with several other family members. The complaint, which was later dismissed, accused them of harassing Eriksen and abusing Ikners position at the sheriffs office.In 2020, at age 15, the suspect received court approval to change his name from Christian Eriksen to Phoenix Ikner, court documents show. His old name was a constant reminder of a tragedy he suffered, in the words of administrative magistrate James Banks, who approved the request, NBC News reported.Banks observed that Ikner was a mentally, emotionally and physically mature young adult who is very articulate and very polite said he chose the new name as a representation of rising from the ashes anew. Classmate says there were concerns about the accused shooterReid Seybold and his classmates were working on a group project in a building located a short, three-minute walk from the student union when someone ran in and warned them about the gunfire. They huddled together, the 22-year-old said, frantically firing off what they thought might be their final text messages to loved ones.When Seybold found out who the suspect in the shooting was that it was someone he knows he was overcome with anger. Seybold was the president of a club that Phoenix Ikner joined when they were both studying at the local community college, now called Tallahassee State College. Seybold said Ikner was known for espousing racist and white supremacist views that so alienated other members that the club asked him to leave the group.He made people that uncomfortable, said Seybold, who now also is studying political science at Florida State. I personally know him to have complained about how multiculturalism and communism are ruining America. Accused shooter transferred to Florida State from community collegeIkner transferred to Florida State after earning an associate degree at the community college, school officials said. He didnt attract the attention of the school paper, other than commenting in a FSU story about a rally on campus against President Donald Trump. Ikner, a registered Republican, described the protesters as entertaining because Trump was already set to be inaugurated. The comments have since been removed from the story, an editors note saying the move was to avoid amplifying the voice of an individual responsible for violence.Before Ikners Instagram was taken down, his bio quoted a verse from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms, reads Jeremiah 51:20, which scholars have interpreted to depict Gods judgment on Babylon. The empire is a symbol in the Bible of sinfulness and immorality.Deputys family has stayed quiet for nowA Tallahassee Police Department patrol car was stationed Thursday evening near the street where the family lives, blocking reporters from approaching the familys home in a well-kept suburban neighborhood on the citys east side.Phone messages left for Jessica Ikner at a number listed for her on a school resource website and another phone connected to her through public records were not immediately returned Friday. And a sheriffs office spokeswoman said she is not aware of the family putting out a statement or having a family spokesperson. The only insight comes from the past statements. Nearly a decade ago, Jessica Ikner wrote a story posted on the Tallahassee Family Magazine website about childrens safety while surfing the internet, including tips to strengthen family bonds.Build a trusting relationship with your child, she wrote. Let them know that if they do make a mistake they can still come to you about anything.___ Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press writers Curt Anderson in Tallahassee, David Fischer and Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Stephany Matat in West Palm Beach, Michael Schneider in Orlando, Mike Balsamo in New York, Eric Tucker and Christopher Megerian in Washington, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed. KATE PAYNE Payne writes about state government and education and is based in Tallahassee, FL. She is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto

Omaha Tribe member Mark Parker, of Macy, Neb., takes a photo as workers dig for the suspected remains of children who once attended the Genoa Indian Industrial School, July 11, 2023, in Genoa, Neb. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)2025-04-19T04:07:40Z At least $1.6 million in federal funds for projects meant to capture and digitize stories of the systemic abuse of generations of Indigenous children in boarding schools at the hands of the U.S. government have been slashed due to federal funding cuts under President Donald Trumps administration.The cuts are just a fraction of the grants canceled by the National Endowment for the Humanities in recent weeks as part of the Trump administrations deep cost-cutting effort across the federal government. But coming on the heels of a major federal boarding school investigation by the previous administration and an apology by then-President Joe Biden, they illustrate a seismic shift.If were looking to Make America Great Again, then I think it should start with the truth about the true American history, said Deborah Parker, CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. The coalition lost more than $282,000 as a result of the cuts, halting its work to digitize more than 100,000 pages of boarding school records for its database. Parker, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes in Washington state, said Native Americans nationwide depend on the site to find loved ones who were taken or sent to these boarding schools. Searching that database last year, Roberta Birdie Sam, a member of Tlingit & Haida, was able to confirm that her grandmother had been at a boarding school in Alaska. She also discovered that around a dozen cousins, aunts and uncles had also been at a boarding school in Oregon, including one who died there. She said the knowledge has helped her with healing. I understand why our relationship has been the way it has been. And thats been a great relief for myself, she said. Ive spent a lot of years very disconnected from my family, wondering what happened. And now I know some of it anyways.An April 2 letter to the healing coalition that was signed by Michael McDonald, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, says the grant no longer effectuates the agencys needs and priorities. The Associated Press left messages by phone and email for the National Endowment for the Humanities. White House officials and the Office of Management and Budget also did not respond Friday to an email requesting comment. Indigenous children were sent to boarding schoolsFor 150 years the U.S. removed Indigenous children from their homes and sent them away to the schools, where they were stripped of their cultures, histories and religions, and beaten for speaking their native languages.At least 973 Native American children died at government-funded boarding schools, according to an Interior Department investigation launched by former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Both the report and independent researchers say the actual number was much higher. The forced assimilation policy officially ended with the enactment of the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978. But the government never fully investigated the boarding school system until the Biden administration.In October, Biden apologized for the governments creation of the schools and the policies that supported them. Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo citizen whos running for governor in New Mexico, described the recent cuts as the latest step in the Trump administrations pattern of hiding the full story of our country. But she said they cant erase the extensive work already done.They cannot undo the healing communities felt as they told their stories at our events to hear from survivors and descendants, she said in a statement. They cannot undo the investigation that brings this dark chapter of our history to light. They cannot undo the relief Native people felt when President Biden apologized on behalf of the United States. Boarding school research programs are feeling the strainAmong the grants terminated earlier this month was $30,000 for a project between the Koahnic Broadcast Corporation and Alaska Native Heritage Center to record and broadcast oral histories of elders in Alaska. Koahnic received an identical letter from McDonald.Benjamin Jacuk, the Alaska Native Heritage Centers director of Indigenous research, said the news came around the same time they lost about $100,000 through a Institute of Museum and Library Services grant for curating a boarding school exhibit.This is a story that for all of us, we werent able to really hear because it was so painful or for multitudes of reasons, said Jacuk, a citizen of Kenaitze Indian Tribe. And so its really important right now to be able to record these stories that our elders at this point are really opening up to being able to tell.Former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland described the cuts as frustrating, especially given the size of the grants.Its not even a drop in the ocean when it comes to the federal budget, said Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe). And so its hard to argue that this is something thats really promoting government efficiency or saving taxpayer funds. In April 2024, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced that it was awarding $411,000 to more than a dozen tribal nations and organizations working to illustrate the impact of these boarding schools. More than half of those awards have since been terminated.The grant cuts were documented by the non-profit organization National Humanities Alliance.John Campbell, a member of Tlingit and the Tulalip Tribes, said the coalitions database helped him better understand his parents, who were both boarding school survivors and passed on that tradition of being traumatized. When he was growing up, his mother used to put soap in his mouth when he said a bad word. He said he learned through the site that she experienced that punishment beginning when she was 6-years-old in a boarding school in Washington state when she would speak her language.She didnt talk about it that much, he said. She didnt want to talk about it either. It was too traumatic.___ Associated Press writer Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Case Western Reserve University student. Justen Pippens poses for a photo in the student union at the school In Cleveland Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)2025-04-19T04:09:42Z WASHINGTON (AP) Campus mentors. Move-in events. Scholarships. Diversity offices that made them feel welcome on predominantly white campuses. As U.S. colleges pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion practices, students of color say they are starting to lose all of these things and more.The full scope of campus DEI rollbacks is still emerging as colleges respond to the Trump administrations orders against diversity practices. But students at some schools said early cuts are chipping away at the sense of community that helped open the door to higher education.It feels like were going back. I dont know how else to describe it, said Breeana-Iris Rosario, a junior at the University of Michigan, which is closing its DEI office and scrapping a campus-wide inclusion plan. Its like our voices arent being heard.The retreat from DEI has been building for years, driven by Republican-led states that have ordered public colleges to close DEI offices and eliminate programs. But it has accelerated under President Donald Trump and his threats to cut federal funding. Trumps administration escalated the battle when it suggested in a letter to Harvard University that the school should lose its nonprofit status for defying federal orders, including a demand to eliminate DEI to the satisfaction of the federal government. At Michigan, students have been told the casualties include orientation events for new Latino, Arab and Asian American students, along with the LEAD Scholars program, a financial aid award for Black, Latino and Native American students. Coming from a low-income part of Detroit, Rosario said winning the scholarship cemented her decision to attend Michigan. She later met some of her best friends at a move-in event for Latino students called Alma. Losing those programs, she fears, could reinforce a sense of isolation among Hispanic students, who make up 6% of the schools undergraduates.It would be hard to find my community if I didnt have access to these resources, she said. Colleges respond to federal ordersA February memo from the Education Department directed schools and colleges to eliminate race from any decision-making around hiring, admissions, housing, financial aid and student life. It warned violators could lose access to federal money. Dozens of universities have since come under investigation, all while the Trump administration freezes billions of dollars at Harvard and other colleges accused of defying orders on campus antisemitism and transgender athletes.Michigan was among the first to make major DEI rollbacks, and others have followed to avoid federal scrutiny. Others have rebranded DEI offices and scrubbed the term from websites, and others still are standing firm in support of DEI.At Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, officials cited the federal orders when they moved to close the campus DEI office last month.It is clear we must be in compliance with them to receive the federal funding that is critical to our present and future, said Eric Kaler, Cases president, in a campus message. Kaler said the office will be replaced by an Office for Campus Enrichment and Engagement, though its unclear what that will entail. The private university receives about $250 million a year in federal research funding, 16% of its total revenue, according to university data.Justen Pippens said the DEI office was like a second home on campus. The junior called it a stress-free zone where he could get personal and academic guidance. He grew so close with one staff member that he came to know her as Auntie. He said its unclear whether those employees will have jobs at the new office.Case also is halting its Envision Weekend, an orientation event for underrepresented students. Pippens said its a setback for him and other Black students, who make up just 6% of undergraduates at Case.Now, he said, we no longer have our central support systems on campus. A victory for DEI opponentsIn Virginia, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin celebrated when the University of Virginias governing board voted to end DEI programs in March. DEI is done at the University of Virginia, Youngkin said in a statement, calling it a shift toward merit-based opportunity.Tyler English, a senior at UVA, said students have been told scholarships and graduate programs focused on minority students are being scaled back or eliminated. Among other changes, a student group called Men of Color, Honor and Ambition is replacing the word color with character, he said.For a portion of us, we now question whether our identities and voices are truly valued in this space, said English, a member of the campus Black Student Alliance.University spokesperson Brian Coy wouldnt provide details on DEI rollbacks and said he couldnt confirm changes to scholarships.The governments anti-DEI campaign is being challenged in court by opponents who say it offers little clarity on exactly which practices are outlawed, leaving schools to weed out anything that could be construed as DEI. As a result of the vague directives, those who are advocating against this work are getting a higher return on their investment than they should, said Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.Yet opponents are pressing the White House to go further. Christopher Rufo, a conservative strategist who has fought DEI, said the government should root out DEI using tools that forced desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement.DEI is a violation of the Civil Rights Act, Rufo said on X. Any publicly funded institution that continues to practice DEI should face a federal investigation, consent decree, termination of funds, and loss of nonprofit status. If that doesnt work, send in the 101st Airborne.Some fear diversity setbacksIn Michigan, the rollbacks are targeting programs that aimed to preserve racial diversity after the state banned affirmative action in 2006, including the LEAD program.University of Michigan officials declined to discuss changes, but a campus message from President Santa Ono said the school will find other ways to support students, including an expansion of scholarships for low-income students.Rosario and other LEAD scholarship winners received an email saying there would be no adverse financial impact to their financial aid, with no further explanation.Rosario doesnt entirely blame the university for the cuts, but she wonders why Michigan moved quickly to make changes while some colleges held firm. The first in her family to attend college, she fears what it means for the next generation of students.Theyve taken away our sense of community, she said. It just makes it that much harder for people of color to feel comfortable pursuing higher education.___AP Education Writer Cheyanne Mumphrey in Phoenix contributed to this report.___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. COLLIN BINKLEY Binkley covers the U.S. Education Department and federal education policy for The Associated Press, along with a wide range of issues from K-12 through higher education. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Mourners carry white sacks covering the bodies of members of the Abu Al-Rous family, killed when an Israeli airstrike struck their displacement tent overnight, during their funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-04-19T10:16:12Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 90 people in the last 48 hours, Gazas Health Ministry said Saturday, as Israeli troops ramp up attacks to pressure Hamas to release its hostages and disarm. The dead include 15 people who were killed overnight, among them women and children, some of who were sheltering in a designated humanitarian zone, according to hospital staff. At least 11 people were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, several of them sheltering in a tent in the Mwasi area where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are living, hospital worker said. Israel has designated it as a humanitarian zone. Four other people were killed in separate strikes in Rafah city, including a mother and her daughter, according to the European Hospital, where the bodies were brought. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israels offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities. The war has displaced around 90% of the population, with hundreds of thousands of people living in tent camps and bombed-out buildings. The strikes come as aid groups have raised the alarm over Israels blockade of of Gaza, where it has barred entry of all food and other goods for more than six weeks. Thousands of children have become malnourished, and most people are barely eating one meal a day as stocks dwindle, the United Nations said.___Magdy reported from Cairo.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Aren Almon greets President Bill Clinton after a prayer service for the victims of the deadly truck bomb attack in Oklahoma City on April 23, 1995. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File)2025-04-19T04:04:32Z OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Thirty years after the deadliest homegrown attack in U.S. history, former President Bill Clinton will return to Oklahoma City on Saturday to remember the people who were killed and comfort those affected by the bombing.Clinton was president on April 19, 1995, when a truck bomb exploded, destroying a nine-story federal building in downtown Oklahoma City. He will deliver the keynote address at a remembrance ceremony near the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.Clinton, now 78, was widely praised for how he helped the city grapple with its grief in the wake of the bombing, which killed 168 people, including 19 children. He says it was a day in his presidency that he will never forget.The nations eyes were there. The nations heart was broken there, Clinton said in a video statement posted to the Clinton Foundation website. I was privately praying that I would find the right words, the right tone, the right rhythm to somehow get into the mind and heart of as many Americans as possible. Clinton has visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum several times in the years since the bombing and delivered speeches on major anniversaries. Among the memorials top missions is to help people understand the senselessness of political violence and teach a new generation about the impact of the bombing, said Kari Watkins, the memorials president and CEO. We knew when we built this place we would some day reach a generation of people who werent born or who didnt remember the story, Watkins said. I think now, not just kids are coming through more and more, but teachers who are teaching those kids.Saturdays ceremony, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., was originally scheduled to take place on the grounds of the memorial but has been moved inside an adjacent church because of inclement weather. SEAN MURPHY Murphy is the statehouse reporter for The Associated Press in Oklahoma City. He has covered Oklahoma news and politics since 1996. twitter mailto

