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A cow rests near a park bench and trash bins on August 12, 2002 on Australia's remote Norfolk Island. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)2025-04-03T13:26:40Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) The Trump administration appears to be leaving no stone unturned with its sweeping tariffs around the globe, from rocky outcrops home to polar bears in the Arctic to tiny tropical islands to a former British penal colony whose leader is befuddled that it was targeted.The American president rattled markets, manufacturers and more Wednesday announcing a baseline of 10% tariffs on imports into the United States and far higher on goods from some places, notably those with high trade surpluses with the United States.A few countries like Russia, which is facing U.S. sanctions, and Canada and Mexico which face separate U.S. tariff measures were left off. The Holy See, for example, got a pass too from being listed among the dozens of countries and territories targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump.Heres a look at some target territories that have little to no production, exports or role in the global economy. There was no immediate explanation as to why these places made the cut in a list presented on the White House-affiliated Rapid Response 47 account on the X social media platform. Jan Mayen This small Arctic island, possibly featuring more polar bears than people, figures among the more peculiar places on the U.S. target list.The only inhabitants on Jan Mayen, part of Norway since 1930, are staff of the Norwegian military and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The island 600 kilometers (370 miles) northeast of Iceland is partly covered by glaciers.The Norwegian militarys main role there is to oversee Norways claim to sovereignty over the island, it flies C-130 Hercules cargo planes to Jan Mayen about a dozen times a year from Norway. The planes are able to land only if visibility is good as the airport doesnt have any instrument landing capabilities.Norways Foreign and Environment Ministries did not immediately reply to requests for comment Thursday from The Associated Press. TokelauThe nation made up of three tropical coral islands and home 1,500 people on a combined land area of 4 square miles (10 sq. km), is also facing 10% U.S. tariffs.One of the smallest economies in the South Pacific, Tokelau survives on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and finance from New Zealand, which counts the islands as one of its territories.Roland Rajah, lead economist at the Lowy Institute, an Australian foreign policy think tank, said officials in small island nations would likely struggle to change Washingtons mind.If those countries didnt get much consideration in terms of what tariffs were imposed on them given their size and obscurity to the Trump administration, that also could make it difficult for them to do anything about negotiating their way out of those tariffs, he said. Christmas IslandThe leader of Christmas Island, which has fewer that 2,000 people, said the Indian Ocean atoll exported nothing to the United States.Theres no trade between Christmas Island and America except that we do buy mining equipment through Tractors Singapore, said Christmas Island Shire President Gordon Thomson, referring to the regional dealer for the Texas manufacturing giant Caterpillar Inc.The Australian outpost located 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta has used U.S. heavy machinery to mine phosphate for decades. The trade, if anything, is U.S. product into Christmas Island. The only thing that we export is phosphate and that goes to Malaysia, Indonesia, maybe Thailand and a bit to the Australian mainland, Thomson said.Heard and McDonald IslandsThe Heard and McDonald Islands in the remote Antarctic, which together form another Australian territory this one uninhabited is also on the list and subject to 10% tariffs. The mostly barren islands between Madagascar and Antarctica have two active volcanoes and can only be reached by sea.Contacted by the AP, the Australian governments Antarctic Division did not immediately respond when asked about how the tariff might affect its operations in the islands. Norfolk IslandNorfolk Island in the Pacific, another Australian territory with a population of around 2,000 people, received more severe tariff treatment.The Trump administration, in its calculation, said the former British penal colony charges the United States 58% tariffs and it responded with a tariff rate of 29% on Norfolk Island, whose economy revolves around tourism. Its about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) east of Sydney.Norfolk Island Administrator George Plant, the Australian governments representative on the island, was looking into what was behind it.To my knowledge, we do not export anything to the United States, he told the AP. We dont charge tariffs on anything. I cant think of any non-tariff barriers that would be in place either, so were scratching our heads here.Speaking to reporters, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese quipped: Im not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States.But that just shows, I think, exemplifies, the fact that nowhere on Earth is exempt from this. ___Keaten reported from Geneva. Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand, and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report. ROD MCGUIRK McGuirk covers Australian and South Pacific news for The Associated Press. He is based in Melbourne. mailto JAMEY KEATEN Keaten is the chief Associated Press reporter in Geneva. He previously was posted in Paris and has reported from Afghanistan, the Middle East, North Africa and across Europe. twitter

