FIFA president Gianni Infantino said they will look to hold a playoff between Los Angeles FC and Club Amrica for a place at the Club World Cup.

Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps has said it is "special" to see her USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger make the move over to play in Europe

The notorious imageboard 4chan is down following what appears to be a major hack of its backend. The hackers claim to have exposed code for the site, the emails of moderators, and a list of mod communications. This happened, it seems, as part of a five year long, inter-image board beef between users of 4chan and Soyjak, another image board that splintered off of 4chan.Its still unclear what the fallout of the hack will be, but the notorious image board remains down and a huge amount of data appears to have been leaked.Users struggled to load 4chan on the evening of April 14, 2025, according to posts on other imageboards and forums. A few hours before that, the banned board /qa/ reappeared on the site and someone using the hiroyuki account, named after 4chans owner Hiroyuki Nishimura, posted FUCKING LMAO and U GOT HACKED XD.Do you know anything else about this story? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at +1 347 762-9212 or send me an email at matthew@404media.co.The hiroyuki account was flagged in bold red as an admin, suggesting the person posting the messages had control over a real admin account. /qa/ was a questions and answer imageboard on 4chan. Pitched as a place to discuss concerns that affected the whole of 4chan, /qa/ was in practice a board where various factions fought.Soyjak is a popular meme youve probably seen before. Its a balding man with glasses and shaggy beard, his mouth agape in docile joy. He is now the name of a rival imageboard.At about the same time 4chan struggled to load, someone on the soyjak.st posted a thread that claimed to explain what happened. Tonight has been a very special night for many of us at the soyjak party, the thread said. Today, April 14, 2025, a hacker who has been in 4cucks system for over a year, executed the true operation soyclipse, reopening /qa/, exposing personal information of various 4cuck staff, and leaking code from the site.The thread shared images of the resurrected and defaced /qa/ board as well as what appear to be screenshots from 4chans internal moderation tools. The screenshots included discussion about why users had been banned from 4chan, pieces of its backend in phpMyAdmin (the infrastructure that runs 4chan and other forums and imageboards), and traffic stats for specific boards.Elsewhere on the internet, someone leaked an alleged list of moderator email addresses and a portion of what they described as the source code for the site. 404 Media reached out to an email in the leaked list that appeared to be for Nishimura but did not hear back.It appears that 4chan was susceptible to a hack because it was running very out of date code that contained various vulnerabilities, according to 404 Medias look at the code and people sorting through the hack online.So 4chan very likely got hacked because they were running on an extremely out of date version of PHP that has a lot of vulnerabilities and exploits and are using deprecated function to interact with there MySQL database.Web security 101: Keep your code and software up to date. pic.twitter.com/JFDOsbr5rt Yushe (@_yushe) April 15, 2025That starts to answer the question of how this happened. But why did it happen? This all has roots in a five year old meme fight.Soyjak.party, the site where a user began posting about the 4chan hack, was an offshoot of 4chan created as a joke about five years ago. Besides being a general cesspool,4chan has long been a place that incubates memes. lolcats, the NavySeal copypasta, and Pepe the Frog grew and spread on 4chans imageboards. From time to time a meme is overplayed or spammed and mods on the site get tired of it.Five years ago, users spammed the /qa/ board with soyjaks. Unable to quash the tide of soyfaced jpegs, 4chan shut down the entire /qa/ board. The soyajk loving exiles of 4chan started a new site called soyjak.party where they could craft open mouthed soyboy memes to their hearts content. When 4chan was hacked on the night of April 14, the /qa/ board briefly returned. /QA/ RETURNS SOYJAK.PARTY WON read a banner image at the top of the board.As of this writing, 4chan is still down. When you attempt to access a specific board, the connection times out. The initial connection between Cloudflare's network and the origin web server timed out. As a result, the web page can not be displayed, the error page says.

Nature, Published online: 15 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01231-8The fossil expert found love at first sight with trilobites.

Bucks star Damian Lillard will miss the start of the NBA playoffs because of a blood clot in his right calf, sources told ESPN.

Naismith Hall of Famer Joe Dumars is finalizing a deal to become the new president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, sources told ESPN.

Vehicles for export are parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)2025-04-15T17:21:59Z DETROIT (AP) President Donald Trump hinted that he might temporarily relieve the auto industry from permanent tariffs he previously imposed on the business. The president didnt specify how long the potential pause would be or what it would entail, but the auto sector is awaiting how rules might change on 25% tariffs based on U.S. parts, if duties remain on assembled vehicles.Experts have said short pauses arent likely to give carmakers enough of an opportunity to adjust their vast global supply chains, though parts exemptions would certainly bolster the industry amid Trumps trade war whiplash. Trump told reporters Monday that automakers need a little bit of time because theyre going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time. So Im talking about things like that, referring to relocating production from Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. The news drove global auto stocks up Tuesday. Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents domestic auto companies Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, said in a statement: There is increasing awareness that broad tariffs on parts could undermine our shared goal of building a thriving and growing American auto industry, and that many of these supply chain transitions will take time. Trump first announced 25% automotive tariffs late March; the tariffs for completed vehicles took effect on April 3, while the parts tariffs were set to start 30 days later. The one-month delay is intended to give the U.S. government time to work out rules to exempt the value of automotive parts that contains U.S.-made materials, which will not be subject to the tariffs, according to insights from law firm Foley & Lardner, noting a carveout for parts certified under regional trade pact, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The Department of Commerce is expected to determine a system to calculate non-U.S. content by May 3. At the same time, automakers are navigating steel and aluminum imports levies of at least 25%; 25% duties on all goods from Canada and Mexico; 10% global tariffs and reciprocal tariffs around the world paused for 90 days, and both of which automotive is exempt from; and tariffs on China at 145%.The United Auto Workers labor union, and Autos Drive America, which represents foreign automakers, did not respond to requests for comment.The on-again, off-again tariffs have already wrought havoc for any number of global sectors but especially the auto industry, which relies on a complex network of parts from around the world. The American and European car industries are severely affected by tariffs. On top of the 25% tariff imposed on vehicles, we are impacted by layer upon layer of additional compounding tariffs including those on aluminum, steel, and parts, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann said in the companys annual general meeting Tuesday, noting at the same time, the Chinese auto markets potential for growth this year.But its not too late if the U.S. and Europe take the necessary urgent actions to promote an orderly transition, Elkann added. We are encouraged by what President Trump indicated yesterday on tariffs for the car industry. Though Trump says his tariffs are intended to bolster U.S. auto manufacturing, automakers arent able to reconfigure their sourcing in short periods of time, experts say. Because of the nature of the business and the length of time it takes to design product and get manufacturing up and running, it could take years to reevaluate sources of supply and establish new assembly operations. Flipping upside down a global supply chain that has been in place for decades cannot happen overnight for the auto industry, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a research note, and we strongly believe the clear right move would be to focus on finished cars made in the U.S. versus auto parts.The tariffs as they currently stand are sure to cost automakers billions of dollars, impact new and used vehicle supply and raise prices for car buyers at dealerships by thousands of dollars. Already, some auto manufacturers have paused operations in Canada and Mexico and temporarily laid off workers in the U.S.Some have also attempted to get ahead of the impact of tariffs through appeals to customers. In rare moves, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis and Jeep-maker Stellantis began offering employee pricing programs for a limited time to reach buyers before what will most likely be steep price hikes.Car buyers might be better positioned for an extra few weeks, depending on the latest policy change.___Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at [emailprotected]. ALEXA ST. JOHN St. John is a climate solutions reporter for The Associated Press, based in Detroit. She covers the ways people and communities create viable and scalable solutions to the planets warming. twitter mailto

Law enforcement officials talk outside the home of actor Gene Hackman on Feb. 27, 2025 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (AP Photo/Roberto Rosales, file)2025-04-15T17:42:06Z ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Authorities on Tuesday released a lengthy investigation report detailing some of the last emails and internet searches done by Gene Hackmans wife in the days before her death, indicating that she was scouring the internet for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques. Betsy Arakawa died in February of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome a rare, rodent-borne disease that can led to a range of symptoms that include flu-like illness, headaches, dizziness and severe respiratory distress, investigators have said. Gene Hackman is believed to have died about a week later of heart disease with complications from Alzheimers disease.The partially mummified remains of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, when maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police. According to the report released Tuesday, a review of the open bookmarks on Arakawas computer Feb. 8 and the morning of Feb. 12 indicated she was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms. The searches included questions about whether COVID could cause dizziness or nosebleeds. She also had mentioned in an email to her masseuse that Hackman had woken up Feb. 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms but that a COVID test was negative and she would have to reschedule her appointment for the next day out of an abundance of caution. Arakawas last search was the morning of Feb. 12 for a health care provider in Santa Fe.Investigators also reviewed a call history to the Hackmans home phone along with voicemails and security footage from stores that Arakawa had visited on Feb. 11.Authorities also are expected to release more redacted police body camera footage from inside the home as sheriffs deputies and investigators tried to piece together what had happened to the couple. The written report describes them going through rooms of the home and finding nothing out of the ordinary and no signs of forced entry. The materials were being released as the result of a recent court order that mandated any depictions of the deceased couple would have to be blocked from view. All photos, video and documents from the investigation had been restricted from release by an earlier, temporary court order.The Hackman estate and family members had sought to keep the records sealed to protect the familys constitutional right to privacy.A report obtained from the New Mexico Department of Health showed an environmental assessment of the Hackman property found rodent feces in several outbuildings but not inside the living quarters. A live rodent, dead rodent and a rodent nest were found in three detached garages.Nestled among the pion and juniper hills overlooking Santa Fe, the Hackman home is not unlike others in area as mice are common within the surrounding landscape.One of the couples three dogs also was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs were found alive. A state veterinary lab tied the dogs death to dehydration and starvation. An attorney for the estate, Kurt Sommer, argued during a hearing last month that the couple had taken great pains to stay out of the public light during their lifetimes and that the right to control the use of their names and likenesses should extend to their estate in death. Estate representative Julia Peters also emphasized the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and the potential for their dissemination by media. The Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios intervened in the matter, saying in court filings that they would not disseminate images of the couples bodies and would blur images to obscure them from other records.

