Eaton fire survivor Dr. Nicole Maccalla, a data scientist and a lead investigator, checks the interior of her home after cleaning and repairs were performed to her smoke damaged residency in Altadena, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2025-04-11T04:05:29Z All sense of survivors guilt was fleeting for those residents whose homes remained standing after wildfires ripped through the Los Angeles area three months ago. Many worried that smoke from the Eaton wildfire that destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 18 people may have carried toxins, including lead, asbestos and heavy metals, into their homes. But they struggled to convince their insurers to test their properties to ensure it was safe to return.Nicole Maccalla, a data scientist, said embers burned more than half of her roof, several windows and eaves were damaged, and her house in Altadena was left filled with ash, debris, soot and damaged appliances. She said her insurance adjuster said USAA would pay for contamination testing, but after choosing a company and coming back with the results, her claim was rejected. The adjuster said the company only covered testing in homes with major damage.Every single item is a battle, said Maccalla. Its denials and appeals and denials and appeals, and you wait weeks and weeks and weeks for responses. Crowdsourcing contamination dataMaccalla and others banded together as Eaton Fire Residents Unite, sharing environmental testing data and compiling the results in an online map. Of 81 homes tested so far for lead, all show elevated levels, according to the group.Ive already had multiple people reach out and say: Thank you for publishing this map because my insurance company has changed their mind and approved testing, said Maccalla, who helped design the data collection to verify results and maintain privacy.Many homeowners paid privately for the testing after their insurance companies refused, revealing gaps in coverage. The group hopes the data will help residents who cant afford it to convince their insurers to cover testing and remediation.If I can prove my community is not fit for human habitation then maybe I can show my home wont be, said Jane Lawton Potelle, founder of Eaton Fire Residents Unite. Its not easy to understand how and when it is safe to return home, Lawton Potelle said. The fine print of insurance policies can be frustrating and confusing, and the government has not stepped in to help.The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has no plans to conduct widespread environmental testing. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is tracking environmental testing largely by academic researchers and a handful from government agencies, but most studies assess outdoor contamination.Toxic air and limited coverageReports from other urban wildfires, in which building materials, appliances, cars and more burn at incredibly high temperatures, show increased levels of heavy metals including lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzene that are tied to negative health risks. But insurance companies havent standardized testing for those contaminants.Home insurance broadly covers fire damage, but there is a growing dispute over what damage must be covered when flames dont torch the property.California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara released a bulletin in March that put the onus on companies to properly investigate reported smoke damage, saying they cannot deny such claims without investigating thoroughly, including paying for professional testing as warranted. But many residents have been left to fight for coverage anyway. Janet Ruiz, spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute that represents many major insurance companies, said its hard to compare neighbors because every claim is unique due to each homes physical structure, actual damage and defined insurance coverage limits.It can vary and insurance companies are sensitive to what the claim is, Ruiz said. You have to work with your insurance companies and be reasonable about what may have happened.Dave Jones, director of the Climate Risk Initiative at University of California, Berkeley, and former state insurance commissioner, said testing should be covered even though some insurance companies disagree. Its perfectly reasonable for people to have some kind of environmental test done so that their home is safe and their property is safe, Jones said. Were talking about very catastrophically high temperature fires where all sorts of materials are melted and some of them become toxic. State plan strugglesThe states insurer of last resort, known as the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, has been scrutinized for years over how it handles smoke damage claims. A 2017 change to the FAIR Plan limited coverage to permanent physical changes, meaning smoke damage must be visible or detectable without lab testing for claims to be approved. State officials said that threshold was too high and illegal, and ordered a change.Dylan Schaffer, an attorney leading a class action lawsuit challenging FAIR Plans threshold, said he was surprised private carriers are disputing similar fire damage claims.The damage is not due to smoke, the damage is contamination from fire, Schaffer said. They make it complicated because it saves them money.Meanwhile, Altadena residents on the FAIR Plan say their claims are still being denied. Jones believes the debate will only end when lawmakers take action.FAIR Plan spokeswoman Hilary McLean declined to comment on the ongoing litigation and individual cases, but said the FAIR Plan pays all covered claims based on the adjusters recommendations.Our policy, like many others, requires direct physical loss for there to be coverage, McLean said. Worries over kids safetyLawton Potelle said the first inkling that her house might be toxic came after meeting with her AAA insurance adjuster in the days after the fire. Even though she had worn a mask, her chest still ached and her voice rasped, and she wondered whether her home was safe for her 11-year-old. Stephanie Wilcox said her toddlers pediatrician recommended testing their home. Her Farmers Insurance policy includes coverage for lead and asbestos in addition to her wildfire coverage, but after multiple denials, she paid out of pocket. After the initial inspection, (Farmers) had told us remediation would cost about $12,000 and that it would be habitable, like we could move back in tomorrow, she said. But now theres no way.She plans to ask for a new estimate including lead abatement and other costs, citing the results.Similarly, Zach Bailey asked in late January for contamination testing. The house he shares with his wife and toddler sits in an island of largely spared homes among blocks wiped out by the fire. After months of denials, State Farm agreed to pay for lead and asbestos testing because the remediation company cited federal worker safety regulations.It shouldnt have been that hard, he said.It feels like the insurance companies should have a playbook at this point, he said. They should have a process to keep people safe because this isnt the first disaster like this. SALLY HO Ho is an investigative and business news reporter for The Associated Press. Shes filed public records requests in all 50 U.S. states and covered a range of major world events. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08877-4A study of retrotransposon activity repurposes a retroelement called R2Tocc to create a programmable system called STITCHR that enables diverse genome edits including efficient, scarless large payload insertions.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08780-yArchaeological discoveries from Malta suggest that humans were present on the Maltese islands from around 8,500 years ago, providing evidence that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers made sea crossings as long as 100km.

Owen Michaels's double-overtime goal sent Western Michigan to the Frozen Four title game, where it will face Boston University on Saturday night.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant, recently fined for mimicking pointing a long gun after a 3-pointer, said mimicking a grenade toss was "my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I'll find another one."