From Kana Watanabe to Aaron Jeffery and Adam Borics, here's a list of the fighters who could pull off an unlikely championship run in PFL this year.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, poses with counterparts during a group photo of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters Brussels, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)2025-04-03T06:49:17Z BRUSSELS (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administrations new envoy to NATO are seeking to reassure wary members of the U.S. commitment to the alliance. Rubio on Thursday decried hysteria and hyperbole in the media about U.S. President Donald Trumps intentions, despite persistent signals from Washington that NATO as it has existed for 75 years may no longer be relevant. Rubio and newly confirmed U.S. ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker are in Brussels for a meeting of alliance foreign ministers at which many are hoping Rubio will shed light on U.S. security plans in Europe. The United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been, Rubio told reporters as he greeted NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte before the meeting began. And some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States about NATO is unwarranted. President Trumps made clear he supports NATO, Rubio said. Were going to remain in NATO.We want NATO to be stronger, we want NATO to be more visible and the only way NATO can get stronger, more visible is if our partners, the nation states that comprise this important alliance, have more capability, he said. Whitaker said in a statement that under President Trumps leadership, NATO will be stronger and more effective than ever before, and I believe that a robust NATO can continue to serve as a bedrock of peace and prosperity. But he added: NATOs vitality rests on every ally doing their fair share. Concerns about US commitment to allies Despite those words, European allies and Canada are deeply concerned by Trumps readiness to draw closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sees NATO as a threat as the U.S. tries to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, as well as his rhetorical attacks and insults against allies like Canada and Denmark.Rubio and Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen met on the sidelines of the meeting. They didnt respond to a shouted question about Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark which Trump has his eye on, but they smiled and shook hands in front of U.S. and Danish flags. Trumps imposition of new global tariffs, which will affect allies, have also added to the uncertainty and unease.French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot warned that NATOs unity is being tested by the decisions taken and announced yesterday (Wednesday) by President Trump.Asked about concerns among European allies about a possible U.S. troop drawdown and the importance of getting clear messages from the Trump administration, Rutte said: These issues are not new. There are no plans for them to all of a sudden draw down their presence here in Europe.Indeed, the Trump administration hasnt made its NATO allies aware any plans that it might have. But several European countries are convinced that U.S. troops and equipment will be withdrawn, and they want to find out from Rubio how many and when so they can fill any security gaps.We need to preempt a rapid retreat, but weve had nothing precise from the U.S. yet, a senior NATO diplomat said before the meeting, briefing reporters on his countrys expectations on condition that he not be named. Ruttes dilemma NATOs secretary-general is in a bind. European allies and Canada have tasked him with keeping the United States firmly in NATO. Around 100,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe along with the Navys 6th Fleet and nuclear warheads. U.S. firepower ensures that NATOs ability to deter Russia is credible.This means he cant openly criticize Trump, who is commander in chief of the United States, NATOs biggest and best-equipped armed forces.What is clear is that U.S. allies must ramp up defense spending even more than they already have since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, so that they can defend Europe with less American help and keep Ukraines armed forces in the fight.The U.S expects European allies to take more responsibility for their own security, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said, which means that European NATO countries rapidly have to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and have to increase their defense spending. Since U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned last month that American security priorities lie elsewhere in Asia and on the United States own borders the Europeans have waited to learn how big a military drawdown in Europe could be and how fast it may happen.In Europe and Canada, governments are working on burden shifting plans to take over more of the load, while trying to ensure that no security vacuum is created if U.S. troops and equipment are withdrawn from the continent.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels from Las Vegas to Miami on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-04-03T13:41:27Z ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) The acting chief of the top federal agency for protecting worker rights has signaled a pivot toward prioritizing President Donald Trumps campaign to stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the private and public sectors.The initial steps taking by Andrea Lucas, acting chief of the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, have earned her strong backing from the Trump administration, which has moved against DEI through embattled executive orders that dismantled programs at federal agencies and threatened investigations and stiff financial penalties for federal contractors that engage in illegal diversity-related practices. Trump recently nominated Lucas to a new five-year term as commissioner. But former Democratic EEOC officials and prominent civil rights groups have accused Lucas of taking shortcuts that supersede her authority and they have urged employers to be wary of her directives and guidance, if not altogether ignore them. The most recent flashpoint involves two technical assistance documents issued by the EEOC along with the Department of Justice attempting to clarify what might constitute DEI-related Discrimination at Work and providing guidance on how workers can file complaints over such concerns. The documents take broad aim at practices such as training, employment resources group and fellowship programs, warning such programs depending on how theyre constructed could run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and gender. The documents followed letters that Lucas sent to 20 prominent law firms demanding information about diversity fellowships and other programs she claimed could be evidence of discriminatory practices.A group of 10 former Democratic commissioners and counsels released its own letter Thursday warning the legal community the DEI documents give the misleading impression that common programs are fraught with legal peril and dismissed them as reflecting Lucass personal opinion. The letter offered counter-guidance on how employers should continue implementing training and other practices that EEOC policy documents encourage to prevent discrimination. Last month, seven of the same former EEOC officials sent Lucas a letter warning that she appeared to exceed her authority with her demands for information from the 20 law firms without first launching a formal investigation. A group of prominent civil rights organizations went a step further in their own letter to Lucas, urging the law firms to ignore her demands because they have no legal obligation to reply.This isnt how the EEOC works. No single commissioner not even the Chair has the authority to send threatening letters demanding private information from employers, said Noreen Farrell, director of Equal Rights Advocates, one of the civil rights organizations that signed onto the response led by the National Womens Law Center. The EEOC Chair cant just rewrite decades of settled civil rights law with a hastily written memo. Jenny Yang, a former EEOC commissioner under President Barack Obama, said Lucas letters to the 20 law firms were without precedent at the EEOC, which initiates most investigations in response to complaints filed by workers. In very rare cases, a commissioner can file their own charge against an employer but it wouldnt be made public and would require the commissioner to provide evidence of possible discrimination under penalty of perjury, Yang said. Law firms including some of the 20 targeted by Lucas are already coming under pressure to change their approach to diversity and inclusion in response to separate Trump executive orders designed to punish them for taking on the presidents rivals as clients and other actions that have angered him. For example, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom recently learned that the president intended to issue an order targeting it over its pro bono legal work and its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The firm has consequently agreed to review its hiring practices, among other things. The 20 law firms targeted in Lucas letters did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about whether they intended to respond to her demands. Lucas did not respond to request for comment on the DEI technical assistance documents, and the EEOC declined to say whether the law firms have any legal obligation to respond to her letters or whether they would face any penalty for not doing so.But Lucas, a Republican who was first appointed to the EEOC in 2020, has long argued that she is not reinterpreting civil rights laws but rather sounding the alarm that many companies have adopted DEI practices that cross the line into discrimination. Lucas has argued the EEOC has turned a blind eye to risky company practices, which she said proliferated especially after the 2020 racial justice protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd. Far too many employers defend certain types of race or sex preferences as good, provided they are motivated by business interests in diversity, equity, or inclusion., Lucas said in a statement announcing the new technical assistance on DEI.Many employers are likely to take heed of her warnings as the EEOC signals that it will be become a powerful ally to workers claiming discrimination stemming from DEI practices. Anuradha Hebbar, president of CEO Action for Inclusion & Diversity, an arm of the influential Society for Human Resource Management, said the EEOC has especially makes clear that companies should avoid fellowships, internships and other programs that are only open to women or certain racial groups. Stefan Padfield of conservative think tank National Center for Public Policy Research praised the EEOCs the shift as a much-needed course correction that will open the floodgates for complaints against DEI practices that should be deemed illegal. Lucas has acknowledged that she cannot unilaterally change some of the agencys guidelines and policies that may contradict Trumps slew of executive orders, though the EEOC has already moved to drop seven lawsuits alleging discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people in response to a presidential order declaring the government would only recognize the male and female genders. Changing such policies including the EEOCs five-year strategic enforcement plan that pledges support for DEI would require a majority vote by the agencys five commissioners. But Trump recently fired two of those commissioners both Democrats before their terms expired in a move that upended 60 years of precedent for an agency established by Congress as independent and bipartisan.In their letter Thursday, the former EEOC officials accused Lucas of cherry-picking rare instances of discrimination to convey the message that training and other DEI practices are inherently risky when in fact most are legally sound. Our federal civil rights offices and officials should not be intimidating or discouraging employers who are working to advance these goals, the letter said.________The Associated Press women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. 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. ALEXANDRA OLSON Olson is a business reporter for The Associated Press, focusing on women in the workplace. She has spent many years as a correspondent in Latin America. twitter mailto CLAIRE SAVAGE Savage is a national reporter for the APs Business team. She covers women in the workforce and is based in Chicago. twitter instagram mailto

Content Warning:This article discusses topics related to mental health challenges, systemic inequities, and suicide rates among marginalized communities. If you find these topics distressing, please prioritize your well-being and seek support as needed.The mental health challenges of BIPOC and queer youth continue to grow, yet existing support systems often fail to meet their needs. Whether it be due to cultural stigma, gender-affirming spaces, or even financial barriers, mental healthcare inaccessibility prevails. The conversation of youth mental health took center stage after the COVID-19 pandemic, wherestudies showedan increase in anxiety and depression among marginalized youth. Asian females saw a 136% increase in rates of anxiety and depression, Hispanic males saw a 190% increase in rates of depression, and there was also an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors for both Asian (171% increase) and Black (90.2%) females.41% of LGBTQ+ youth stated that COVID-19 impacted their ability to express their LGBTQ identity, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth (56%). Our findings show this is a real problem that we need to urgently address on all fronts, saysLaura Prichett, Ph.D., M.H.S.Technology and Mental HealthcareHeadstream, an innovation program bySecondMuse, leads the charge in programming and services that fosteryouth co-creation. The program brings youth from diverse backgrounds into conversations with youth mental health tech startup leaders participating in theirAccelerator.Headstream collaborated with theJed FoundationandMeadows Mental Health Policy Instituteto create theK-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator.The Mental Health Tech Navigator is a free, web-based resource designed to guide K-12 administrators and educators through selecting and implementing digital tools and products to support student mental health and well-being.Doing the legwork for K-12 district and school staff, the K-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator lists aDigital Well-Being Product Index, featuring digital mental health solutions. A few of these products such asBackpack HealthcareandSonar, contain AI tools designed to bridge the mental healthcare gap. The mental health care system is facing a massive provider shortage. AI can play a role in creating alternatives, supplementing the existing workforce, and providing new pathways to support, says David Ball, the Global Head of Health, Education, and Technology at SecondMuse.The Role of AI in Addressing Mental HealthIn some cases, AI has done more harm than good, ultimately furtheringracial and gender biases.Is there a chance for AI to be used for good?One way to combat bias in AI is to do what Headstream doesprioritize diverse cohorts, especially first-time founders and those with different lived experiences, says Ball.Addressing capacity issues and furthering productivity can be a way for AI to bridge the mental healthcare gap for marginalized folks and create a positive impact on society as long as its curated and fine tuned by the communities it will be serving.Sabrina Abdalla, Program Manager of the Youth Collective at Headstream shares, AI tools must beintentionally designedwith diverse data sets, co-created with marginalized youth, and continuously tested for bias to ensure they are culturally competent. At Headstream, we prioritize co-creation with youth from all backgrounds to shape digital well-being tools, advocate for ethical digital tools including AI development, and partner with organizations committed to equity in mental health technology.The Importance of Inclusive HealthcareIt is imperative that the gaps in mental healthcare for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth are closed, furthering the wellbeing of all youth. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth face unique stressors that significantly impact their mental well-being. Discrimination and a lack of cultural competency are roadblocks standing between marginalized youth and a happy, healthy life.According to the 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, conducted by The Trevor Project,45% of LGBTQ youthseriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Furthermore, youth holding intersectional identitiessuch as a multicultural background and LGBTQ+ identityexperience even more intense adversity when seeking mental healthcare. A blog post onCompass Health Centernotes that in 2022, 60% of LGBTQ youth were unable to access mental health care.How AI Can Further Inclusive CareI see AI as a tool that has the potential to expand access to personalized, affirming mental health resources for youth at large by offering culturally relevant support and reducing barriers like stigma and cost. It also has the potential to address the unique challenges systemically excluded communities face by providing identity-affirming interventions, real-time crisis support, and connections to peer and professional networks that understand their lived experiences. says Abdalla.AI has the potential to further inclusive mental healthcare if created by and with marginalized communities.(This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.)The post Could AI bolster mental healthcare for LGBTQ+ BIPOC youth? appeared first on News Is Out.