Arsenal beat Madrid 3-0 in the quarterfinal first leg, but history shows Los Blancos can never be counted out.

It once looked like the ship to Barcelona had sailed for Iigo Martnez. Now he's Bara's defensive leader, vital to their hopes of winning the treble.

A person walks through the Georgia Tech campus with the downtown skyline in the background, March 11, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)2025-04-15T17:56:55Z WASHINGTON (AP) At first, the bar association for immigration attorneys began receiving inquiries from a couple students a day. These were foreigners studying in the U.S., and theyd discovered in early April their legal status had been terminated with little notice. To their knowledge, none of the students had committed a deportable offense. In recent days, the calls have begun flooding in. Hundreds of students have been calling to say they have lost legal status, seeking advice on what to do next.We thought it was going to be something that was unusual, said Matthew Maiona, a Boston-based immigration attorney who is getting about six calls a day from panicked international students. But it seems now like its coming pretty fast and furious. _ The speed and scope of the federal governments efforts to terminate the legal status of international students have stunned colleges across the country. Few corners of higher education have been untouched, as schools ranging from prestigious private universities, large public research institutions and tiny liberal arts colleges discover status terminations one after another among their students. At least 600 students at more than 90 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press review of university statements and correspondence with school officials. Advocacy groups collecting reports from colleges say hundreds more students could be caught up in the crackdown. Students apparently targeted over minor infractionsAround 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, and their ability to pay tuition often factors into whether they will be admitted to American schools. Often, they pay full price. Many of the students losing their legal status are from India and China, which together account for more than half the international students at American colleges. But the terminations have not been limited to those from any one part of the world, lawyers said.Four students from two Michigan universities are suing Trump administration officials after their F-1 student status was terminated last week. Their attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, Ramis Wadood, said the students never received a clear reason why.We dont know, and thats the scary part, he said.The students were informed of the terminations by their universities via email, which came as a shock, Wadood said. The reason given was that there was a criminal records check and/or that their visa was revoked, Wadood said, but none of them were charged or convicted of crimes. Some had either speeding or parking tickets, but one didnt have any, he said. Only one of the students had known their entry visa was revoked, Wadood said.Students have filed similar lawsuits in several other states, arguing they were denied due process. In New Hampshire, a federal judge last week granted a temporary restraining order to restore the status of a Ph.D. student at Dartmouth College, Xiaotian Liu, while he challenges the revocation of his visa. In a break from past, feds cancel students status directly At many colleges, officials learned the legal immigration status of some international students had been terminated when staff checked a database managed by the Department of Homeland Security. In the past, college officials say, legal statuses typically were updated after colleges told the government the students were no longer studying at the school.The system to track enrollment and movements of international students came under the control of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after 9/11, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators. She said recent developments have left students fearful of how quickly they can be on the wrong side of enforcement.You dont need more than a small number to create fear, Aw said. Theres no clarity of what are the reasons and how far the reach of this is. Her group says as many as 1,300 students have lost visas or had their status terminated, based on reports from colleges.The Department of Homeland Security and State Department did not respond to messages seeking comment. Foreigners who are subject to removal proceedings are usually sent a notice to appear in immigration court on a certain date, but lawyers say affected students have not received any notices, leaving them unsure of next steps to take. Some schools have told students to leave the country to avoid the risk of being detained or deported. But some students have appealed the terminations and stayed in the United States while those are processed. Still others caught in legal limbo arent students at all. They had remained in the U.S. post-graduation on optional practical training, a one-year period or up to three for science and technology graduates that allows employment in the U.S. after completing an academic degree. During that time, a graduate works in their field and waits to receive their H-1B or other employment visas if they wish to keep working in the U.S. Around 242,000 foreigners in the U.S. are employed through this optional practical training. About 500,000 are pursuing graduate degrees, and another 342,000 are undergraduate students. Among the students who have filed lawsuits is a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who is supposed to graduate on May 5, with a job offer to join the faculty. His attorney Charles Kuck said the student was likely targeted for termination because of an unpaid traffic fine from when the student lent his car to a friend. Ultimately, the violation was dismissed. We have case after case after case exactly like that, where there is no underlying crime, said Kuck, who is representing 17 students in the federal lawsuit. He said his law firm has heard from hundreds of students.These are kids who now, under the Trump administration, realize their position is fragile, he said. Theyve preyed on a very vulnerable population. These kids arent hiding. Theyre in school.Some international students have been adapting their daily routines.A Ph.D. student from China at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said she has begun carrying around her passport and immigration paperwork at the advice of the universitys international student office. The student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by authorities, said she has been distressed to see the terminations even for students like her without criminal records.That is the most scary part because you dont know whether youre going to be the next person, she said. ___Seminera reported from Raleigh, N.C., and Keller reported from Albuquerque, N.M.___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. ANNIE MA Ma is an Associated Press national writer who covers K-12 education. twitter mailto MAKIYA SEMINERA Seminera is a state government reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. twitter mailto CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER Keller works with reporters and editors to find stories in data and documents and contributes context to spot and breaking news stories for The Associated Press. mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)2025-04-15T18:38:55Z ATLANTA (AP) An estimated 1 in 31 U.S. children have autism, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday, marking another jump in a long string of increases. The CDCs data was from 14 states and Puerto Rico in 2022. The previous estimate from 2020 was 1 in 36. Boys continue to be diagnosed more than girls, and the highest rates are among children who are Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black. To estimate how common autism is, the CDC checked health and school records for 8-year-olds, because most cases are diagnosed by that age. Other researchers have their own estimates, but experts say the CDCs estimate is the most rigorous and the gold standard.Heres what you need to know about the new numbers, as well as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to do a massive testing and research effort around autism. What is autism?Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. There are many possible symptoms, many of which overlap with other diagnoses. They can include delays in language and learning, social and emotional withdrawal and an unusual need for routine.For decades, the diagnosis was rare, given only to kids with severe problems communicating or socializing and those with unusual, repetitive behaviors. As late as the early 1990s, only 1 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism. Around that time, the term became a shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions known as autism spectrum disorders, and the number of kids labeled as having some form of autism began to balloon. In the first decade of this century, the estimate rose to 1 in 150. In 2018, it was 1 in 44. In 2020, it was up to 1 in 36. Why are autism numbers rising?Health officials largely attribute growing autism numbers to better recognition of cases through wide screening and better diagnosis. There are no blood or biologic tests for autism. Its diagnosed by making judgments about a childs behavior, and theres been an explosion in autism-related treatment and services for children.Roughly two decades ago, studies by the CDC and others ruled out childhood vaccines as a cause of autism. Since then, a lot of research has looked at variety of other possible explanations, including genetics, the age of the father, the weight of the mother and whether she had diabetes and exposure to certain chemicals. Some researchers have theorized it may be a series of things perhaps a biological predisposition set off by some sort of toxic exposure. Vaccines and autismKennedy and anti-vaccine advocates have remained fixated on childhood vaccines, pointing at a preservative called thimerosal that is no longer in most childhood vaccines or theorizing that autism may be the cumulative effect of multiple vaccinations. A number of studies, including some with CDC authors, have not found such links.Last week, Kennedy said HHS was launching a massive testing and research effort thats going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world and identify what causes autism in less than six months. He also promised well be able to eliminate those exposures. Kennedy and President Donald Trump both referred to the 1-in-31 estimate that CDC released Tuesday during last weeks White House meeting, and Kennedy also repeated the statistic at a meeting with FDA officials on Friday, Kennedys statement followed reports that he had hired David Geier, a man who has repeatedly claimed a link between vaccines and autism, to lead the autism research effort. The hiring of Geier, whom Maryland found was practicing medicine on a child without a doctors license, was first reported by The Washington Post.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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Kylian Mbapp received with a one-game suspension after being shown a red card for a violent tackle against Alaves on Sunday, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced Tuesday.