People clean debris from damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake on March 28, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-04-19T09:35:04Z BANGKOK (AP) Basic services have yet to be restored to the areas of Myanmar worst hit by a huge earthquake three weeks ago, and emergency workers recovering bodies and clearing debris are contending with regular aftershocks and lack of resources, humanitarian services say.A situation report issued late Friday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said frequent strong aftershocks continue to shake central Myanmar almost daily, increasing fear and uncertainty among affected residents, disrupting response effort s and exacerbating the pressure on already limited resources and services.Three weeks after catastrophic twin earthquakes hit Myanmar on 28 March, the worst-affected communities are still without safe shelter, clean water and sanitation, stable electricity, health care and essential services, the report said. The epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude quake was near Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, but it hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states including the capital, Naypyitaw.It also worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis triggered by the countrys civil war that had internally displaced more than 3 million people and left nearly 20 million in need, according to the United Nations. A report in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper published on Saturday said the quakes death toll had reached 3,726, with 5,105 people injured and 129 still missing. It said 1,975 international rescuers and medical workers from 25 countries had collaborated with local rescuers in saving 653 people and recovering 753 bodies from under rubble. Myanma Alinn said 65,096 houses and buildings, 2,514 schools, 4,317 Buddhist monasterial living quarters, 6,027 pagodas and temples, 350 hospitals and clinics, 170 bridges, 586 dams and 203 sections of the countrys main highway were damaged by the earthquake. Myanmar Fire Services Department, an official emergency services agency operating in many areas of the country, said in statements posted Friday on its Facebook page that rescue workers were carrying out relief, search and cleaning debris from the big buildings, and had returned valuable jewelry, cash, and documents found among the rubble to their owners.It also said that rescuers recovered two bodies from collapsed buildings in Mandalay.An official from Myanmar Rescue Federation (Mandalay), which has been operating along with the firefighters, told The Associated Press on Friday that the priority three weeks on from the earthquake was to clear bodies and debris from under bigger buildings, while also providing assistance to the survivors affected by the earthquake.The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he fears arrest for speaking without authorization, said the number of bodies recovered daily has decreased to only one or two.Another emergency services worker in Mandalay, similarly speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number of rescue teams operating in Mandalay has been steadily decreasing as most of the international rescue teams had returned to their countries after their work to find survivors was considered completed. He said local rescue workers were mainly participating in clearing debris and providing assistance. The United Nations Development Program earlier this month estimated that at least 2.5 million tons, or roughly 125,000 truckloads, of debris from the quake needs to be removed. It based its estimate on remote sensing analysis of images obtained by satellites.UN-Habitat, the U.N. agency for human settlements, said in a statement on Friday that its staff and the Myanmar Engineering Society were collaborating in assessing widespread building damage in earthquake-affected regions.In Naypyitaw, almost all rescuers have ceased their relief efforts, while government buildings that were damaged by the earthquake have not yet been repaired and remain in their post-earthquake condition, said a resident who asked not to be named for security reasons. In residential areas, people have almost completed clearing the debris on their own. Saturdays report in Myanma Alinn said Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government, told his Cabinet members during a meeting on Friday that the urban layout of Naypyitaw will be redesigned.Naypyitaw became Myanmars capital in 2006 after being built at great expense almost from scratch next to what had once been a logging center inhabited by largely by farmers. It is notable for its grandiose government buildings and under-utilized multi-lane roads.

A wave a runners set out from the start of the Boston Marathon, April 15, 2024, in Hopkinton, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)2025-04-18T20:47:53Z BOSTON (AP) The Boston Marathon and Mayor Michelle Wu insisted on Friday that international runners and other foreign visitors remain welcome in the city and said there is no evidence that travel for this years race has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny.Regardless of whats happening at other levels, and particularly now at the federal level, in Boston we welcome everyone, Wu said at a public safety media briefing not far from the finish line. We seek to be a home for everyone.A cherished event for runners and spectators alike, staged on the state holiday of Patriots Day commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord that sparked the American Revolution 250 years ago, the Boston Marathon is the worlds oldest and most prestigious annual 26.2-mile race.It has taken on even greater significance and popularity since 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more. (Allen Davis, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBIs Boston office, said at the briefing that there were no credible or specific threats to Mondays race.) This years marathon has more than 30,000 entrants from 128 countries. Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming said the 129th edition of the race was full thousands more are turned away and theres been no indication that those registered are staying home. We have a lot of demand this year, as we do every year, he said. But as U.S. officials track plummeting tourism numbers, with many would-be visitors angered by President Donald Trumps tariffs and rhetoric and alarmed by stories about tourists being arrested at the border, reports say at least some potential marathon attendees have decided to skip the race.Canadians have been especially put off by Trumps talk of making the country the 51st U.S. state. Paula Roberts-Banks, a writer and photographer from Rosseau, Ontario, who has run Boston 12 times, wrote in Canadian Running magazine that she earned a coveted bib for this years race but decided not to run because she has soured on the U.S. I simply dont want to go there, she said. It feels like a breakup.British runner Calli Hauger-Thackery, a 2024 Olympian who is entered in the womens professional field, said she has never experienced a problem coming to the U.S. but she worries now that that might change.It does scare me traveling a little bit, at the moment, she said, adding that she is married to an American and has a visa. I hope its enough for them to not flag me or anything coming in and out of the States.Most of the 31,941 entrants in Mondays race were required to qualify at another marathon, and many of them view running Boston as a lifelong athletic goal. Still, about 10% of the field typically does not toe the starting line in Hopkinton for reasons that range from injuries to weather to the 2010 eruption of a volcano in Iceland that halted flights and prevented hundreds of Europeans from traveling to Boston. In last years field of 29,333 entrants, there were 2,838 who failed to start. Race officials say they will not know how many no-shows there are this year until Monday; even then, they wont know why.We do not have data as to why people may or may not be coming to Boston, Fleming said. At the BAA, our goal is to create a marathon experience that is very welcoming and joyous. Every year, we focus on that goal and we are confident that we have done everything in our power to achieve that this year.Wu said she hoped visitors would look past the geopolitical climate and participate in this very, very important global tradition that should transcend politics and should transcend the issues of the day.And thats just what Australian Patrick Tiernan plans to do.There are some unfortunate situations going on in the U.S. right now, but I dont think that should have to taint whats happening here, and the history of this race, said the two-time Olympian, who was an NCAA cross country champion at Villanova. I think everybodys very excited to be here and excited to compete on Monday.___AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports JIMMY GOLEN Golen covers Boston sports for The Associated Press, with a little bit of sports law and Olympic beach volleyball and curling mixed in. twitter mailto

Welcome back to the Abstract!It was a good week for the Fox Mulders among us. We want to believe, and a new study has given us some empirical grist along those lines. I shall say no more, and let the giant planet K2-18b speak for itself.Next, remember the time that Earth partied so hard that the Northern Lights showed up in the Sahara and humans had to invent sunscreen? Hahahaour planet just DGAF sometimes. Then, the Perseus cluster thought it could get away with eating a subcluster, but we have the EVIDENCE. Last, dino-walk with me.Its Never Aliens...Oh Shoot, This Time It Actually Might Be AliensMadhusudhan, Nikku et al. New Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18b from JWST MIRI. The Astrophysical Journal Letters.Scientists have reported some of the most compelling evidence for extraterrestrial life ever identified, teasing what would be the most anticipated scientific breakthrough in history.The possibly life-bearing world in question is K2-18b, a giant planet about eight or nine times as massive as Earth located about 124 light years away. It belongs to a tantalizing class of Hycean planets that may host global liquid water oceans under thick hydrogen-rich atmospheres.K2-18b has attracted a lot of interest in recent years because water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane have been detected in its skies at concentrations that hint at the presence of life. That said, planets can bake up those compounds in all kinds of ways that dont involve beasties. Thats why scientists decided to put this world into the sights of the James Webb Space Telescope, the most sensitive observatory ever, to see if they could find anything more concrete.Webb delivered by confirming the presence of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS)compounds that are concocted by microbes here on Earth in the skies of K2-18b. Its not yet an alien slam dunk, because there are a few abiotic processes that also can make this stuff. But there are simply fewer ways to explain their sustained presence in a planets skies without invoking biological processes, compared to water, carbon dioxide, or methane.We present a mid-infrared transmission spectrum of K2-18b with JWST, the first for a habitable-zone exoplanet, said researchers led by Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge. The spectrum shows multiple spectral featuresthat are best explained by a combination of DMDS and DMS in the atmosphere, both molecules uniquely produced by life on Earth and predicted as promising biosignatures in habitable exoplanets.DMDS and DMS are largely produced by marine microbes, such as phytoplankton. Its alluring to envision a massive ocean world blushing with colorful microbial blooms as it orbits its red dwarf star, just 124 light years away (an immense distance for humans, but just down the street on galactic scales).Still, the team emphasized that abiotic sources of these compounds should be rigorously explored, and noted that they can be found on barren comets in our own solar system. Its possible that similar comets in the K2-18 system may have recently crashed into this massive world, producing some transient signatures captured by Webb, though it would be a bit of a coincidence. Future observations may distinguish the likely sources of the compounds, and perhaps find even more signs of life (or signs of not-life).Humans have often imagined our first contact moment with aliens as irrefutable. We receive an unambiguously artificial transmission. An ancient alien artifact is unearthed from a nearby planet. Aliens straight-up show up on Earth to invade or enlighten us.But it seems much more likely that this vexing mysteryis life on Earth a fluke or the norm?will be constrained through a slow and grinding probabilistic framework. We may never conclusively determine if K2-18b hosts life; the best we might get is a gradient of more to less probable. As scientists accumulate reams of data from other planets, we will get a lot more smoke signals but may never find an actual smoking gun.Overall, our findings present an important step forward in the search for signatures of life on exoplanets, according to the study. However, robustly establishing both the veracity of the present findings and their possible association with life on K2-18 b needs a dedicated community effort in multiple directionsobservational, theoretical, and experimental.The central question now is whether we are prepared to identify the signatures of life on such worlds, the team concluded. The opportunity is at our doorstep.A Tale of Auroral Escapes and Neanderthal CapesMukhopadhyay, Agnit et al. Wandering of the auroral oval 41,000 years ago. Science Advances.Even Mother Earth, the one world that we know hosts life, can be a bit of a chaotic parent at times. For instance, our planet went on a little bender about 41,000 years ago, called the Laschamps geomagnetic excursion, in which it temporarily lost its magnetic bearings for about 2,000 years.As the magnetic poles shifted from the geographic poles, Earths magnetic shield was reduced to 10 percent of its strength, exposing everything on its surface to a flood of cosmic radiation. The excursion also caused auroras to become unmoored from the poles, thereby drifting to lower latitudes and causing the Northern Lights to dance over the Sahara.Auroras wandering all over the dang place. Image: Mukhopadhyay, Agnit et al.This bizarre episode may have inspired our human ancestors to invent sunscreen out of ochre and develop tailored clothing to avoid radiation exposure, according to a new study. The work also suggests that Neanderthals may have failed to adapt to the changes, perhaps contributing to their extinction around the same time as the Laschamps excursion.Ochre shows increased frequency in archaeological sites dating to the peri-Laschamps which could be due in part to its use as a sunscreen by anatomically modern humans (AMH), said researchers led by Agnit Mukhopadhyay of the University of Michigan.Although both Neanderthals and contemporary AMH produced technologies associated with clothing manufacture, only AMH appear to have produced technologies consistent with the manufacture of tailored clothing; Neanderthals are assumed to have produced only relatively simple, draped clothing (e.g., capes)...Neanderthals decline was almost certainly multifactorial, but it is possible that topical sunscreens and tailored clothing provided AMH essential photoprotection and access to resources in places and at times they would otherwise have been inaccessible which may have been a competitive advantage.First of all, we need to bring back Neanderthal capes. They have been out of fashion for 41,000 years, so a revival is frankly overdue. Second, it would be wild if humans outlived Neanderthals in part because we wore sunscreen. Has there ever been a better advertisement for Big SPF?But that is only the skin-deep part of this cool and expansive study, which also speculated that the excursion may have inspired new forms of art and music. Others have noted co-occurrence of the Laschamps with the earliest known representational cave artwhich depicts animals, anthropomorphs, and other figures or scenes, as opposed to abstract marks or designsincluding images of animals, the team said. To this, we add that the Laschamps event coincides with early examples of portable art and musical instruments.The researchers also warned that if the same event happened today, we would be up a magnetic creek without a paddle. Considering the probable impact of the Laschamps excursion on early humans and their way of life, a similar event today would likely have dire consequences for modern humans, the team noted. The ramifications of a Laschamps-like magnetospheric configuration and auroral oval would reverberate across all facets of modern communication, satellite infrastructure, and intercontinental travel.I know, I know, you really needed one more thing to worry about. You had so many wonderful worries, but to fill out your collection, I present you with this one about Earths magnetic field shutting down for a millennium or two. No geomagnetic excursions are imminent, according to the study, but it will eventually happen again, so something to be aware of, I guess.In the meantime, honor your ancestors by wearing sunscreen!SOLVED: The Case of the Missing Subcluster HaloHyeonghan, Kim et al. Direct evidence of a major merger in the Perseus cluster. Nature Astronomy.Well now zoom out from planetary scales all the way up to the mind-detonating expanse of the Perseus Cluster, one of the most massive objects in the known universe. This thing is just a lot of galaxiesat least 1,000, probably a lot morethat are all gravitationally jostling around each other some 240 million light years from Earth.Based on its dynamics, it looks like the cluster ate a smaller subcluster in the past as part of a major merger. But until now, scientists have not been able to track down the companion that was absorbed into the Perseus whole, which is a missing piece that has really been bugging them.The Perseus cluster is about 11 million light years wide. Image: VLA-Radio, Chandra-X-ray, Hubble-Visible, SDSS-InfraredAlthough the Perseus cluster has often been regarded as an archetypical relaxed galaxy cluster, several lines of evidence ...suggest that the cluster might have experienced a major merger, said researchers led by Kim HyeongHan of Yonsei University. (I also identify as an archetypical relaxed entity).However, the absence of a clear merging companion identified so far hampers our understanding of the evolutionary track of the Perseus cluster consistent with these observational features, the team said.We simply must not be hampered in our understanding of the evolutionary track of the Perseus cluster. To that end, the team used weak lensing, an observational technique based on gravitational distortions, to locate the swallowed companion.Well, everyone: We got em. Here, through careful weak-lensing analysis, we successfully identified the missing subcluster halo, which is located about 430kiloparsecs (1.4 million light years) west of the Perseus main cluster core, the team said. This discovery resolves the long-standing puzzle of Perseuss dynamical state.And to think, Perseus would have gotten away with it, too, if it werent for those meddling weak lenses. Another cosmic cold case closed.Slap a Coexist Bumper Sticker on These Armoured DinosaursArbour, Victoria et al. A new thyreophoran ichnotaxon from British Columbia, Canada confirms the presence of ankylosaurid dinosaurs in the mid Cretaceous of North America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.Well close by walking in the footsteps of an ankylosaurus, the dinosaurian equivalent of a tank. Some 100 million years ago, these giant armored dinosaurs left footprints in what is now the Canadian Rockies, which paleontologists have identified as the only known ankylosaurid ankylosaur tracks in the world.The name ankylosaurid ankylosaur may seem a bit redundant, but it exists because there is such a thing asyou guessed ita non-ankylosaurid ankylosaur (also known as a nodosaurid). These two major ankylosaur lineages differed in many ways, including in the number of digits on their hind feet (ankylosaurids had three, nodosaurids had four).Paleontologists had previously identified the footprints of Tetrapodosaurus borealis, the four-toed variety, in mid-Cretaceous trackways near the town of Tumbler Ridge, in British Columbia, and at Dunvegan Bridge, Alberta. Now, a team has pinpointed the tell-tale tridactyl prints of an ankylosaurid ankylosaur representing a new species, named Ruopodosaurus clava.Figures of the new tracks. Image: Arbour, Victoria et alThis new taxon is currently known exclusively from the Cenomanian of northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta, and provides confirmation that ankylosaurid ankylosaurs were present in North America prior to the CampanianMaastrichtian, said researchers led by Victoria Arbour of the Royal BC Museum. Ruopodosaurus clava is found in the same localities and deposits as Tetrapodosaurus borealis, indicating that both ankylosaurid and non-ankylosaurid ankylosaurs co-existed in the mid Cretaceous of the Peace Region.Co-existence between giant armoured dinosaurs in a place now named the Peace Region? The reality simulation writers did well with this one.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to bring together data from a wide variety of other U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to make a centralized database to identify immigration targets, according to a document viewed by 404 Media.The news signals ICEs heavy emphasis on bringing disparate datasets together in order to carry out President Trumps mass deportation effort. The tool, called ATrac and Alien Tracker in the document, is planned to allow for the management of all enforcement priorities, and provide near real-time tracking of both targets on a local level and the broader set of immigration enforcement targets around the country.Do you work for a government agency or contractor connected to this? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.The document says ATrac is an ICE tool that displays information on a geospatial interface for officials to identify potential enforcement targets, and then task that enforcement to a particular team. Once a team is sent out, they are required to report the ultimate outcome, such as the target being arrested; the target being located but not arrested; or the target not being located.The document says ATrac already includes information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It also includes data from law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), according to the document.Other agencies planned for inclusion named in the document, such as HUD, HHS, and DOL, are not ordinarily associated with immigration enforcement. Earlier this month the IRS said it would provide data to ICE for immigration enforcement efforts.Neither HUD, HHS, DOL, nor ICE responded to a request for comment.The document also says that each target in the tool includes information from TRSS, an apparent reference to Thomson Reuters Special Services. The company was previously criticized during the first Trump administration for assisting ICE with the identification and location of aliens. Thomson Reuters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.It is not clear how ATracs data collection and analysis would fit in with other reported ICE databases or tools, and whether it is distinct or related to those projects. On Thursday, U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly said in a letter to the oversight body for the Social Security Administration (SSA) that an agency whistleblower reported members of DOGE were building a master database using data from SSA, IRS, and HHS. On Friday, WIRED reported DOGE was working on a master database which includes data from SSA, voting records, and biometric data which could track immigrants. The Washington Post reported that ICE and DOGE were seeking access to Medicare data.On Wednesday, 404 Media reported ICE paid Palantir tens of millions of dollars for complete target analysis of known populations. A day later, 404 Media reported that Palantir recently engaged in a three-week sprint and is now working on a six month project with ICE concentrated on delivering prototype capabilities, according to a leak of internal Palantir Slacks and other messages. ICE published a document about that same development effort, called ImmigrationOS.Those leaked Palantir messages said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a part of ICE, developed its own in-house system called RAVEn, before coming back to Palantir in late 2024 after that project failed. In the new document obtained by 404 Media, it says officials access the ATrac tool through RAVEn. A privacy impact assessment published by the Department of Homeland Security in March says RAVEn will not replace ICEs traditional criminal investigatory case management systems. Rather, RAVEn will primarily perform large, complex analytical projects at HSI.