The Canadiens and Blue Jackets both take the ice Thursday. Here are matchup details, full bracket projections.

It wasn't just about a polarizing on-field rule. It was a window into the back-channel politics of the rules process.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-04-03T15:31:56Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has moved to fire several senior White House National Security Council officials soon after he was urged by far-right activist Laura Loomer to purge staffers she deemed insufficiently committed to his Make America Great Again agenda, several people familiar with the matter said Thursday.Loomer presented her research to Trump in an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, making her case for the firings, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters. Vice President JD Vance, chief of staff Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Serio Gor, the director of the Presidential Personnel Office, took part in the meeting, the people said.NSC spokesman Brian Hughes declined to comment on the meeting or the firings, insisting that the White House does not discuss personnel matters. Loomer, who has promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories, was a frequent presence on the campaign trail during Trumps 2024 successful White House run. More recently, shes been speaking out on social media about some members of Trumps national security team that she insists cant be trusted. The move by Trump to push out staff comes at a moment when his national security adviser Mike Waltz is fighting back criticism over using the publicly available encrypted Signal app to discuss planning for the sensitive March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen. A journalist, The Atlantic magazines Jeffrey Rosenberg, was mistakenly added to the chain and revealed that Trumps team used it to discuss precise timing of the operation, aircraft used to carry out the strikes and more.Waltz has taken responsibility for building text chain, but has said he does not know how Rosenberg ended up being included. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto ZEKE MILLER Miller leads coverage of the president and the presidency for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference in Dallas, June 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)2025-04-03T12:08:33Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department quietly decided in the final weeks of the Biden administration not to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending the corruption investigation that cast a long shadow over the political career of a close ally of President Donald Trump, The Associated Press has learned. The decision not to bring charges which has never been publicly reported resolved the high-stakes federal probe before Trumps new Justice Department leadership could even take action on an investigation sparked by allegations from Paxtons inner circle that the Texas Republican abused his office to aid a political donor.The move came almost two years after the Justice Departments public integrity section in Washington took over the investigation, removing the case from the hands of federal investigators in Texas who had believed there was sufficient evidence for an indictment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, confirmed the departments decision to decline to prosecute. Though the date of the decision was not immediately clear, it was made in the final weeks of the President Joe Bidens presidency, one of the people said. Politically appointed Justice Department leadership was not involved in the decision, which was recommended by a senior career official who had concerns about prosecutors ability to secure a conviction, according to another person briefed on the matter. Political appointees are not typically involved in public integrity section matters to avoid the appearance of political interference. One of Paxtons lawyers, Dan Cogdell, told the AP on Wednesday night that he had not been informed by the Justice Department of any decision in the investigation but noted: I never thought they had a case they could make. The Department of Justice declined to comment.Paxton is weighing a run for the U.S. Senate next year, setting up a potential primary against Republican Sen. John Cornyn, ambitions that reflect his political durability despite spending years under clouds that also included felony securities fraud charges and an investigation by the Texas state bar over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Biden. The federal investigation had been the most serious inquiry still facing Paxton, who settled the securities fraud case and was acquitted of corruption charges in the Texas Senate in 2023 following a historic impeachment. Paxton agreed last year to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution under a deal to end criminal securities fraud charges over accusations that he duped investors in a tech startup near Dallas.The allegations against Paxton were stunning in part because of who made them. Eight of his closest aides reported him to the FBI in 2020, accusing him of bribery and abusing his office to help one of his friends and campaign contributors, Nate Paul, who also employed a woman with whom Paxton acknowledged having had an extramarital affair. The same allegations led to Paxtons impeachment on articles of bribery and abuse of public trust, but he was acquitted by the Republican-led Texas Senate, where his wife is a senator but did not cast a vote during the trial. Paul pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge after he was accused of making false statements to banks to obtain more than $170 million in loans.After the November election, the DOJ accepted a guilty plea from Nate Paul and is apparently letting Ken Paxton escape justice, TJ Turner and Tom Nesbitt, attorneys for two of the whistleblowers, said in a statement to the AP. DOJ clearly let political cowardice impact its decision. The whistleblowers all strong conservatives did the right thing and continue to stand by their allegations of Paxtons criminal conduct.The Justice Departments public integrity section, which oversees public corruption cases, took over the Paxton investigation in 2023. The Justice Department has never publicly explained its decision to recuse the federal prosecutors in west Texas who had been leading the investigation. The move was pushed for by Paxtons attorneys. Paxton said last year that he would not contest whistleblowers claims in a lawsuit that they were improperly fired for reporting Paxton to the FBI. His push to end the whistleblowers lawsuit came as he faced the likelihood of having to sit for a deposition and answer questions under oath. Paxton has become one Trumps most loyal supporters and defenders in recent years, and his name had been floated as a contender to lead the Justice Department under Trumps second term. Paxton went to court in a show of support last year when Trump stood trial in his New York hush-money case, which ended in a conviction. And he was among several Republican attorneys general who traveled to Washington last month for Trumps campaign-style speech at the Justice Department in which the president vowed retribution for what he described as the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls. There had been investigative activity in the corruption probe as late as last August. Aaron Reitz, who was recently confirmed as Trumps pick to lead the Justice Departments Office of Legal Policy, was questioned that month before a grand jury about Paxtons firing of the whistleblowers in 2020, Bloomberg Law reported.Reitz, who served as a Paxton aide, was asked by members of Congress weighing his Justice Department nomination to detail what he told the grand jury. Reitz declined to answer in a questionnaire sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee in February, stating the federal investigation was ongoing. I believe that Attorney General Paxton is innocent and has committed no crimes, Reitz told the committee. Grand jury records from 2021 obtained by The Texas Newsroom last year showed that federal authorities were investigating Paxton for several potential crimes, including bribery and witness retaliation. Its unclear whether the scope or focus of the investigation changed when the public integrity section in Washington took it over. During Paxtons impeachment trial, former advisers testified that he pressured them to help the campaign donor, Paul, who was under FBI investigation. The testimony included arguments over who paid for home renovations, whether Paxton used burner phones and how his alleged extramarital affair became a strain on the office. Paxton decried the impeachment effort as a politically motivated sham. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