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)2025-04-15T18:36:55Z A federal judge in Maryland is expected to question the Trump administration Tuesday about its continued refusal to retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison, even after the Supreme Court ordered his return to the U.S. The 4 p.m. hearing in a U.S. District Court comes a day after White House advisers repeated the claim that they lack the authority to bring back the Salvadoran national from his native country. The president of El Salvador also said Monday that he would not return Abrego Garcia, likening it to smuggling a terrorist into the United States. This undated photo provided by CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, in April 2025, shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (CASA via AP) This undated photo provided by CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, in April 2025, shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (CASA via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Abrego Garcia, 29, lived in the U.S. for roughly 14 years, during which he worked construction, got married and was raising three children with disabilities, according to court records. A U.S. immigration judge had shielded Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador in 2019, ruling that he would likely face persecution there by local gangs that had terrorized his family. He also was given a federal permit to work in the United States, according to Abrego Garcias lawyers. But the Trump administration expelled Abrego Garcia to El Salvador last month anyway. Administration officials later described the mistake as an administrative error but insisted that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 in the U.S. Abrego Garcia was never charged with a crime and has denied the allegations, according to court records. The accusation stems from 2019, when Maryland police arrested Abrego Garcia while he was looking for work as a day laborer outside a Home Depot. The allegation was based on Abergo Garcia wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie and the word of a criminal informant who worked with police in Marylands Prince Georges County, court records state. Abergo Garcias attorneys have pointed out the criminal informant alleged he was a member of MS-13 in Long Island, New York, where Abrego Garcia has never lived. This undated photo provided by Murray Osorio PLLC shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (Murray Osorio PLLC via AP) This undated photo provided by Murray Osorio PLLC shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (Murray Osorio PLLC via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In this undated photo provided by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in April 2025, a man identified by Jennifer Vasquez Sura as her husband, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, is forced to sit with other prisoners by guards in the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland via AP) In this undated photo provided by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in April 2025, a man identified by Jennifer Vasquez Sura as her husband, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, is forced to sit with other prisoners by guards in the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The allegation was enough for a U.S. immigration judge to keep Abrego Garcia in jail as his immigration case proceeded in 2019, court records state. And a board of appeals backed that judges decision. But the U.S. immigration court ultimately released Abrego Garcia from custody once he was granted protected status from being deported back to El Salvador, according to court records. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had ordered the Trump administration in early April to bring Abrego Garcia back. And the U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Thursday that the U.S. government must facilitate Abrego Garcias release. But the White House has balked at trying to broker his return, arguing the courts cant intrude on the presidents diplomacy powers.Tuesdays hearing could include strong words from Xinis. She had lambasted a lawyer for the Trump administration at a court hearing on Friday when the attorney couldnt explain what, if anything, the administration has done to arrange Abrego Garcias return. Xinis ordered the U.S. on Friday to provide daily status updates on plans to return Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration responded Saturday that he was alive in the notorious El Salvador prison. But it has only doubled down on its decision not to tell a federal court whether it has any plans to repatriate Abrego Garcia. In its filing to the judge on Monday, the Trump administration repeated the statement made by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course Im not going to do it. The question is preposterous, Bukele said. In a filing with the U.S. District Court on Tuesday, Abrego Garcias lawyers cited Thursdays order from the Supreme Court to facilitate his return. To give any meaning to the Supreme Courts order, the Government should at least be required to request the release of Abrego Garcia, the attorneys wrote. To date, the Government has not done so.The attorneys also rejected the idea that the U.S. lacks the authority to retrieve him. They noted that the U.S. is paying El Salvador to hold prisoners, including Abrego Garcia, and can exercise those same contractual rights to request their release.Bukele struck a deal under which the U.S. will pay about $6 million for El Salvador to imprison Venezuelan immigrants for a year. Trump has said openly that he would also favor El Salvador taking custody of American citizens who have committed violent crimes, which is likely illegal. Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASAs Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASAs Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More

Elon Musk speaks during an event with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-04-15T19:12:29Z NEW YORK (AP) The latest government waste touted by billionaire Elon Musks cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency is hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment claims it purportedly uncovered. One problem: Federal investigators already found what appears to be the same fraud, years earlier and on a far greater scale.In a post last week on X, the social media site Musk owns, DOGE announced an initial survey of unemployment insurance claims since 2020 found 24,500 people over the age of 115 had claimed $59 million in benefits; 28,000 people between the ages of 1 and 5 collected $254 million; and 9,700 people with birthdates more than 15 years in the future garnered $69 million from the government.The tweet drew a predictable party-line reaction of either skepticism or cheers, including from Musk himself, who said what his team found was so crazy he re-read it several times before it sank in. Another incredible discovery, marveled Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who repeated DOGEs findings to President Donald Trump in a Cabinet meeting last week.Chavez-DeRemers recounting of the alleged fraud, including claims of benefits filed by unborn children, drew laughter in the Cabinet room and a reaction from Trump himself. Those numbers are really bad, he said.But Chavez-DeRemer neednt look further than her own departments Office of the Inspector General to find such fraud had already been reported by the type of federal workers DOGE has demonized. Theyre trying to spin this narrative of, Oh, government is inefficient and government is stupid and theyre catching these things that the government didnt catch, says Michele Evermore, who worked on unemployment issues at the U.S. Department of Labor during the administration of former President Joe Biden. Theyre finding fraud that was marked as fraud and saying they found out it was fraud. The Social Security Act of 1935 enshrined unemployment benefits in federal law but left it to individual states to set up systems to collect unemployment taxes, process applications and mete out support.Though states have almost complete control over their own unemployment systems, special relief programs most notably widely expanded benefits enacted by the first Trump administration at the outset of the COVID pandemic inject more direct federal involvement and a flood of new beneficiaries into the system.In regular times, state unemployment systems perform very well, not so well and terribly, according to Stephen Wandner, an economist at the National Academy of Social Insurance who authored the book Unemployment Insurance Reform: Fixing a Broken System. With COVID slamming the economy and creating a flood of new claims that states couldnt handle, Wandner says many more were quite terrible.Trump signed the COVID unemployment relief into law on March 27, 2020, and from the very start it became a magnet for fraud. In a memo to state officials about two weeks later, the Department of Labor warned that the expanded benefits had made unemployment programs a target for fraud with significant numbers of imposter claims being filed with stolen or synthetic identities. That same memo offered an option for states trying to protect a person whose identity was stolen to fraudulently collect unemployment benefits. To preserve a record of the fraud but keep innocent people from being linked to it, states could create a pseudo claim, the memo advises. Those pseudo claims led to records of toddlers and centenarians getting checks. The Labor Departments inspector general tallied some 4,895 unemployment claims from people over the age of 100 between March 2020 and April 2022, but another departmental memo explained that the filings stemmed from states changing dates of birth to protect people whose identities were used.Many of the claims identified ... were not payments to individuals over 100 years of age, but rather pseudo records of previously identified fraudulent claims, the 2023 memo says. A Labor Department spokeswoman did not respond to questions about Musks findings and DOGE gave no details on how it came to find the supposed fraud or whether it duplicates what was already found. Though DOGE ostensibly looked at longer timeframe than federal investigators previously had, it tallied just $382 million in fake unemployment claims, a tiny fraction of what investigators were already aware. In 2022, the Labor Department said suspected COVID-era unemployment fraud totaled more than $45 billion. The Government Accountability Office later said it was far worse, likely $100 billion to $135 billion.I dont think its news to anyone, says Amy Traub, an expert on unemployment at the National Employment Law Project. Its been widely reported. Thereve been multiple congressional hearings. If DOGEs newest allegations have an air of familiarity, its because they echo its prior findings of about Social Security payments to the dead and the unbelievably old. Those were false claims.That makes DOGE an imperfect messenger even when fraud has occurred, as with unemployment claims.Jessica Reidl, a senior fellow at the conservative think tank The Manhattan Institute, is a fiscal conservative who so champions rooting out federal waste she has written 600 articles on the subject. Though she believes unemployment insurance fraud is rife, she has trouble accepting any findings from DOGE, which she says has acted ineffectively and possibly illegally.When DOGE says impossibly old dead people are collecting unemployment in huge numbers, I become skeptical, Reidl says. DOGE does not have a good track record in that area.Traub said the burst of pandemic-era unemployment fraud led states to implement new security measures. She questioned why Musks team was trumpeting old fraud as if its new.Business leaders and economists are warning about a natural recession, so its natural to think about unemployment, says Traub. Its an attack on the image of a critically important program and perhaps an attempt to undermine public support on unemployment insurance when it couldnt be more important.___Matt Sedensky can be reached at [emailprotected] and https://x.com/sedensky. MATT SEDENSKY Sedensky is a national writer for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr speaks during a Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative event in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)2025-04-15T17:20:13Z PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) When the nations top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., endorsed the measles vaccine this month after an outbreak in Texas claimed the life of a second child, his comments made waves because he has spent 20 years making false claims that vaccines are unsafe.Many of Kennedys anti-vaccine allies stood by him anyway, trying to tamp down concerns from others who accused Kennedy of abandoning their movement. Thats because, according to doctors, public health experts and propaganda researchers who know Kennedys history well, the health and human services secretary is threading the needle between his agencys role as a neutral arbiter of science and the rhetoric of anti-vaccine activists. They say his word choices reflect that he is working from the anti-vaccine playbook he has used for much of his career in public life. Below, The Associated Press examines his comments about the measles outbreak that has infected more than 700 people nationwide and killed three, how his allies have interpreted them, and the facts according to scientists. A Kennedy spokesperson said the health secretary is not anti-vaccine and had responded to the measles outbreak with clear guidance that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent measles. He did not respond to questions about how Kennedys comments were being interpreted by his allies in the anti-vaccine movement. Endorsing vaccines, but then sowing doubtWHAT KENNEDY SAID: The federal governments position, my position, is people should get the measles vaccine, but the government should not be mandating those, Kennedy told CBS this month after an unvaccinated child in Texas died of measles. Later, in the same interview, Kennedy raised safety concerns about the measles vaccine, saying testing was inadequate. He also raised safety concerns about the vaccine for pertussis.WHAT HIS ALLIES HEARD: Charlene Bollinger, who runs a business selling anti-vaccine videos and other products, highlighted in a Substack post how Kennedy had raised safety concerns. In posts on X, she urged critics of his comments to Trust him. Trust me. Hes not walked through fire for years to abandon us now, then added, Read what he said carefully and with a critical spirit ... pay attention to the things he didnt say. There are clues.The group American Values, which was set up to support Kennedys presidential run, posted a thread on X that amplified Kennedys comments questioning vaccine safety.THE FACTS, ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS: The measles vaccine is safe and effective, and protecting people from outbreaks requires nearly everyone to be vaccinated. Public schools in the United States generally require children to be vaccinated against measles to attend, though a growing number of parents have been avoiding those mandates for their children, in some cases by getting exemptions. That has fueled low vaccination rates in communities around the U.S., which has left them vulnerable to measles and other infectious diseases. Just 92.7% of kindergartners got their required shots in 2023, below the 95% threshold for preventing outbreaks. READING BETWEEN THE LINES: If Kennedy had truly changed his mind about the benefits of vaccines, he would have explained what he got wrong in the past, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He didnt do that and instead immediately questioned how vaccines are safety tested.If someone like RFK Jr. with his record were going to make an about-face on his position on the measles vaccine, you would expect an essay, an articulation of what he got wrong in the past. Youre not seeing that, Adalja said. The fact that he undercuts it almost immediately speaks to that. Saying people who died of measles were already sickWHAT KENNEDY SAID: Health authorities have said the two children who died were both unvaccinated, that they died as a result of measles and that neither had any reported underlying conditions. But Kennedy suggested those who died during the outbreak were people who were already sick. He said the second child who died had various other health problems and asserted that the thing that killed her was not the measles, but it was a bacteriological infection.Her death was caused by pneumonia, Kennedy told Fox News. So, you know, her parents said that she was over measles two weeks before.Kennedys spokesperson did not respond to questions asking where he got his information about the childs medical history and to clarify why what he said conflicted with statements from health officials.WHAT HIS ALLIES HEARD: The anti-vaccine group Kennedy led for years, Childrens Health Defense, promoted his comments, posting a clip online and saying it shows that Kennedy confirms the so-called measles deaths are NOT actually measles deaths.American Values wrote that his comments constituted a bombshell because the child did not pass away from measles, despite what the media claimed. THE FACTS, ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS: Pneumonia is a complication of measles, and is the most common cause of death from measles in young children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a subsidiary of HHS. READING BETWEEN THE LINES: Kennedys comments suggesting measles didnt kill the child reflect longstanding tactics used to create doubt about vaccines, said Renee DiResta, a professor at Georgetown University who researches propaganda and has studied the anti-vaccine movement. She said Kennedy and Childrens Health Defense have spent years telling people that measles is a routine and harmless childhood illness to justify the argument that a safe vaccine is somehow more risky than the disease.Reframing these deaths as something other than what they are deaths from measles, which is not harmless at all is necessary to prop up the dual pillars of anti-vaccine propaganda in play here, she said.It reflects a similar narrative that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people who wanted to minimize its seriousness suggested people were dying with COVID rather than from COVID, said Richard Carpiano, a professor of public policy at the University of California, Riverside, who has closely followed Kennedys anti-vaccine work. Its a way of minimizing the deadly nature of measles.Standing with the unvaccinated and personal choiceWHAT KENNEDY SAID: Kennedy attended the funeral of the 8-year-old girl who died, then posted online about meeting with her family and the family of a 6-year-old girl who died in February. In one post about the trip, he wrote that The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine. He also posted photos of himself with the families.WHAT HIS ALLIES HEARD: Kennedys positive comments about the measles vaccine prompted some criticism from his old group Childrens Health Defense. CEO Mary Holland said in a video that Kennedy no longer speaks for the group, and said he had put out what she called very partial information. She claimed that a vaccination for measles had caused her sons autism. But she went on to praise Kennedys actions.People should not get lost in Bobby Kennedy saying that the vaccine can prevent measles, Holland said, adding, Bobby went to stand with the unvaccinated. And he has said its a personal choice.Childrens Health Defense and Bollinger have sued a number of news organizations, among them the AP, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. THE FACTS, ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS: Scientists have ruled out any link between vaccines and autism. Vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives in the past 50 years, according to the World Health Organization, which says immunization has been the greatest contribution to ensuring babies live until their first birthday.READING BETWEEN THE LINES: Carpiano said Kennedy helped the anti-vaccine movement pivot to the idea that it is about personal rights, personal freedoms and medical freedom. While there is a libertarian bent to it, that framing leaves out an important piece.Its the freedom to do whatever you want. A libertarian would say, provided it doesnt hurt other people, he said. But when it comes to Kennedy and the anti-vaccine movement, the part about not hurting other people gets left out, Carpiano said. And so basically becomes a tyranny of the minority, Carpiano said. Its something that he helps to keep promoting and legitimating. MICHELLE R. SMITH Smith reports for APs global investigations team. She is based in Providence, Rhode Island. instagram mailto