Campaigners take part in a rally organised by trans rights groups, trade unions, and community organisations following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law, at Parliament Square, central London, Saturday April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)2025-04-19T14:49:07Z LONDON (AP) Thousands of trans rights protesters gathered in central London on Saturday, days after the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled that a woman is someone born biologically female and that transgender women are excluded from that legal definition.With unease growing over what the ruling means for the rights of transgender people, protesters came together for what was billed as an emergency demonstration in Parliament Square. Activists demanded trans liberation and trans rights now, with some waving flags and holding banners.Trans groups are worried that Wednesdays landmark decision would undermine their rights, even though the U.K.'s highest court said transgender people remain protected from discrimination. The head of Equality and Human Rights Commission said the ruling will mean transgender women will be excluded from womens toilets, hospital wards and sports teams. Its a terrifying time to have your rights taken away from you, said 19-year-old transgender woman Sophie Gibbs. I was disappointed to think that we could live in a society that seems so progressive now but is willing to make such a dangerous and harmful ruling. The British government has said the unanimous decision by the five judges brought clarity and confidence for women and service providers.Out of some 66 million people in England, Scotland and Wales, about 116,000 identified as trans in the latest census count. About 8,500 gender recognition certificates have been issued. The ruling stemmed from a 2018 law passed by the Scottish Parliament that required at least 50% women on boards of Scottish public bodies. Transgender women with gender recognition certificates were to be included in meeting the quota.The Supreme Court said that using a certificate to interpret someones sex would clash with definitions of man and woman and, therefore, the anti-discrimination provisions of the 2010 Equality Act could only be interpreted as referring to biological sex. Scotlands First Minister John Swinney said Saturday that he understands the hurt and anguish trans people are feeling over the verdict, while accepting that the ruling must be followed.Many people at Saturdays protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights for transgender people.Its a Pandoras box situation where I just think we allow certain things and then we essentially opened up the door to allow way more than we ever thought could be accepted or pushed through, said Zuleha Oshodi, 29.

Ryan Kelley speaks at the Jackson County Republican headquarters, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jackson, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)2025-04-19T12:55:38Z JACKSON, Mich. (AP) Ryan Kelley thought he had a good shot at becoming Michigans governor in 2022. That is, until he was charged with misdemeanors for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. His campaign sputtered and he finished fourth out of five candidates in the Republican primary.Three years later, Kelley says, people ask him all the time to run for governor again. In todays America, where President Donald Trump returned to the White House and within hours pardoned some 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters, Kelleys two-month prison sentence for his actions that winter day in 2021 isnt the obstacle to public life that it might once have been. It may even be a ticket to political prominence.Far from being sidelined, those who rioted, assaulted police officers or broke into congressional offices during the violent attack are now being spotlighted as honored guest speakers at local Republican events around the country. They are getting a platform to tell their version of events and being hailed as heroes and martyrs. Some are considering runs for office, recognizing that at least among a certain segment of the pro-Trump base, they are seen not as criminals but as patriots. Kelley, a 43-year-old commercial real estate developer, is among those fielding new opportunities in the political arena. At a recent county Republican committee event in Jackson, Michigan, Kelley was met with hugs and handshakes. Dozens of attendees hollered and clapped when he introduced himself as your favorite J6er. They gasped and shook their heads as Kelley recalled how his young son thought he was dead while he was in federal prison. They urged him to run for governor again in 2026. It is something he said he is debating. After Kelley finished speaking, attendees said they were touched by his story.Ive done much worse and did no jail time, said 58-year-old Todd Gillman, a woodworker and Republican chairman for the local congressional district. Thank God people like Ryan Kelley are not intimidated by the lawfare that was used against them. Rioters become symbols of government overreachIt makes sense that Republicans are seizing the chance to showcase Jan. 6 rioters, said Matt Dallek, a historian at George Washington University who studies the conservative movement. Trump has likened those rioters to political prisoners and warriors for defending him and his false claims that the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden was stolen. There is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted or that Trump was the winner facts backed up by federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general. Trumps allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges appointed by Trump. Those who are pardoned can testify, like no one else can, to the horrific power of the federal government to destroy their lives, Dallek said. Its a potent rallying cry, and also probably a potent fundraising tool.But there also is a danger to elevating them, he said. Many of those pardoned by the Republican president used violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power, and juries determined their actions to be criminal. It is, I think, a mainstreaming, a growing acceptance on the right of political violence, as long as its done in the service of Trump and his ongoing election lie, Dallek said.Kelley, who did not commit violence or enter the Capitol, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge. He said he saw some things at the Capitol people breaking windows, for example that he did not like. But he also flatly denied an audience members use of the term insurrection.It was a protest that turned into a little bit of a scuffle later in the day for a couple of minutes, right? he told the nodding crowd in Jackson, a midsize city west of Detroit that residents say hosted the first official meeting of the Republican Party in 1854.Extensive video footage and testimony from the events inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 show more than a scuffle as a mob of Trump supporters some armed with poles, bats and bear spray overwhelmed law enforcement, shattered windows and sent lawmakers and aides running into hiding. More than 100 police officers were injured, with some dragged into the crowd and beaten or attacked with makeshift weapons. Kelley said the reason he pleaded guilty was to avoid more serious charges. That differed from his tone in his sentencing hearing in 2023, when he told the judge that his actions outside the Capitol, from crossing the police line to riling up other rioters and ripping a tarp, were wrong. The judge told Kelley: I think you misused the platform that you had as a candidate for elected office to minimize and, frankly, to lie about what happened.As he gazed out at an American flag banner while addressing the crowd in Jackson, Kelley said he was a political prisoner for standing up for what I believe was right. That resonated with attendee Marilyn Acton, a 68-year-old mental health counselor. She hopes pardoned Jan. 6 rioters such as Kelley become more involved in Republican politics.I would like them to totally get involved, because I think people need to know the truth, she said.Pardoned, platformed and protestedBy The Associated Press count, at least two dozen local Republican groups nationwide in recent months have invited Jan. 6 rioters to speak at regular meetings or special fundraisers, some with titles such as Insurrection Hoax and Patriots Vindicated. They include people who only trespassed at the Capitol but also rioters who were convicted and pardoned for more serious crimes such as carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds or violently attacking law enforcement.The Western Wake Republican Club in North Carolina in March featured remarks from James Grant, a pardoned rioter who was among the first to assault police officers and breach a security perimeter during the attack on the Capitol.Grant, who later climbed into the Capitol through a broken window and entered a senators office, used the stage to reiterate his belief that the 2020 election was stolen and suggest that the actions on the front line of the riots were led by undercovers and federal agents. In a video recording of the event, he also decried the conditions in prison and said the experience was traumatic for him.A Republican womens club in Lawrence County, Tennessee, earlier this month hosted an event for Ronald Colton McAbee. He was employed as a sheriffs deputy in Tennessee when he went to Capitol, dragging an officer away from a police line and punching another officer who tried to stop him.McAbee told the crowd the jury that convicted him of five felonies was biased and said he had been trying to help the officer in the melee. He encouraged those listening to get involved in politics and said he had considered running for office himself.It has been a thought, and well see what happens, he said in a video recording of the event. Some of the local GOP groups welcoming Jan. 6 rioters have faced pushback from their communities, prompting them to relocate or even cancel scheduled events.In California, the Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives event featuring six pardoned rioters faced so much public backlash that three potential venues canceled, according to TV station KSBW. When the event was ultimately held at the fourth venue in Salinas, protesters gathered outside the building.The Monterey Peace and Justice Center, a local nonprofit that condemned the event, said in an emailed statement that rebranding these rioters as heroes is a dangerous distortion of history.Event organizer Karen Weissman told the AP in an email the group believed that it was important for our community to hear their stories and hear a different perspective.David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer and co-author of The Big Truth, a book about Trumps 2020 election falsehoods, said he is troubled by anyone who would reward or celebrate what happened on Jan. 6.We have to agree as a constitutional republic, as a democracy, that elections and the rule of law have meaning, he said. And if we lose that meaning, if we attack our own institutions, we are going down a path where something even worse could happen in the future.From conviction to candidacySome pardoned rioters are taking things a step beyond speaking at political events and setting their sights on local, state or even federal office.Jake Lang, who was charged with assaulting an officer, civil disorder and other crimes before he was pardoned by Trump, recently announced he is running for Secretary of State Marco Rubios vacant U.S. Senate seat in Florida.Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes before his full pardon, said in an interview with Newsmax that he will take a serious look at running for office in 2026 or 2028 and believes his future is in politics.In Texas, pardoned rioter Ryan Nichols announced a run for Congress but withdrew days later. Kelley, who has been asked to attend various political events around Michigan in recent months, said he is debating another run for governor in 2026, but is not sure he can commit his young family to the grind of the campaign. He said he wants Michigan to win, whether or not he is the one in office.Still, he recognizes that Trumps pardons have opened a window of opportunity that may not last forever.Now is kind of the time that I could catapult with that, right? he said in an interview. We get a lot of hate, but Im also going to get a lot of support.___Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report.___The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about the APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ALI SWENSON Swenson covers politics and the information landscape for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-04-19T10:30:02Z Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers in the largest exchange since Moscows full-scale invasion started over three years ago.According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions, Putin said at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, in a video shared by the Kremlins Press Service.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the ceasefire another attempt by Putin to play with human lives. He wrote on X that air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine, and Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putins true attitude toward Easter and toward human life. In response to the ceasefire announcement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Kyiv had in March agreed unconditionally to the U.S. proposal of a full interim ceasefire for 30 days, which Russia rejected.Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days, Sybiha continued, writing on X. Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions. Largest POW exchange so far The two sides meanwhile exchanged hundreds of POWs on Saturday. Russias Ministry of Defense said that 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv, and that as a gesture of goodwill 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.Zelenskyy said that 277 Ukrainian warriors have returned home from Russian captivity.Both sides thanked the United Arab Emirates for their mediation.Putins ceasefire announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are coming to a head and insisted that neither side is playing him in his push to end the grinding three-year war.Trump spoke shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. may move on from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.In January 2023, Putin had ordered his forces in Ukraine to observe a unilateral, 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas. Zelenskyy had dismissed it as playing for time to prepare additional attacks. Russia says its forces have retaken nearly all of Kursk Russias Defense Ministry said Saturday its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from the village of Oleshnya, one of their last remaining footholds in Russias Kursk region where the Ukrainians staged a surprise incursion last year. Gerasimov said Saturday in a report to Putin, quoted by Russian state media, that Russia had retaken nearly all of the territory from Ukrainian forces. The main part of the regions territory, where the invasion took place, has now been liberated. This is 1,260 square kilometers, 99.5%, Gerasimov said.Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukrainian forces continued their activity on the territory of the Kursk region and are holding their positions.The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the claim by Russia. Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region. According to Russian state news agency Tass, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya. The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornal ... in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement, the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.In other developments, the Ukrainian air force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russian attacks damaged farms in the Odesa region and sparked fires in the Sumy region overnight, Ukraines State Emergency Service said Saturday. Fires were contained, and no casualties were reported.Russias Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A selection of books featuring LGBTQ characters that are part of a Supreme Court case are pictured, Tuesday, April, 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)2025-04-19T12:10:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) A prince lassos a dragon, saving a knight in shining armor from certain death. But the prince slips and as he falls, the knight and his steed race to return the favor.Then the two men fall in love.That story, Prince and Knight, is one of five childrens books featuring LGBTQ characters and aimed at kindergarten through the fifth grade that have roiled a diverse suburban Maryland school district and led to a Supreme Court case that the justices will hear on Tuesday.Parents in Montgomery County who object for religious reasons want to pull their children from elementary school classes that use the books. AP AUDIO: A prince and knight fall in love and the Supreme Court is asked to intervene AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on a fight over LGBTQ books going to the Supreme Court. The county school system has refused and lower courts have so far agreed.But the outcome could be different at a high court dominated by conservative justices who have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years. The parents argue that public schools cannot force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith. They point to opt-out provisions in sex education and note that the district originally allowed parents to pull their children when the storybooks were being taught before abruptly reversing course. Its labeled as a language arts, you know, reading and writing program, but the content of the material is very sexual, said Billy Moges, a board member of the parents group Kids First that formed in response to the addition of the books to the curriculum. It is teaching human sexuality and is confusing kids, and parents are not comfortable having their children exposed to these things at such an early age. Dozens of parents testified at school board hearings about their religious obligations to keep their impressionable young children from lessons on gender and sexuality that conflicted with their beliefs. Moges said she pulled her three daughters, now 10, 8 and 6, from their public schools as a result. They were initially homeschooled and now attend a private Christian school, she said. The school system declined to comment, citing the ongoing lawsuit. But in court papers, lawyers for the schools wrote that the handful of storybooks are not sex-education materials but rather tell everyday tales of characters who experience adventure, confront new emotions, and struggle to make themselves heard. The books touch on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the lawyers wrote.In Uncle Bobbys Wedding, a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man. Love, Violet deals with a girls anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. Born Ready is the story of a transgender boys decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. Intersection Allies describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid.The books were chosen in order to better represent all Montgomery County families and teachers may not use them to pressure students to change or to change or disavow religious views, the schools lawyers said. The school system abandoned the option of letting parents take their kids out of the lessons because doing so became unworkably disruptive, the lawyers told the court.The writers group Pen America, which reported more than 10,000 books banned in the last school year, said in a court filing what the parents want is a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.The difficulty of providing alternative lessons for some children anytime the books are used probably would force the county to pull the books from the curriculum, said Tasslyn Magnusson, senior adviser with the Freedom to Read program at PEN America.I really hope people read these books. Theyre just lovely examples of experiences that kids have in school and theyre perfectly fine storybooks to have as part of an educational curriculum, Magnusson said.One book that was originally part of the curriculum and then pulled for unexplained reasons is My Rainbow, co-written by Delaware state Rep. DeShanna Neal and daughter Trinity. The story tells of Trinitys desire for long hair as a transgender girl and her mothers solution, knitting a rainbow wig.Neal has grown used to having the book taken out of circulation at libraries, including in Florida, Ohio and Texas.School is a place to learn about why the world is different and how its different, Neal said. What I had hoped would come out of this book was, listen to your children. They know their own bodies.