Last week, the Financial Times reported that Nintendo shifted half of its production capabilities for the upcoming Switch 2 to Cambodia and Vietnam, in part to avoid Donald Trumps trade war on China. Wednesday morning, Nintendo formally announced the Switch 2, and its $449 price, which is $150 more than the Switch. A few hours later, Trump announced tariffs on the entire world, with particularly large fees on China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.There are going to be far more important and damaging impacts of Trumps unilateral trade war on everyone than the price of an already expensive game console likely going up. The U.S. stock market has already plunged. But the timing and narrative around the Switch 2the successor to one of the most popular games consoles of all timehighlights how destabilizing this is likely to be, the interconnectedness of the global economy, and the fact that Trump cannot just snap his fingers and onshore manufacturing to the United States without massive pain. Gamers, understandably, are pissed, and award-winning economists say they are right to be. I thought it'd be useful to discuss the broader impact of the tariffs with leading economics by focusing on the Switch 2, because it's such a high-profile item.The policy announcement is astonishing for its stupidity, Gene Grossman, a global trade expert and Princeton professor who won the Onassis Prize in International Trade, told 404 Media. It seems like a joke! He added that it is hard to know exactly what will happen given the overall sea of idiocy brought on by the tariffs.Since Trumps announcement, it has become clear that the administration calculated the tariffs for each country based on a crude formula that takes each countrys trade deficit with the United States, divides it by two, and sticks a percent sign at the end. This means new tariffs on Vietnamese-made goods will be 46 percent and new tariffs on Cambodian-made goods will be 49 percent.If [the Switch 2] is something that consumers are dying to have at any price, then the price will go up. If consumers can readily switch to something else, then if Nintendo wants to sell these things, it will have to lower the price, Grossman said. Yes, I think it is quite possible that the price will go even higher than $449.99. Some expectations of a tariff may have been built into this price, as you suggest, but I dont think anyone expected a 46% tariff on Vietnam, not even close.Kimberly Clausing, a professor of tax law and policy at UCLA School of Law, told 404 Media that the tariffs announced will definitely increase prices further over what is baked into price levels currently, and that Nintendo will have other markets they can sell to tariff-free, so they have no reason to sell at a special low price in the United States, certainly not enough to offset the full tariff.Felix Tintelnot, an associate professor of economics at Duke University, told 404 Media it can be costly for companies to change their publicly announced prices."I think two things are true at the same time: 1. It is likely that Nintendo did not expect the tariff on Vietnam to be 46%," Tintelnot told 404 Media. "2. It is costly for firms to change prices, particularly after publicly announcing one. So I would think it is somewhat uncertain what they will do. One possibility would be for the price to remain unchanged, but the price of complementary goods to increase, such as games."Jason Cherubini, an executive in residence of finance at Loyola University Maryland, said its possible Nintendo had already priced in some unknown level of tariffs prior to the announcement, and that he thinks the price for the Switch 2 is unlikely to change because video game companies have historically sold consoles at a loss and then made money back on the sale of games.Nintendo started to diversify their manufacturing away from China with the impending threat of tariffs but also to move away from geopolitical concentration in China. But these tariffs were not wholly unexpected, he said. I think the price they announced is the price thats going to stick, because with consoles a lot of pricing is strategic pricing as opposed to being based on the true cost of manufacturing it especially Nintendo, who really keeps all of their IP, their games, so much of that is in-house, its probably even more important for Nintendo to get people to have the console, so that way they're buying Zelda, they're buying Mario, they're buying all of these IP that Nintendo then profits off of. Getting people to purchase it is more important than them making money on the console itself.We dont know what is actually going to happen with the Switch 2 yet, but prices are almost definitely going to go up for almost everything across the entire economy, Grossman said.While I cant say confidently about this item, I can say that prices will go up for a whole range of goods, starting with cars and right on down to clothing, he said.Trump has announced these tariffs with the nominal goal of moving manufacturing to the United States. Reshoring manufacturingespecially of high tech goodshas been a goal of various administrations over the years, and was a goal of Joe Bidens CHIPS Act, which the Trump administration has sought to gut.There are numerous practical problems with trying to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. They include the fact that lots of factory work is so underpaid and grueling that people in China dont even want to do it anymore; the average age of factory workers in China is rising and companies there have begun shifting jobs to more developing nations like Vietnam and Cambodia.Many of the raw materials and components needed for tech manufacturing are not mined or made in the United States, meaning those components and rare earth metals are going to be subject to tariffs. American companies do not have the expertise or ability to build lots of products in the United States, and setting up factories and supply chains to do so is not going to be an overnight process, it will be one that takes years or decades depending on the product.Nintendo would need to spend billions to open a factory in the US, Daniel Ahmad, director of research and insights at Niko Partners and a video game market analyst, tweeted. It'd probably take 4-5 years to complete this. Not to mention the time and cost to rebuild supply chain infrastructure and source components (which would be subject to tariffs because they're made outside the US). Nintendo would have to pay each worker about 10x to 15x more than they would for a worker in Vietnam. Then after you add up the initial capital expenditure, labor cost, supply chain cost, operational costs etc... you'd be able to buy a US manufactured Nintendo Switch 2 in 5 years for a significantly higher price than $450. And the kicker is that by the time they've done all that, the US will have a new president who most likely removes all the reciprocal tariffs anyway.Cherubini said that reshoring electronics manufacturing is not something you can just flip a switch on. Optimistically youre looking at a year for simpler manufacturing, but a lot of it is a multi-year process.I have covered attempts by the electronics industry to create high tech factories and mining operations in the United States; many of them are not going particularly well. The United States has only one rare earth minerals mine (in California), which has been mining for less than 10 years. Foxconn and TSMC factories in the United States have had a mixed record and do not have anywhere near the sophistication or capacity as their factories in Taiwan and China.This is all to say that, based on where things stand this morning, we are in for a world of economic pain.

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01010-5Dozens of problematic papers remain in the literature, after a publication hit by fraudsters pledged to tackle the issue.

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08954-8Hidden states and dynamics of fractional fillings in twisted MoTe2 bilayers

The Zambia women's national team have removed their four U.S.-based players from the squad for the Yongchuan International Tournament in China due to concerns over U.S. travel measures, the Zambia FA said on Wednesday.

Spain's sports ministry (CSD) have ruled that Dani Olmo and Pau Vctor can continue to play for Barcelona until the end of the season.

Southern California guard JuJu Watkins goes to the basket against Notre Dame forward Liatu King as guard Olivia Miles (5) looks on during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)2025-04-03T16:01:47Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) JuJu Watkins, the sensational sophomore who led Southern California to its best season in nearly 40 years, was honored Thursday as The Associated Press womens college basketball Player of the Year.Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for its first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Notre Dames Hannah Hidalgo got the other two. Both were first-team AP All-Americans. I think whats so significant about this award is that this was a year that didnt have an absence of talent and stars, and JuJu found a way to elevate herself and her team, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. Watkins became just the fourth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahomas Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP first started giving out the award in 1995 and Watkins is the first Trojans player to win it. She makes a lot of things that arent easy look easy, Gottlieb said. Its one thing to say shes a generational talent, but another to actually do it and put yourself up with names like Stewie, Maya and Courtney Paris. Watkins is already in the top 10 on USCs all-time scoring list, ranking sixth in just two years. She was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before her season was cut short in the NCAA Tournament with an ACL injury suffered in the second round against Mississippi State. Watkins raised her game against the best opponents. In the six games against teams in AP top 10, she averaged 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4% from behind the 3-point line.She performed her best at the biggest moments, Gottlieb said. I thought she really throughout the course of the year learned how to dominate and empower the others. Watkins is already one of the top draws in the sport with endorsement deals to match and seeing her in person has become a hotter ticket.The Trojans average home attendance rose to 5,932 this season from last years 4,421. Celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Michael B. Jordan and Sanaa Lathan, who starred in Love & Basketball, one of Watkins favorite movies, have shown up. The year before she arrived attendance averaged 1,037.Its hard to miss Snoop Dogg in his custom JuJu jacket, Gottlieb said. This happened organically and authentically. She decided to stay home and cares about her city and has the magnetism to attract people. Its the way she carries herself. Shes confident, but very humble and true to her community. Its amazing to see her impact.___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Jason, Sam, and Emanuel talk about Miyazaki being turned into a meme, the guys suing OnlyFans after being surprised to learn they were not actually talking to models, and the depravity of "brainrot" AI. Articles discussed: Hayao Miyazaki, Who Said AI Is Insult to Life Itself, Reduced to AI-Generated Meme by OpenAIOnlyFans Sued After Two Guys Realized They Might Not Actually Be Talking to Models 'Brainrot' AI on Instagram Is Monetizing the Most Fucked Up Things You Can Imagine (and Lots You Can't)Subscribe to 404 Media to get access to the full podcast including a bonus segment each week, which you can find below:

How the players, fans and staff handled the first of many games in their minor league stadium residency.