Hundreds of demonstrators gather on Cambridge Common during a rally at the historic park in Cambridge, Mass., Saturday, April 12, 2025, calling on Harvard University to resist what organizers described as attempts by President Trump to influence the institution. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via AP, File)2025-04-15T17:01:09Z On one side is Harvard, the nations oldest and wealthiest university, with a brand so powerful that its name is synonymous with prestige. On the other side is the Trump administration, determined to go farther than any other White House to reshape American higher education.Both sides are digging in for a clash that could test the limits of the governments power and the independence that has made U.S. universities a destination for scholars around the world.On Monday, Harvard become the first university to openly defy the Trump administration as it demands sweeping changes to limit activism on campus. The university frames the governments demands as a threat not only to the Ivy League school but to the autonomy that the Supreme Court has long granted American universities.The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights, the universitys lawyers wrote Monday to the government. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. The federal government says its freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard. The hold on funding marks the seventh time the Trump administration has taken such a step at one of the nations most elite colleges, in an attempt to force compliance with Trumps political agenda. Six of the seven schools are in the Ivy League. No university is better positioned to put up a fight than Harvard, whose $53 billion endowment is the largest in the nation. But like other major universities, Harvard also depends on the federal funding that fuels its scientific and medical research. Its unclear how long Harvard could continue without the frozen money. Already, Harvards refusal appears to be emboldening other institutions.After initially agreeing to several demands from the Trump administration, Columbia Universitys acting president took a more defiant tone in a campus message Monday, saying some of the demands are not subject to negotiation. In her statement, Claire Shipman said she read of Harvards rejection with great interest.Harvard is obviously a particularly powerful institution. And its decision has potential to galvanize other universities into some kind of collective pushback, said David Pozen, a Columbia law professor who argued that the governments demands are unlawful.Ultimately, the conflict could be settled in federal court. A faculty group has already brought a legal challenge against the demands, and many in academia expect Harvard to bring its own lawsuit.In its refusal letter, Harvard said the governments demands violate the schools First Amendment rights and other civil rights laws.For the Trump administration, Harvard presents the first major hurdle in its attempt to force change at universities that Republicans say have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. 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