Livestock traders display their wares at a busy market town of Sangi, in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-04-11T04:14:20Z Before he was a rebel, Asres Mare Damte was a lawyer. Today he fights for the Fano, a loose collection of groups taking on Ethiopias military in one of its most populous and powerful regions.The conflict in Amhara has simmered largely out of sight, with access limited by authorities and insecurity. But a rare interview with Asres, deputy of an influential Fano faction, and others on the ground give a sense of its impact.Ethiopias federal government has long been challenged to hold together a potent mix of ethnic groups and interests. Sometimes, as recently in the Tigray region, it explodes into war.The Amhara, Ethiopias second-largest ethnic group, once dominated national politics. Many among the rebels want to see them in power again. But they also claim the Amhara are under attack, citing ethnic-based violence in parts of Ethiopia where they are a minority. The extent of the Amhara fighting has been difficult to measure since the Fano emerged during anti-government protests in 2016.Alliances in Ethiopia can be shifting. During the Tigray conflict, the Fano fought alongside Ethiopian forces. Afterward, angered by certain terms of the peace deal, the rebels turned against the federal government once again. Before taking up arms, Asres said he coordinated peaceful demonstrations to protest the killing of Amharas. He was arrested twice and fled in 2022 after a third warrant was issued. These days, he and fellow fighters live in fear of drone strikes by Ethiopian forces. He makes bullish, unverified claims.We have fought thousands of battles, he told The Associated Press from Amharas Gojjam area, which has seen some of the heaviest battles. He claimed that the Fano control over 80% of Amhara, a mountainous region of over 22 million people, and has captured many enemy troops.In a statement last month, Amharas deputy head of security said the government had freed 2,225 of Amharas 4,174 subdistricts. It was not clear how many more were under Fano control. Fighting has escalated since mid-March, with the Fano launching an offensive across Amhara. The military has claimed it crushed the offensive and killed 300 Fano fighters, but reports of clashes persist.Amharas large population has long created pressure to expand, and the ethnic group has claimed the western part of Tigray. The Fano and Amhara regional forces seized it during the Tigray conflict, but they were left out of peace negotiations. They were angered to learn that western Tigrays fate might be left up to a referendum, which has not been held.It is not a genuine peace, Asres said.After several months of small-scale skirmishes, Amhara saw open rebellion in July 2023, when Fano groups launched a coordinated offensive and briefly seized control of several towns.They retreated to the countryside and have waged a hit-and-run guerrilla campaign since then, setting up checkpoints on key roads and often entering major urban areas.One week youre ruled by one, one week youre ruled by the other, said a mother of three in the southern town of Debre Markos, referring to the rebels and Ethiopias military. She spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The monitoring group ACLED recorded 270 battles between Fano and government forces between Oct. 27 of last year and Jan. 31, as well as over a dozen attacks targeting health facilities and doctors in Amhara since last April.Residents and observers say some local officials have fled their posts for fear of assassination, while police struggle to maintain control.The regional education office says over 3,600 schools across Amhara are closed, with many looted or damaged, depriving 4.5 million children of schooling. The government said 2.3 million people needed food aid in 2024, many in hard-to-reach areas.You cant travel from one city to another safely. Work has stopped, said Tadesse Gete, a barber based in Ethiopias capital, Addis Ababa, but from North Gondar, one of the fightings hot spots. He said his family fled for safety. Rights groups have accused Ethiopias military of abuses including extrajudicial killings, drone strikes against civilians and enforced disappearances of alleged Fano sympathizers. Human Rights Watch last year said it had documented attacks by Ethiopian soldiers and allied militias in at least 13 Amhara towns since August 2023.The bloodiest known episode was in February 2024 in Merawi, 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Amharas regional capital, when Ethiopian troops went door-to-door rounding up and executing civilians following a Fano attack, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The state-appointed human rights commission said at least 45 civilians were killed.The Ethiopian authorities have taken no meaningful steps to hold perpetrators accountable, said Haimanot Bejiga, a researcher for Amnesty International. A government spokesperson denied the allegations at the time, saying not only would civilians never be targeted, even surrendering combatants would not be killed.On March 31, soldiers rounded up and killed civilians in the town of Brakat after clashing with local forces, two witnesses told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.One described seeing soldiers killing four women. They ordered them to kneel down and they shot them from behind, he said. After the soldiers left that area, I counted 28 dead bodies.The government has restricted access to Brakat and has not commented.The government did not respond to AP questions. It has accused the Fano of terrorizing the people. But it has also formed regional peace councils, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last year said his government had been in talks for a while with Fano groups.They have not made significant progress. Abiy has said the rebels diffuse structure and lack of a coherent leadership has made negotiating difficult.The Fano continues to draw recruits from disillusioned Amhara youth and from soldiers deserting the military. They include 25-year-old Andrag Challe, who believes that joining the rebellion is the only way to protect the Amhara and bring political change to Ethiopia.The military serves the interests of the ruling party, not the people, he said.

Goalkeeper Brayan Cortes of Chile's Colo Colo confronts fans who invaded the field during a Copa Libertadores Group E soccer match against Brazil's Fortaleza at the Monumental stadium in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)2025-04-11T05:14:10Z SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) Two fans died on Thursday before the start of a Copa Libertadores match between the host Colo Colo and Fortaleza of Brazil near Santiagos estadio Monumental, a local prosecutor said.According to authorities, a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium and tore down one of the venues protective fences. The victims were reportedly trapped beneath them.The match was later suspended in the 70th minute due to unruly fans, although it was not immediately clear if it was related to the earlier deaths.The Eastern Flagrancy Prosecutor, Francisco Morales said that a group of fans tried to access the estadio Monumental through the Casa Alba, a building adjacent to the venue and the police tried to prevent them from entering.A stampede ensued, resulting in the collapse of a fence, added Morales. We are currently investigating whether a police vehicle was involved in the death.Authorities said one of the persons died at the scene and the other at a nearby medical clinic. Match later suspendedLater, the match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza was suspended at the 70-minute mark, with the score level at 0-0, when a group of local fans started a protest by throwing objects onto the pitch. It was unclear whether the protests were related to the fan deaths before the match.The Fortaleza players ran for cover in the locker room, while the Colo Colo players, led by captain Esteban Pavez and Arturo Vidal, tried to calm the fans.The refereeing team, led by Uruguayan Gustavo Tejera, informed the players that the match had been stopped, and all the players went to the locker room. Later, it was announced that the match was officially suspended.CONMEBOL deeply regrets the death of two fans near the estadio Monumental before the start of the match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza, said the governing body of soccer in South America. We express our sincere condolences to their families and loved ones. ___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08660-5Neural Decomposition (NEURD) is a software package that decomposes neuronal data from high-resolution electron microscopy volumes into feature-rich graph representations to facilitate analysis for neuroscience research.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08816-3Complete sequences of chromosomes telomere-to-telomere from chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang provide a comprehensive and valuable resource for future evolutionary comparisons.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has signed a contract extension, ending months-long uncertainty over his future at Anfield, the club have announced.

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Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08844-zA large-scale analysis of DNA-bound transcription factors (TFs) shows how the presence of DNA markedly affects the landscape of TF interactions, and identifies composite motifs that are recognized by complexes of TFs rather than by individual ones.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08868-5Parvalbumin-positive interneurons in the hippocampal CA3 substantially reduce firing on approach to and at goal locations while food-deprived mice learn to find food.

The United States landed in Group D alongside Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Saudi Arabia in Thursday's Concacaf Gold Cup draw, while champions Mexico were placed into Group A with Costa Rica, Suriname, and Dominican Republic.

Ruben Amorim says he remains "really confident" in Andr Onana despite the goalkeeper's two blunders costing Manchester United a crucial Europa League victory against Lyon on Wednesday.