Eric Karabell looks into the crystal ball to tell fantasy managers what might come to pass.

Stacks of lumber are set up on shelves at a local Lowes store Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)2025-04-03T16:53:16Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps expansive new tariff regime flips on its head a decades-long global trend of lower trade barriers and is likely, economists say, to raise prices for Americans by thousands of dollars each year while sharply slowing the U.S. economy. The White House is gambling that other countries will also suffer enough pain that they will open up their economies to more American exports, leading to negotiations that would reduce the tariffs imposed Wednesday. Or, the White House hopes, more companies both American and foreign will reverse their moves toward global supply chains and bring more production to the United States to avoid higher import taxes.But a key question for the Trump administration will be how Americans react to the tariffs. If prices rise noticeably and jobs are lost, voters could turn against the duties and make it harder to keep them in place for the length of time needed to encourage companies to return to the U.S. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that all the Trump administrations tariffs would cost the average household $3,800 in higher prices this year. The figure includes the impact of the 10% universal tariff announced Wednesday, plus much higher tariffs on about 60 countries, as well as previous import taxes on steel, aluminum, and cars. Inflation could top 4% this year, from 2.8% currently, while the economy may barely grow, according to estimates by Nationwide Financial. The average U.S. tariff could rise to nearly 25% when the tariffs are fully implemented April 9, economists estimate, higher than it has been in more than a century and higher than the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariffs that are widely blamed for worsening the Great Recession. The president just announced the de facto separation of the U.S. economy from the global economy, Mary Lovely, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Relations, said. The stage is set for higher prices and slower growth over the long term. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in an interview on CNBC Thursday, said the policies will help open markets overseas for U.S. exports.I expect most countries to start to really examine their trade policy towards the United States of America, and stop picking on us, he said. This is the reordering of fair trade.Americans, a day after the announcement, have mixed feelings. Bob Lehmann, 73, stopped by a Best Buy in Portland, Oregon to buy a keyboard Wednesday. He opposed the tariffs. Theyre going to raise prices and cause people to pay more for daily living, he said.Mathew Hall, a 64-year-old paint contractor, said he thought the tariffs were a great idea and that potential price increases in the short term were worth it.I believe in the long term, its going to be good, he said, adding that he felt the U.S. had been taken advantage of.Outside a Tractor Supply store in Castle Rock, a town south of Denver, two family members on opposite sides of the political spectrum debated the tariffs. Chris Theisen, 62 and a Republican, was enthused about the tariffs, arguing the measures could bring jobs to America. I feel a good change coming on, I feel its going to be hard, but you dont go to the gym and walk away and say, God, I feel great, he said. Nayen Shakya, a Democrat and Theisens great nephew, said higher prices are already a hardship. At the restaurant where he works, menu prices have been raised to account for higher cost of ingredients, specifically rice, in recent weeks. Its really easy sometimes to say some things in a vague way that everyone can agree with that is definitely more complex under the surface, said Shakya. The burden of the increased prices is already going to the consumer.Listening to his nephew, Theisen added, I understand this side of it, too, he said, motioning to Shakya. I aint got no crystal ball. I hope it works out good.___AP Writers Paul Wiseman, Jesse Bedayn, and Claire Rush contributed to this report. Rush reported from Portland and Bedayn from Colorado. CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

Kathryn Hanh just admitted she knows she has a lesbian army standing behind her, and sapphics everywhere are swooning.The 51-year-old Agatha All Along star went on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live, alongside actors Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders, to talk about their new Apple TV+ dramedy series The Studio, when host Andy Cohen popped a question from the audience about Hahns legendary lesbian fanbase.Just want to make sure Kathryn knows that she has a whole fandom of lesbians ready to watch whatever shes acting in, ready to defend her, and believe she was robbed for many award nominations, Cohen read before asking a follow-up question of his own.Do you realize you have a lesbian army ready to fight on your behalf?See on InstagramIn her signature, deep and sultry voice, Hahn answered, I feel like the Joan of Arc. Yes, I do and I appreciate and love. I love an army behind me, to cheers from the studio audience.Bravo posted a clip from the episode on Instagram, and the comments prove just how right they are about Hahn's lesbian army. Its true!!!! I would do anything she needed, one person commenter, while someone else wrote, while someone else wrote, Oh she KNOWS.Other comments from sapphic fans read, You ARMY is always behind you, and MOTHER HAHN NATION RISE.But Hahn isnt the only one singing the praises of her legions of queer lady fans. Barinholtz also went on Late Night With Seth Meyers to promote The Studio, and bragged about Hanhs army, too. (@) Kathryn Hahn has a lesbian army that will die for her. They are like fighters, he told the late-night host.Mother, we are ready to fight!

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01031-0The new administration is reshaping the research landscape in the United States in profound ways. What do you think of all the changes?

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00971-xLunar soil processed to form moonglass allows the creation of efficient, radiation-resistant solar panels.

Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson is expected to return to the Orioles on Friday at Kansas City.

Ohio State landed the commitment of four-star defender Simeon Caldwell on Wednesday, multiple sources told ESPN, securing coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes a pledge from the nation's No. 34 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle.

President Donald Trump walks to the Oval Office after signing an executive order during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-04-03T18:10:24Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump promised tariffs that would raise U.S. import taxes high enough to mirror what other assess as trade penalties on American goods.What hes actually imposing is based on far more complicated math. Heres a look at how the White House got its numbers: Why do the new tariff rates often differ by country? The Trump administration has declared an economic emergency to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tariff on nearly all countries and territories. It has set even higher levies for about 60 nations that it says are the worst offenders. The 10% global tariffs take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The higher tariffs set for specific countries are due to kick in at one minute past midnight on April 9. Among the so-called worst offenders is China, which Trump argues protect its producers through malicious trade practices in addition to tariffs. Those efforts include actions such as imposing value added taxes on all goods, dumping overproduced products on markets to artificially deflate prices, or manipulating currency. To determine how much higher those nations rates should be, the White House says it calculated the size of each countrys trade imbalance on goods with the United States and divided that by how much America imports from that nation. It then took half that percentage and made it the new tariff rate. Why not just charge reciprocal rates? The White House says its calculations kept new tariffs from going even higher for many countries and demonstrate that Trump is being kind to global trading partners. The administration maintains that creating a baseline levy with few exemptions is necessary to keep China and others from skirting the new tariffs by manufacturing goods and then shipping them to Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico or elsewhere to then be sent to the U.S.Thats why the White House list of tariffed locations includes obscure places like the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are uninhabited. They are 2,550 miles (4,100 kilometers) from the coast of mainland Australia, which claims them as a territory. Is every country affected? No. Canada and Mexico are excluded because they already are facing 25% taxes on most imported goods that Trump announced last month, in an attempt to force both to crack down on fentanyl smuggling into the U.S.The White House originally said all others would be affected by at least the 10% tariff. But administration officials clarified on Thursday that countries already subject to stiff U.S. sanctions for example, Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, as well as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Belarus and Venezuela will not face the new, 10% global base tariff. Official said that is because sanctions and other existing barriers mean the U.S. has so little trade with those places that deficits are minimal. Why is Trump doing this? The president has spent months insisting America was at its wealthiest at the end of the Gilded Age in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it imposed high tariffs as the key means to generating revenue for the federal government. Trump even suggested Wednesday that the U.S. moving away from higher tariffs and toward a federal income tax in 1913 helped trigger the Great Depression of the 1930s a claim that economists and historians roundly reject. A more contemporary explanation might be found in Project 2025, a comprehensive blueprint compiled by leading conservatives about how to shrink the federal workforce and push Washington further to the right. It spelled out how Trump might impose high tariffs around the globe, giving his administration more room to negotiate lower levies with trading partners in exchange for U.S. priorities.White House officials insist the new tariffs are more about closing trade deficits, stimulating U.S. manufacturing and generating government revenue than eventually negotiating new trading deals.But Trump has shown he is willing to back off on threats of tariffs in exchange for offers of concessions. His administration has said the president is always ready to make deals, a sign the new tariffs may prove to be more bargaining chip than permanent policy. Why do US trade imbalances matter? American trade policy created a U.S. trade imbalance worth $1.2 trillion last year, a gap that some experts believe should be addressed in order to ensure the countrys long-term economic strength. But many economists say the trade imbalances that Trump is looking to correct are based on more than countries just using high tariffs or protectionist trade practices to boost their own exports. Basing the White Houses tariff math solely on trade deficits, for instance, fails to take into account U.S. consumer demand. Americans relish buying BMWs assembled in Germany, as well as French wine and coffee beans from Guatemala, and their spending can fuel trade imbalances regardless of the tax and tariff policies of the countries producing those goods. That means any attempt to close U.S. trade gaps by tariffs will likely mean increasing the cost of imported goods that Americans are buying, which in turn could hurt the economy because of increased inflationary pressures.___Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Zeke Miller contributed to this report. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a joint news conference with Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool Photo via AP)2025-04-03T18:37:12Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagons acting inspector general announced Thursday that he would review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths use of the Signal messaging app to convey plans for a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen.The review will also look at other defense officials use of the publicly available encrypted app, which is not able to handle classified material and is not part of the Defense Departments secure communications network.Hegseths use of the app came to light when a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, was added to a Signal text chain by national security adviser Mike Waltz. The chain included Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis. The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business. Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements, the acting inspector general, Steven Stebbins, said in a notification letter to Hegseth. TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

News category winners at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards spotlight the importance of accurate and inclusive journalism in accelerating acceptance for LGBTQ people. They cover LGBTQ people as newsmakers, changemakers, and everyday members of their communities nationwide. The honorees were announced at GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on March 27th, and included three awards [...]The post GLAAD Media Awards Honor Journalists and Excellence in LGBTQ News first appeared on GLAAD.

Masters of the Universe just debuted a first look at behind-the-scenes footage for the film at CinemaCon, and fans are already clamoring for more.The live action adaptation, which is set to star beloved heartthrob Nicholas Galitzine, has had fans wary ever since the initial announcement. The initial set photos that leaked online didnt do much to assuage hesitations, but apparently the actual footage is an entirely different story.Director Travis Knight debuted a sizzle reel featuring clips of the cast and crew from the production (which is still ongoing) at CinemaCon 2025. The footage hasnt been shared online, so were left to rely on descriptions from those in attendance, but the reactions have been extremely positive so far.DiscussingFilm said there appears to be an "emphasis on practicality and accuracy, without it looking too ridiculous or uncanny in live-action." The Hollywood Reporter recounted shots of Galitzines "rigorous training that included sword play and weight lifting," as well as footage of the actor in costume.Reports across social media have also provided hope that this movie will be the best version of itself possible although Galitzine fans will definitely be seated on opening night either way. (@) "OH MY GOD. Masters of the Universe looks HEAVENLY. He-Man fans are going to eat this up." (@) "We just got a first look at the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE movie and to say were wowed is an understatement. The costumes and set pieces all look incredibly faithful to the toys and the production design is top notch. Travis Night seems to have cracked the code." (@) "Just one more thing about the #AmazonMGM panel at #CinemaCon - with many considering it the best among the studios so far - is the high praise to their first look of #MastersOfTheUniverse, for following a Universal approach instead of #Disney or #Netflix, with an extremely faithful live-action adaptation visually. Many attendees changed from skepticism to excitement about this production, which hits theatres next SUMMER, on JUN 5, 2026." (@) "Shows off characters in costume and look gorgeous and accurate in epic fashion. The sword is perfect. Sets are breathtaking. ETERNIA IS A HUGE FOCUS." (@) "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE looks absolutely absurd. I'm kind of in? The BTS footage we saw is so indebted to the cartoon and toys, with bright colors and expressive sets. It's definitely for the "80s guys" in the audience. I'm curious" (@) "who said $1billion box office for masters of the universe ???"The world has also recently been treated to a new photoshoot of Galitzine in GQ Germany, making this a truly delightful week all around for his fans. (@) Masters of the Universe is currently slated for a June 26, 2026 release.

Spring is usually associated with blossoming flowers and new beginnings, but this year, it also marks the arrival of one of the most heartwarming and hilarious gay rom-coms in recent memory: A Nice Indian Boy. Set to hit theaters on April 4, the film tells the story of Naveen, an Indian American man, and Jay, a white man with Indian adoptive parents, as they navigate the challenges of romanceSource

Season 3 is bringing even more heart, honesty, and firstsincluding a date you wont want to miss. Love is officially back on trackliterally. Love on the Spectrum U.S. returns for Season 3, and this time, the beloved Emmy-winning dating series is breaking new ground with its first openly queer woman: 22-year-old Pari from Boston. In an exclusive clip shared with us from the newSource

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01021-2In a world of constant stimulation, the thalamus filters which thoughts we become aware of and which we dont.

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08951-xStrategic atom replacement enables regiocontrol in pyrazole alkylation

PGMOL has admitted that Everton defender James Tarkowski should have been sent off through a VAR review in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night.

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Warriors guard Buddy Hield were both issued warnings for mimicking shooting a gun during Tuesday's game, sources told ESPN

Jared Smith speaks about torpedo baseball bats during an interview at Victus Sports in King of Prussia, Pa., Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)2025-04-03T18:38:32Z KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (AP) A 70-year-old man who plays in an area senior hardball league popped into Victus Sports this week because he needed bats for the new season. Plus he just had to take some cuts with baseballs latest fad and see for himself if there really was some wizardry in the wallop off a torpedo bat.Ed Costantini, of Newtown Square, picked up the custom-designed VOLPE11-TPD Pro Reserve Maple, and took his hacks just like MLB stars and Victus customers Anthony Volpe or Bryson Stott would inside the companys batting cage and tracked the balls path on the virtual Citizens Bank Park on the computer screens.Most big leaguers use that often indistinguishable feel as a qualifier as to how they select a bat.Costantini had a similar process and thought the hype surrounding the torpedo since it exploded into the baseball consciousness over the weekend was a hoax. But after dozens of swings in the cage, where he said the balance was better, the ball sounded more crisp off the bat, the left-handed hitter ordered on the spot four custom-crafted torpedo bats at $150 a pop. The litmus test that I used was, I could see where the marks of the ball were, Costantini said. The swings were hitting the thickness of the torpedo as opposed to the end of the bat. More than just All-Stars want a crack at the torpedo a striking design in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like a bowling pin and Costantinis purchase highlighted the surge of interest in baseballs shiny new toy outside the majors. Think of home runs in baseball, and the fans mind races to the mammoth distances a ball can fly when slugged right on the nose, or a history-making chase that captivates a nation.Of lesser interest, the ol reliable wood bat itself.That was, of course, until Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger hit back-to-back homers for the New York Yankees last Saturday to open a nine-homer barrage. Victus Sports, known as much for their vibrant bats painted as pencils or the Phillie Phanatic dressed as a Kings Guard, had three employees at the game and they started a text thread where they hinted to those back home that, perhaps more than home runs were taking off. Business was about to boom, too.Yankees crowed about the torpedo-shape concept that had baseball buzzing -- and pitchers grumbling. The scuttlebutt and headlines stoked their super curious peers, most with an eye out for any legal, offensive edge, into asking Victus and other bat manufacturers about the possibility of taking a swing with the most famous style of bat since Roy Hobbs grabbed a Wonderboy.Torpedo bats are driving an unprecedented surge in lumber curiosityVictus spent most of the last 14 years trying to help shape the future of baseball. The companys founders just never imagined that shape would resemble a bowling pin.It was the most talked about thing about bats that we ever experienced, Victus co-founder Jared Smith said.Victus isnt the only company producing the bulgy bats, but they were among the first to list them for sale online after the Yankees made them the talk of the sports world. The torpedo bat took the league by storm in only 24 hours, and days later, the calls and orders, and test drives -- from big leaguers to rec leaguers -- are humming inside the companys base, in a northwest suburb of Philadelphia. The amount of steam that its caught, this quickly, thats certainly surprising, Smith said. If the Yankees hitting nine home runs in a game doesnt happen, this doesnt happen.Victus was stamped this season as the official bat of Major League Baseball and business was already good: Phillies slugger Bryce Harper is among the stars who stick their bats on highlight reels.But that torpedo-looking hunk of lumber? It generated about as much interest last season in baseball as a .200 hitter. Victus made its first torpedoes around 2024 spring training when the Yankees reached out about crafting samples for their players. Victus, as dialed-in as anyone in the bat game, only made about a dozen last season, and about a dozen more birch or maple bats this spring. This week alone, try hundreds of torpedoes.Every two minutes, another one comes out of the machine, Smith said.Who knew there would be a baseball bat craze?On a good day, Victus makes 600-700 bats, but the influx of pro orders -- the company estimates at least half of every starting lineup uses Victus or Marucci bats -- has sent production into overdrive. The creation of a typical bat is usually a two-day process, but one can be turned around without a finish in about 20 minutes. Victus crafted rush-order bats Monday morning for a few interested Phillies and dashed to Citizens Bank Park for delivery moments before first pitch. All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm singled with one. Stott tested bats at the Marucci hit lab down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, churning through styles until the company found the right fit.They connect all these wires to you, and you swing 1,000 bats, Stott said. And they kind of tell you where youre hitting the ball mostly. Rookie of the year?Heres the surprising part of the torpedo bat: For all its early hype, the bat is no rookie in the game.The lethal lumber has been used by some sluggers in baseball for at least a year or two only, well, no one really noticed. Giancarlo Stanton and Francisco Lindor used torpedoes last season. Other players experimented with it and no one not the bulk of other players or journalists or fans ever really picked up on the newfangled advance in hitting innovation.Smith said only a few baseball junkies inquired about the bats.I think its just one of those things that until youre looking for it, you might not see it, Smith said. Now when you look at pictures, youre like, oh yeah, its a torpedo.Aaron Leanhardt, a former Yankees front-office staffer who now works for the Miami Marlins, was credited as the one who developed the torpedo barrel to bring more mass to a bats sweet spot.A member of Victus parent company, Marucci Sports, worked with Leanhardt in a Louisiana branch of their hit lab last year to get the bat off the ground and into the hands of big leaguers.I think getting past the shape being different was the hardest barrier, Smith said. Then the team goes out and hits those home runs like they did and everyone is willing to try it.Before last weekend, Victus had no plans to mass produce the bat, making it only available to professionals.Now, Smith said, I think its our job to kind of educate the public in whats out there.The odd shape off the bat like making a sausage, the meat is simply pushed down the casing has little to no effect at Victus on the dynamics of making a baseball bat. The cost is the same as a standard bat, too, with a sticker price starting at around $200. Only the slogan is punched up: Get your hands on the most-talked about bat in the game.The bat kings deliver their biggest hit yetVictus was created by Smith and Ryan Engroff in a Blackwood, New Jersey, garage in 2012 and exploded in popularity over the last decade thanks in the large part to its bat art. Bruce Tatum, an in-house artist known as The Bat King, calls his memorable designs such as the No. 2 pencil and crayon bats notably used in the Little League Classic swingable art. The Victus walls look straight out of an art gallery, only instead of classic paintings, rows and rows of colorful bats emblazoned with everything from Harpers face to Grittys eyes are on display.Normally people are here to talk about the Bat King, Smith said, laughing.He was busy, sketching ideas for next years bats for the baseball All-Star game in Philadelphia.Bruces cheesesteak bat, Im just telling you, is going to be the talk of the town, Smith said. I guarantee it.Victus has over 300 employees and 60 alone inside their King of Prussia headquarters. The company has outgrown its base and is busting at the seams, and when a bat suddenly goes viral, all our seams are exposed.The folks at Victus who previously have experimented with axe handle and puck knobs have no fear the bat will become the baseball equal to the NFLs tush push, a fresh wrinkle that some might try to legislate out of the game.MLB has relatively uncomplicated bat rules, stating under 3.02: The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood. It goes on to state there may be a cupped indentation up to 1 1/4 inches in depth, 2 inches wide and with at least a 1-inch diameter, and experimental models must be approved by MLB.The torpedo is 100% legal.Year after year, Victus bat business has picked up. Jonny Gomes used a Victus bat when he went deep in the 2013 World Series and Harper stamped the company as a major player when he played for Washington and swung a We The People bat and tossed it in the air to win the 2018 Home Run Derby.Our product kept getting better and it got to the point where he probably felt like we had the best bat, and we felt like we had the best bat, Smith said.Does it work?Theres not enough data yet to truly know how much oomph or hits and homers a torpedo bat may help some hitters. Cincinnatis Elly De La Cruz picked one up for the first time Monday and had a single, double and two home runs for a career-high seven RBIs.Not all hitters are believers - or at least feel like they need to tinker with their lumber.Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who hit an AL-record 62 homers in 2022 and 58 last year en route to his second AL MVP award, declined to try the new bat, asking, Why try to change something? Phillies All-Star shortstop Trea Turner said the hoopla was blown out of proportion.Youve still got to hit the ball, Turner said.Turner, though, said he was open to trying the torpedo.Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen grew up a Mark McGwire fan and compared the fad to the bloated barrel used by the retired St. Louis Cardinals sluggers old Nerf bat.The concept seems so simple. For it to take this long is wild, Gallen said.No matter. The bat is here today and not going anywhere except perhaps flying off the shelves. For bats to be the hot topic out in the zeitgeist is cool, Smith said. Its kind of like our time to shine, in a way.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb DAN GELSTON Gelston is an an Associated Press sports writer covering major college and pro sports in Philadelphia, including the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Villanova. twitter mailto

The landscape of Hollywood underwent a drastic transformation when following the Hays Code became mandatory in 1934. These rules came down hard on anything the conservative enforcers deemed "sexual perversion," which, of course, meant even a whiff of queerness could cause major drama for moviemakers up until we finally ditched the whole thing in 1968.But in the years before the Hays Code, films got away with a lot more. While explicit representation was still off-limits, plenty of characters gave off vibes that LGBTQ+ viewers have been picking up on ever since. From women in tuxedos to emotionally unavailable execs, here are seven pre-Code movie characters who were absolutely lesbian-coded, even if their narratives forced them into heteronormativity for the sake of plot.1. Lily Powers in 'Baby Face' (1933)In Baby Face, Barbara Stanwyck plays Lily, a woman who sleeps her way to the top of the corporate world without a second thought. She shares a one-room apartment and a whole lot of chemistry with her best friend Chico (Theresa Harris), and while the movie never says anything outright, the vibe is very much there.2. Amy Jolly in 'Morocco' (1930)Marlene Dietrich's Amy shows up in a tux, kisses a woman, and then strolls off like it's no big deal in 1930's Morocco. Sure, there's a male love interest, but perhaps there's an obvious reason why Amy "scorned all men," as the trailer declares.3. Lil Andrews in 'Red-Headed Woman' (1932)In Red-Headed Woman (1932), Jean Harlow stars as Lil, an agent of chaos who will flirt with literally anyone to get what she wants and we mean anyone. Her scene with a female store clerk is brief, but loaded. And her general disinterest in settling down with a man? Yeah, girl. We know what you are.4. Catherine the Great in 'The Scarlet Empress' (1934)Marlene Dietrich plays Princess Sophia soon to be Catherine the Great in a film thats basically wall-to-wall dramatic lighting, corsets, and stone-cold stares. Theres a whole lot of power, a whole lot of attitude, and not a man in sight that she seems particularly bothered about.5. Alison Drake in 'Female' (1933)Ruth Chatterton plays a no-nonsense auto executive who runs her company, seduces her male employees, and doesnt have time for emotional attachments in the aptly titled Female. She lives alone and makes it very clear shes not interested in being anyones wife which, in a 1933 movie, is basically sapphic behavior, even if it never crosses the line.6. Lady Cynthia Darrington in 'Christopher Strong' (1933)It was only a matter of time before Katharine Hepburn showed up on the list. In her second film, Christopher Strong (1933), she dons pants, flies planes, and doesnt seem remotely interested in being anyones wife. She technically falls for a man, but her whole energy screams lesbian aunt who casually vacations with her roommate for 40 years." That would be enough for us, but the fact that this one was directed by Dorothy Arzner? Yeah. She gay.7. Helen Faraday in 'Blonde Venus' (1932)Aaaand another one for Dietrich! (Go figure.) This time, she plays a nightclub performer with a persona that feels designed to make straight people nervous. Shes technically in love with her husband, but her entire wardrobe, energy, and the way she commands a room of women? Yeah, she knows what she's doing and she's definitely done it before.

The Trump administrations new sweeping tariffs are causing foreign leaders to consider retaliatory measures and average Americans to gird their loins against impending price hikes. But amidst all of the chaos and the plummeting stock market are glorious memes dunking on President Donald Trump.On Wednesday, Trump escalated his ongoing trade war by announcing a 10% tariff on imports into the United States and high tariffs on goods from dozens of other countries, including 49% for Cambodia, 34% for China, and 20% for the European Union.Trumps Liberation Day event, meant to Make America Wealthy Again, threatened to upend global alliances and caused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to announce they plan to fight these tariffs with counter measures, and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen to say that this trade war will be "dire for millions of people around the globe, Reuters reports.Russia was notably absent from the list of other countries subject to increased tariffs, but several places were on the list that arent inhabited by humans at all. The internet has latched onto Heard Island and McDonald Islands, roasting Trump for asking penguins to pay tariffs since no people live there. "The penguins are going to pay for what they did to our country. Believe me, someone joked.Other hilarious memes ranged from posting that Trump shouldnt have gotten rid of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion because DEI clearly stood for Da Economy Intact and quipping that "now economists know how scientists felt when he said 'inject bleach.Keep scrolling to see the funniest memes reacting to Donald Trumps tariff spree! (@) (@) "What is Trump's endgame?" (@) "Now economists know how scientists felt when he said 'inject bleach'" (@) "Ohhhh. So THIS is what they were talking about." (@) 'Girl, the tariffs' is the new excuse Im using to not go out" (@) "For too long, America has had an economy" (@) "Tariffs memes are the hottest thing right now, so post your favorites" (@) "Americans celebrating Trump's tariffs." (@) "DEI stood for Da Economy Intact" (@) "We're cooked" (@) "how it feels to watch the economy collapse through memes on twitter" (@) "BREAKING: Citizens of Heard and McDonald islands have issued a statement after trump's 10% tariff." (@) 10% tariffs. Beautiful tariffs. And the penguins - big, strong penguins - come up to me, tears in their eyes: Sir, please, no tariffs. We cant compete with American penguins. But I say, America first. They dont like it, but its happening. (@) "America right now" (@) "Kramner, what's going on here? It's a trade war, Jerry" (@) "*47% TARIFFS ON MADAGASCAR" (@) "The Penguins getting ready for a military strike in retaliation for the tariffs:" (@) "He tariffed penguins but not Russia. Got it" (@) "The penguins are going to pay for what they did to our country. Believe me. " (@) "Tariffs like these raise prices and don't work. But if you skipped class the day we all learned that here's a refresher:" (@) Im building a wall around Antarctica and the Penguins are gonna pay for it. (@) "unprecedented protests this morning on heard and macdonald islands, as the population rises up against trump imposition of 10% across the board tariffs." (@) Look, the prices of goods going up and my portfolio going down isnt necessarily a bad thing, because I love working and that just means I need to grind even harder now (@) "Can someone please tell Donald Trump that the only people in the British Indian Ocean Territory are the U.S. base at Diego Garcia? Hes taxing an American military base." (@) "You've been. You've been very unfair. So unfair. 10% tariffs. Beautiful tariffs." (@) "checking my portfolio this morning" (@) "Things are getting tense after Trump announced tariffs against Antarctica." (@) (@) "Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin." (@) "reciprocal tarrifs"

The highly anticipated Masters of the Universe film has made its first major splash at CinemaCon, debuting exclusive behind-the-scenes footage thats already generating a wave of excitement among fans. While there was some initial skepticism when the live-action adaptation was first announced, the buzz surrounding the movie is now beginning to shift in a more positive direction.Source

Ever had a crush on a camp counselor or someone you cant just have? Big Boys tells the story of 14-year-old Jaime, played by Isaac Krasner, who grapples with his burgeoning sexuality during a family camping trip. The film delves into the complexities of a first crush, particularly when its on someone unattainablein Jaimes case, his cousins boyfriend. Speaking with Gayety at the GLAAD MediaSource

The Raiders have agreed to a two-year, $75 million extension with quarterback Geno Smith, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

76ers star Tyrese Maxey is expected to be ruled out for the rest of the season with a finger tendon injury.

I want to show other people watching what it looks like to love a trans person publicly. In an exclusive set visit during the filming of the star-studded season 2 of Survival of the Thickest last year, actor, performer, reality TV icon, and GLAAD Board Member, Peppermint, sat down to share the full scope [...]The post Peppermint and Michelle Buteau On That History-Making Black Trans Wedding in Season 2 of Survival of the Thickest on Netflix (EXCLUSIVE) first appeared on GLAAD.

Fellow Travelers is just too iconic!The hit Showtime limited series made waves for its phenomenal storylines, incredible acting, and jaw-dropping sex scenes.Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey's chemistry is still getting attention years after the show's premiere as many of their spicy clips continue to go viral on social media.Both of these attractive actors filmed plenty of steamy moments on the riveting series, but Bomer's personal favorite sex scene takes place in episode one when their characters have sensual and romantic sex for the first time."I'm so grateful we were able to make that show! The first one we did was the first time we figured out how we were going to do these scenes and how Johnny and I were going to collaborate. It set the template for everything else that happened on the show," Bomer tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Although Fellow Travelers is certainly considered iconic gay television, Bomer is now adding another notable role to his rsum on the hilarious new sitcom Mid-Century Modern. Bomer plays the lovable himbo Jerry, who serves as the complete opposite of his memorable dramatic characters throughout the years."I need to laugh right now and explore queer joy! He's a flight attendant, but he also comes from a Mormon background. Family has always been very important to him."Bomer stars alongside Nathan Lane and Nathan Lee Graham as they all move into a gorgeous Palm Springs mansion together. To put it frankly? Gay shenanigans ensue once these best friends go on adventures together."We're a spiritual sister to The Golden Girls. I suggest that perhaps this would be a great way to spend the rest of our lives, and invite them to move in with me and my mother. Hilarity ensues," Lane says.Mid-Century Modern is streaming now on Hulu. To see the full interview with Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane, check out the video at the top of the page.

Transgender advocate and icon Ts Madison has unveiled a new initiative aimed at providing safe housing and support for Black trans women in Atlanta. Launched in partnership with NAESM, a historic Black HIV/AIDS organization, the Starter House will serve as a vital resource for Black trans women engaged in sex work. This initiative, which coincided with the 16th annual Transgender Day of VisibilitySource