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This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governors mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Commonwealth Media Services via AP)2025-04-15T21:12:53Z HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A family member says the man charged with setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiros mansion has struggled with mental illness and was treated at a psychiatric hospital twice in recent years.The fire left significant damage and forced Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate the building early Sunday during the Jewish holiday of Passover. No injuries were reported, but authorities were still working Tuesday to determine a possible motive, including whether it had anything to do with Shapiros politics or religious beliefs.The suspect, identified as Cody Balmer, 38, was arrested nearby later in the day, police said. Court records and interviews with family members show his life unraveled dramatically in recent years before authorities say he scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and set the Democratic governors mansion ablaze. Suspect exhibited disturbing behavior, his brother saysDan Balmer, an electrical engineer who lives in the Harrisburg suburbs, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had given Cody Balmer a place to live a couple years ago. He was involved in getting his brother treatment at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute twice, saying Cody Balmer exhibited disturbing behavior.Hes had ups and downs his whole life with the bipolar, Dan Balmer said. He doesnt believe hes bipolar, so he doesnt take his medicine. Police call arson a planned attackCody Balmer allegedly scaled an iron security fence that stands about 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and is monitored by security cameras, police said. Police became aware someone had climbed over the fence and began a pursuit on the grounds but initially didnt locate anyone.Police allege Balmer broke into the southern wing of the residence, entering a room often used to entertain crowds and display art, and set a fire using a homemade incendiary device. Police said two broken glass beer bottles containing gasoline were found. The fire left significant damage to the room, charring walls, tables, buffet serving dishes, plates and a piano. Window panes and brick around doors and windows were blackened. Balmer was inside for about a minute before he left and escaped the premises, authorities said. The home, built in 1968, did not have sprinklers, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. He said the damage could be in the millions of dollars.Suspect faces chargesAuthorities said Balmer turned himself in after police received a call from his former partner, who said he confessed.Balmer, who had walked about an hour from his home to the governors residence, admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro, according to a police affidavit. No reason was given. Balmer has faced criminal charges over the past decade including simple assault, theft and forgery, according to online court records. He drew a sentence of probation after guilty pleas to theft and forgery counts. Simple assault charges from 2023 appeared unresolved.In court Monday, he told the judge he did not have any drug or alcohol problems, but acknowledged missing a few court dates in the past. Balmers mother said Monday that she had tried in recent days to get him assistance for mental health issues, but nobody would help. She said her son had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The AP was not able to verify that information.He wasnt taking his medicine, and thats all I want to say, Christie Balmer said, speaking at the family home in Harrisburg.However, in court Monday, Cody Balmer politely told a judge he did not suffer from any mental illness.Governor is a rising Democratic starShapiro, 51, is the first-term governor of the nations fifth most populous state, a presidential battleground that has helped make him a rising star in the Democratic Party and viewed as a potential White House contender in 2028.Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated Passover at the residence Saturday and were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors about 2 a.m. Sunday. Shapiro has been outspoken about his Jewish faith.He used his first ad in his campaign for governor in 2022 to tell family stories and describe his commitment to making it home Friday night for Sabbath dinner, complete with footage of him and his children at the table. Family and faith ground me, he said.In stump speeches and his election-night victory speech, Shapiro regularly quoted an ancient rabbinic maxim: No one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it.Attack happened during PassoverThe attack happened on the Jewish holiday of Passover, which began at sundown Saturday. The holiday commemorates the Israelites liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, including their 40-year journey through the desert. It is one of the holiest days of the year for Jews and is celebrated with a special meal called a Seder, which includes the eating of matzah, a type of unleavened bread, and the retelling of the Exodus story. Shapiro had celebrated with a Seder at the official residence with his family and members of the Jewish community in the same room where authorities said the fire was set.___Follow Marc Levy on X at https://x.com/timelywriter. MARK SCOLFORO Scolforo is an Associated Press reporter in the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, pose for a photo during their meeting in Odesa, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)2025-04-15T16:32:39Z ODESA, Ukraine (AP) NATOs support for Ukraine remains unwavering, the alliances secretary-general said Tuesday, emphasizing that more than 20 billion euros in security assistance have already been pledged by NATO allies in the first three months of 2025.Mark Rutte visited Ukraine on Tuesday and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the port city of Odesa.Im here today because I believe Ukraines people deserve real peace, real safety and security in their country, in their homes, the NATO official said during a joint press conference with Zelenskyy. Both visited the hospital in Odesa and met with wounded Ukrainian soldiers. His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles struck the heart of Sumy on Palm Sunday morning, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and injuring 119 others. The northeastern city lies about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Ukraines border with Russia. It marked the second large-scale attack in just over a week to result in significant civilian casualties. This is also Ruttes first trip to Ukraine since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed the lead in ceasefire negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, which have included several rounds of talks in Saudi Arabia. These discussions are not easy, not least in the wake of this horrific violence, the NATO official said, referring to the recent strikes. But we all support President Trumps push for peace. Ukraine has endorsed the broader U.S.-proposed cease-fire deal, though Russia has effectively stalled the process by attaching far-reaching conditions.Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European partners are continuing to develop the infrastructure for the coalition of the willing, which is expected to act as a long-term security guarantee aimed at deterring future Russian aggression after a ceasefire is in place.Amid that uncertainty and U.S. warnings that Europe must take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in the future, the multinational force is seen as a first test of the continents willingness to defend itself and its interests. Zelenskyy said Turkey could play a significant role in providing future Black Sea security guarantees for Ukraine.This is not about ending the war, unfortunately, Zelenskyy said, commenting on the security meeting being hosted by Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday. Its about what comes after the security guarantees for Ukraine following a ceasefire.He said military representatives from Ukraine, France, the U.K. and Turkey are discussing the presence of a military contingent in the Black Sea as part of those guarantees. The fact that these talks are ongoing, that we are preparing for this hopeful, soon-to-be achieved eventuality NATO tries to steer that in the direction we think would be advisable, Rutte said.The meeting in Turkey comes less than a month after the United States announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to eliminate the use of force in the Black Sea. However, key details remained unresolved, and the Kremlin has tied the deal to the lifting of certain Western sanctions. Commenting on ongoing negotiations with the U.S. over a revised draft of an agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukraines valuable mineral resources. Zelenskyy described last weeks technical talks in Washington as positive, with more consultations expected in the coming days.He said the meeting was a technical session for expert teams and that both sides concluded the meeting on a positive note. Zelenskyy added that discussions both online and in person will continue throughout the week, and once the teams are ready, they will present the outcomes of their work.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine___

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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr speaks as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz listens during a Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative event in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)2025-04-15T14:53:40Z LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Officials in Arkansas and Indiana moved Tuesday to ban soft drinks and candy from the program that helps low-income people pay for groceries, becoming the first states to ask the Trump administration to let them remove such items from the program long known as food stamps.Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said her states request is aimed at improving the health of nearly 350,000 residents who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It is clear that the current system encourages and subsidizes the overconsumption of unhealthy, highly processed and addictive food and beverages, said Sanders, who announced the request at a Little Rock news conference with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.In Indianapolis, Gov. Mike Braun was joined by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to announce sweeping changes to put the focus back on nutrition not candy and soft drinks. The two states are among several taking steps to strip the purchase of certain foods that may contribute to poor health through the federal program that spent $100 billion to serve nearly 42 million Americans in 2024. The restriction has been a key goal for Rollins and Kennedy and his Make America Healthy Again agenda. They changed our food system in this country so that it is poison to us, Kennedy said Tuesday. We cant be a strong nation if we are not a strong people. The Arkansas plan, which would take effect in July 2026, would exclude soda, including no- and low-calorie soda; fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice; unhealthy drinks; candy, including confections made with flour, like Kit Kat bars; and artificially sweetened candy. It also would allow participants to use benefits to buy hot rotisserie chicken, which is excluded from the program now. The Indiana change would exclude candy and soft drinks from the list of foods eligible to be paid for with SNAP benefits. Braun also issued executive orders changing work requirements for SNAP participants; reinstating income and asset verification rules; and launching a review of improper payments and other administrative errors to ensure that SNAP meets federal goals. Antihunger groups oppose SNAP food restrictions, saying that research shows that program participants are no more likely than other low-income Americans to buy sugary drinks or snack foods. And they say that limiting food choices undermines the autonomy and dignity of people who receive a benefit of about $187 per month or about $6.20 per day. They just seem to be targeting a specific population without having data that says that they are the issue or that this is going to improve, said Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the Food Research and Action Center, a nonprofit advocacy group. Trade groups representing beverage and candy makers criticized the effort, saying that they narrowly target SNAP participants. Representatives for American Beverage accused state and federal officials of choosing to be the food police rather than take truly meaningful steps to lift people off SNAP with good-paying jobs. Chris Gindlesperger, a spokesman for the National Confectioners Association, called the approach misguided. SNAP participants and non-SNAP participants alike understand that chocolate and candy are treats not meal replacements, Gindlesperger said. The SNAP program is run by the USDA and administered through individual states. It is authorized by the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which says that SNAP benefits can be used for any food or food product intended for human consumption, except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. In general, benefits are available to households with gross income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, or about $33,500 a year for three people.Excluding any foods would require Congress to change the law or for states to get waivers that would let them restrict purchases, said Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research group. Over the past two decades, lawmakers in several states and from both political parties have proposed halting SNAP payments for soda, chips, ice cream and luxury meats like steak, as well as bottled water and decorated birthday cakes. Since 2004, there have been six previous requests for waivers, including four that were not approved, one that was withdrawn and one request that was incomplete. In rejecting the waivers, the USDA said there was no clear standard to define certain foods as unhealthy and that restrictions would be difficult to implement, complicated, costly and might not change participants food purchases or improve health. ___ Aleccia reported from California. Associated Press writer Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. JONEL ALECCIA Aleccia covers food and nutrition at The Associated Press. She is based in Southern California. twitter mailto ANDREW DEMILLO DeMillo is a government and politics reporter for The Associated Press, based in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked for the AP since 2005. twitter mailto