An aerial view of new cars waiting for shipment at a pier for ro-ro ships in Yantai city in eastern China's Shandong province Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT2025-04-11T08:19:59Z BEIJING (AP) China announced countermeasures on Friday, raising tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% starting Saturday. The U.S. and China have escalated trade war by raising tariffs even as U.S. President Donald Trump hit a pause on tariffs for other countries. Trumps universal tariffs on China total 145%. When Trump announced Wednesday that China faced 125% tariffs, he did not include a 20% tariff on China tied to its role in fentanyl production.The U.S. alternately raising abnormally high tariffs on China has become a numbers game, which has no practical economic significance, and will become a joke in the history of the world economy, a Commerce Ministry spokesman said in a statement announcing the countermeasure. However, if the US insists on continuing to substantially infringe on Chinas interests, China will resolutely counter and fight to the end.Chinas Commerce Ministry said it was filing another lawsuit with the World Trade Organization on the raising of U.S. tariffs. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Lt. Gen. John Caine (Retired), testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to examine his nomination to be promoted to general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-04-11T06:41:36Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Razin Caine to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, filling the position almost two months after President Donald Trump fired his predecessor. Trump nominated Caine to become the top U.S. military officer in February after abruptly firing Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the second Black general to serve as chairman, as part of his administrations campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks. The Senate confirmed Caine 60-25 in an overnight vote before heading home for a two-week recess.Caine is a decorated F-16 combat pilot who served in leadership in multiple special operations commands, in some of the Pentagons most classified programs and in the CIA. He does not meet prerequisites for the job set out in a 1986 law, such as being a combatant commander or service chief. But those requirements can be waived by the president if there is a determination that such action is necessary in the national interest. Caines confirmation in the middle of the night, just before the Senate left town, comes as Republicans have been quickly advancing Trumps nominees and as Democrats have been trying to delay the process and show that they are fighting Trumps policies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., set up the early morning vote after Democrats objected to speeding up procedural votes on the nomination. Still, Caine was confirmed with some bipartisan support. At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Caine said he would be candid in his advice to Trump and vowed to be apolitical. He disputed Trumps story that Caine wore a Make America Great Again hat when the two first met. I have never worn any political merchandise, he said. Caine was asked how he would react if ordered to direct the military to do something potentially illegal, such as being used against civilians in domestic law enforcement. Will you stand up and push back? Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked. Senator, I think thats the duty and the job that I have, yes, Caine said.Trumps relationship with Caine dates to his first administration. They met during a trip to Iraq, as Trump recounted in a 2019 speech. He has said Caine is a real general, not a television general. During his first term, Trumps relationship with then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley soured as Milley pushed back and took steps to try to prevent what he saw as an attempt to politicize the office. He would remind military service members that they took an oath to the Constitution, not to a president. Within hours of Trumps inauguration in January, Milleys portrait as chairman of the Joint Chiefs was removed from the Pentagon. Milleys security clearance and security detail also were revoked. ___Associated Press writers Lolita Baldor and Tara Copp contributed to this report.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08684-xTreatment of supported ceria nanoparticles at high temperature in gasoline vehicle exhaust/steam results in their dispersion into atomically thin oxide domains with enhanced oxygen mobility and storage capacity.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07780-8Using volumetric electron microscopy, the authors map and analyze the structure of cortical inhibition with synaptic resolution across a column of visual cortex.

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Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrives for a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)2025-04-11T05:57:54Z BRUSSELS (AP) Britain on Friday announced a surge of military support to Ukraine, as the war-ravaged countrys Western backers gathered at NATO headquarters to drum up more weapons and ammunition to help Kyiv fight off Russias invasion.Britain said that in a joint effort with Norway just over $580 million would be spent to provide hundreds of thousands of military drones, radar systems and anti-tank mines, as well as repair and maintenance contracts to keep Ukrainian armored vehicles on the battlefield.On the eve of the meeting in Brussels, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said a key issue was strengthening his countrys air defenses. Ukraine needs a sufficient number of modern systems like Patriot missile systems, he said in a post on social media.A political decision is needed to supply these systems to protect our cities, towns, and the lives of our people especially from the threat of Russian ballistic weapons. Our partners have such available systems, Umerov said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed his appeals for more Patriot systems since 20 people were killed a week ago, including nine children, when a Russian missile tore through apartment buildings and blasted a playground in his home town. Ukraine needs at the very least 10 systems that are sufficiently effective specifically against Russian ballistic missiles, and this is where Patriots are second to none, he said on his Telegram channel ahead of the meeting. We are counting on decisions. Russian forces hold the advantage in Ukraine, with the war now in its fourth year. Ukraine has endorsed a U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Russia has effectively rejected it by imposing far-reaching conditions.The delay in accepting Washingtons proposal has frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump and fueled doubts about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin really wants to stop the fighting while his bigger army has momentum on the battlefield. Russia continues to use bilateral talks with the United States to delay negotiations about the war in Ukraine, suggesting that the Kremlin remains uninterested in serious peace negotiations to end the war, the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said in an assessment late Thursday.Ukrainian officials and military analysts believe Russia is preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in coming weeks to ramp up pressure and strengthen the Kremlins hand in the negotiations.German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that his country would provide Ukraine with four IRIS-T short- to medium-range systems with missiles, as well as 30 missiles for use on Patriot batteries.Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that his country is monitoring the world armaments market and sees opportunities for Ukraines backers to buy more weapons and ammunition.Pevkur said he believes Putin might try to reach some kind of settlement with Ukraine by May 9 the day that Russia marks victory during World War II making it even more vital to strengthen Kyivs position now. This is why we need to speed up the deliveries as quickly as we can, he said.Fridays meeting is the 27th gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Its being chaired by Britain and Germany. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be absent from a forum that the United States created and led for several years, although he was due to take part via video.Hegseth spent the first part of this week in Panama and returned to Washington on Wednesday night.At the last contact group meeting in February, Hegseth warned Ukraines European backers that the U.S. now has priorities elsewhere in Asia and on Americas own borders and that they would have to take care of their own security, and that of Ukraine, in future.Asked about the U.S. stepping back from its leadership role on Ukraine, Pistorius declined to comment, saying only that its a decision of the new administration in Washington.We are here to take over the lead, he told reporters, and we are willing and determined to do that with full responsibility and together with our allies.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08870-xAn estimate of water abundance in the lunar mantle indicates that the farside mantle is potentially drier than its nearside counterpart.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08856-9An activator of DNA polymerase restores function to disease-causing mutant variants and demonstrates a potential route to treatments for inherited mitochondrial disorders involving POLG mutations.

IndyCar is living the dream of Monaco in Southern California as Long Beach celebrates 50 years of "the race."

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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., left, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., make statements to reporters ahead of vote in the House to pass a bill on President Donald Trump's top domestic priorities of spending reductions and tax breaks, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-04-11T04:10:57Z WASHINGTON (AP) Republicans narrowly got their budget plan over the finish line. Now comes the hard part.The resolution adopted this week was only a first step that allows Republicans to draft legislation that they can push through Congress without Democratic support. Next, they begin crafting a final bill with enough spending cuts to satisfy those on the right while not jeopardizing the reelection prospects of more vulnerable lawmakers whose constituents rely on key safety net programs.With thin majorities in the House and the Senate, Republicans can afford to lose hardly any votes from their side of the aisle as they draft legislation, giving each lawmaker leverage over the process. Its going to take all of us to get it done, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.The road ahead is daunting.Republicans are determined to extend the individual tax cuts that were approved during President Donald Trumps first term before they expire at years end. But they intend for the legislation to do far more than that, potentially enacting a host of tax reductions that Trump promised during the campaign, such as no income tax on tips and overtime. And the tax cuts are only half the equation. Conservatives in the House gave the budget plan the final votes needed for passage Thursday after they said they received assurances from leadership in both chambers that they would work to have a final product with at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts forcing changes to federal programs including Medicaid that could prove hard for some in the party to support. The struggles Republicans have faced so far are only a glimmer of whats to come, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, senses a difficult fight for Republicans. He said Trump has made clear he doesnt want any benefit cuts for those who get health insurance coverage through Medicaid, which could conflict with the desire some conservatives have for steep spending cuts. If its this rocky now, its only going to get worse from here on out if the speaker is not able to get the entire conference in line, Miller said.Democrats have framed the debate as Republicans looking to slash key government programs so they can pass tax cuts that predominately help wealthier households. Its a message Democrats will hammer home leading up to the 2026 midterm elections.At this point, theyre all worried about primaries and they are worried about Elons money, but they ought to be worried about a general election as well, said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., referring to Trumps billionaire ally and adviser, Elon Musk. I think its going to be very difficult for a moderate Republican, if theres still any left, to be able to vote for this and go home and defend it.Some Republicans also made clear to GOP leadership before Thursdays budget vote that they will be closely monitoring the changes to Medicaid in the final bill.This was just making sure that there is a clear understanding here that there are a group of members that will not cut benefits from seniors and our most vulnerable New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid, said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is up for reelection next year, said shes also made her position known to leadership.I could not make my position on Medicaid cuts clearer, she said. I am not going to support cuts that affect low-income families, disabled individuals, low-income seniors, rural hospitals.Republicans say their focus is on instilling work requirements for able-bodied beneficiaries and more rigorous eligibility assessments. But Democrats say Republicans cant generate the savings being discussed without also cutting benefits.Meanwhile, Republicans see extending the individual and estate tax cuts passed in Trumps first term as key to their electoral success next year. The House Ways and Means Committee says a family of four making $80,610 a year, the median income in the United States, would see a $1,695 tax increase if the tax cuts are not extended. Republicans spent the last few years blaming President Joe Bidens administration for increasing the debt, and a key test will be how many keep that focus as they seek to extend and expand tax cuts. A recent estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation projects that extending the 2017 tax breaks will add $5.5 trillion over the next decade when including interest, and $4.6 trillion not including interest. On top of that, adding Trumps campaign promises would swell the price tag to $7 trillion.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said hell advocate for splitting the measure into two reconciliation bills if Republicans take too long to get to a final product. Im going to say break it apart, because they need money for the border yesterday and they also need money for DoD, Graham said, referring to the Department of Defense. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he looked forward to the challenge and there was a lot of work ahead. The American people are counting on us, Johnson said.Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said hes confident a final bill will pass with the House winning the most important tussles on the scope of taxes and spending cuts.I will bet you they will fold rather than inflict the largest tax increase in American history on their voters, Cole said of the Senate. And two-thirds of them, with all due respect, arent on the ballot next time. ... Whereas everyone here is on the line. And our majority is much more on the line that their majority is.Associated Press staff writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Nature, Published online: 11 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08911-5Author Correction: Sulfide-rich continental roots at cratonic margins formed by carbonated melts

Nature, Published online: 10 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01196-8How we can reduce our dogs' surprisingly large environmental footprint. Plus, the most detailed wiring diagram of a mammalian brain to date and the complete sequenced genomes of not one, but six ape species.

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Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08771-zA genome-wide association study meta-analysis combined with multiomics data of osteoarthritis identifies 700 effector genes as well as biological processes with a convergent involvement of multiple effector genes; 10% of these genes express the target of approved drugs.

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Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates drafted their own rosters of 2025 draft prospects. Check out all 40 picks -- and vote on the winner.

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, listens to head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)2025-04-11T11:52:02Z MUSCAT, Oman (AP) Once again, some of the highest stakes in Middle East geopolitics will be discussed in this quiet coastal city without skyscrapers. Here in Muscat, the capital of Oman nestled against the sheer stone heights of the Hajar Mountains, Iran and the United States will meet for talks over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program for the time time since President Donald Trump began his second term. No agreement is immediately likely, but the stakes of the negotiations couldnt be higher for these two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Irans nuclear program if a deal isnt reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. And at the center is Oman, one of the worlds last sultanates on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Its unique history, people and proximity to Iran have made it indispensable for the West as it has held discussion after discussion for Iran. But these latest talks suddenly announced by Trump in the Oval Office just days earlier have put Oman firmly into a spotlight it otherwise seeks to avoid. The Omanis have a lot of experience when it comes to playing this back-channel role, said Giorgio Cafiero, the CEO and founder of the Washington-based risk analysis firm Gulf State Analytics. I think that right now in this day and age of Trump 2.0, the stakes are really high and its important for us to understand the value of Oman being a diplomatic bridge. Omanibalancing in an unsettled MideastOman, home to 5.2 million people across an arid country just larger than Italy, stands out among the Gulf Arab states. Its oil and gas wealth is marginal by comparison, and its citizens outnumber its population of foreign workers. Omanis can be found working normal jobs from taxi cabs to offices. And its people are Ibadi Muslims, a more liberal offshoot of Islam predating the Sunni-Shiite split. They occupy a strategic location along the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil passes. And Oman is a former empire whose seafaring rule once stretched all the way down to the island of Zanzibar off Africa. That history extends into how it deals with the wider world, said Marc J. OReilly, a history professor at Heidelberg University in Ohio.It is a path OReilly referred to as Omanibalacing over 25 years ago and one that still works today for the sultanate after the 2020 death of its longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the installation of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq. Oman is the master of quiet diplomacy, OReilly said. I think they are proud of that, the Omanis, they know thats their reputation. That has been tested in recent years, however. Oman maintains diplomatic ties to Yemens Houthi rebels, now being bombed in an intense airstrike campaign by the Trump administration. Omans ties to Iran, cemented when Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi sent troops in the 1970s to help put down the Dhofar Rebellion in the country, have been maintained since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. America has relied on Oman for years to negotiate with Iran, including secret talks under President Barack Obama that led to the 2015 nuclear deal Iran had with world powers.Certainly, I think they are, I think on the whole, very easy to deal with in a region where that is not the norm, OReilly said. The challenge aheadThis round of talks is unlike those that came before. The first challenge Oman faces is just how public they are. Muscat typically relies on discretion in how they handle diplomatic relations, a holdover from an earlier age of Gulf Arab rule. Their neighbors today in comparison go relatively public with their diplomacy like Qatars role in negotiations with Afghanistans Taliban, Saudi Arabia hosting the Russia-U.S. talks and the United Arab Emirates just mediating a Russia-U.S. prisoner swap. So far, Omans state-run media, which dominates the sultanate, has remained silent about Saturdays talks. Oman typically prefers not making too many headlines, Cafiero said. Oman prefers diplomacy thats not at the forefront of the news but is still effective. Then theres the expectations of the two sides. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintains the negotiations will begin as indirect talks, likely with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi passing messages between Tehran and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump has maintained the talks will be direct. While not a major roadblock, it signals the challenge the negotiations face particularly after years of indirect talks during the Biden administration went nowhere. And while the U.S. side can offer sanctions relief for Irans beleaguered economy, it remains unclear just how much Iran will be willing to concede. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, Tehrans stockpile could allow it to build multiple nuclear weapons if it so chooses and it has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Judging from negotiations since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018, Iran will likely ask to keep enriching uranium up to at least 20%. One thing it wont do is give up its program entirely. That makes the proposal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a so-called Libyan solution you go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution unworkable. Iranians including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have held up what ultimately happened to the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed with his own gun by rebels in the countrys 2011 Arab Spring uprising, as a warning about what can happen when you trust the United States. Already, a top adviser for Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, has warned what could happen if the U.S. continues to threaten Tehran, including Iran expelling inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency and ending cooperation with the U.N. watchdog. The transfer of enriched material to a secure location could also be considered, he added, opening the door again to Iran having secret, undeclared nuclear sites as it did when the crisis over its program began over 20 years ago. But Majid Takht-e Ravanch, a deputy Iranian foreign minister, offered a more positive note Friday. If the American side refrains from raising unrelated issues and demands and abandons threats and intimidation there is a good opportunity to reach an agreement, Takht-e Ravanch said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. ___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

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2025-04-11T12:33:39Z GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A federal judge directed the Trump administration to take all available steps to facilitate the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious El Salvador prison and set a status conference in the case for Friday.U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis order comes after the U.S. Supreme Courtsaid Thursday that the Trump administration must work to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, rejecting the administrations emergency appeal of her April 4 order for his return. The Salvadoran citizen had an immigration court order preventing his deportation to his native country over fears he would face persecution from local gangs.Acting on the heels of the Supreme Court ruling, Xinis directed the administration to file by Friday morning a declaration addressing Abrego Garcias location and custodial status and what steps the administration has taken and will take to facilitate his return. An in-person status conference was set for Friday afternoon. The Supreme Court has issued a string of rulings on its emergency docket, where the conservative majority has at least partially sided with Trump amid a wave of lower court orders slowing the presidents sweeping agenda. In Thursdays case, the court said Xinis order must be clarified to make sure it doesnt intrude into executive branch power over foreign affairs, since Abrego Garcia is being held abroad. The order properly requires the Government to facilitate Abrego Garcias release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador, the court said in an unsigned order with no noted dissents. The administration claims Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, though he has never been charged with or convicted of a crime. His attorneys said there is no evidence he was in MS-13. The administration has conceded that it made a mistake in sending him to El Salvador, but argued that it no longer could do anything about it. The courts liberal justices said the administration should have hastened to correct its egregious error and was plainly wrong to suggest it could not bring him home. Abrego Garcias wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, said the ordeal has been an emotional rollercoaster for their family and the entire community. I am anxiously waiting for Kilmar to be here in my arms, and in our home putting our children to bed, knowing this nightmare is almost at its end. I will continue fighting until my husband is home, she said. Xinis April 4 order said the governments decision to arrest Abrego Garcia and send him to El Salvador appeared to be wholly lawless.There is little to no evidence to support a vague, uncorroborated allegation that Abrego Garcia was once in the MS-13 street gang, the judge wrote.The 29-year-old was detained by immigration agents and deported last month. He had a permit from the Homeland Security Department to legally work in the U.S. and was a sheet metal apprentice pursuing a journeyman license, his attorney said. His wife is a U.S. citizen.

With less than a week left in the regular season, Denver fired its head coach and GM, ending a yearslong cold war, and risking the NBA's most precious commodity: the prime of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted on Friday that he knew for a while that Mohamed Salah's contract talks were heading in the "right direction."

Esteban Gast performs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)2025-04-11T13:41:30Z BURBANK, Calif. (AP) Esteban Gast remembered feeling ashamed in high school while calculating how much carbon dioxide, the main driver of climate change, his daily activities created, known as a carbon footprint. Have you ever driven a car or flown in an airplane? were among the long list of questions posed by the calculator. Gast, who said his Catholic guilt compelled him to keep adding activities to the calculator, thus raising his footprint, recently told the story during a show at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, Calif. Then he hit the crowd with a twist: It was the oil and gas giant BP that popularized the idea of tracking individual emissions to shift the responsibility for climate change from companies that produce oil, gas and coal to people. Thats like your friend who is addicted to cocaine telling you not to have a latte, he said. The audience roared with laughter. A light with the name Flappers Comedy is visible as Ashley Brooke Roberts performs during Stand Up For Climate on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A light with the name Flappers Comedy is visible as Ashley Brooke Roberts performs during Stand Up For Climate on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Esteban Gast laughs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Esteban Gast laughs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Gast continued: BP, famous for spilling oil into the Gulf of Mexico, was like, Hey, Esteban, do you ever drive? And Im like, I dont know, sometimes. And theyre just like pouring oil into a turtles mouth. Gast is among a growing group of comedians using humor to raise awareness of climate change. On the stage, online and in classrooms, they tell jokes to tackle topics such as a major U.S. climate law passed in 2022, called the Inflation Reduction Act, fossil fuel industries and convey information about the benefits of plant-based diets that emit less planet-warming emissions. They hope to educate people about the climate crisis, relieve anxiety with laughter and provide hope. And although the impacts of climate change are deadly and devastating, experts say using humor to talk climate is an important part of the larger ecosystem of how its communicated. Comedian Brad Einstein thinks of it this way: How do we look that horror in the eyes and let it look back at us and then give it a little wink? Raising awareness From left, Kaycee Conlee, Ashley Brooke Roberts and emcee Corinna Yee prepare before Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) From left, Kaycee Conlee, Ashley Brooke Roberts and emcee Corinna Yee prepare before Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In Rasheda Crocketts YouTube comedy series Might Could, the actor-comedian blends humor with information about climate change. In one video, she quips about the environmental benefits of plant-based diets while begging food scientists to make vegan cheese that actually melts. Im now requesting all vegans who care about the planet to make melting vegan cheese their number one priority, she quipped. Because thats whats going to make veganism more viable. Its the change we have to cheese.Her interest in writing climate humor is also deeply personal. As a Black woman, she knows that global warming disproportionately hurts Black and other non-white communities. Ashley Brooke Roberts performs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Ashley Brooke Roberts performs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More This is just another instance where people of color are going to be adversely impacted first by a disaster, said Crockett, a 2023 fellow in the Climate Comedy Cohort, a program Gast co-founded that brings together climate experts and comedians. The Earth is warming up like the inside of a Hot Pocket ... and I just want people to care.Surveys show that many people do. A 2023 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 64% of U.S. adults said theyd recently experienced extreme weather and believed it was caused at least partially by climate change. And about 65% said that climate change will have or already has had a big impact in their lifetime. Humor can bridge the gap between the technical world of climate science and policy and the average person, Gast said. And he thinks comedians are among the unlikely messengers who can do that. We need someone talking about science, and then we need someone who doesnt even mention science and just mentions a dope sunset for surfers, he said. Comedy as a salve Comedians have long used jokes to raise awareness of serious problems, and climate change is becoming no exception. There is a growing group of them using humor to tackle the tough topic and relieve anxiety with laughter. (AP video by Brittany Peterson) At the University of Colorado in Boulder, climate comedy is a longtime tradition. For the past 13 years, professors Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke and Maxwell Boykoff have taught a creative climate communication course on how information about climate issues and solutions can be conveyed creatively. Sometimes they work on their own sketch comedy or standup they later perform at the annual Stand Up for Climate Comedy. Its the kind of event the professors help encourage elsewhere, including the show Gast performed at. Several years ago, the professors decided to use their students and event attendees as case studies to learn about the effects of merging climate information with comedy. Among their findings were that climate comedy increased peoples awareness of and engagement with the issue and reduced their climate anxiety. Professor Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke speaks with students during a creative climate communication class Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Professor Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke speaks with students during a creative climate communication class Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Numerous other studies have also shown that humor reduces stress, depression and anxiety. One study from 2021 found that humor helped people remember political information and made it likelier theyd share it with others.You cant just stack up all the IPCC reports and hope that people get it, said Boykoff, an environmental studies professor, referencing the United Nations scientific papers on global climate impacts. You got to find these creative spaces.Theater professor Osnes-Stoedefalke said humor also has the power to exploit cracks in bad arguments and draw nuance from them. But perhaps more important, it can give people hope. Climate comedy helped give this feeling of constructive hope, she said, and without hope, action doesnt make sense. Making sense of the moment Audience members laugh during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Audience members laugh during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Climate can also be used to reflect on the politics of anything given time. Bianca Calderon, a masters student in environmental policy and renewable energy, is taking the creative climate communications class, where shes writing a standup bit about grant proposals. In the piece, she realizes she needs to rewrite her grant summary to omit words like diversity, community and clean energy to comply with the Trump administrations directives. But theres a big problem: Shes seeking federal funding for research on engaging diverse communities and getting them into the clean energy job market. At the end of it, its like, Oh, I actually dont have any words to use because none of them are allowed, she said, adding that the piece is based on her actual experience applying for funding. Kaycee Conlee performs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Kaycee Conlee performs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Einstein, the comedian and a two-time National Park Service artist-in-residence, is also using humor to talk about the administrations actions. Using a pine cone as a microphone, Einstein has been posting social media videos about the recent mass layoffs of park service employees. The online response is unlike anything hes ever received on the internet, he said. We need an informed citizenry that can can critique the messaging coming to them, said Osnes-Stoedefalke. And I think comedy can achieve that in a way that no others can, in a way that holds peoples attention.___The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. DORANY PINEDA Pineda writes about water, climate and the environment in Latino communities across the U.S. twitter

A crane vessel lifts the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)2025-04-11T13:30:09Z NEW YORK (AP) A family from Spain was about to celebrate the ninth birthday of one of their children when their sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey, killing all six people aboard in the latest U.S. aviation disaster, officials said Friday.Authorities including the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating Thursdays mid-afternoon crash. No new information on the possible cause was released Friday morning.The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merc Camprub Montal, a global manager at an energy technology company, and three children, in addition to the pilot, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press. The person could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The pilot also died. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the children were 4, 8 and 10 years old, and the 8-year-olds birthday was Friday.So this is probably part of the normal tourist attraction of seeing the city from the skyline, Adams told Fox 5 New York. But its just a real unfortunate situation. And our heart goes out to the family members. Escobar was in the New York area on business and his family flew in to to extend the trip a few days, said Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, in a post on the social platform X. He said a relative was expected to arrive Friday and officials were working with the medical examiner to release the bodies for transport back to Spain. Fulop also said dive teams were expected to return to the river Friday to continue the search for major parts of the helicopter.Photos posted on the helicopter companys website showed the couple and their children smiling as they boarded just before the flight took off.The flight departed a downtown heliport around 3 p.m. and lasted less than 18 minutes. Radar data shows it flew north along the Manhattan skyline and then back south toward the Statue of Liberty.Video of the crash showed parts of the aircraft tumbling through the air into the water near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey. Witnesses describe the helicopters plunge into the HudsonA witness there, Bruce Wall, said he saw it falling apart in midair, with the tail and main rotor coming off. The main rotor was still spinning without the helicopter as it fell.Dani Horbiak was at her Jersey City home when she heard what sounded like several gunshots in a row, almost, in the air. She looked out her window and saw the chopper splash in several pieces into the river.The helicopter was spinning uncontrollably with a bunch of smoke coming out before it slammed into the water, said Lesly Camacho, a hostess at a restaurant along the river in Hoboken, New Jersey.Rescue boats circled the submerged aircraft within minutes of impact near the end of a long maintenance pier for a ventilation tower serving the Holland Tunnel. Recovery crews hoisted the mangled helicopter out of the water just after 8 p.m. using a floating crane. The bodies were also recovered from the river, Mayor Adams said.The flight was operated by New York Helicopter, officials said. No one answered the phones at the companys offices in New York and New Jersey.A person who answered the phone at the home of the companys owner, Michael Roth, said he declined to comment. Roth told the New York Post he was devastated and had no clue why the crash happened.The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades werent on the helicopter, the Post quoted him as saying. He added that he had not seen such a thing happen during his 30 years in the helicopter business, but noted: These are machines, and they break.Emails seeking comment were sent to attorneys who have represented Roth in the past.The Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as a Bell 206, a model widely used in commercial and government aviation, including by sightseeing companies, TV news stations and police. It was initially developed for the U.S. Army before being adapted for other uses. Thousands have been manufactured over the years. Tragedy strikes a family from SpainEscobar worked for the tech company Siemens for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, according to his LinkedIn account. In late 2022, he briefly became president and CEO of Siemens Spain. In a post about the position, he thanked his family: my endless source of energy and happiness, for their unconditional support, love ... and patience.Escobar regularly posted about the importance of sustainability in the rail industry and often traveled internationally for work, including journeying to India and the United Kingdom in the past month. He also was vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain since 2023.We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones, Siemens said in a statement early Friday.Camprub Montal worked in Barcelona, Spain, for energy technology company Siemens Energy for about seven years, including as its global commercialization manager and as a digitalization manager, according to her LinkedIn account.Spanish regional government officials said the family resided in Barcelona.(I am) dismayed by the tragic helicopter accident in the Hudson River in New York which cost the lives of six people, five of which were members of a Barcelona family, Catalan regional president Salvador Illa wrote on X.What may have caused the crash?Video of the crash suggest a catastrophic mechanical failure left the pilot with no chance to save the helicopter, said Justin Green, an aviation lawyer who was a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps. It is possible the helicopters main rotors struck the tail boom, breaking it apart and causing the cabin to free fall, Green said.They were dead as soon as whatever happened happened, Green said. Theres no indication they had any control over the craft. No pilot could have prevented that accident once they lost the lifts. Its like a rock falling to the ground. Its heartbreaking.The skies over Manhattan are routinely filled with planes and helicopters, both private recreational aircraft and commercial and tourist flights. Manhattan has several helipads from which business executives and others are whisked to destinations throughout the metropolitan area.At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977. A collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson in 2009 killed nine people, and five died in 2018 when a charter helicopter offering open door flights went down into the East River.New York Helicopter also owned a Bell 206 that lost power and made an emergency landing on the Hudson during a sightseeing tour in June 2013. The pilot managed to land safely and he and the passengers a family of four Swedes were uninjured. The National Transportation Safety Board found that a maintenance flub and an engine lubrication anomaly led to the power cutoff.Thursdays crash was the first for a helicopter in the city since one hit the roof of a skyscraper in 2019, killing the pilot.The accidents and the noise caused by helicopters have repeatedly led some community activists and officials to propose banning or restricting traffic at Manhattan heliports.Other recent crashes and close calls have already left some people worried about the safety of flying in the U.S. Seven people were killed when a medical transport plane plummeted into a Philadelphia neighborhood in January. That happened two days after an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair in Washington in the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation.___Associated Press writers Mike Balsamo and Philip Marcelo in New York; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain; and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; contributed to this report. MICHAEL R. SISAK Sisak is an Associated Press reporter covering law enforcement and courts in New York City, including former President Donald Trumps criminal and civil cases and problems plaguing the federal prison system. twitter mailto TED SHAFFREY Video Journalist Ted Shaffrey covers top daily stories. mailto

Two fans died on Thursday before the start of a Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza near Santiago's estadio Monumental.

Cristiano Ronaldo has joined forces with British filmmaker Matthew Vaughn to launch an independent film studio.

This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. (California Department of Corrections via AP, File)2025-04-11T04:23:15Z LOS ANGELES (AP) A judge is set to decide Friday whether to proceed with resentencing hearings for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of murdering their parents, in light of Los Angeles new district attorney opposing their release after 30 years behind bars.The brothers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at ages 18 and 21 after being convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. While the defense argued they acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.Los Angeles Countys previous progressive district attorney, George Gascn, sought resentencing for the brothers before he lost reelection to tough-on-crime candidate Nathan Hochman in November. Gascn had asked a judge to change the brothers sentence to 50 years to life, which would make them immediately eligible for release under California law because they committed the crime when they were younger than 26. But last month, Hochman submitted a motion to withdraw that request, saying he did not support the brothers resentencing because they had not admitted to lies they told as the case unfolded about why they killed their parents and did not fully recognize, acknowledge, and accept complete responsibility for their crime. On Friday, the court will decide whether to allow prosecutors to withdraw their resentencing motion. If that request is granted, the judge also will decide whether to proceed independently with the brothers resentencing hearings, which are tentatively scheduled for April 17 and 18. The district attorneys opposition poses a major hurdle for the brothers, whose path to resentencing was all but certain with Gascns support. The familys relationship with Hochman also has soured. Most of the brothers extended family supports their resentencing. Milton Andersen, Kitty Menendezs brother and the sole relative who opposed their release, died last month. Tamara Goodall, a cousin of the brothers, submitted a complaint with the state asking that Hochman be removed from the case, citing his bias against the brothers and alleging he violated a law meant to protect victims rights.Hochman had a hostile, dismissive and patronizing tone in meetings with the family and created an intimidating and bullying atmosphere, Goodall wrote.In their response to the district attorneys motion to withdraw the resentencing request, attorneys for the Menendez brothers questioned whether Hochman had legitimate reasons for doing so or was influenced by a change of political winds. The attorneys pointed out that Hochman demoted Nancy Theberge and Brock Lunsford, the two deputy district attorneys who filed the original resentencing motion. Theberge and Lunsford have since filed lawsuits against Hochman alleging harassment, discrimination and retaliation for their work on the Menendez brothers case. The law requires fairness, not personal vendettas, Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers, said in a statement. Erik and Lyle have not only taken responsibility, theyve become the kind of men this system is supposed to help create. If rehabilitation doesnt matter here, when does it?Hochmans office denied any political influence on their decision-making in their reply and doubled down on the position that Erik and Lyle Menendez fabricated their self-defense claim in the murders of their parents and had not achieved full rehabilitation.Without resentencing, the brothers would still have two other pathways to freedom. They have submitted a clemency plea to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has ordered the state parole board to investigate whether the brothers would pose a risk to the public if they are released. The parole board is scheduled to hold its final hearings June 13.The brothers also submitted a petition for habeas corpus in May 2023 asking the court to grant them a new trial in light of new evidence presented. Hochmans office also filed a motion opposing the petition.

Justin Rose hits his tee shot on the first hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)2025-04-11T14:06:08Z AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Justin Rose broke a Masters record he previously shared with Jack Nicklaus, which would suggest hes in the best company at Augusta National.Rose began the Masters with a 7-under 65 to build a three-shot lead, the fifth time he has had at least a share of the lead after one round. Nicklaus did that four times.Nicklaus has six Masters green jackets. Rose has none.I feel like Ive played well enough to win this tournament, Rose said. I just feel like I dont have the jacket to prove it.That was key to the second round Friday, when some overnight rain slightly softened the course and Rose set out for a morning round with minimal wind. This was an opportunity to build even more separation, similar to what Jordan Spieth did in 2015 when he followed a three-shot lead with a Friday morning tee time.Rose started well enough with a birdie on the par-5 second hole to reach 8 under. Rory McIlroy also played in the morning and tried to shake off his sloppy finish of two double bogeys over the final four holes that left him at a pedestrian 72 and a lot of ground to make up. The previous four times Rose was atop the leaderboard going into Friday, he broke par only once. That was in 2004, when he started 67-71. And then he shot 81 on Saturday. Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and No. 1 player in the world, opened with a 68 with very little stress. He played in the afternoon. Starting well is key to the Masters. Only twice in the last 20 years has the eventual champion been outside the top 10 after the first round. The last player was Tiger Woods (tie for 11th) in 2019. Before that it was Woods, who was tied for 33rd in 2005.Also in play Friday was the 36-hole cut of top 50 and ties. Jon Rahm was among those on the outside when the round began.And then there was Bernhard Langer, a two-time Masters champion who at 67 is competing at Augusta National for the last time. He was just inside the top 50 and would love nothing more than to finish his Masters career on Sunday instead of Friday.___AP Masters coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters 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

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss the economy and the state of 404 Media, the need for robot umpires, and bringing on a new regular contributor to the site.EMANUEL: Something that I couldnt help but think about a lot this week was how easily one of the worst parts of working at a big company like VICE was the regular layoffs. Its been on my mind because a cruel aspect of the job was that whenever there was some kind of cataclysmic event in the economyCOVID, Russias invasion of Ukraine, etcwe had the unique pleasure of having to closely follow and cover news that could and often would ultimately result in members of our teams getting laid off.We worked hard and did our jobs as best we could but we could also feel the axe about to fall, usually in the form of an email from upper management about economic headwinds or something like that, followed by a brutal day of slowly finding out who still had a job. Donald Trumps tariffs and their manic fluctuating between total global trade war to more limited but still devastating focus on China, stocks taking a nosedive, companies announcing theyre going to stop doing some business in the US, and CEOs putting everything on hold until were out of this zone of economic uncertainty, put out strong headwinds vibes this week.

With Flacco back in the fold, the Browns have a veteran quarterback on the roster who they can trust to run the offense in 2025.

Masters week has plenty of pageantry and tradition -- as well as some distinctive looks.

This photo provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state's death chamber in Columbia, S.C., including the electric chair, right, and a firing squad chair, left. The South Carolina Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, on whether the state can use the electric chair, firing squad or a new lethal injection protocol to carry out its first executions in nearly 13 years. (South Carolina Department of Corrections via AP, File)2025-04-11T04:18:13Z COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Long a method of execution associated with political terror or military justice, a firing squad is set to kill a South Carolina inmate on Friday, the second time the state will have carried out that method in the past five weeks.Mikal Mahdi was sentenced to die 20 years ago for the ambush killing of an off-duty police officer. He will be the fifth inmate executed by South Carolina in less than eight months as the state makes its way through prisoners who ran out of appeals during an unintended 13-year pause on the death penalty.Mahdi, 42, chose to die by three bullets to the heart instead of lethal injection or the electric chair. On March 7, Brad Sigmon was executed in the first U.S. firing squad death in 15 years and only the fourth since 1976. The others all occurred in Utah.The firing squad is an execution method with a long and violent history around the world. Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in Americas Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. But South Carolina lawmakers saw it as the quickest and most humane way to kill an inmate, especially with the uncertainty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. Mahdi will be the 12th execution in the U.S. this year. Twenty-five prisoners in nine states were killed in all of 2024. Alabama and Louisiana have killed inmates by nitrogen gas. Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona and Texas have executed men by lethal injection, while South Carolina has used both the firing squad and lethal injection. How the execution will unfoldAt 6 p.m. Friday, the curtain will open in the death chamber at a Columbia prison with fewer than a dozen witnesses sitting behind bulletproof glass.Mahdi will be strapped into a chair. A white square with a red bulls-eye will be over his heart, placed by a doctor with a stethoscope. His lawyer can read Mahdis final statement if he has one. A prison employee will then place a hood over Mahdis head, walk across the small room and pull open a black shade where the prison employees who volunteered for the firing squad will be stationed. Without an audible or visual warning to witnesses, the shooters will fire high-powered rifles at Mahdi from 15 feet (4.6 meters) away, about the distance from a basketball backboard to the free-throw line. They all will have live bullets that shatter and splinter when they hit something firm, like a rib cage.A doctor will then come out within a minute or two, examine Mahdi and declare him dead.The crimeMahdi admitted he killed Orangeburg Public Safety officer James Myers in 2004, shooting him at least eight times before burning his body. Myers wife found him in the couples Calhoun County shed, which had been the backdrop to their wedding 15 months earlier.Myers shed was a short distance through the woods from a gas station where Mahdi tried but failed to buy gas with a stolen credit card and left behind a vehicle he had carjacked in Columbia. Mahdi was arrested in Florida while driving Myers unmarked police pickup truck.Mahdi also admitted to the killing three days earlier of Christopher Boggs, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, convenience store clerk who was shot twice in the head as he checked Mahdis ID. Mahdi was sentenced to life in prison for that killing. Final appealMahdis final appeal was rejected this week by both the U.S. and South Carolina Supreme Courts. His lawyers said Mahdis original attorneys put on a shallow case trying to spare his life that didnt call on relatives, teachers or others who knew him and ignored the impact of months spent in solitary confinement in prison as a teen.The defenses case to spare Mahdis life before a judge lasted only about 30 minutes. It didnt even span the length of a Law & Order episode, and was just as superficial, Mahdis lawyers wrote.Mahdis earliest memory was his father slamming his mother through a glass table and later lying to his son and saying his mother was dead. Mahdis father pulled him out of school in fifth grade when officials suggested he needed behavioral help, defense lawyers said. Prosecutors said Mahdi constantly uses brutality to solve his problems. As a death row prisoner, he stabbed a guard and hit another worker with a concrete block. Mahdi was caught three times with tools he could have used to escape, including a piece of sharpened metal that could be used as a knife, according to prison records.The nature of the man is violence, prosecutors wrote.Busy death chamberMahdis death is the end of a busy time in South Carolinas death chamber. He will be the fifth inmate killed since September after the state had not had any executions since 2011. No other inmates are out of appeals but several are close.The state was able to restart executions after lawmakers allowed the firing squad and passed a bill allowing suppliers of the pentobarbital to remain secret, along with the exact procedures used to kill inmates and the names of prison employees on execution teams, including the firing squad shooters. Along with Sigmons firing squad death last month, three other South Carolina prisoners have been executed via lethal injection since September.South Carolina now has 28 inmates on its death row. Just one man has been sentenced to death in the past decade. JEFFREY COLLINS Collins covers South Carolina from Columbia for The Associated Press. He has been with the AP since 2000. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 11 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01109-9Oil and water contained in a cylinder with magnetic nickel particles form the shape of a Grecian urn.

Nature, Published online: 11 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01108-wBiomolecular analysis shows that unusual book coverings are made of sealskin, hinting at far-flung trade networks.