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)2025-04-19T19:19:02Z CAIRO (AP) Yemens Houthi rebels said Saturday that the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the Houthi-held coastal city of Hodeida, less than two days after a U.S. strike wrecked a Red Sea port and killed more than 70 people.The Houthis media office said 13 U.S. airstrikes hit an airport and a port in Hodeida, on the Red Sea. The office also reported U.S strikes in the capital, Sanaa.There were no immediate reports of casualties.The U.S. militarys Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said it continues to conduct strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.Thursdays strike hit the port of Ras Isa, also in Hodeida province, killing 74 people and wounding 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. It was the deadliest strike in the U.S. ongoing bombing campaign on the Iranian-backed rebels. United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres on Saturday said he was gravely concerned about the attack on Ras Isa, as well as the Houthis missile and drone attacks on Israel and the shipping routes, his spokesman Stphane Dujarric said Saturday. The secretary-general recalls that international law, including international humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected at all times, and he appeals to all to respect and protect civilians as well as civilian infrastructure, Dujarric said. U.S. Central Command declined to answer any questions about possible civilian casualties. It referred to a statement in which it said this strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen.The strikes on Hodeida have been part of a month-long U.S. bombing campaign, which the Trump administration said came about because of the Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on its close ally, Israel.About 200 people have been killed in the U.S. campaign since March 16, according to the Houthis health ministry. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Si Woo Kim walks to the 16th green during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)2025-04-19T22:49:12Z HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) The vibe at Hilton Head Island is all about ease and relaxation. It felt like anything but that to Justin Thomas on Saturday in the RBC Heritage.His two-shot lead was gone in two holes, partly because he of a one-shot penalty on the par-5 second hole when he informed the rules official his golf ball might have moved a little more than a dimple (it did).His worst swing of the day on the 11th hole put him in shallow water inside a red hazard line. He tried to play the shot and barely moved it 15 yards, but not before the mud and muck splashed into his face and led his caddie to tell him he smelled like a wet dog (he did).That didnt seem worth it, Thomas said, loud enough for the gallery to hear and to laugh.Thomas at least ended the day on a high note, rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to make up ground on Si Woo Kim, who played bogey-free until the final hole at Harbour Town. By then, Kim had done enough to still post a 5-under 66 and take a one-shot lead over Thomas (69) and Andrew Novak (66).When you win golf tournaments, you need to salvage under-par rounds when you dont have your best stuff, Thomas said. I just fought and tried to stay patient and then was able to salvage a score to where Im right there tomorrow. Kim didnt exactly have that peaceful feeling when he headed to the first tee, two behind Thomas and without a win in two years. Its been a while to play in the final group, so it feels weird. Then a little bit of maybe pressure, Kim said. Not the pressure, a little bit like feel weird at the start.He started birdie-birdie to catch Thomas. He took the lead when Thomas had his mud-filled adventures on the 11th and made bogey. Kim stretched the lead to as many as three shots until it suddenly got tight again.Novak birdied the par-3 17th to complete his bogey-free round. And there was a two-shot swing from the final group when Kim came up short of the 18th green and just into the hazard, from here we chopped out of mangled grass and missed the par putt. I played great only missed the last hole, so thats not a big deal, Kim said. So I play pretty much 35 holes really decent. So Im not going to worry about the last hole for tomorrow. Im in good position. Ive been playing good.And Thomas made his birdie.It was huge, he said. I played really well today, really solid. Just didnt have much to show. The course is getting very difficult, very firm and fast. ... Yeah, it was nice to see an iron shot get up there pin-high and roll that putt in there. Its nice to finish off like that and ride that momentum into tomorrow.Kim was at 15-under 198.Maverick McNealy shot 64 and was alone in fourth, two shots behind. He was followed by former British Open champion Brian Harman (66) and Tommy Fleetwood, who had three birdies over his last six holes for a 68.Defending champion Scottie Scheffler had a rough stretch early on the back nine that derailed his momentum, though he still managed a 68 and was very much in the game at only four shots out of the lead. Scheffler hit a brilliant escape from the trees, the ball never gaining more than 10 feet of altitude from 160 yards away, but it was too strong and rolled against the lip of a bunker, leaving him no shot. He had to make an 8-foot putt to salvage bogey.He went long of the green on No. 12 and left himself a fast pitch (bogey) and then hit a demanding lob wedge over the bunker to 3 feet on No. 13 and missed the putt.The weather has been getting warmer and windier by the day, enough to make the course fast and crispy and enough movement in the trees to cause some second-guessing. There are low scores available. It doesnt take much for players to lose momentum.This is a signature event with no cut and the scoring average has been roughly the same all three days. Its a matter of gets on a roll, who holes putts and who limits mistakes.For so much of Saturday, that was Kim.He opened with a pair of 6-foot birdie putts. He handled the par 5s. His longest birdie putt was on the par-5 15th when he got out of position and had to make an 18-footer. Thomas says he is capable of ending his three-year drought and simply needs the tournament to unfold instead of forcing the issue. This was only a 69 but important to him because he managed a round under par when it felt like nothing was going right, except at the end.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf DOUG FERGUSON Doug Ferguson has been the APs golf writer since 1998. He is a recipient of the PGA Lifetime Achievement in Journalism award. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Suleiman Khalil, 21, who lost his leg in a landmine explosion while harvesting olives with his friends in a field, is reflected in a mirror at his home in the village of Qaminas, east of Idlib, Syria, Wednesday April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)2025-04-20T05:02:02Z IDLIB, Syria (AP) Suleiman Khalil was harvesting olives in a Syrian orchard with two friends four months ago, unaware the soil beneath them still hid deadly remnants of war.The trio suddenly noticed a visible mine lying on the ground. Panicked, Khalil and his friends tried to leave, but he stepped on a land mine and it exploded. His friends, terrified, ran to find an ambulance, but Khalil, 21, thought they had abandoned him.I started crawling, then the second land mine exploded, Khalil told The Associated Press. At first, I thought Id died. I didnt think I would survive this.Khalils left leg was badly wounded in the first explosion, while his right leg was blown off from above the knee in the second. He used his shirt to tourniquet the stump and screamed for help until a soldier nearby heard him and rushed for his aid. There were days I didnt want to live anymore, Khalil said, sitting on a thin mattress, his amputated leg still wrapped in a white cloth four months after the incident. Khalil, who is from the village of Qaminas, in the southern part of Syrias Idlib province, is engaged and dreams of a prosthetic limb so he can return to work and support his family again. While the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war came to an end with the fall of Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, war remnants continue to kill and maim. Contamination from land mines and explosive remnants has killed at least 249 people, including 60 children, and injured another 379 since Dec. 8, according to INSO, an international organization which coordinates safety for aid workers. Mines and explosive remnants widely used since 2011 by Syrian government forces, its allies, and armed opposition groups have contaminated vast areas, many of which only became accessible after the Assad governments collapse, leading to a surge in the number of land mine casualties, according to a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. It will take ages to clear them allPrior to Dec. 8, land mines and explosive remnants of war also frequently injured or killed civilians returning home and accessing agricultural land.Without urgent, nationwide clearance efforts, more civilians returning home to reclaim critical rights, lives, livelihoods, and land will be injured and killed, said Richard Weir, a senior crisis and conflict researcher at HRW.Experts estimate that tens of thousands of land mines remain buried across Syria, particularly in former front-line regions like rural Idlib. We dont even have an exact number, said Ahmad Jomaa, a member of a demining unit under Syrias defense ministry. It will take ages to clear them all.Jomaa spoke while scanning farmland in a rural area east of Maarrat al-Numan with a handheld detector, pointing at a visible anti-personnel mine nestled in dry soil. This one can take off a leg, he said. We have to detonate it manually. Psychological trauma and broader harmFarming remains the main source of income for residents in rural Idlib, making the presence of mines a daily hazard. Days earlier a tractor exploded nearby, severely injuring several farm workers, Jomaa said. Most of the mines here are meant for individuals and light vehicles, like the ones used by farmers, he said. Jomaas demining team began dismantling the mines immediately after the previous government was ousted. But their work comes at a steep cost.Weve had 15 to 20 (deminers) lose limbs, and around a dozen of our brothers were killed doing this job, he said. Advanced scanners, needed to detect buried or improvised devices, are in short supply, he said. Many land mines are still visible to the naked eye, but others are more sophisticated and harder to detect.Land mines not only kill and maim but also cause long-term psychological trauma and broader harm, such as displacement, loss of property, and reduced access to essential services, HRW says. The rights group has urged the transitional government to establish a civilian-led mine action authority in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to streamline and expand demining efforts.Syrias military under the Assad government laid explosives years ago to deter opposition fighters. Even after the government seized nearby territories, it made little effort to clear the mines it left behind. Every day someone is dyingStanding before his brothers grave, Salah Sweid holds up a photo on his phone of Mohammad, smiling behind a pile of dismantled mines. My mother, like any other mother would do, warned him against going, Salah said. But he told them, If I dont go and others dont go, who will? Every day someone is dying.Mohammad was 39 when he died on Jan. 12 while demining in a village in Idlib. A former Syrian Republican Guard member trained in planting and dismantling mines, he later joined the opposition during the uprising, scavenging weapon debris to make arms. He worked with Turkish units in Azaz, a city in northwest Syria, using advanced equipment, but on the day he died, he was on his own. As he defused one mine, another hidden beneath it detonated. After Assads ouster, mines littered his village in rural Idlib. He had begun volunteering to clear them often without proper equipment responding to residents pleas for help, even on holidays when his demining team was off duty, his brother said. For every mine cleared by people like Mohammad, many more remain. In a nearby village, Jalal al-Maarouf, 22, was tending to his goats three days after the Assad governments collapse when he stepped on a mine. Fellow shepherds rushed him to a hospital, where doctors amputated his left leg.He has added his name to a waiting list for a prosthetic, but theres nothing so far, he said from his home, gently running a hand over the smooth edge of his stump. As you can see, I cant walk. The cost of a prosthetic limb is in excess of $3,000 and far beyond his means.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a bilateral meeting at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Feb. 11, 2025. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-04-20T04:26:09Z NEW DELHI (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance will embark on a four-day visit to India on Monday as the two countries seek to unlock economic opportunities and negotiate a bilateral trade deal.Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for talks on the economy, trade and geopolitical ties. Vances visit is seen as an important diplomatic mission by President Donald Trumps administration, and it coincides with a rapidly intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhis main rival in the region.A trade deal between India and the U.S. could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties.The U.S. is also Indias largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190 billion until recently.Indias foreign ministry has said the visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations and two leaders will exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.Heres what to know more about Vances visit: Bilateral trade agreement Vances arrival in India comes weeks after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was in India for a geopolitical conference and two months after Modi met Trump in Washington.Modi was among the first leaders to visit the U.S. and hold talks with Trump after he returned to the White House. During his visit, Modi hailed a mega partnership with the U.S. and kickstarted a negotiation process to minimise the possible fallout of Trumps tariffs after it had already cut tariffs on a range of U.S. goods. Regardless, Trump targeted India with a 26% levy as part of his now-paused tariff programme, which has provided temporary relief for Indian exporters.During his visit, Modi sought to soften impending trade barriers by saying he was open to reducing more tariffs on U.S. goods, repatriating undocumented Indian nationals and buying military gear. The two countries also agreed to start talks towards clinching the bilateral trade agreement.Modi on Friday said he spoke with Elon Musk and said he and the SpaceX CEO discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation, saying India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the U.S. in these domains. Indias deep ties to US businessIndia is a close partner of the U.S. for bilateral trade, foreign direct investments, defence cooperation, and an important strategic ally in combating the rising influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also part of the Quad, which is made up of the United States plus India, Japan and Australia and seen as a counter-balance to Chinas expansion in the region.Leading U.S companies such as Apple Inc. and Google have expanded operations in India in recent years. Last month, Musks Starlink entered into agreements with two of Indias top telecom operators to provide satellite-based internet services.To further boost trade ties, the U.S. and India have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under the expected trade deal agreement. The negotiations are especially urgent for New Delhi as it could be hit hard by Trumps reciprocal tariffs, particularly in sectors of agriculture, processed food, auto components, high-end machinery, medical equipment and jewelry. This poses a significant challenge for Modi government as it hopes to spruce up the countrys economy and generate jobs with an export-led recovery.Modi and Trump already share rapport Modi established a good working relationship with Trump during his first term in office. It now appears that the two leaders are likely to further boost cooperation between their countries, particularly in trade as Chinese President Xi Jinping is aiming to position Beijing as a reliable trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising tensions with Washington.India has also already taken a number of steps to win over Trump. It will purchase more oil, energy and defence equipment, including the fifth-generation stealth fighter jets, from the U.S. The U.S, however, wants greater market access for its agricultural and dairy products in India, but New Delhi has been reluctant so far as the farm sector employs bulk of the countrys workforce. Family trip for VanceVances visit to India marks his first official trip to the country, which has added significance for the second family. His wife Usha Vance a practising Hindu is the daughter of immigrants from South India.In his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, Vance described his wife a supersmart daughter of Indian immigrants whom he met at Yale Law School. Ushas parents moved to the U.S. in the late 1970s.Vance will be accompanied by Usha, their children and other senior members of the U.S. administration, and the couple will visit Indian cities of Jaipur and Agra and participate in engagements at cultural sites, a readout from the White House said. SHEIKH SAALIQ Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi. twitter mailto