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Wink Martindale arrives at the International Myeloma Foundation 7th Annual Comedy Celebration at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Nov. 9, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)2025-04-15T23:42:27Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley, has died. He was 91.Martindale died Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his publicist Brian Mayes. Martindale had been battling lymphoma for a year.He was doing pretty well up until a couple weeks ago, Mayes said by phone from Nashville.Gambit debuted on the same day in September 1972 as The Price is Right with Bob Barker and The Jokers Wild with Jack Barry.From the day it hit the air, Gambit spelled winner, and it taught me a basic tenant of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid, Martindale wrote in his 2000 memoir Winking at Life. Like playing Old Maids as a kid, everybody knows how to play 21, i.e. blackjack. Gambit had been beating its competition on NBC and ABC for over two years. But a new show debuted in 1975 on NBC called Wheel of Fortune. By December 1976, Gambit was off the air and Wheel of Fortune became an institution that is still going strong today. Martindale bounced back in 1978 with Tic-Tac-Dough, the classic Xs and Os game on CBS that ran until 1985.Overnight I had gone from the outhouse to the penthouse, he wrote.He presided over the 88-game winning streak of Navy Lt. Thom McKee, who earned over $300,000 in cash and prizes that included eight cars, three sailboats and 16 vacation trips. At the time, McKees winnings were a record for a game show contestant. I love working with contestants, interacting with the audience and to a degree, watching lives change, Martindale wrote. Winning a lot of cash can cause that to happen.Martindale wrote that producer Dan Enright once told him that in the seven years he hosted Tic-Tac-Dough he gave away over $7 million in cash and prizes. Martindale said his many years as a radio DJ were helpful to him as a game show host because radio calls for constant ad-libs and he learned to handle almost any situation in the spur of the moment. He estimated that he hosted nearly two dozen game shows during his career.Martindale wrote in his memoir that the question he got asked most often was Is Wink your real name? The second was How did you get into game shows?He got his nickname from a childhood friend. Martindale is no relation to University of Michigan defensive coordinator Don Martindale, whose college teammates nicknamed him Wink because of their shared last name.Born Winston Conrad Martindale on Dec. 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, he loved radio since childhood and at age 6 would read aloud the contents of advertisements in Life magazine.He began his career as a disc jockey at age 17 at WPLI in his hometown, earning $25 a week.After moving to WTJS, he was hired away for double the salary by Jacksons only other station, WDXI. He next hosted mornings at WHBQ in Memphis while attending Memphis State. He was married and the father of two girls when he graduated in 1957. Martindale was in the studio, although not working on-air that night, when the first Presley record Thats All Right was played on WHBQ on July 8, 1954.Martindale approached fellow DJ Dewey Phillips, who had given Presley an early break by playing his song, to ask him and Presley to do a joint interview on Martindales TV show Top Ten Dance Party in 1956. By then, Presley had become a major star and agreed to the appearance.Martindale and Presley stayed in touch on occasion through the years, and in 1959 he did a trans-Atlantic telephone interview with Presley, who was in the Army in Germany. Martindales second wife, Sandy, briefly dated Presley after meeting him on the set of G.I. Blues in 1960.In 1959, Martindale moved to Los Angeles to host a morning show on KHJ. That same year he reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with a cover version of Deck of Cards, which sold over 1 million copies. He performed the spoken word wartime story with religious overtones on The Ed Sullivan Show. I could easily have thought, Wow, this is easy! I come out here, go on radio and TV, make a record and everybody wants to buy it! he wrote. Even if I entertained such thoughts, they soon dissipated. I learned in due time that what had happened to me was far from the ordinary.A year later he moved to the morning show at KRLA and to KFWB in 1962. Among his many other radio gigs were two separate stints at KMPC, owned by actor Gene Autry.His first network hosting job was on NBCs Whats This Song? where he was credited as Win Martindale from 1964-65.He later hosted two Chuck Barris-produced shows on ABC: Dream Girl 67 and Hows Your Mother-in-Law? The latter lasted just 13 weeks before being canceled.Ive jokingly said it came and went so fast, it seemed more like 13 minutes! Martindale wrote, explaining that it was the worst show of his career. Martindale later hosted a Las Vegas-based revival of Gambit from 1980-81.He formed his own production company, Wink Martindale Enterprises, to develop and produce his own game shows. His first venture was Headline Chasers, a coproduction with Merv Griffin that debuted in 1985 and was canceled after one season. His next show, Bumper Stumpers, ran on U.S. and Canadian television from 1987-1990.He hosted Debt from 1996-98 on Lifetime cable and Instant Recall on GSN in 2010.Martindale returned to his radio roots in 2012 as host of the nationally syndicated The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time. In 2021, he hosted syndicated program The History of Rock n Roll.In 2017, Martindale appeared in a KFC ad campaign with actor Rob Lowe.He is survived by Sandy, his second wife of 49 years, and children Lisa, Madelyn ad Laura and numerous grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Wink Jr. Martindales children are from his first marriage which ended in divorce in 1972. 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Former U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled conference in Chicago, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)2025-04-15T04:07:24Z CHICAGO (AP) Former President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has taken a hatchet to Social Security, weighing in on a critical issue for millions of Americans as the 82-year-old Democrat briefly returned to the national stage.Biden, who has largely avoided speaking publicly since leaving the White House in January, delivered his pointed message during an evening speech at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago. The former president, who was largely focused on his prepared remarks but rambled at moments, was speaking as Democrats across the nation offered similar warnings for what they described as a Social Security Day of Action. In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction. Its kind of breathtaking, Biden charged during a speech that spanned just under a half hour. Theyve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration. It was no coincidence that Tuesdays appearance, which marked Bidens first major speech since leaving office, was focused on Social Security. Democrats have increasingly focused on Trumps turbulent leadership over the popular government agency that provides benefits to tens of millions of Americans. Both parties expect Social Security to emerge as a key issue in next years midterm elections. The appearance also marked the first time Biden has explicitly attacked Trump since becoming a private citizen, although Biden referred to the Republican president only as this guy on Tuesday. Trump, by contrast, continues to blame Biden for many of the nations problems and often attacks his predecessor by name.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took a shot at the former presidents age when asked about his speech earlier in the day.Im shocked that he is speaking at nighttime, Leavitt said during Tuesdays White House press briefing. I thought his bedtime was much earlier than his speech tonight. She said that Trump, who is 78 years old, would sign a presidential memorandum Tuesday afternoon aimed at stopping illegal aliens, and other ineligible people, from obtaining Social Security benefits. The memorandum will expand the Social Security Administrations fraud prosecutor program to at least 50 U.S. attorney offices, and establish Medicare and Medicaid fraud prosecution programs in 15 U.S. attorney offices, Leavitt said. Despite such moves, the Social Security Administration has been plagued by controversy under Trumps leadership. The Republican president almost immediately began slashing the government workforce upon his return to the White House, including thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration.Along with a planned layoff of 7,000 workers and contentious plans to impose tighter identity-proofing measures for recipients, the SSA has been sued over a decision to allow Trump adviser Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency to access individuals Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information. Musk, the worlds richest man and one of Trumps most influential advisers, has called Social Security the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time. At the same time, Social Security recipients have complained about long call wait times as the agencys my Social Security benefits portal has seen an increase in outages. Individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income, including disabled seniors and low-income adults and children, also reported receiving a notice that said they were not receiving benefits. The agency said the notice was a mistake. And the White House has vowed that it would not cut Social Security benefits, saying any changes are intended to reduce waste and fraud. Biden seized on the problems during his remarks. Theyre shooting first and aiming later, the former president said. They want to wreck it so they can rob it. Why do they want to rob it? In order to give tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations. Bidens speech came as Democrats nationally sought to elevate Social Security as a key issue heading into the 2026 midterm elections, which will decide the balance of power in Congress for the last two years of Trumps final term.He is not expected to make frequent public appearances as he transitions into his post-presidency. Biden still maintains an office in Washington, but has returned to Delaware as his regular home base. Trump has revoked his security clearances. This is an all hands on deck moment, which is why President Bidens voice in this moment is so important, Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a call with reporters ahead of Bidens address. Biden was joined in Chicago by a bipartisan group of former elected officials, including former Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and former Social Security Administrator Martin OMalley. In introducing Biden, OMalley said that the Trump administration has gutted the Social Security Administration with a chainsaw. Among the conference attendees was Michigan-based attorney Jason Turkish, who leads one of the countrys largest disability law firms. He said Trumps presidency has caused anxiety for many of his 32,000 clients nationwide, who are worried about diminished benefits and uncertainty over agency changes.We go from Republican to Democrat, Democrat to Republican and theres always been a belief that Social Security is just something we do not touch, he said.Still, he said there are signs that Social Security Administration officials are open to change. He cited how the agency partly backtracked on plans to require beneficiaries to go to a field office to verify their identity. Turkish is also optimistic about agency modernization efforts.While Biden may be in a position to help his party with fundraising and messaging moving forward, he left the White House with weak approval ratings. Biden also faces blame from some progressives who argue he shouldnt have sought a second term. Biden ended his reelection bid after his disastrous debate performance against Trump and made way for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in the fall. Just 39% of Americans had a favorable opinion of Biden in January, according to a Gallup poll taken shortly after Trumps inauguration. Views of the Democratic former president were essentially unchanged from a Gallup poll taken shortly after the November election. They broadly track with the steadily low favorability ratings that Biden experienced throughout the second half of his presidential term.Indeed, while some Democratic leaders welcomed Bidens return this week, others were not pleased to see him.The best role that Biden could play going forward would be to stay off the public stage, said progressive activist Norman Solomon. That might sound harsh, but frankly, his self-centered mentality has already done so much damage to the Democratic Party and the country that he certainly owes us some belated humility.___Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen, Will Weissert and Linley Sanders contributed to this report. FATIMA HUSSEIN Hussein reports on the U.S. Treasury Department for The Associated Press. She covers tax policy, sanctions and any issue that relates to money. twitter mailto

After 16 seasons with one franchise, Sharks captain Logan Couture, 36, said Tuesday he is retiring from hockey due to an injury.