Ksenia Lutskina, a Belarusian journalist who was imprisoned in Belarus for several years and left the country after her release, poses for a photo in Berlin, Germany, on April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)2025-04-20T04:05:34Z TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Journalist Ksenia Lutskina served only half of her eight-year prison sentence in Belarus after being convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the government. She was pardoned after she kept fainting in her cell from a brain tumor diagnosed during pretrial detention.I was literally brought to the penal colony in a wheelchair, and I realized that journalism has really turned into a life-threatening profession in Belarus, she told The Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, where she lives.Lutskina was one of dozens of journalists imprisoned in Belarus, where many face beatings, poor medical care and the inability to contact lawyers or relatives, according to activists and former inmates. She compared the prisons to those from the Soviet era.The group Reporters Without Borders says Belarus is Europes leading jailer of journalists. At least 40 are serving long prison sentences, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists. Lutskina had quit her job making documentaries for Belarus state broadcaster in 2020 when mass protests broke out after an election widely denounced as fraudulent kept authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in power. Trying to set up an alternative TV channel to fact-check government officials, she was arrested that year, put on trial and later convicted. Other journalists fled the country of 9.5 million and operate from abroad. But many have had to curtail their work after U.S. President Donald Trumps administration cut off foreign aid, a vital source of funding for many independent media.Journalists are forced to face not only repressions within the country, but also the sudden withdrawal of U.S. aid, which puts many editorial offices on the brink of survival, BAJ chair Andrei Bastunets told AP. The 2020 crackdownLukashenkos brutal crackdown after the disputed election led to over 65,000 arrests between 2020-25. Thousands told of being beaten by police, opposition figures were jailed or forced into exile, and hundreds of thousands fled abroad in fear. More than 1,200 people behind bars in the nation of 9.5 million are recognized as political prisoners by Belarus leading rights group, Viasna. Its founder, Nobel Prize Peace laureate Ales Bialiatski, is among them.Independent journalists have been swept up too, with outlets closed or outlawed. Lukashenko, in power for over three decades, routinely calls them enemies of our state, and vows that those who fled wont be allowed to return.The raids, arrests and abuse of journalists have been unceasing for five years, but now they have reached the point of absurdity, Bastunets said, noting that families of journalists are being threatened. Families of some targeted journalists have asked rights groups not to talk publicly about their cases for fear of further reprisal.Every month brings new arrests and searches, with almost all independent media leaving Belarus. The crackdown even hits those who switch their focus to nonpolitical content.In December, authorities arrested the entire editorial staff of the popular regional publication Intex-press, which covers local news in the city of Baranavichy. Seven journalists were charged with assisting extremist activity. Extremism is the most common charge used to detain, fine and jail critically minded citizens. Even reading independent media thats been declared extremist can result in short-term arrest. Working with or subscribing to banned media is seen as assisting extremism, punishable by up to seven years in prison. Websites of such outlets are blocked.According to Reporters Without Borders, 397 Belarusian journalists have been victims of what the group deems unjust arrests since 2020, with some detained multiple times. At least 600 moved abroad, the group said. Even then, many still face pressure from authorities who can open cases against them in absentia, put them on international wanted lists, seize their property inside Belarus and target relatives in raids. Reporters Without Borders filed a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court in January, accusing Belarusian authorities of crimes against humanity, citing torture, beatings, imprisonment, persecution and forced displacement of journalists. Beatings and isolation behind barsKatsiaryna Bakhvalava, a journalist for Belsat, a Polish-Belarusian independent TV channel, was arrested while covering the 2020 protests. Initially convicted of disrupting public order and sentenced to two years. she was put on trial for treason while in a penal colony and convicted, with her sentence extended to eight years and three months.Her husband, political analyst Ihar Iliyash, was arrested in October 2024 on charges of discrediting Belarus and is jailed while awaiting trial.Now 31, Bakhvalava, has been placed in a punishment isolation cell several times and in 2022 was beaten, according to a former inmate.Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a former political prisoner who fled to Lithuania, told reporters she heard that four prison guards had beaten Bakhvalava, who was crying and asking for a doctor.Andrzej Poczobut, a correspondent for the influential Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and a prominent figure in the Union of Poles in Belarus, was convicted of harming Belarus national security and sentenced to eight years, which he is serving in the Novopolotsk penal colony.Poczobut, 52, suffers from a serious heart condition and was placed in solitary confinement several times, sometimes for stretches of up to six months, human rights activists said.At the end of March, his stay in a punitive cell unit the harshest form of incarceration was extended for six months. Attempts by Warsaw to intervene have failed and Poczobut has refused to ask Lukashenko for a pardon.Also imprisoned is Maryna Zolatava, editor of Tut.By once the most popular online news outlet in Belarus but shut down by authorities in 2021. Zolatava was convicted in 2023 of incitement and distributing materials urging actions aimed at harming national security, and sentenced to 12 years.Parallels with 1984 Lukashenko extended his rule for a seventh term in a January election that the opposition called a farce. Since July, he has pardoned over 250 people, seeking to improve ties with the West.Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich said Lukashenko views political prisoners as a commodity. He is cynically willing to sell journalists and activists to Europe and the United States in exchange for easing economic sanctions and thawing relations. And this process has already begun.Shortly after Trump began his second term, Lukashenko released two U.S. citizens and a journalist from the Belarusian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a U.S. government-funded news outlet. Two more RFE/RL journalists, Ihar Losik and Ihar Karnei, remain imprisoned and were forced to record repentant videos. Freed journalist Andrey Kuznechyk, who spent three years in prison, left Belarus for Lithuania.The first day after my release, I looked at the list of journalists behind bars and I was shocked by how much it had grown during my imprisonment, he told AP.Lutskina, the journalist who also fled to Lithuania, brought her 14-year-old son with her, saying he must learn to distinguish truth from lies. They both have read George Orwells dystopian novel 1984, which was banned in Belarus, and are finding surprising parallels with her homeland.Belarus has turned into a gray country under a gray sky, where people are afraid of everything and speak in whispers, she said.Lutskina, who is being treated for the tumor that caused her fainting spells, said she actually felt less fear in prison than her fellow Belarusians outside it.They walk around with their heads down, she said, afraid to raise their eyes and see the nightmare happening around them, she added. YURAS KARMANAU Karmanau is an Associated Press journalist covering Belarus and the CIS countries. He has worked in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as other countries in the region, for more than 20 years. He is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. mailto

Wallace Mkanka holds his winning sculpture that will be part of an upcoming exhibition at Oxford University aiming to contextualize the legacy of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre near Harare, Zimbabwe, on March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)2025-04-20T04:04:34Z CHITUNGWIZA, Zimbabwe (AP) A pair of white hands blinding a Black face. A smiling colonizer with a Bible, crushing the skull of a screaming native with his boot. Chained men in gold mines, and a pregnant woman.These stone sculptures from Zimbabwe will take center stage at an upcoming exhibition at Oxford University in Britain, aiming to contextualize the legacy of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes with depictions of religious deception, forced labor and sexual abuse.Rhodes conquered large parts of southern Africa in the late 19th century. He made a fortune in gold and diamond mining and grabbed land from the local population. His grave lies under a slab of stone atop a hill in Zimbabwe.Oxfords Oriel College, where the exhibition will be held in September, is a symbolic setting. A statue of Rhodes stands there despite protests against it since 2015. Rhodes, who died in 1902, was an Oriel student who left 100,000 pounds (now valued at about 10.5 million pounds, or $13.5 million) to the school. His influence endures through a scholarship for students from southern African countries. For Zimbabwean stone carvers at Chitungwiza Arts Center near the capital, Harare, the exhibition is more than an opportunity for Western audiences to glimpse a dark history. It is also a chance to revive an ancient but struggling art form.Stone sculpture, once a thriving local industry, has suffered due to vast economic challenges and declining tourism. This will boost business. Buyers abroad will now see our work and buy directly from the artists, said sculptor Wallace Mkanka. His piece, depicting the blinded Black face, was selected as the best of 110 entries and will be one of four winning sculptures on display at Oxford.Zimbabwe, meaning House of Stone, derives its identity from the Great Zimbabwe ruins, a 1,800-acre Iron Age city built with precision-cut stones delicately stacked without mortar. It is a UNESCO World heritage site. The southern African country has long used stone sculpture as a form of storytelling to immortalize history. The craft survived close to a century of colonial rule that sought to erase local traditions, religion and art forms.It thrived internationally instead. Thousands of pieces were plundered from Africa. Some later became subjects of repatriation campaigns. Others became prized by tourists and collectors. A permanent collection of 20 Zimbabwean stone sculptures is displayed in a pedestrian tunnel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the worlds busiest.At its peak following independence, Zimbabwes stone sculpture industry thrived, with local white farmers purchasing pieces for their homes and facilitating international sales.Customers were everywhere. They would pay up front, and I always had a queue of clients, recalled Tafadzwa Tandi, a 45-year-old sculptor whose work will feature in the Oxford exhibition.However, the industry has struggled over the past two decades.Zimbabwes global image suffered after controversial land reforms more than two decades ago displaced over 4,000 white farmers to redistribute land to about 300,000 Black families, according to government figures. Late ruler Robert Mugabe defended the reforms as necessary to address colonial-era inequities, but they had unintended economic consequences. Many of our customers were friends of the farmers. That is where the problem originated from, said Tendai Gwaravaza, chairman of Chitungwiza Arts Center.At the center, the sound of grinders filled the air as sculptors carved. Hundreds of finished pieces, ranging from small carvings to life-sized sculptures, waited for buyers.The only solution now is to get out there to the markets ourselves. If we dont, no one will, Gwaravaza said.The Oxford exhibition represents such an opportunity for exposure, he said.It is the brainchild of the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership, formed in response to the Rhodes Must Fall campaign during the Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S. The group, consisting of Zimbabwean artists, an Oxford alumnus and a professor of African history, initially envisioned a larger project titled Oxford and Rhodes: Past, Present, and Future. It included enclosing Rhodes statue in glass, installing 100 life-size bronze statues of African liberation fighters and creating a collaborative sculpture using recycled materials to represent the future.However, the project required an estimated 200,000 pounds, far beyond available resources. Eventually, Oriel College provided 10,000 pounds for a scaled-down exhibition.Its still my hope that one day it could happen, but for now we have just accepted something very small to make a start and to do something, said Richard Pantlin, the Oxford alumnus and OZAP co-founder.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. 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.

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a ruined city center in Kostyantynivka, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)2025-04-20T06:56:19Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Sunday of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks overnight after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral temporary truce in Ukraine.As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places, it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a post on X.Despite Putins declaration of an Easter ceasefire on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had recorded 59 instances of Russian shelling and five assaults by units across various areas along the front line, as well as dozens of drone strikes. Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia must fully adhere to the ceasefire conditions and reiterated Ukraines offer to extend the truce for 30 days, starting Sunday midnight. He said the proposal remains on the table and that we will act in accordance with the actual situation on the ground.Late on Saturday, Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson said Ukrainian forces continued their attacks. Ukrainian troops continue to strike peaceful cities in the Kherson region, violating the Easter truce, Moscow-appointed governor Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel. Just hours after the Russian president announced the ceasefire, he attended an Easter service late Saturday at Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a vocal supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine.Putin announced the temporary ceasefire, citing humanitarian reasons. According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday. Putin offered no details on how the ceasefire would be monitored or whether it would cover airstrikes or ongoing ground battles that rage around the clock.His ceasefire announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are coming to a head and insisted that neither side is playing him in his push to end the grinding three-year war. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A guest takes a puff from a marijuana cigarette at the Sensi Magazine party celebrating the 420 holiday in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, April 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)2025-04-20T04:42:07Z Marijuana cultures high holiday, known as 4/20, falls this year on Easter Sunday, as well as the last day of Passover, meaning cannabis fans can celebrate in some unusual ways, including an Easter nug hunt in Los Angeles, kosher-style THC gummies in New York and a blaze and praise drag brunch in Portland, Oregon.It seemed appropriate with egg prices today that wed be searching for something else, said Brett Davis, who runs the marijuana tour company Weed Bus Los Angeles and organized the Easter nug hunt.Heres a look at 4/20s history and how its being celebrated this year: Why 4/20?The origins of the date, and the term 420 generally, were long murky. Some claimed it referred to a police code for marijuana possession or was derived from Bob Dylans Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35, with its refrain of Everybody must get stoned, 420 being the product of 12 times 35.But the prevailing explanation is that it started in the 1970s with a group of bell-bottomed buddies from San Rafael High School, in Californias Marin County north of San Francisco, who called themselves the Waldos. A friends brother was afraid of getting busted for a patch of cannabis he was growing in the woods at nearby Point Reyes, so he drew a map and gave the teens permission to harvest the crop, the story goes. During fall 1971, at 4:20 p.m., just after classes and football practice, the group would meet up at the schools statue of chemist Louis Pasteur, smoke a joint and head out to search for the weed patch. They never did find it, but their private lexicon 420 Louie and later just 420 would take on a life of its own. The Waldos saved postmarked letters and other artifacts from the 1970s referencing 420, which they now keep in a bank vault, and when the Oxford English Dictionary added the term in 2017, it cited some of those documents as the earliest recorded uses. How did 4/20 spread?A brother of one of the Waldos was a close friend of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, as Lesh once confirmed in an interview with the Huffington Post, now HuffPost. The Waldos began hanging out in the bands circle, and the slang term spread. Fast-forward to the early 1990s: Steve Bloom, a reporter for the cannabis magazine High Times, was at a Dead show when he was handed a flyer urging people to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais. High Times published it. Its a phenomenon, one of the Waldos, Steve Capper, now 69, once told The Associated Press. Most things die within a couple years, but this just goes on and on. Its not like someday somebodys going to say, OK, Cannabis New Years is on June 23rd now. While the Waldos came up with the term, the people who made the flier that was distributed at the Dead show effectively turning 4/20 into a holiday remain unknown. How is it celebrated?With weed, naturally. In New York City, the cannabis brand Tokin Jew is advertising a kosher-style THC gummy line, Tokin Chews, designed to meet dietary restrictions for Passover.Davis said he expected 300 people to partake in the West Hollywood Easter nug scavenger hunt this weekend, aided by a mobile app leading them through participating dispensaries, trivia challenges and stoner activities. There is a $500 cash prize.In Portland, Bar Carlo is hosting the blaze and praise drag brunch. Cannabis consumption isnt allowed onsite Please blaze before you arrive or go for a walk in the neighborhood in between performances, the event listing reads but there will be a door-prize gift basket from a local dispensary.Bar owner Melinda Archuleta said the brunch is a dry run for hosting Pride month events in June. She herself doesnt care much for marijuana, but as a Mexican American who has been influenced by Catholicism, she is interested in seeing the two cultures melded in a cheeky way.Im really looking forward to seeing how the queens do it, Archuleta said. Weve obviously given them carte blanche to do whatever they want its 21 and up so it doesnt matter if its sacrilegious or borderline offensive. There are bigger celebrations, too, including the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver and one put on by SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta. Hippie Hill in San Franciscos Golden Gate Park historically has attracted massive crowds, but the gathering was canceled for a second straight year, with organizers citing a lack of financial sponsorship and city budget cuts. Just north of the Bay Area, Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California, releases its Waldos Special Ale every year on 4/20 in partnership with the terms coiners.4/20 also has become a big industry event, with vendors gathering to try each others wares. What about the politics?There are 24 states that allow recreational marijuana and 14 others allowing it for medical purposes. But the movement recently has suffered some setbacks, with voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota deciding not to adopt legalization measures last November. Several states also have cracked down on intoxicating products derived from hemp, which have been widely sold even in prohibition states thanks to a loophole in the federal Farm Bill.Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. As a candidate, President Donald Trump said he would vote for Floridas amendment and signaled support for reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a process started by the Biden administration.But his administration has not indicated cannabis policy is a priority. A fact sheet released by the White House last month complained that marijuana decriminalization in Washington, D.C., was an example of failed policies that opened the door to disorder.A bipartisan group of senators last week reintroduced legislation that would ensure states can adopt their own cannabis policies and remove certain financial hurdles for the industry, such as letting entities deduct business expenses on their taxes.Charles Alovisetti, a lawyer with the cannabis industry law firm Vicente LLP, said he hopes the administration will push forward with marijuana reform at the federal level, saying it does align with some of their policy objectives namely reducing criminal activity, or cartel activity.He also encouraged advocates to keep pushing, noting some measures such as improving banking access for marijuana businesses might pass as part of larger legislative packages.You continue speaking up, even if the political momentum isnt there, Alovisetti said. Its only possible if you stay in everyones ear.

Cardinal Angelo Comastri presides over the Easter mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-04-20T09:03:38Z VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican celebrated Easter on Sunday without Pope Francis presiding, as the 88-year-old pontiff continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.In his place, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peters Basilica, celebrated the open-air Mass before thousands of people in St. Peters Square and delivered the homily that Francis had prepared.St. Peters was awash in daffodils, tulips and other flowers donated by The Netherlands on a chilly but sunny spring morning.Francis has only appeared in public a handful of times since returning to the Vatican on March 23 after a 38-day hospital stay. He skipped the solemn services of Good Friday and Holy Saturday leading up to Easter, but he was expected to make an appearance on Sunday, according to the Mass booklet and liturgical plans released by the Vatican. Easter is the most joyful moment on the Christian liturgical calendar, when the faithful celebrate the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. This year, Easter is being celebrated on the same day by Catholics and Orthodox Christians, and has been marked by Russias announced a temporary Easter truce in its war in Ukraine. Easter at the Vatican traditionally involves a Mass and the popes Urbi et Orbi blessing (Latin for to the city and the world), a speech delivered from the loggia over the basilica entrance which is usually a roundup of global hotspots and human suffering. It remained to be seen if Francis would appear to pronounce the speech or just impart the apostolic blessing at the end. Another outstanding question was whether U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is spending Easter in Rome and met with Vatican officials on Saturday, might secure a quick papal greeting. Vances motorcade arrived at the Vatican through a side entrance as the Mass was underway and parked near Francis residence, the Domus Santa Marta hotel. Francis has sharply cut back his workload as he follows doctors orders of two months of convalescence and respiratory therapy to improve his lung function. He still seems to require great effort to project his voice, and his breathing remains labored.Before Sunday, his biggest outing had been a visit to Romes downtown prison to spend Holy Thursday with inmates. The visit made clear his priorities as he slowly recovers: to spend time with the people most on the margins.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A plume of smoke rises from fires on BP's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)2025-04-20T05:17:42Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Gulf Coast, killing 11 and sending 134 million gallons (507.2 million liters) of crude gushing into the ocean, the effects of the nations worst offshore oil spill are still being felt.Oil company BP paid billions of dollars in damages, propelling ambitious coastal restoration projects across five states. Yet cleanup workers and local residents who suffered health impacts they attribute to the oil spill have struggled to have their cases heard in court and few have received significant compensation.Conservation groups say the spill catalyzed innovative restoration work across the Gulf Coast, but are alarmed at the recent halt of a flagship land-creation project in Louisiana. As the Trump administration expands offshore oil and gas, they are concerned the best opportunities for rebuilding the Gulf Coast are slipping away. In this April 21, 2010 file photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, fire boat response crews spray water on the burning BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File) In this April 21, 2010 file photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, fire boat response crews spray water on the burning BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Tying health problems to the spill remains hard to prove in courtIn the coastal community of Lafitte in southeast Louisiana, Tammy Gremillion is celebrating Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the April 20 spill, without her daughter. She remembers warning Jennifer against joining a cleanup crew tasked with containing the spill for BP.But I couldnt stop her they were offering these kids lots of money, Gremillion said. They didnt know the dangers. They didnt do what they should have to protect these young people.Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches. She also was exposed to Corexit, an EPA-approved chemical applied on and below the water to disperse oil, which has been linked to health problems. In 2020, Jennifer died of leukemia, a blood cancer that can be caused by exposure to oil. Gremillion, who broke down in tears as she recounted her daughters death, is 1,000% confident that exposure to toxins during the cleanup caused the cancer. She filed a lawsuit against BP in 2022, although the allegations have been difficult to establish in court. Gremillions suit is one of a small number of cases still pending. An investigation by The Associated Press previously found all but a handful of roughly 4,800 lawsuits seeking compensation for health problems linked to the oil spill have been dismissed and only one has been settled. In a 2012 settlement, BP paid ill workers and coastal residents $67 million, but this amounted to no more than $1,300 each for nearly 80% of those seeking compensation.Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and around 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court.BP declined to comment on pending litigation. In court filings, BP denied allegations that oil exposure caused health problems and attacked the credibility of medical experts brought by plaintiffs. A brown pelican covered in oil tries to raise its wings on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast on June 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) A brown pelican covered in oil tries to raise its wings on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast on June 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Controversy over coastal restorationThe environmental impact was devastating, recalled PJ Hahn, who served on the frontlines as a southeast Louisiana coastal management official. He watched the oil eat away at barrier islands and marsh around his community in Plaquemines Parish until it would just crumble like a cookie in hot coffee, just break apart.Oyster beds suffocated, reefs were blanketed in chemicals and the fishing industry tanked. Pelicans diving for dead fish emerged from the contaminated waters smeared in a black sheen. Tens of thousands of seabirds and sea turtles were killed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A worker uses a suction hose to remove oil washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill, in Belle Terre, La., June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) A worker uses a suction hose to remove oil washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill, in Belle Terre, La., June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Since then, significant progress has been made restoring Gulf habitats and ecosystems, according to The Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies tasked with managing restoration funded by penalties levied against BP.The council says more than 300 restoration projects worth $5.38 billion have been approved in the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America. The projects include acquiring wetlands in Mississippi to protect nesting areas for birds, rebuilding reefs along Pensacola Bay in Florida and restoring around 4 square miles (11 square kilometers) of marsh in Lake Borgne near New Orleans. Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., on June 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File) Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., on June 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More While a tragedy, the spill galvanized a movement one that continues to push for a healthier, more resilient coast, said Simone Maloz, campaign director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a conservation coalition. The influx of billions of dollars in penalties paid by BP allowed us to think bigger, act faster and rely on science to guide large-scale solutions, she added.Yet what many conservationists see as the flagship of the restoration projects funded by the Deepwater Horizon disaster payout an approximately $3 billion effort to divert sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana has stalled over concerns of its impact on the livelihoods of local communities and dolphin populations.Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has said the project would break our culture by harming local oyster and shrimp fisheries due to the influx of freshwater. Earlier this month, his administration paused the project for 90 days, citing its high costs, and its future remains uncertain. More offshore drilling planned for GulfThe Trump administration is seeking to sell more offshore oil and gas leases, which the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute called a big step forward for American energy dominance.BP announced an oil discovery in the Gulf last week and plans more than 40 new wells in the next three years. The company told the AP it has improved safety standards and oversight. We remain keenly aware that we must always put safety first, BP said in an emailed statement. We have made many changes so that such an event should never happen again.Still, Joseph Gordon, climate and energy director for the nonprofit Oceana, warned Deepwater Horizons legacy should be an alarm bell against the expansion of offshore drilling.___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96. JACK BROOK Brook covers Louisiana government, infrastructure and environmental issues from New Orleans. He is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto

Priest Serhii Zezul blesses Easter baskets in front of a church destroyed in fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, during celebration of the Orthodox Easter in Lukashivka village, Ukraine, on Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-04-20T09:29:29Z LUKASHIVKA, Ukraine (AP) Dozens of Ukrainians gathered outside the ruins of a damaged church in northern Ukraine on Sunday to mark Easter, doubting a ceasefire with Russia is possible.Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced a temporary Easter truce from Saturday evening to midnight following Easter Sunday, citing humanitarian reasons. This came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are coming to a head.Kyiv has voiced skepticism about the Easter ceasefire, saying it would only mirror a genuine halt in hostilities. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraines offer of a 30-day, full and unconditional ceasefire and called on Moscow to respond.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday night that Russian strikes continued, although with less intensity, particularly near the border where Ukrainian forces maintain footholds in Russias Kursk and Belgorod regions. Ukrainian soldiers interviewed by The Associated Press at various frontline positions confirmed the ongoing hostilities. Christ is risen! In the village of Lukashivka in the Chernihiv region, briefly occupied by Russian forces in 2022, parishioners of the damaged Ascension Church arrived early at a small makeshift wooden church built last year to cater to the needs of the faithful, holding traditional Easter baskets and cakes to have them blessed. As the sun rose, they stood quietly in the spring chill, the roofless silhouette of the wrecked church behind them, its pale walls scarred by shell fragments.The churchs priest, Serhii Zezul, walked among them, shouting Christ is risen! as he sprinkled holy water over the baskets his voice nearly drowned out by the hum of a nearby generator.The restoration of the original church, a 20th-century architectural landmark, would require at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, money the community doesnt have as the war rages on. Since the start of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, about 530 churches across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 25 clergy members have been killed, according to Ruslan Khalikov, head of the Religion on Fire project, which monitors Russian war crimes against religious communities.A destroyed church is a shattered soul of the community, Zezul said. When churches fall, the heart and core that unite people begin to collapse.Marking Easter in fearMore people than usual gathered in the damaged churchs courtyard on Sunday. Some said they drove from cities to Lukashivka to mark Easter, fearing Russian forces might target large gatherings, especially after a recent string of missile strikes killed dozens of civilians.For 26 years, 44-year-old Olha Rudeno attended church in the nearby city of Chernihiv, where she got married.But given the war, its psychologically difficult for me to go where there are large gatherings in cities, she said.Rudeno doesnt think a ceasefire with Russia will happen. Believing in a ceasefire is deceiving yourself. I dont know how much time has to pass for me to truly believe one is possible, she said. Doubt of a truce between Russia and Ukraine has deepened as U.S.-led efforts have so far yielded no breakthrough. Moscow has effectively rejected a separate, comprehensive ceasefire proposal, backed by Trump and endorsed by Ukraine, tying any agreement to a halt in Kyivs troop mobilization and Western arms supplies conditions Ukraine has refused, fearing they would allow Russia to regroup and escalate.My personal opinion is that there will be no ceasefire, said the churchs priest Serhii Zezul. And even if there is one, there are no details on where it would apply. On the front line, our soldiers are still fighting.Still, Zezul said that celebrating Easter among ruins reflects the resilience of faith during war. Despite everything, people still gather. They believe in something better. We are being reborn, we are standing back up. Truth always triumphs over evil. People believe that, they hope for that. In his Easter message, Zelenskyy reflected on suffering and the struggle to hold on to faith. Each of us has lived through such moments ... and you ask: God, why is this happening to us?He also mentioned the deadly missile strike on Sumy during Palm Sunday, and the bombardments of Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and other cities, saying people tend to turn inward when they cant make sense of things.Something invisible yet powerful within us doesnt let us give up. It shows us where to find the light, so we dont lose our way. HANNA ARHIROVA Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. She is based in Kyiv. twitter instagram mailto

The motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance is seen en route to Vatican, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)2025-04-20T09:53:41Z VATICAN CITY (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday as the pontiff recovers from pneumonia.Vances motorcade entered Vatican City through a side gate and parked near Francis hotel residence while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peters Square. Francis, who has greatly cut back his workload to recover, delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta to exchange Easter greetings.Vance and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administrations plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy.Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with the Vatican secretary of state and foreign minister on Saturday.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Elizabeth Mahon, owner of baby store Three Littles, unpacks strollers and other inventory ordered by customers ahead of tariff-driven price increases at her Union Market location in Washington, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)2025-04-20T10:40:01Z Sam Rutledge and his wife have a baby due in mid-July, so they thought they had a few more months to research and buy the gear theyll need.But President Donald Trumps tariff announcement in early April turned the couples slow walk into a sprint. In the past few weeks, theyve bought two strollers, a car seat, a nursery glider, a crib and a high chair. All of them are made overseas.These are all pretty expensive under normal conditions, but when it became clear tariffs were coming we decided to buy them in case they became prohibitively expensive, said Rutledge, who is a high school physics teacher.Raising a child in America has never been cheap. In the first year alone, it costs an average of $20,384, according to Baby Center, a parenting website. But tariffs ranging from 10% for imports from most countries to 145% for imports from China -- will make it many times more expensive for new parents. An estimated 90% of the core baby care products and the parts that go into making baby paraphernalia from bottles and diaper pails to strollers and car seats are made in Asia, according to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, a U.S. trade group. The vast majority come from China. Overseas manufacturing has been the norm in our industry for decades, said Lisa Trofe, the associations executive director.It wasnt always this way. When Munchkin Inc. CEO Steven Dunn founded his company in 1991, it made baby bottles in California with tooling from New Jersey. But over the years, the manufacturers he used shut down and the cost of doing business in the U.S. skyrocketed. Now, about 60% of Munchkins 500 products, from a $5 sippy cup to a $254 Night Owl Stroller with headlights, are made in China. In response to the tariffs, Dunn halted orders from China and instituted a hiring freeze at Munchkins California headquarters, where 320 people are employed. Dunn expects Munchkin will run out of some products within three months. There is no possibility of being able to pass on those tariffs to customers in the form of price increases, he said.Dunn said he tried to reduce his dependence on China in recent years, shifting some manufacturing to Vietnam and Mexico. He also spent a year communicating with American manufacturers to see if one could make Munchkins new Flow Nipple Shield, which allows a breastfeeding mother to see if her milk is flowing. But most said they couldnt make the complex silicone product, Dunn said. Its now made in Vietnam.Theres not enough tool makers and manufacturing expertise and automation and skilled labor in the U.S. to make the thousands of products the juvenile industry needs, Dunn said.Multiple baby brands and companies contacted by The Associated Press didnt respond or said they werent commenting on the tariffs, including Graco, Chicco, Britax, Nuna, Dorel Juvenile, UppaBaby, Evenflo and Bugaboo.The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association said it asked the Trump administration for a tariff exemption, arguing that baby products are essential for childrens well-being. Trump exempted some baby products, including car seats and high chairs, from import taxes during his first administration. But he hasnt said whether he would consider doing so again. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment with the White House.Nurture&, a company that makes a popular nursery glider and other baby furniture, said its trying to be transparent about the impact of tariffs. In a recent email, the company told customers it started lowering prices on some items when the tariffs hit. The company, which was founded in 2020, said it would keep those lower prices in place until April 30, but after that it may not be able to absorb the full cost of the import duties. These are large purchases, these are investments, and this is a very sensitive life stage, Nurture& Chief Merchant Jill Gruys said. We want people to make the best decision for their budget and their family.Elizabeth Mahon, the owner of Three Littles, a baby store in Washington, said shes worried the tariffs will make essential products too expensive for some families. Mahon volunteers twice per month at the Department of Motor Vehicles, where she teaches people how to buckle their kids safely into car seats. Some families still must be persuaded to use car seats, she said. Mahon fears higher prices would be another deterrent. No one is dying if they cant buy a toy, but if they dont have access to car seats, kids will get seriously injured, she said.At her own store, Mahon is getting notices that some manufacturers plan to introduce steep price increases in May. She feels lucky she could rent a storage facility and build up inventory ahead of the tariffs. For many small businesses, she said, the extra costs are a death sentence. At The Little Seedling baby shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, owner Molly Ging said she would normally be putting in Christmas orders at this time of year. Instead, shes sorting through price increase notices from many of the vendors she works with. Its a lot to manage, and I just have no idea how its going to play out, she said.Business is brisk right now, with customers hoping to beat tariff-related price increases. But Ging worries about her 13 employees all moms who bring their kids to work and about whether she can maintain enough inventory to meet future demand.Babies dont stop being born because theres tariffs, she said. DEE-ANN DURBIN Durbin is an Associated Press business writer focusing on the food and beverage industry. She has also covered the auto industry and state and national politics in her nearly 30-year career with the AP. twitter mailto

The Richard Bolling federal building, at center, rises among other downtown landmarks, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)2025-04-20T12:31:10Z KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) In her 28 years working for the federal government, Shea Giagnorio provided day care for the children of U.S. soldiers, training for employees and oversight for safety net programs.Public service took her from Germany to Alaska to Kansas City, Missouri, where she moved last year for a long-sought promotion.But when she reported to a downtown federal building for work one day last month, her access card did not work. After a co-worker let her into the building, she checked her email: Her entire office had been let go in the latest mass firing ordered by President Donald Trumps administration.The 46-year-old single mom has canceled her apartment lease, is selling her new furniture and may have to pull her daughter of college. She wonders what will happen to the at-risk populations her team helped serve at the Administration for Children and Families, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Not only me, but all these peoples lives are turned upside down, Giagnorio said.The impact of the cuts by Trump appointees and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency can be found everywhere in the Kansas City metropolitan area, which has long been a major hub for federal agencies about 1,000 miles away from Washington, D.C. Money once promised to the region for public health, environmental, diversity, food aid and an array of other programs has been axed, and thousands of local jobs are in jeopardy. With nearly 30,000 workers, the federal government is the largest employer in the region. One longtime Kansas City economic researcher said he believes the region could lose 6,000 good-paying federal jobs, which in turn would wipe out thousands of others in service industries. An IRS worker said thousands of her coworkers fear they will lose their jobs, even as they put in overtime processing tax refunds in a building so crowded that they struggle to find desks. Under pressure, hundreds more agreed this week to retire early or take a buyout. A U.S. Department of Agriculture grant revocation disrupted a historically Black neighborhoods plan to expand its program growing fresh produce in a food desert. A nearby pantry reduced its monthly grocery allotment for those in need after federal cuts left food banks shorthanded.The withdrawal of federal funding for new lab equipment and vaccines means the city may be less prepared for the next pandemic.A landlord may have to sell an office building for a loss after his federal tenants were among several that abruptly canceled local leases, adding a glut of real estate to the market.And the citys Tesla showroom has become a spot of weekly protest. Activists are seeking to have it closed by pushing a referendum intended to drive Musks electric car company out of Missouri.HHS: Cuts to service for low-income families Shea Giagnorio, left, talks to a recruiter at a job fair on the day she was laid off from her job at the Administration for Children and Families, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Shea Giagnorio, left, talks to a recruiter at a job fair on the day she was laid off from her job at the Administration for Children and Families, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The nations health department is slashing its full-time national workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. Among them were Giagnorio and her colleagues in her agencys 10 regional offices around the country that helped deliver services through programs such as Head Start and emergency assistance for low-income families.The poor will become even more poor now, Giagnorio said. If were taking away social safety nets, what is the end result? If were not helping homeless people anymore, will they freeze to death in the winter? Is that what we want? Giagnorio, who spent most of her career as a U.S. Department of Defense civilian employee at bases in Germany and Alaska, is on paid leave until her June 2 termination. She wasted no time looking for another position after being locked out of her office, visiting a job fair hours later that Kansas City hosted for displaced federal workers.But she doubts she will be able to find a public sector salary anywhere near the $117,000 she made and doesnt know how her skills translate to the private sector. She worries about losing the health insurance that covers her family and having to pull her daughter out of Maastricht University in the Netherlands after her first year.For now, she cant get any answers from the agency to basic questions about her financial future. Does she still qualify for an early retirement buyout offer that had been extended? How much would she receive and when? IRS: A rush to Tax Day, then layoffs and buyouts IRS customer service representative Shannon Ellis, stands outside a processing center where hundreds of her colleagues have taken buyouts and others face potential layoffs, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) IRS customer service representative Shannon Ellis, stands outside a processing center where hundreds of her colleagues have taken buyouts and others face potential layoffs, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The days leading up to the April 15 tax filing deadline were always going to be busy for workers at the IRS processing center near Union Station, but this year, they were particularly stressful.The IRS is considering a downsizing that could cut as many as 20,000 employees, or 25% of its workforce, in the coming weeks. The roughly 6,000 employees in Kansas City faced agonizing choices: decide whether to accept resignation or early retirement offers by April 14 or risk losing their jobs later.Its a kick in the stomach to people that are doing everything they can to meet whats required of them, said Shannon Ellis, a longtime IRS customer service representative and president of the union representing local workers. By Thursday, at least 238 Kansas City workers had taken the buyout offers and were expected to leave the agency in coming weeks. Ellis noted many of those same workers had been told they were essential and required to work overtime during tax season, some seven days per week.Their building has been overcrowded since the IRS ordered remote employees back to the office in March. Workers sometimes struggle to find open desks. Some have to bring their own ink pens and share date stamps to perform basic job functions after budget cuts have depleted supplies.Ellis said IRS workers share the publics disdain for taxes but understand that collecting them is necessary to support important programs like Social Security. She said shes decided to take a roll of the dice and stay in her job, spurning an early retirement offer.I love my job, she said. Im not going to let the bully force me out.USDA: An urban food desert loses help Volunteers weed garden plots in preparation for planting vegetables at the Ivanhoe neighborhood community garden, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Volunteers weed garden plots in preparation for planting vegetables at the Ivanhoe neighborhood community garden, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Urban farmer Rosie Warren grew 2,500 pounds of fruits and vegetables last year in community gardens to help feed the Ivanhoe neighborhood, where many Black families were concentrated under housing segregation policies of much of the 20th century.Warren harvested greens, potatoes and watermelons as part of an effort to address food insecurity and health concerns in a neighborhood challenged by blight, crime and poverty. She was ecstatic last fall when the USDA awarded the neighborhood council a three-year, $130,000 grant to expand the gardens and farmers market serving the area. Plans called for hiring an assistant to help Warren with growing more food and to add another market day aimed at serving more low-income older adults, mothers and children.In February, the council received a notice terminating the grant. The USDA had determined the award no longer effectuates agency priorities regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and activities. A client picks up staples at the Bishop Sullivan Center food pantry, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A client picks up staples at the Bishop Sullivan Center food pantry, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More On a recent morning, Warren took a break from preparing the soil for planting to ponder the USDAs decision.What do you do if you dont support providing access to food to people who dont have it? Wouldnt this make your job easier? she said. I think its absurd. It doesnt make any sense.Other food aid in the neighborhood has taken a hit at a time when demand is rising.At the Bishop Sullivan Center food pantry, hundreds of low-income families are getting fewer groceries in their monthly pickups after USDA halted $500 million worth of deliveries to food banks. That included a planned order for 41,000 cases of meat, dairy and other commodities to a bank serving Kansas City.It just means giving families less food, said pantry director Christopher Lowrance, who said hes able to provide less chicken and other meat products. Its as simple as that.Public health: The city lab misses a needed upgrade Laboratory technician Asfaw Ayana examines a sample at the Kansas City Department of Public Health, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Laboratory technician Asfaw Ayana examines a sample at the Kansas City Department of Public Health, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The Kansas City Health Departments laboratory is badly in need of an upgrade, with equipment dating to when the building opened in the 1990s.One basement space is water damaged and rarely used. Another has equipment that is so inadequate that the city has to ship samples to a state laboratory 150 miles away, causing inefficiencies, agonizing waits for results and delayed response times.Kansas Citys health director, Dr. Marvia Jones, made it a top priority to modernize the labs this year after studying their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her agency planned to use federal funding to purchase new microscopes and testing equipment. That early disease detection allows you to do more rapid intervention, more rapid treatment, more rapid isolation, she said.But the funding for lab upgrades was abruptly eliminated last month as part of the Trump administrations $11.4 billion cancellation of federal grants to states for public health. That news crushed the departments carefully laid plans, Jones said.Jones said the cuts, $3 million and counting for her department, mean the city will also have fewer vaccines to administer to low-income residents.It would be a sad shame for us to be in a worse position than we were before the pandemic, she said. We had processed all of our lessons learned, and then now this happens.Real estate: A landlord considers selling his buildingAmir Minoofar was surprised when two federal agencies notified him that they planned to vacate the office building hes owned for a decade in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.Minoofar said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had recently agreed to extend its lease until 2029. The National Labor Relations Board, meanwhile, was paying month to month.Minoofar said the government initially notified him the agencies would be out of the building in August, part of a DOGE-led blitz of hundreds of lease cancellations that has been marked by errors and subsequent reversals. In the Kansas City metropolitan area, the government is moving to cancel 10 leases totaling 219,000 square feet that cost more than $4 million in annual rent, according to DOGEs online Wall of Receipts.Minoofar said he was more recently told the agencies will likely have to stay past August and their departure date is now unclear. He said he may have to sell the building, which has an appraised value of $2.9 million, and take a loss because of the difficult office market.But he said he understands why the government would unload the space, which he said has often been sparsely used since the rise of telework during the pandemic.Businesswise, it makes sense for government to cut costs, he said. A lot of people are going to be unhappy but its a huge gigantic family and they need to take care of it. You cannot keep everybody happy.Tesla: Elon Musks car company faces a statewide campaign Demonstrators protest against Elon Musk and Department of Government Efficiency cuts outside a Tesla dealership, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Demonstrators protest against Elon Musk and Department of Government Efficiency cuts outside a Tesla dealership, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More With liberal anger growing at Musks role in the government, protesters have gathered Saturdays outside his Tesla dealership in Kansas City to denounce the cuts.State records show Tesla sales there have dropped amid calls for a boycott. Now, enough voter anger could even force the business to close.Organizers of a newly launched Unplug Musk initiative are seeking to use democracy to strike at the worlds richest man by changing state law to ban car manufacturers from selling directly to consumers. They say they plan to soon begin gathering the 111,000 signatures of registered voters that they would need to put the change on the statewide ballot in November 2026. If approved by voters, it would force the closure of the Tesla showrooms in Kansas City and St. Louis.Missouris governor, Republican Mike Kehoe, a former auto dealer himself, sponsored a 2014 bill when he was a state senator aimed at requiring manufacturers like Tesla to sell through local dealers. The bill passed the Senate but died in the House after Tesla lobbied against it. The referendum revives that plan.Theres not a soul in this country whos against trying to weed out government inefficiency but just taking a chain saw to peoples lives and their health care is a ridiculous way to achieve that. And it is going to cause some devastating impacts, said organizer Brad Ketcher, a prominent Democrat and lawyer who helped draft the states 2022 marijuana legalization referendum.The administrations response: Temporary hardshipAn HHS spokesperson said the agencys downsizing, including cutting jobs and consolidating divisions, would save money and make the organization more efficient. As for the $11.4 billion in grant funding cuts, the spokesperson said, HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a nonexistent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.The IRS has offered a similar rationale for its downsizing, saying it is making process improvements that will ultimately more efficiently serve the public.Musk said last year that Trumps budget cuts would cause a temporary hardship that would soon put the economy on stronger footing. One local economic researcher said it remained unclear just how deep that hardship will be in Kansas City, including whether it will just slow growth or cause population losses.Its a big burden thats being placed on a narrow group of people, said Frank Lenk, director of the Office of Economic Development at the Mid-America Regional Council, a nonprofit of city and county governments in the Kansas City region. It will definitely take some of the steam out of the local economy.Trump has credited DOGE with helping end the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars, saving billions to help improve the nations finances. The White House didnt respond to questions about Kansas City. But Trump said recently he would invite the Kansas City Chiefs to the White House to make up for a 2020 Super Bowl victory celebration that was canceled during the pandemic.__Associated Press writer Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report. RYAN J. FOLEY Foley covers state and national news for The Associated Press and is based in Iowa City, Iowa. A 20-year AP veteran, hes known for investigative reporting and using open records laws to obtain information. twitter mailto

COVID-19: A Case Study in MisinformationDuring the pandemic, misinformation spread faster than the virus. People shared fake “cures,” claimed the virus was a hoax, or argued that vaccines were dangerous. And many believed it — often with tragic results. Hospitals filled with patients who refused to take precautions because they’d been misled. Families lost loved ones....

The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)2025-04-20T13:54:39Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court acted literally in the middle of the night and without sufficient explanation in blocking the Trump administration from deporting any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th-century wartime law, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a sharp dissent that castigated the seven-member majority.Joined by fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, Alito said there was dubious factual support for granting the request in an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union. The group contended that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart such removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The majority did not provide a detailed explanation in the order early Saturday, as is typical, but the court previously said deportations could proceed only after those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given a reasonable time to contest their pending removals. Both the Executive and the Judiciary have an obligation to follow the law, Alito said in the dissent released hours after the courts intervention against Republican President Donald Trumps administration. The justices brief order directed the administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center until further order of this court.Alito said that unprecedented relief was hastily and prematurely granted. He wrote that it was not clear whether the Supreme Court had jurisdiction at this stage of the case, saying that not all legal avenues had been played out in lower courts and the justices had not had the chance to hear the governments side.The only papers before this Court were those submitted by the applicants. The Court had not ordered or received a response by the Government regarding either the applicants factual allegations or any of the legal issues presented by the application. And the Court did not have the benefit of a Government response filed in any of the lower courts either, Alito said. Alito said the legal filings, while alleging that the applicants were in imminent danger of removal, provided little concrete support for that allegation. He noted that while the court did not hear directly from the government regarding any planned deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in this case, a government lawyer in a different matter had told a U.S. District Court in a hearing Friday evening that no such deportations were then planned to occur either Friday or Saturday. In sum, literally in the middle of the night, the Court issued unprecedented and legally questionable relief without giving the lower courts a chance to rule, without hearing from the opposing party, within eight hours of receiving the application, with dubious factual support for its order, and without providing any explanation for its order, Alito wrote. I refused to join the Courts order because we had no good reason to think that, under the circumstances, issuing an order at midnight was necessary or appropriate. Both the Executive and the Judiciary have an obligation to follow the law. The administration has filed paperwork urging the high court to reconsider its hold. On Friday, two federal judges refused to step in as lawyers for the men launched a desperate legal campaign to prevent their deportation. Early Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also refused to issue an order protecting the detainees from being deported.The ACLU had already sued to block deportations of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet facility and sought an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the Alien Enemies Act.In the emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which would make them subject to Trumps use of the law.It has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The administration contends it gives them the power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status. Following the unanimous high court order on April 9, federal judges in Colorado, New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the law until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court. But there had been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is 24 miles north of Abilene in the far northern end of the state.Some Venezuelans subject to Trumps use of the law have been sent to El Salvador and housed in its notorious main prison.

FILE.- Mourners gather around the bodies of 8 Red Crescent emergency responders, recovered in Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, as they are transported for burial from a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana, file)2025-04-20T13:23:29Z JERUSALEM (AP) An Israeli probe into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it has found professional failures and a deputy commander will be fired.Israel at first claimed that the medics vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire but later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one of the medics contradicted Israels initial account.The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander, due to poor night visibility, assessed that the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. Video footage obtained from the incident shows the ambulances had lights flashing and logos visible as they pulled up to help another ambulance that came under fire earlier. The teams do not appear to be acting unusually or in a threatening manner as three medics emerge and head toward it. Their vehicles immediately come under a barrage of gunfire that goes on for more than five minutes with brief pauses.Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a U.N. staffer were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Troops bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said the slain men were targeted at close range. The Israeli military investigation said the Palestinians were killed due to an operational misunderstanding by Israeli forces, and that a separate incident 15 minutes later, when Israeli soldiers shot at a Palestinian U.N. vehicle, was a breach of orders.It was not immediately clear whether the military investigation found that any of those killed were Hamas militants. Israels military initially said nine were militants. The investigation found that the decision to crush the ambulances was wrong but denied that there was an attempt to conceal the event.The examination found no evidence to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting, it added.The statement on the findings concluded by saying that Israels military regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians. The one survivor was detained for investigation and remains in custody for further questioning.The investigations findings have been turned over the Military Advocate General, which can decide whether to file charges. It is meant to be an independent body, with oversight by Israels attorney general and Supreme Court.There are no outside investigations of the killings underway.Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations.Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense, most of them while on duty, as well as over 1,000 health workers during the war, according to the U.N. The Israeli military rarely investigates such incidents. Palestinians and international human rights groups have repeatedly accused Israels military of failing to properly investigate or whitewashing misconduct by its troops.The International Criminal Court, established by the international community as a court of last resort, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes. Israel, which is not a member of the court, has long asserted that its legal system is capable of investigating the army, and Netanyahu has accused the ICC of antisemitism.The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas currently holds 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive. Israels offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities. Around 90% of the population is displaced, with hundreds of thousands of people living in tent camps and bombed-out buildings.Frustration has been growing on both sides, with rare public protests against Hamas in Gaza and continued weekly rallies in Israel pressing the government to reach a deal to bring all hostages home.___Follow coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Participants take part in the Corgi Derby at Musselburgh Racecourse as part of its Easter Saturday race day celebration, in Musselburgh, Scotland, Saturday April 19, 2025. (Lesley Martin/PA via AP)2025-04-20T10:43:19Z LONDON (AP) Some of the fastest canines on four very short legs have raced for glory in Scotlands annual Corgi Derby.The Musselburgh Racecourse Corgi Derby was first held in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth IIs 70 years on the throne. The late monarch was a devoted corgi fan who owned almost 30 of the breed over the decades, along with a few dorgis a corgi-dachshund cross. Four-year-old Juno beat a 16-strong field of dashing dogs dressed in bright sweaters over the 230-foot (70-meter) race on Saturday at the racecourse outside Edinburgh. She came from behind in the final stretch to beat last years winner, Rodney.The winner and her owners, Alisdair Tew and Fran Brandon, were presented with a trophy and dog treats by tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of Scottish star Andy Murray.Tew told the BBC that we trained her for this last year but this year we just resorted to just letting her chasing things, particularly seagulls on Edinburghs Portobello Beach. Juno is always ready for treats - that is probably why she won, he said.Elizabeths love of corgis began in 1933 when her father, King George VI, brought home a Pembroke Welsh corgi they named Dookie Corgis were often by Elizabeths side in the decades before her death in September 2022 accompanying her on official tours, reportedly sleeping in their own room at Buckingham Palace and occasionally nipping the ankles of visitors or royal family members.Three corgis even appeared alongside the queen as she climbed into James Bonds waiting helicopter in the spoof video that opened the 2012 London Olympics.

A woman is reflected in a picture as she looks at a makeshift memorial at the scene of a mass shooting at a shopping complex Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)2025-04-20T04:03:39Z DALLAS (AP) The long-running criminal case against a Texas gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack targeting Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019 is on the verge of coming to a close. Patrick Crusius, 26, is expected to plead guilty Monday to capital murder and receive a sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole for the massacre near the U.S.-Mexico border. El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya said last month he was offering Crusius a plea deal and that he wouldnt face the death penalty on the state charge.Crusius has already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences in federal court after pleading guilty in 2023 to hate crime and weapons charges. Under the Biden administration, federal prosecutors also took the death penalty off the table.Crusius is expected to serve his time in a state prison. Crusius initially was arrested by local authorities and will enter the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice if he is sentenced on the state charges, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said.Heres what to know about the deadly attack on Aug. 3, 2019, and its aftermath: The attack Crusius was 21 years old when authorities say he drove for more than 10 hours from his home in suburban Dallas to El Paso and opened fire at the Walmart, which is popular with shoppers from Mexico and the U.S. Prosecutors have said Crusius was wearing earmuffs that muted the sound of gunfire when he began shooting people in the parking lot.He then moved inside the store and continued firing an AK-style rifle, cornering shoppers at a bank near the entrance where nine were killed before shooting at the checkout area and people in aisles.Exiting Walmart, he fired on a passing car, killing an elderly man and wounding his wife.Crusius was apprehended shortly after and confessed to officers who stopped him at an intersection, according to police. Targeting Hispanic shoppers In a posting to an online message board just before the massacre, Crusius, a white, community-college dropout, said the shooting was in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. He said Hispanics were going to take over the government and economy. On social media, he appeared consumed by the nations immigration debate, tweeting #BuildtheWall and posts praising the hard-line border policies of Republican President Donald Trump, who was in his first term at the time.After the shooting, Crusius told officers that he had targeted Mexicans.Joe Spencer, one of Crusius attorneys, on Thursday described Crusius as an individual with a broken brain. Spencer said Crusius has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can be marked by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings. The victimsThe people who were killed ranged in age from a 15-year-old high school athlete to grandparents. They included immigrants and Mexican nationals who had crossed the U.S. border on routine shopping trips.They included Jordan Anchondo and Andre Anchondo, who were killed while shopping with their 2-month-old child, Paul, who survived. Authorities have said Jordan Anchondo shielded the baby from gunfire while her husband shielded them both.Guillermo Memo Garcia and his wife Jessica Coca Garcia were fundraising for their daughters soccer team in the parking lot when they were both shot. She suffered leg wounds but recovered. He died from his injuries nearly nine months after the shooting, raising the death toll to 23.A week after the shooting, Coca Garcia rose from her wheelchair to give a speech across the road from the county jail where Crusius was being held.Racism is something I always wanted to think didnt exist, she said. Obviously, it does. A long-running court caseMontoya said he decided to offer the plea deal because a majority of victims relatives were eager for the case to be resolved. He acknowledged not all the families agreed. Montoya, a Democrat, said he supports the death penalty and believes Crusius deserves it, but the case might not have gone to trial until 2028 if his office had continued seeking the death penalty.When Montoya took office in January, he became the fourth district attorney to oversee the case in nearly six years. One of his predecessors resigned in 2022 under pressure over her handling of the case. He said the pandemic also caused delays. Stephanie Melendez, whose father, David Johnson, died shielding his wife and granddaughter, said she initially wanted Crusius to get the death penalty but as the case dragged on she wanted it to end.I just wanted it to be over, Melendez said. I was done reliving everything. I was done going to court for hours. I was done with the briefings that happened after that would last hours and it was just the same talk over and over again. We were just ready to be done with it all because, honestly, its like reliving the trauma over and over again.

2025-04-20T12:22:32Z MOORE, Okla. (AP) Two people, including a child, have died in Oklahoma flooding as meteorologists warned Sunday of further flooding, thunderstorms and tornadoes from the Midwest to the South.Police in Moore, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, received dozens of reports of high-water incidents over the weekend including two cars stranded in flood waters Saturday evening. One car was swept away under a bridge, and police said they were able to rescue some people, but a woman and 12-year-old boy were found dead.This was a historical weather event that impacted roads and resulted in dozens of high-water incidents across the city, Moore police said in a statement Sunday. Moore has about 63,000 people. The National Weather Service issued flooding and severe thunderstorm warnings in large swaths of Oklahoma as well as portions of Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and southern Illinois amid a storm system from the southern Plains to the Upper Midwest. Meteorologists predicted heavy rainfall and potential tornadoes in Arkansas and Missouri. On Easter Sunday, communities were beginning to assess the damage wreaked by several confirmed tornadoes throughout south central and southeast Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service. A few thousand customers were without power Sunday morning. Bill Macon, Marshall County emergency management director, said their early assessments show a tornado skipped and jumped around over a path of six to seven miles (about 10 to 11 kilometers) in the rural area that left at least 20 homes damaged, some destroyed completely. Macon said people were mostly home when the late night tornado came through, downing huge trees, dozens of electric poles and power lines, but there had not been reports of injuries or fatalities.We take those things pretty serious down here in Oklahoma, Macon said of the NWS warnings. One Oklahoma town that was still recovering from an early March tornado also saw one come through late Saturday. The north side of Ada, home to about 16,000 people, sustained damage that the National Weather Service said was at least an EF1 tornado based on a preliminary survey.In a video posted to Facebook, Jason Keck, Ada director of emergency management, said the tornado seemed to track across the north side of town toward the North Hills Shopping Center, leaving a lot of damage to buildings, power lines and trees.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen speaks to the press in La Libertad, El Salvador, where he arrived regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland and deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)2025-04-20T18:13:50Z NEW YORK (AP) Now, its Chris Van Hollens turn.The mild-mannered Maryland senator has suddenly emerged as a leading figure in the resistance to Donald Trumps norm-busting presidency, becoming the latest in a small but growing collection of Democratic officials testing the strength of their political power in a weakened party with no clear leader.Van Hollens rise follows his decision to travel 2,000 miles to El Salvador last week to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported and federal courts have said should be returned.Van Hollen did not secure the release of the Salvadoran citizen who had been living in Maryland. But simply by meeting with him, in defiance of Trump and his ally El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, Van Hollen created a new sense of hope and momentum for Abrego Garcias family and the anti-Trump resistance. Sen. Van Hollens leadership in this moment is exactly how Democrats should be pushing back against a wannabe dictator like Donald Trump calling for law and order over chaos and adhering to the Constitution instead of a tyrant, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin told The Associated Press. No matter how much Trump tries to act out his dictatorial fantasies, Democrats will always defend democracy when its on the line. Van Hollens emergence in a critical national debate offers a fresh window into the Democratic Partys monthslong leadership carousel as it struggles to counter a series of Trump administration policies with far-reaching consequences, from slashing the federal workforce to stripping funding from universities, pushing back against court orders and launching a trade war thats rattling the global economy. Looking for the face of the Democratic PartyThe Democrats most visible elected leaders, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer, both of New York, have lost the confidence of many progressive activists for not fighting Trump with the urgency or creativity that the moment demands.Ezra Levin, co-founder of the resistance group Indivisible, said the growing protest movement is directed both at Trump and the Schumers of the world, those who want us to roll over and play dead.Courage is impressive and contagious, Levin said, noting that hes hearing a ton of positive feedback for (Van Hollen) among our folks on the ground. He said the reaction is akin to the outpouring of support for Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., earlier in the month.Booker had stepped into the leadership void by delivering a record-breaking 25-hour speech on the Senate floor that briefly served as a rallying point for the frustrated anti-Trump movement. Concerned voters also have packed into rallies hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who have launched a national Stop Oligarchy tour.At the same time, potential 2028 presidential contenders such as Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan have gone the other way by downplaying their Trump criticism at times. Others, including Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Wes Moore of Maryland, have largely avoided stepping into the national debate. I dont think its ever wrong to fight for the constitutional rights of one person, because if we give up on one persons rights we threaten everybodys rights, Van Hollen said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. I think a lot of voters both Republican and Democrat are tired of elected officials and politicians who just put their finger to the wind. And I would say that anyone whos not prepared to stand up and fight for the Constitution doesnt deserve to lead. Critics in both parties go on the attackVan Hollens trip was praised by many on the left, but there was no shortage of detractors even within his own party.Newsom described the Democratic Partys focus on the Abrego Garcia case as the distraction of the day that allows Republicans to avoid tough questions about Trumps tariffs, which have upended global trade and threaten to worsen inflation. Indeed, Republicans have embraced the Abrego Garcia debate. White House border czar Tom Homan called Van Hollens move disgusting. Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller, speaking at the White House, said Van Hollens heart is reserved for an illegal alien whos a member of a foreign terrorist organization.It seems to me that these Democrats are representing the illegal aliens against the very constituents, the U.S. citizens, that theyre supposed to be protecting, said Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., also on CNN.When pressed repeatedly, Emmer did not say whether he backed Trumps suggestion that U.S. citizens convicted of serious crimes could be jailed in other countries such as El Salvador.Abrego Garcia came to the United States illegally in 2013 at 16, but an immigration judge in 2019 granted him legal protection that allowed him to stay and work in the U.S. He has a valid work permit. His wife and their three children are U.S. citizens. The administration insists that Abrego Garcia is a MS-13 gang member, although he has not been charged with any crimes. Van Hollens long pathVan Hollen is no stranger to national politics, although he has perhaps spent as much time shaping the political landscape during his two decades in Congress as fighting on its front lines. Since he joined Congress in 2003, the 66-year-old attorney has done his turn as head of both the House and Senate campaign arms, a rare feat that put him at the center of his partys national political strategy.That said, he has a lower national profile than other Democrats who have stepped into the spotlight in recent months. Van Hollen has never run for president nor hinted he may. Sanders nearly won the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, while Booker ran unsuccessfully for president that year and told the AP recently that he would not rule out another bid. Still, Van Hollen has been especially aggressive against Trump this year. He was a co-host of the first major rally against Trump and Elon Musks cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development, a protest that brought out a dozen members of Congress. Given that so many government agencies and workers live in Maryland, the senator has been a leading advocate against Trumps cuts, including those at NASA, the National Institutes of Health and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among others. On Sunday, he was interviewed on five major new shows.He repeatedly pushed back against questions on allegations about Abrego Garcias gang affiliations. Like Democrats across the country, he tried to cast the debate as not about immigration but about Trumps refusal to follow the law.A federal appeals court issued a blistering order Thursday raising serious constitutional concerns about the Trump administrations behavior.The three-judge panel said the Republican presidents government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order.Van Hollen highlighted those concerns.My whole point here is if you deprive one man of his constitutional rights, you threaten the constitutional rights of everybody, he said on Fox News Sunday. Im not vouching for the individual. Im vouching for his rights under the Constitution.