Harriet Dart apologized after her 6-0, 6-3 loss at the Rouen Open on Tuesday for saying that her opponent, Lois Boisson, "smells really bad."

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Flashbacks of past capitulations were fresh in the mind as Barcelona nearly contrived to give up a four-goal lead.

A female African elephant named Pupy stands in her enclosure at the Ecoparque in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, as she is trained for her relocation to a sanctuary in Brazil. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)2025-04-16T00:49:34Z BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) An unusual convoy neared Argentinas lush border with Brazil on Tuesday, after snaking through traffic-snarled roads for hours. Inside the specialized iron crate strapped to a truck and flanked by vans full of caretakers and veterinarians was Pupy, a female African elephant.She is heading to a better life after spending more than 30 years in captivity as the last elephant of a Buenos Aires zoo that was often criticized for its conditions before it was turned into a nature preserve nine years ago. Pupy (pronounced POOH'-pee in Spanish) embarked on her arduous 2,700-kilometer (1,670-mile) journey on Monday, from the trendy neighborhood of Palermo in Argentinas capital of Buenos Aires to the Amazon rainforest of Mato Grosso state in Brazil. The 3.5-ton pachyderm is expected to arrive at her new home at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, the first refuge for elephants in Latin America, later this week a voyage dependent on traffic, weather conditions and customs stops. As of late Tuesday, Pupy was traversing the verdant northern Argentine province of Misiones, near the border with Brazil. Standing upright in her crate during the rough road trip, Pupy sleeps and feeds on vegetables, fruit, grass and vitamin supplements. Brazilian park personnel and Argentine handlers monitor her condition during pre-scheduled breaks and through cameras inside the crate. It took months to prepare Pupy for so many hours of confinement. She is making the journey flawlessly, said Mara Jos Catanzariti, a veterinarian and operational manager at the Buenos Aires preserve. Sometimes in the first 24 hours these animals dont want to eat, but Pupy keeps eating.Pupy is just the latest in a series of over 1,000 wild animals elephants, as well as lions, tigers, bears and apes that the Buenos Aires ecopark has sent to sanctuaries abroad since its 2016 conversion from a ramshackle city zoo into a species conservation site. Free from confinement, the animals build new lives in greener pastures. An orangutan named Sandra traded her limited, lonely existence in the Argentine preserve in 2019 for more roaming space and 22 new friends from her own species at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida. Already enjoying the Brazil Elephant Sanctuary are five Asian elephants including Mara, a former circus elephant that also ended up in the Argentine preserves enclosure and five years ago made the same highway trip to the refuge, where she now trudges at least 10 kilometers (6 miles) a day. The Brazilian elephant sanctuary offers newcomers space to adjust to life in the wild, regain behaviors intrinsic to their species and socialize with others after so many years often spent isolated and alone. Because Pupy can only fraternize with other African elephants, she will be alone adapting to her new habitat before the expected arrival of a fellow African elephant named Kenia.From a zoo in the city of Mendoza, western Argentina, with a history of similarly poor conditions, Kenia is now undergoing training before making the trip to the sprawling multi-acre refuge, which evokes an elephants natural home. ALMUDENA CALATRAVA Calatrava writes in Spanish about Argentina for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires mailto

Rory McIlroy stuck to a strategy of staying laser-focused, even if that meant not saying a word to Bryson DeChambeau during the final round of the Masters.

Major League Baseball on Tuesday commemorated the 78th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier.

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Cole Anthony scored 26 points off the bench to help the Magic beat the Hawks on Tuesday and set up a first-round series versus the Celtics.

A worker chats with a visitor at the booth for Exotica Freshener Co, a U.S. company selling fresheners, at the 137th Canton Fair in Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong province, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)2025-04-16T02:11:30Z BANGKOK (AP) Chinas economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, supported by strong exports ahead of U.S. President Donald Trumps rapid increases in tariffs on Chinese exports, the government said Wednesday. Analysts are forecasting that the worlds second largest economy will slow significantly in coming months, however, as tariffs as high as 145% on U.S. imports from China take effect. Exports were a strong factor in Chinas ability to attain a 5% annual growth rate in 2024 and the official target for this year remains at about 5%. Beijing has hit back at the U.S. with 125% tariffs on American exports, while also stressing its determination to keep its own markets open to trade and investment. In the near term, the tariffs will put pressure on Chinas economy, but they wont derail long-run growth, Sheng Laiyun, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, told reporters. Chinas economic foundation is stable, resilient and has great potential. We have the confidence, ability and confidence to cope with external challenges and achieve our established development goals, Sheng said. In quarterly terms the economy grew 1.2% in January-March, slowing from 1.6% in the last quarter of 2024. Chinese exports surged more than 12% from a year earlier in March and nearly 6% in U.S. dollar terms in the first quarter, as companies rushed to beat Trumps tariffs. That has supported robust manufacturing activity in the past several months. Much of this was front-loaded fueled by a burst of preemptive activity ahead of U.S. tariff escalations and an inventory binge stateside as importers scrambled to get ahead of the curve, Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.Industrial production rose 6.5% from a year earlier in the last quarter, led by a nearly 11% increase in output of equipment manufacturing. The strongest growth was in advanced technologies, such as production of battery electric and hybrid vehicles, which jumped 45.4% year-on-year. Output of 3D printers soared almost 45% and of industrial robots surged 26%. But despite relatively fast growth by global standards, the Chinese economy has struggled to regain momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic, partly due to a downturn in the property market resulting from a crackdown on excess borrowing by developers. Consumer prices fell 0.1% in the first quarter, suggesting that demand is not keeping up with supply for many industries. Investment in real estate also remained weak, falling nearly 10% from a year earlier despite government efforts to spur more lending for housing purchases. The tariffs crisis looms as another massive blow at a time when Beijing is striving to get businesses to invest and hire more workers and to persuade Chinese consumers to spend more.Those efforts appear to be bearing fruit. Retail sales rose 4.2% from a year earlierBoth private and public sector economists have remained cautious about what to expect, given how Trump has kept switching his stance on the details of his trade war. Given the events over the past two weeks, it is extremely difficult to predict how the U.S. and China tariffs on each other might evolve, Tao Wang and other UBS economists said in a report. The International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank have stuck with more optimistic forecasts of about 4.6% growth this year. After taking office, Trump first ordered a 10% increase in tariffs on imports from China. He later raised that to 20%. Now, China is facing 145% tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.UBS estimates that the tariffs, if they remain roughly as they are, could cause Chinas exports to the United States to fall by two-thirds in coming months and that its global exports could fall by 10% in dollar value. It cut its forecast for economic growth this year to 3.4% from an earlier 4%. It expects growth to slow to 3% in 2026. China has stepped up efforts to spur more consumer spending and private sector investment over the past seven months, doubling down on subsidies for auto and appliance trade-ins and channeling more funding for housing and other cash strapped industries. ___AP researchers Yu Bing and Shihuan Chen contributed. ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the APs business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Kyrylo Illiashenko, 13, sits on a hospital bed, Monday, April 14, 2025, after being injured on Sunday by a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, while trying to help others evacuate a burning bus that he later exited through a shattered window. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)2025-04-15T20:10:46Z SUMY, Ukraine (AP) The humdrum of daily life in Sumy belies the constant threat of death its people have lived with since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago.Days after Russia targeted the citys center in back-to-back missile strikes, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100 others in the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians this year, neighbors gossiped in front of their apartment block as children played soccer in the courtyard. They paused to look up only when hearing the buzzing of attack drones and familiar thud of Ukrainian air defenses before resuming what they were doing. Women put flowers on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Women put flowers on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A woman cleans her window after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko) A woman cleans her window after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Mother Natalia says goodbye to her daughter Olena Kohut, an orchestra musician who was killed in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13, during a farewell ceremony in Sumy, Ukraine, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Mother Natalia says goodbye to her daughter Olena Kohut, an orchestra musician who was killed in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13, during a farewell ceremony in Sumy, Ukraine, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Sumy is only about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border of Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian soldiers are defending the last sliver of territory they took in a surprise offensive last summer. Residents say there has been an uptick in attacks on Sumy in recent weeks, though none as bloody as Sundays airstrike, which targeted a busy intersection. The attack in Sumy, which had a prewar population of about 250,000, came just over a week after a Russian missile strike killed about 20 people, including nine children, in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. Russia said it was targeting a meeting of soldiers, but there is no evidence to support the claim. The attacks on their cities has left many Ukrainians wondering where the next will occur and cast a shadow over the ongoing ceasefire talks being brokered by the United States. The talks have produced only muted results, as Russia insists on conditions Ukraine deems impossible and Kyiv believes Moscows forces are gearing up for a fresh offensive. The attack ended some lives and shattered othersTo the people of Sumy, the talks seem far-removed from their daily struggles.As some of the victims of Sundays attack were laid to rest on Tuesday, Viktor Voitenko, 56, described how he ended up paralyzed in a hospital bed. He was working as a security guard when the second missile hit and shattered his spine. As he spoke, his wife Hanna, 40, lovingly applied his deodorant a simple act he could no longer perform. Hanna seeks to her husband Victor Voitenko, injured in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13, at a hospital in Sumy, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Hanna seeks to her husband Victor Voitenko, injured in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13, at a hospital in Sumy, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Mention of the ceasefire negotiations conjured a weary smile from her. Its empty talks. They dont move anywhere. It seems to be public relations to me, Hanna Voitenko said. Nothing happens to bring comfort to regular people.Her husband offered his own take: They are stalling for time.Work, errands and planned family visits brought the victims of Sundays attack to the intersection of Petropavlivska Street and the state university on Sunday morning.Asia Pohorila, 20, was working at a cafe and thinking about whether to buy pastries after her shift when the first missile strike left her in shock and bleeding profusely from her legs. On Tuesday, the times 10:20 and 10:23" were still scrawled in marker on her thighs, noting when medics applied tourniquets to them. Asia Pohorila, 20, injured in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13, lies on a bed at a hospital in Sumy, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Asia Pohorila, 20, injured in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13, lies on a bed at a hospital in Sumy, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A teen springs into actionMaryna Illiashenko and her 13-year old son, Kyrylo, heard the sound of that first blast ricochet across the center city as they waited for a bus.They were headed to visit his grandmother, but the teenager was more excited about wrestling practice later that afternoon. Undeterred, they boarded the bus when it arrived a few minutes later. One stop later, the second missile crashed a few feet from the vehicle, scorching nearby cars, burning passengers alive, killing the bus driver and causing shrapnel to rain down. Three fragments tore through Kyrylos scalp and scratched Marynas face. Kyrylo Illiashenko, 13, sits on a hospital bed, Monday, April 14, 2025, after being injured on Sunday by a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, while trying to help others evacuate a burning bus that he later exited through a shattered window. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Kyrylo Illiashenko, 13, sits on a hospital bed, Monday, April 14, 2025, after being injured on Sunday by a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, while trying to help others evacuate a burning bus that he later exited through a shattered window. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Enveloped in smoke and debris, the teen leaped out of the shattered bus window and pried open the locked door from outside, saving half a dozen trapped passengers, witnesses said.I dont want to think about this as a new type of reality for Sumy city. We can clearly see that our frontline cities are being erased, Oleh Strilka, a spokesperson for the citys State Emergency Service, said while standing outside the collapsed facade of the university building, where the second missile struck.The most painful thing for me is our children. Why do they need to suffer? he asked. I dont want our 13-year-old kids becoming heroes. Liudmyla Shelukhina, 70, was waiting in a neighbors house for a haircut. She was standing in line in the kitchen when the windows suddenly shattered.She said the fridge she was next to saved her life. I would have been decapitated.Dont be so dramatic, joked her husband, Viktor, a former soldier. Their son was hospitalized in the attack. A rescue worker rests near university building destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A rescue worker rests near university building destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A dead body lies on the ground after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko) A dead body lies on the ground after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A man cries as he leans on the bus that was hit by a Russian missile on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko) A man cries as he leans on the bus that was hit by a Russian missile on Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More No relief for first responders Rescue workers like Dmytro Shevchenko, 31, have to be prepared to head to the scene of the next attack at all times. He was among the first to arrive at the university grounds on Sunday. Most people he found were too badly injured to help, he said, wiping away tears.He holds on to little hope that ceasefire talks will bear fruit. I just dont believe in it, he said.The childrens hospital where Kyrylo Illiashenko is recovering bears the scars of repeated drone attacks. More than 100 windows were shattered only two weeks ago when a massive drone attack struck nearby, said Chief Dr. Ihor Zmislya. As workers cleared rubble from the sites of the missile strikes Tuesday and Kyrylo expounded on his favorite computer games, an explosion sounded in the distance. From the teens hospital window, plumes of smoke could be seen rising from a nearby railway line. This is our reality, said Zmislya. It happens all the time. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto

Toronto captain Auston Matthews scored into an empty net for the 400th goal of his career in the Maple Leafs' 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, becoming the sixth-fastest NHL player to reach that milestone, according to ESPN Research.

Jaydn Ott, one of the top playmakers coming back in college football, is moving on to Oklahoma, just one day after entering the transfer portal.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-04-16T03:08:58Z Fresh from a courtroom loss over The Associated Press access to the presidency, the White House on Tuesday put forward a new media policy that sharply curtails access to Donald Trump by news agencies that serve media outlets around the world. It was the latest attempt by the new administration to control coverage of its activities.The move would block the AP and other wire services that serve billions of readers through thousands of news outlets. It comes after a judge ruled the White House had violated the organizations free speech by banning it because it disagreed with the outlets decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico.While outlining a new pool coverage policy for small spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One, the White House also said it will ultimately give press secretary Karoline Leavitt the final say over who gets to question her boss, according to people who have seen the plan. The White House did not return messages for comment on Tuesday evening. A federal judge last week ruled the White House improperly punished the AP for refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico by blocking its reporters and photographers from covering the events. U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered the administration to treat the AP as it does other news organizations. Reframing who gets access to the president for questionsA day after defying McFaddens ruling and continuing APs ban when Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele met with reporters in the Oval Office, the White House leaked a new policy to selected journalists.For many years, the White House Correspondents Association has run the pool for the limited space events, and each time it has included reporters from the wire services AP, Reuters and Bloomberg. One print reporter was also allowed, selected on a rotating basis from more than 30 news outlets.The White House now says it will lump the three wire services with print reporters for two slots meaning roughly three dozen reporters will rotate for two regular slots. Wire services typically report and write stories that are used in multiple locations around the country and the planet. Even with the rotation, the White House said Trumps press secretary shall retain day-to-day discretion to determine composition of the pool. The new policy says reporters will also be allowed in irrespective of the substantive viewpoint expressed by an outlet.In a statement, the APs Lauren Easton said the outlet was deeply disappointed that rather than restore the APs access, the White House instead chose restrictions over all of the wire services.The wire services represent thousands of news organizations across the U.S. and the world over, said Easton, an AP spokeswoman. Our coverage is used by local newspapers and television stations in all 50 states to inform their communities.The administrations actions continue to disregard the fundamental American freedom to speak without government control or retaliation, Easton said Tuesday night.The independent White House Correspondents Association said the administrations insistence on retaining control over who covers the president shows that it is unwilling to guarantee that it would not continue viewpoint discrimination.The government should not be able to control the independent media that covers it, said Eugene Daniels, the associations president. More access for Trump-friendly mediaUnder Leavitt, the White House has given greater access to news outlets friendly to Trump. That was visible Tuesday, when the first reporter Leavitt addressed during a briefing asked two questions while also praising Trump policy.At Mondays Oval Office meeting, Trump bristled at questions from CNNs Kaitlan Collins about a man deported to an El Salvador prison, at one point accusing CNN of hating our country. He made it a point to contrast her questions with a non-pointed one from another reporter.Despite the occasional fireworks, Trump has made himself accessible to the media more than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. Cramped-quarters events, particularly in the Oval Office, are some of his favorite places to talk rendering the new access policy all the more impactful. The new policy advanced on Tuesday did not address access for photographers. At an earlier court hearing about the APs case, the outlets chief White House photographer, Evan Vucci, and correspondent Zeke Miller testified about how the ban has hurt the business of a news agency built to quickly get news and images to its customers.The dispute stems from APs decision not to follow the presidents executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico, although AP style does cite Trumps wish that it be called the Gulf of America. McFadden agreed with APs argument that the government cannot punish the news organization for what it says for exercising its right to free speech.The White House has argued that press access to the president is a privilege, not a right, that it should control much like it decides to whom Trump gives one-on-one interviews. In court papers filed last weekend, his lawyers signaled that even with McFaddens decision, the APs days of unchallenged access to open presidential events were over. No other news organization in the United States receives the level of guaranteed access previously bestowed upon the AP, the administration argued. The AP may have grown accustomed to its favored status, but the Constitution does not require that such status endure in perpetuity.The administration has appealed McFaddens ruling, and is scheduled to be in an appeals court on Thursday to argue that ruling should be put on hold until the merits of the case are fully decided, perhaps by the U.S. Supreme Court.The administration has not curtailed AP access to Leavitts briefings over the past two months. It has blocked access to events in the East Room to White House-credentialed AP reporters until Tuesday, when one was allowed into an event that involved the Navy football team.___David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social DAVID BAUDER Bauder is the APs national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York. twitter mailto

Jimmy Butler had 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Stephen Curry scored 37 and the Warriors earned the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs by beating the Grizzlies on Tuesday night in the play-in tournament.

Minnesota coach John Hynes sent retiring goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, 40, out for overtime in what could well be the final game of his storied career, and the Wild outlasted the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Tuesday night in the home team's regular-season finale.

Addressing his ejection, Trae Young said he was taking out his frustration on the officials for giving his team what he thought was a bad whistle.

Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to shut out expectations of another famous Real Madrid comeback and "talk on the pitch" in Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal showdown.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he had to remind his disappointed players they had reached the Champions League semifinal after Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund.