Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Terron Armstead, 33, announced his retirement on Saturday night at a party that he was hosting, ending his decorated 12-year NFL career in which he was named to the Pro Bowl five times.

Walter Clayton Jr. pulls through for Florida again as Gators fend off Auburn late to make program's first national title game since 2007.

Wrexham strengthened their position for automatic promotion to the English League Championship with a 3-0 win against Burton Albion on Saturday.

This frame grab from a video released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, taken with a phone by one of the 15 Palestinians medics killed, shows Red Crescent emergency vehicles, their lights and sirens flashing and their logos clearly visible, seconds before they came under a barrage of gunfire from Israeli army soldiers in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, early Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP)2025-04-05T14:45:57Z UNITED NATIONS (AP) Phone video from one of 15 Palestinian medics killed by Israeli forces last month appears to contradict Israeli claims that the medics vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in southern Gaza.The footage shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams driving slowly with their emergency vehicles lights flashing, logos visible, as they pulled up to help an ambulance that had come under fire earlier. The teams do not appear to be acting unusually or in a threatening manner as three medics emerge and head toward the stricken ambulance.Their vehicles immediately come under a barrage of gunfire, which goes on for more than five minutes with brief pauses. The owner of the phone can be heard praying. This frame grab from a video released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, taken with a phone by one of the 15 Palestinians medics killed, shows Red Crescent emergency vehicles, their lights and sirens flashing and their logos clearly visible, seconds before they came under a barrage of gunfire from Israeli army soldiers in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, early Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP) This frame grab from a video released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, taken with a phone by one of the 15 Palestinians medics killed, shows Red Crescent emergency vehicles, their lights and sirens flashing and their logos clearly visible, seconds before they came under a barrage of gunfire from Israeli army soldiers in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, early Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Forgive me, mother. This is the path I chose, mother, to help people, he cries, his voice weak.Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a U.N. staffer were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by Israeli troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Troops then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies. The Palestinian Red Crescent Societys vice president, Marwan Jilani, said the phone with the footage was found in the pocket of one of its slain staffers. The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations distributed the video to the U.N. Security Council. The Associated Press obtained the video from a U.N. diplomat on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public. One paramedic who survived, Munzer Abed, confirmed the veracity of the video to the AP. Two block-shaped concrete structures visible in the video are also seen in a U.N. video released Sunday showing the recovery of the bodies from the site a sign they are in the same location.Asked about the video, the Israeli military said Saturday that the incident was under thorough examination. One medic remains missingThe Israeli military earlier said it opened fire on the vehicles because they were advancing suspiciously on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals.The initial account of the vehicles not having emergency lights on was mistaken, an Israeli military official told journalists Saturday evening. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Younes Al-Khatib, called for an independent investigation. We dont trust any of the army investigations, he told a briefing at the U.N. on Friday.One medic, Assaad al-Nassasra, is still missing, the Red Crescent says. Abed said he saw al-Nassasra being led away blindfolded by Israeli troops. Al-Khatib said the organization has asked the military where it is holding the staffer.Al-Khatib said the slain men had been targeted at close range and that a forensic autopsy report would be released soon. This frame grab from a video released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, taken with a phone by one of the 15 Palestinians medics killed, shows Red Crescent emergency vehicles, their lights and sirens flashing and their logos clearly visible, seconds before they came under a barrage of gunfire from Israeli army soldiers in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, early Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP) This frame grab from a video released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, taken with a phone by one of the 15 Palestinians medics killed, shows Red Crescent emergency vehicles, their lights and sirens flashing and their logos clearly visible, seconds before they came under a barrage of gunfire from Israeli army soldiers in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, early Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations.Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense, most of them while on duty, as well as over 1,000 health workers, according to the U.N. The Israeli military rarely investigates such incidents.Ambulances under a barrage of Israeli fireAmbulances started heading to Tel al-Sultan at around 3:50 a.m. on March 23, responding to reports of wounded, Jilani said. The first ambulance returned safely with at least one casualty, he said. But, he said, subsequent ambulances came under fire.His hands trembling, Abed told the AP on Saturday that as his ambulance entered the area, its siren lights were on. All of a sudden, I am telling you, there was direct shooting at us, so intense that the vehicle ground to a stop, he said.A 10-year veteran of the Red Crescent, Abed said he was sitting in the back seat and ducked to the floor. He said he could hear nothing from his two colleagues in the front seat the only others in the vehicle. They appear to have been killed instantly. Israeli troops, some with night goggles, dragged Abed out of the ambulance and onto the ground, he said. They made him strip to his underwear, beat him all over his body with their rifle butts, then tied his hands behind his back, he said.They interrogated him, asking him about his paramedic training and how many people were in the ambulance with him, he said. One soldier pressed the muzzle of his automatic rifle into his neck. Another pressed his knife blade into Abeds palm, almost cutting it, until a third soldier pulled them away and warned Abed, Theyre crazy.Abed said he witnessed them opening fire on the next vehicles to arrive. Soldiers forced him onto his stomach and pressed a gun into his back, he said, and amid the shooting in the darkness, so he could only see two Civil Defense vehicles. Video shows medics terror The phone video shows a rescue convoy of Red Crescent and Civil Defense vehicles that was sent out after contact was lost with the stricken ambulance. Taken from the dashboard of one vehicle, it shows several ambulances and a fire truck moving down a road through a barren area in the darkness. The emergency lights on their roofs are flashing the entire way.They arrive at an ambulance on the side of the road and stop next to it, their lights still flashing. No Israeli troops are visible.Lord, let them be OK, a man in the car says. Then he cries out, Theyre tossed around on the ground! apparently referring to bodies. Three men in orange Civil Defense clothing can be seen getting out of the vehicles and walking toward the stopped ambulance.A shot rings out and one of the men appears to fall. Gunfire erupts.The man holding the phone appears to scramble out of the car and onto the ground, but the screen goes black, though the audio continues. The gunfire goes on for nearly five and a half minutes, with long, heavy barrages followed by silences punctuated by individual shots and shouts and screams.Throughout, the man with the phone says over and over, There is no God but God and Muhammad is Gods prophet the profession of faith that Muslims say when they fear they are about to die. Near the end of the six-minute, 40-second video, voices can be heard shouting in Hebrew. The Jews are coming, the man said, referring to Israeli soldiers, before the video cuts off.The Israeli military official asserted there was no mistreatment, and said he didnt know why the vehicles had been buried. He had no information about the medic who remained missing.Israel claims they found militants afterward The Israeli military says that after the shooting, troops determined they had killed a Hamas figure named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants. However, none of the 15 slain medics has that name, and no other bodies are known to have been found at the site.The military has not said what happened to Shobakis body or released the names of the other alleged militants. The Israeli military official said Israel was working to bring evidence that Hamas operatives were killed.Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA, dismissed allegations that the slain medics were Hamas militants, saying staff had worked with the same medics previously in evacuating patients from hospitals and other tasks.These are paramedic crews that I personally have met before, he said. They were buried in their uniforms with their gloves on. They were ready to save lives.___Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Keath from Cairo. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations, Sarah El Deeb in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Areej Hazboun contributed to this report.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war LEE KEATH Keath is the chief editor for feature stories in the Middle East for The Associated Press. He has reported from Cairo since 2005. twitter mailto

Auburn star big man Johni Broome was emotional following a second half that saw him score just three points as Auburn blew an eight-point lead.

Trinity Rodman's first USWNT appearance since the 2024 Olympics was a winning one, with her goal and leadership setting the tone in a win over Brazil that confirmed how important she is to this team's future.

Though the Houston Cougars trailed throughout most of the game, J'Wan Roberts and his team stormed past the Duke Blue Devils in the second half on Saturday night at the Alamodome, booking their trip to Monday's national title game with a 70-67 victory.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said there is "no way" Everton should have been awarded a penalty in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.

A Yemeni girl visits the graves of Houthis during Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)2025-04-06T04:18:19Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Suspected U.S. airstrikes killed at least two people overnight in a stronghold of Yemens Houthi rebels, the group said Sunday, as a bombing video posted by U.S. President Donald Trump suggested casualties in the campaign may be higher than the rebels acknowledge. The strikes in Saada killed two people and wounded four others, with footage aired by the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel showing a strike collapsing what appeared to be a two-story building. The Iranian-backed Houthis aired no footage from inside the building, which they described as a solar power shop. The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under Trump targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 69 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis. However, the Houthis have not acknowledged any casualties from their security and military leadership something challenged after an online video posted by Trump. Trump bombing footage suggests rebel leaders targetedEarly Saturday, Trump posted what appeared to be black-and-white video from a drone of a group of several dozen people gathered in a circle. An explosion detonates during the 25-second video, with a massive crater left in its wake. These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack, Trump claimed, without offering a location for the attack or any other details about the strike. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again!The U.S. militarys Central Command, which oversees Americas Mideast military operations, has not published the video, nor offered any specific details about the strikes it has conducted since March 15. The White House has said there have been over 200 strikes so far targeting the Houthis. The rebel-controlled SABA news agency in Yemen, citing an anonymous source, described the bombing as targeting a social Eid visit in Hodeida governorate. Muslims across the world just celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the festival at the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. SABA had published images of other commanders meeting fighters during the holiday, though not any high-level Houthi officials. Those present at that gathering had no connection to the operations carried out by the (Houthis), which are implementing the decision to ban navigation on ships linked to the American and Israeli enemy, the SABA report said, adding that the attack killed and wounded dozens.However, the Houthis previously have not acknowledged any strike on Hodeida during that time with such a high casualty count. The SABA report also did not describe those killed as civilians, suggesting those killed had ties to the rebels security or military forces. Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert of the Basha Report risk advisory firm, cited social media condolence notices suggesting a colonel overseeing police stations for the Houthis in Hodeida had been killed in the strike Trump highlighted alongside his two brothers. The strikes have expanded significantly, hitting multiple goveronates simultaneously, alongside telecommunications infrastructure, command nodes, properties tied to senior Houthi leadership and previously untouched tunnel networks in mountainous areas, al-Basha told The Associated Press. Weve also seen direct targeting of Houthi force gatherings, indicating a more aggressive and evolving shift in the targeting strategy, al-Basha said. Intense US bombings began nearly a month ago An AP review has found the new American operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than those under former U.S. President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted.The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success. The attacks greatly raised the profile of the Houthis, who faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers in Yemen amid a decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation.The campaign shows no signs of stopping as the Trump administration repeatedly has linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

Liusiena Zinovkina, 32, sits in her room in Berlin, Germany, March 19, 2025. She fled to Germany from Ukraine, where her husband was arrested by invading Russian forces in May 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)2025-04-06T04:10:50Z When she heard her front door open almost two years ago, Kostiantyn Zinovkins mother thought her son had returned home because he forgot something. Instead, men in balaclavas burst into the apartment in Melitopol, a southern Ukrainian city occupied by Russian forces.They said Zinovkin was detained for a minor infraction and would be released soon. They used his key to enter, said his wife, Liusiena, and searched the flat so thoroughly that they tore it apart into molecules.But Zinovkin wasnt released. Weeks after his May 2023 arrest, the Russians told his mother he was plotting a terrorist attack. Hes now standing trial on charges his family calls absurd.Zinovkin is one of thousands of civilians in Russian captivity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists their release, along with prisoners of war, will be an important step toward ending the 3-year-old war. So far, it hasnt appeared high on the agenda in U.S. talks with Moscow and Kyiv.While politicians discuss natural resources, possible territorial concessions, geopolitical interests and even Zelenskyys suit in the Oval Office, theyre not talking about people, said Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Thousands heldIn January, the center and other Ukrainian and Russian rights groups launched People First, a campaign that says any peace settlement must prioritize the release of everyone they say are captives, including Russians jailed for protesting the war, as well as Ukrainian children who were illegally deported.You cant achieve sustainable peace without taking into account the human dimension, Matviichuk told The Associated Press.Its unknown how many Ukrainian civilians are in custody, both in occupied regions and in Russia. Ukraines human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has estimated over 20,000.Matviichuk says her group received over 4,000 requests to help civilian detainees. She notes its against international law to detain noncombatants in war.Oleg Orlov, co-founder of the Russian rights group Memorial, says advocates know at least 1,672 Ukrainian civilians are in Moscows custody.Theres a larger number of them that we dont know about, added Orlov, whose organization won the Nobel alongside Matviichuks group and is involved in People First.Detained without chargesMany are detained for months without charges and dont know why theyre being held, Orlov said.Russian soldiers detained Mykyta Shkriabin, then 19, in Ukraines Kharkiv region in March 2022. He left the basement where his family was sheltering from fighting to get supplies and never returned.Shkriabin was detained even though he wasnt charged with a crime, said his lawyer, Leonid Solovyov. In 2023, the authorities began referring to him as a POW, a status Solovyov seeks to contest since the student wasnt a combatant.Shkriabins mother, Tetiana, told AP last month she still doesnt know where her son is held. In three years, shes received two letters from him saying hes doing well and that she shouldnt worry.Shes hoping for a prisoner exchange, a repatriation, or something, Shkriabina said. Without hope, how does one hang in there? Terrorism, treason and espionageOthers face charges that their relatives say are fabricated.After being seized in Melitopol, Zinovkin was jailed for over two years and charged with seven offenses, including plotting a terrorist attack, assembling weapons and high treason, his wife Liusiena Zinovkina told AP, describing the charges as absurd.While vocally pro-Ukrainian and against Russias occupation, her husband couldnt plot to bomb anyone and had no weapons skills, she said.Especially nonsensical is the treason charge, she said, because Russian law stipulates that only its citizens can be charged with that crime, and Zinovkin has never held Russian citizenship, unless it was forced upon him in jail. A conviction could bring life in prison.Ukrainian civilian Serhii Tsyhipa, 63, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security prison after he disappeared in March 2022 while walking his dog in Nova Kakhovka, in the partially occupied Kherson region, said his wife, Olena. The dog also vanished. Tsyhipa, a journalist, was wearing a jacket with a large red cross sewn on it. Both he and his wife, Olena, had those jackets, she told AP, because they volunteered to distribute food and other essentials when Russian troops invaded. Serhii Tsyhipa protested the occupation, and Olena believes that led to his arrest.He was held for months in Crimea and finally charged with espionage in December 2022. Almost a year later, in October 2023, Tsyhipa was convicted and sentenced in a trial that lasted only three hearings.He appealed, but his sentence was upheld. But the Russian authorities must understand that we are fighting that we are doing everything possible to bring him home, she said. Mykhailo Savva of the Expert Council of the Center for Civil Liberties said rights advocates know of 307 Ukrainian civilians convicted in Russia on criminal charges usually espionage or treason, if the person held a Russian passport, but also terrorism and extremism.He said that in Ukraines occupied territories, Russians see activists, community leaders and journalists as the greatest threat. Winning release for those already serving sentences would be an uphill battle, advocates say.Held in harsh conditionsRelatives must piece together scraps of information about prison conditions.Zinovkina said she has received letters from her husband who told her of problems with his sight, teeth and back. Former prisoners also told her of cramped, cold basement cells in a jail in Rostov, where hes being held.She believes her husband was pressured to sign a confession. A man who met him in jail told her Kostiantyn confessed to everything they wanted him to, so the worst is over for him.Orlov said Ukrainian POWs and civilians are known to be held in harsh conditions, where allegations of abuse and torture are common.The Kremlin tested those methods during the two wars it waged in Chechnya in the 1990s and 2000s, well before invading Ukraine, said Orlov, who recently went to Ukraine to document Russias human rights violations and saw the pattern repeated from the North Caucasus conflicts.Essentially, a misanthropic system has been created, and everyone who falls into it ends up in hell, added Matviichuk, the Ukrainian human rights worker. A recent report by the U.N. Human Rights Council said Russia committed enforced disappearances and torture as crimes against humanity, part of a systematic attack against the civilian population and pursuant to a coordinated state policy.It said Russia detained large numbers of civilians, jailed them in occupied Ukraine or deported them to Russia, and systematically used torture against certain categories of detainees to extract information, coerce, and intimidate.Russias Defense Ministry, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Federal Security Service did not respond to requests for comment. Tempering hope with patienceAs the U.S. talks about a ceasefire, relatives continue to press for the captives release. Liusiena Zinovkina says she hasnt abandoned hope as her husband, now 33, stands trial but is tempering her expectations.I see that its not as simple as the American president thought. Its not that easy to come to an agreement with Russia, she said, reminding herself to be patient. It will happen, but not tomorrow.Olena Tsyhipa said every minute counts for her husband, whose health has deteriorated.My belief in his return is unwavering, she said. We just have to wait.___Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn contributed. DASHA LITVINOVA Litvinova is an Associated Press correspondent covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. She has covered Russia and the region for over a decade. twitter mailto HANNA ARHIROVA Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. She is based in Kyiv. twitter instagram mailto

The Florida Gators opened as a slim 1.5-point favorite over Houston heading into the men's college basketball national championship.

Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman has been discharged from hospital after being carted off the field in a neck brace following a bicycle kick to the face. a club spokesperson told ESPN.

Vuthy Tha, a Cambodian reporter at Radio Free Asia who spent 7 years in a Thai refugee camp before arriving in the United States, poses for a portrait, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the RFA office in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)2025-04-06T04:09:51Z WASHINGTON (AP) After hiding in Thailand for seven years, two Cambodian journalists arrived in the United States last year on work visas, aiming to keep providing people in their Southeast Asian homeland with objective, factual news through Radio Free Asia.But Vuthy Tha and Hour Hum now say their jobs and legal status in the U.S. are at risk after President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order gutting the government-run U.S. Agency for Global Media. The agency funds Radio Free Asia and other outlets tasked with delivering uncensored information to parts of the world under authoritarian rule and often without a free press of their own. Hour Hum, a Cambodian reporter at Radio Free Asia who spent 7 years in a Thai refugee camp before arriving in the United States, poses for a portrait, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the RFA office in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Hour Hum, a Cambodian reporter at Radio Free Asia who spent 7 years in a Thai refugee camp before arriving in the United States, poses for a portrait, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the RFA office in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More It fell out of sky, Vuthy, a single father of two small children, said through a translator about the Trump administrations decision, which he says threatens to upend his life.I am very regretful that our listeners cannot receive the accurate news, Hour said, also through a translator.Both men said theyre worried about providing for their families and being allowed to stay in the U.S. They say its impossible to return to Cambodia, a single-party state hostile to independent media where they fear being persecuted for their journalistic work. The administration has been dismantling or slashing the size of federal agencies, leading tens of thousands of government workers and contractors to be fired or put on leave. But the targeting of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, whose decades-old networks aim to extend American influence abroad, means journalists who have defied authoritarian regimes to help fulfill a U.S. mission of delivering pro-democracy programming could be deported and face harassment and persecution in their homelands. Eleven journalists associated with the U.S.-funded media outlets are behind bars overseas, including RFAs Shin Daewe, who is serving 15 years in Myanmar on a charge of supporting terrorism. At least 84 U.S. Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, journalists in the United States on work visas could face deportation, including at least 23 at serious risk of being immediately arrested upon arrival and potentially imprisoned, according to the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders and a coalition of 36 human rights organizations.It is outrageous that these journalists, who risk their lives to expose the extent of repression in their home countries, might be completely abandoned, said Thibaut Bruttin, director general of Reporters Without Borders.The U.S. Congress must take responsibility for protecting these reporters and all USAGM-funded outlets, funded by Congress itself, Bruttin said. This responsibility is not just moral it stems from the United States commitment to defending the principles of democracy and press freedom.The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee did not respond to requests for comment. The White House did not comment. The State Department said it is coordinating with USAGM on imprisoned journalists and that it condemns unjust detentions of journalists for exercising their freedom of expression. Journalists sue over Trumps orderA number of journalists for Voice of America, a news service also overseen by USAGM, have sued in a federal court. That includes two unnamed foreign journalists on temporary visas. If deported, one could risk imprisonment for 10 years for his work for VOA, and the other, a member of a persecuted minority in his home country, could be in physical danger, the lawsuit said. The court has temporarily halted contract terminations, preventing the visa holders from being forced to leave for now. The receptionist desk sits empty at Radio Free Asia, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) The receptionist desk sits empty at Radio Free Asia, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Both RFA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, another USAGM-funded media outlet, also have sued seeking restoration of funding.Trumps cuts come after the U.S. last year helped free Alsu Kurmasheva a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and journalist with RFE/RL in a high-profile prisoner swap that included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. In February, the Trump administration announced the release of Andrey Kuznechyk, a Belarusian journalist with RFE/RLs Belarus service. The network still has four journalists jailed one each in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea.Voice of America has a contributor jailed in Myanmar and another in Vietnam, said Jessica Jerreat, VOAs press freedom editor.In Vietnam, four RFA reporters are in jail and another is under house arrest, according to Tamara Bralo, the outlets head of journalist security. She said shes concerned that American support in seeking their release could diminish if RFA folds.Vietnam consistently ranks near the bottom in the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, which says about 40 journalists are held in Vietnams prisons where mistreatment is widespread. Reporters fear being sent backKhoa Lai, a Vietnamese journalist who joined RFA in Washington on a work visa only days before Trump took office, said returning to Vietnam is risky for him. I could face prosecution or be in prison, said Lai, who produces video stories on freedom of speech, freedom of religion and political corruption for RFAs Vietnamese service. I dont know for sure, but it wont be good. Both Vuthy and Hour began working for RFA in Cambodia but had to leave in 2017 when Cambodias top court dissolved the main opposition CNRP party, authorities arrested their colleagues and RFA closed its office. In neighboring Thailand as refugees, both continued to report for RFA, but with their identities hidden. They still risked getting sent back to Cambodia until RFA brought them to the U.S. on work visas last year. They have reported on issues ranging from politics, corruption and human rights to climate change and environment.Cambodias autocratic former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ruled his country for nearly four decades and passed power to his son Hun Manet, praised Trump in a Facebook post for having the courage to lead the world to combat fake news by cutting funding to USAGM.Vuthy says hes still hopeful that RFA might survive, adding that it is fighting for its existence.___Associated Press writers Kanis Leung in Hong Kong, Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Elsie Chen in Washington contributed to this report. DIDI TANG Tang joined the AP Washington bureau in 2023 after spending 11 years in Beijing as a China correspondent. She covers anything related to the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on U.S.-China competitions mailto

Houston's L.J. Cryer (4) celebrates with teammates after Houston beat Duke in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)2025-04-06T03:59:09Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness.Get the AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Sorry guys, Phi Slama Jamma is already taken. How bout something simple, like Comeback Kids. National champs might be a possibility, too.Houstons no-room-to-breathe defense wiped away a 14-point deficit over the final eight minutes, erased Cooper Flagg and Dukes title hopes and brought the Cougars within a win of a championship of their own Saturday night with a 70-67 stunner over the Blue Devils.Led by Joseph Tuglers four blocks and an amoeba-like defense that smothers everything, Houston held Duke to a grand total of one field goal over the last 10 1/2 minutes. The 67 points were Dukes second-lowest output of its now-ended season. The Blue Devils second-to-last attempt during their contest-ending 1-for-9 stretch was a step-back jumper in the paint by Flagg that JWan Roberts disrupted. The last was a desperation heave by Tyrese Proctor that caught nothing at the buzzer and sent Flagg and company shuffling off in shock. We just had to keep that belief and keep the faith, said LJ Cryer, who won a title with Baylor in 2021 and led the Cougars in this one with 26 points. This is the programs first trip to the final since 1984 which marked the official close of the Phi Slama Jamma era, a fun-and-gun dunkfest that never won the title despite the efforts of Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, who was at the Alamodome for this one. Lots has changed since then. One constant: Defense wins championship. Houston has allowed the fewest points this season and even against Duke, with Flagg, Kon Knueppel (16 points) and a roster with five or six NBA prospects, it made things impossible down the stretch.Got to give them a lot of credit for what they do every single night they play, Flagg said. We could have been a little bit more sharp down the stretch executing some things. At the end of the day, you got to give them a lot of credit, as well. It was Roberts two free throws with 19.6 seconds left that gave the Cougars their first lead since 6-5. Cryer made two more to push the advantage to three. That matched Houstons biggest lead of the night.The Cougars (35-4), who have never won a title, will play Florida on Monday night for the championship.Floridas 79-73 win over Auburn in the early game was a free-flowing bundle of fun. This one wouldve looked perfect on a cracked blacktop and a court with chain-link nets. Neither team cracked 40% shooting.Thats just how Houston likes it. It closed the game on a 9-0 run over the final 33 seconds, and though Flagg, the AP Player of the Year, finished with 27 points, he did it on 8-for-19 shooting and never got a good look after his 3 at the 3:02 mark put the Blue Devils (35-4) up by nine.Knowing going into that game that he was the player of the year, that he brought his team to the Final Four, we knew it would be challenging, Roberts said. Trailing 64-55, things looked dire for the Cougars. But they were just getting started.A team that prides itself on getting three stops in a row calling the third one the kill stop strung together two stretches like that, broken up only by Flaggs 3. Duke settled for a measly three free throws over the final 3 minutes. One came when Tugler got a technical for batting the ball from Sion James hands as he was trying to throw an inbounds pass.That didnt make things any better for the Blue Devils.On the possession following the technical, Tugler rejected Knueppel, then Emanuel Sharp (16 points) made a 3 to cut the deficit to three.Mylik Wilson stole the next inbounds pass and missed a game-tying 3, but Tugler tipped it in to cut the deficit to one.Proctor missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 20 seconds left to set the stage for the Roberts free throws.Dukes slow walk off the court came through a phalanx of Houston fans who waved goodbye to Flagg, who will likely be off to the NBA as the first pick in the draft. Houston held Duke to 37.5% shooting in the second half; that was nearly 20% lower than its first four games of the tournament, which included a blowout over the nations best offense, Alabama, in the Elite Eight. We held that team to 67 points, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said, marveling at what theyd done.The Cougars finished with six steals and six blocked shots, and a bunch more altered by Roberts and Tugler, who might be the best shot blockers to wear that Cougars uniform since Olajuwon himself. There are no stats, however, for the heart Houston showed after the countrys best player had all but buried them with 8 minutes to go. Cooper was not going to beat us by himself, Sampson said. Even when we were down 14, these guys will tell you what I was talking about in the huddle was, Just hang in there, hang in there.Big win for AIThe huge comeback also netted a $1 million win for artificial intelligence. An AI disruptor bet a professional gambler that his program could do a better March Madness bracket, and it all came down to the Duke-Houston game. Even if the Houston loses in the final, the AI bracket will get more points in the contest and the disruptor, Alan Levy, will pocket the million. ___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

AC Milan recovered from conceding two early goals to snatch a 2-2 draw against visiting Fiorentina in Serie A on Saturday as their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League continue to fade.

Barcelona spurned the chance to extend their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings when they were held at home 1-1 by Real Betis on Saturday, with visiting defender Natan cancelling out Gavi's early opener.

A hush accompanied the Blue Devils' attempts to process how a six-point lead could disappear in less than 20 seconds Saturday night in a stunning 70-67 loss to Houston in the Final Four.

The potentially historic Final Four more than delivered. Our analysts break down what they saw in San Antonio.

Khalid Ahmad holds a poster of his 17-year-old son, Waleed, who died in an Israeli prison, that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)2025-04-06T05:33:53Z TEL AVIV (AP) Starvation was likely the leading cause of death for a Palestinian teenager who died in an Israeli prison, according to an Israeli doctor who observed the autopsy.Seventeen-year-old Walid Ahmad, who had been held for six months without being charged, suffered from extreme malnutrition, and also showed signs of inflammation of the colon and scabies, said a report written by Dr. Daniel Solomon, who watched the autopsy, conducted by Israeli experts, at the request of the boys family.The Associated Press obtained a copy of Solomons report from the family. It did not conclude a cause of death, but said Ahmad was in a state of extreme weight loss and muscle wasting. It also noted that Ahmad had complained to the prison of inadequate food since at least December, citing reports from the prison medical clinic. Ahmad died last month after collapsing in Megiddo Prison and striking his head, Palestinian officials said, citing eyewitness accounts from other prisoners. Israels prison service said a team was appointed to investigate Ahmads death and its findings would be sent to the authorized authorities. Ahmad is the youngest Palestinian prisoner to die in an Israeli prison since the start of the Gaza war, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which has documented Palestinian prisoner deaths. He was taken into custody from his home in the occupied West Bank during a pre-dawn raid in September for allegedly throwing stones at soldiers, his family said. The autopsy was conducted on March 27 at Israels Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, which has not released a report of its findings and did not respond to requests for comment. The Ahmad familys lawyer, Nadia Daqqa, confirmed Solomon, a gastrointestinal surgeon, was granted permission to observe the autopsy by an Israeli civil court. Widespread abuse in Israeli prisons, rights groups say Rights groups have documented widespread abuse in Israeli detention facilities holding thousands of Palestinians who were rounded up after Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority says Israel is holding the bodies of 72 Palestinian prisoners who died in Israeli jails, including 61 who died since the beginning of the war. Israel often holds on to bodies of dead Palestinians, citing security grounds or for political leverage.Conditions in Israeli prisons have worsened since the start of the war, former detainees have told the AP. They described beatings, severe overcrowding, insufficient medical care, scabies outbreaks and poor sanitary conditions.Megiddo Prison, a maximum security facility where many Palestinian detainees, including teens, are held without charge, is regarded as one of the harshest, said Naji Abbas, head of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel.Israels prison service said it operates according to the law and all prisoners are given basic rights. Ahmads lawyer, Firas al-Jabrini, said Israeli authorities denied his requests to visit his client in prison, but three prisoners held there told him Ahmad suffered from severe diarrhea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness before he died. They suspected it was caused by dirty water, as well as cheese and yogurt prison guards brought in the morning and that sat out all day while detainees were fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the lawyer said. Malnourished and frailAccording to Dr. Solomons report the autopsy showed that Ahmed likely suffered from inflammation of the large intestine, a condition known as colitis that can cause frequent diarrhea and can in some cases contribute to death.But medical experts said colitis usually doesnt cause death in young patients and was likely exacerbated by severe malnutrition. He suffered from starvation that led to severe malnutrition and in combination with untreated colitis that caused dehydration and electrolyte levels disturbances in his blood which can cause heart rate abnormalities and death, said Dr. Lina Qasem Hassan, the head of the board for Physicians for Human Rights Israel who reviewed the report at the request of the AP. She said the findings indicated medical neglect, exacerbated by Ahmads inability to fight disease or infection because of how malnourished and frail he was.Dr. Arne Stray-Pedersen, a professor of forensic medicine at the University of Oslo in Norway who was not involved in the autopsy, said the report suggests there was a period of prolonged malnutrition and sickness lasting at least a few weeks or months. Based on the report, I interpret the underlying cause of death to be emaciation-wasting, he said.Scabies rashes were also noted on his legs and genital area, the report said. There was also air between his lungs that expanded into his neck and back, it said, which can cause infection. Air can come from small tears in the lungs, which can occur from severe vomiting or coughing, it said. Ahmads family said he was a healthy high schooler who enjoyed playing soccer before he was taken into custody. His father, Khalid Ahmad, said his son sat through four brief court hearings by videoconference, and he noticed at one of them, in February, that his son appeared to be in poor health.The family hasnt yet received a death certificate from Israel, the elder Ahmad said Friday, and are hoping Dr. Solomons report will help bring his sons body home.We will demand our sons body for burial, he said What is happening in Israeli prisons is a real tragedy, as there is no value for life.____AP reporter Jalal Bwaitel contributed from Ramallah, West Bank. SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the AP correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. Mednick formerly covered West & Central Africa and South Sudan. twitter

Though their season looked over, the Cougars stayed tough and found a way to pull out a miraculous win.

Cameron and Cayden Boozer are Duke-bound like their dad -- former NBA star Carlos Boozer -- while fellow national champion Kelis Fisher is headed to UConn.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)2025-04-06T08:48:22Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) One person was killed Sunday as Russian air strikes hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while the death toll from Fridays deadly attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih continued to rise. The Kyiv victim was found close to the strikes epicenter of the attack in the citys Darnytskyi district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. A further three people were injured in the strike, which saw fires break out in several nonresidential areas, damaging cars and buildings.In a statement on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the intensifying Russian attacks showed that there is still insufficient international pressure on Moscow. He said Russia has launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles at Ukraine in the past week alone.These attacks are (Russian President Vladimir) Putins response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners the United States, all of Europe, the entire world has seen that Russia intends to continue the war and the killing, Zelenskyy said. That is why there can be no easing of pressure. All efforts must be aimed at guaranteeing security and bringing peace closer. Meanwhile, officials said that the death toll from Fridays attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rih had continued to grow, with 19 dead including many children and a further 75 wounded. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rihs military administration, declared three days of mourning for the attack, starting on April 7. He said that there was pain in the hearts of millions of people.Together we will stand. And no matter how difficult it is, we will win, he said. The enemy will be punished for every Ukrainian and for every mothers tear.Local authorities said the Kryvyi Rih strike damaged 44 apartment buildings and 23 private houses. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place.Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The militarys claims could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims.Elsewhere, Russian troops fired 23 missiles and 109 strike and decoy drones across Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Sunday. Thirteen missiles and 40 drones were shot down, while 53 decoy drones were jammed and did not reach their destinations, it said.Russias Defense Ministry said that its air defenses had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones, including eight over the Rostov region and two over the Kursk region.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Cambodian garment workers look at clothes displayed for sale during a lunch break on a sidewalk at Ang Tako village, outside Phnom Penh Cambodia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)2025-04-06T04:21:59Z NEW YORK (AP) Sending children back to school in new sneakers, jeans and T-shirts is likely to cost U.S. families significantly more this fall if the bespoke tariffs President Donald Trump put on leading exporters take effect as planned, American industry groups warn. About 97% of the clothes and shoes purchased in the U.S. are imported, predominantly from Asia, the American Apparel & Footwear Association said, citing its most recent data. Walmart, Gap Inc., Lululemon and Nike are a few of the companies that have a majority of their clothing made in Asian countries.Those same garment-making hubs took a big hit under the presidents plan to punish individual countries for trade imbalances. For all Chinese goods, that meant tariffs of at least 54%. He set the import tax rates for Vietnam and neighboring Cambodia at 46% and 49%, and products from Bangladesh and Indonesia at 37% and 32%. Working with foreign factories has kept labor costs down for U.S. companies in the fashion trade, but neither they nor their overseas suppliers are likely to absorb new costs that high. India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also got slapped with high tariffs so arent immediate sourcing alternatives. If these tariffs are allowed to persist, ultimately its going to make its way to the consumer, said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Another trade group, Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, provided estimates of the price increases that could be in store for shoes, noting 99% of the pairs sold in the U.S. are imports. Work boots made in China that now retail for $77 would go up to $115, while customers would pay $220 for running shoes made in Vietnam currently priced at $155, the group said. FDRA President Matt Priest predicted lower-income families and the places they shop would feel the impact most. He said a pair of Chinese-made childrens shoes that cost $26 today will likely carry a $41 price tag by the back-to-school shopping season, according to his groups calculations. Preparing for a moving targetThe tariffs on the top producers of not only finished fashion but many of the materials used to make footwear and apparel shocked U.S. retailers and brands. Before Trumps first term, U.S. companies had started to diversify away from China in response to trade tensions as well as human rights and environmental concerns. They accelerated the pace when he ordered tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018, shifting more production to other countries in Asia. Lululemon said in its latest annual filing that 40% of its sportswear last year was manufactured in Vietnam, 17% in Cambodia, 11% in Sri Lanka, 11% in Indonesia and 7% in Bangladesh.Nike, Levi-Strauss, Ralph Lauren, Gap. Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch and VF Corporation, which owns Vans, The North Face and Timberland, also reported a greatly reduced reliance on garment-makers and suppliers in China. Shoe brand Steve Madden said in November it would reduce imports from China by as much as 45% this year due to Trumps campaign pledge to impose a 60% tariff on all Chinese products. The brand said it already had spent several years developing a factory network in Cambodia, Vietnam, Mexico and Brazil. Industry experts say reviving the American garment industry would be hugely expensive and take years if it were feasible. The number of people working in apparel manufacturing in January 2015 stood at 139,000 and had dwindled to 85,000 by January of this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sri Lanka employs four times as many despite having a population less than one-seventh the size of the U.S.Along with lacking a skilled and willing workforce, the U.S. does not have domestic sources for the more than 70 materials that go into making a typical shoe, the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America said in written comments to Trumps trade representative.Shoe companies would need to find or set up factories to make cotton laces, eyelets, textile uppers and other components to make finished footwear in the U.S. on a large scale, the group wrote. These materials simply do not exist here, and many of these materials have never existed in the U.S, the organization said. Price increases may come as a shockThe expected barrage of apparel price increases would follow three decades of stability. Clothes cost U.S. consumers essentially the same in 2024 as they did in 1994, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Economists and industry analysts have attributed the trend to free trade agreements, offshoring to foreign countries where workers are paid much less and heated competition for shoppers among discount retailers and fast-fashion brands like H&M, Zara and Forever 21.But customers unaccustomed to inflation in the apparel sector and coming off several years of steep rise in the costs of groceries and housing may be extra sensitive to any big jumps in clothing prices. Priest, of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, said he has observed shoppers pulling back on buying shoes since Trumps return to the White House. Theyre nervous, he said. Theyve obviously been playing the long game as it relates to inflation for a number of years now. And they just dont have the endurance to absorb higher prices, particularly as theyre inflicted by the U.S. government. Winners and losers in a garment trade warAccording to a report by British bank Barclays published Friday, the winners in the tariff wars are retailers that have at least one of these attributes: big negotiating power with their suppliers, a strong brand name and limited sourcing in Asia. In clothing and footwear, that includes off-price retailers Burlington, Ross Stores Inc. and TJX Companies, which operates T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, as well as Ralph Lauren and Dicks Sporting Goods, according to the report.The companies in for a tougher time are those with limited negotiating power, limited pricing power and high product exposure in Asia, a list including Gap Inc., Urban Outfitters and American Eagle Outfitters, according to the report. Secondhand clothing resale site ThredUp cheered a related action Trump took with his latest round of tariffs: eliminating a widely used tax exemption that has allowed millions of low-cost goods most of them originating in China to enter the U.S. every day duty-free. This policy change will increase the cost of cheaply produced, disposable clothing imported from China, directly impacting the business model that fuels overproduction and environmental degradation, ThredUp said.Several industry analysts and economists said they think tariffs will end up being a consumer sales tax that widens the yawning gap between Americas wealthiest residents and those in the middle and lower end of the income spectrum. So where will the U.S. be buying its apparel now that the tariff rates on Bangladesh, Vietnam and China are astronomical? Mary E. Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said of the schedule set to take effect Wednesday. Will the new Golden Age involve knitting our own knickers as well as snapping together our cellphones? ANNE DINNOCENZIO DInnocenzio writes about retail, trends, the consumer economy and hourly workers for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the 2025 Formula 1 season after soaking up race-long pressure from McLarens two drivers to win the Japanese Grand Prix.

Elon Musk speaks at a town hall holding a check Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)2025-04-06T12:05:55Z TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court drew $100 million in campaign spending, attack ads and the attention of President Donald Trump and close ally Elon Musk.While its spending set a record for a U.S. judicial contest, the race that ended Tuesday was the apex of a trend building for years as state Supreme Court races across the country have gotten increasingly costly and vitriolic. The partisan tone of the Wisconsin race and the amount of money it drew from outside interest groups raise questions about whether elections are the best way to fill seats for bodies that are supposed to be nonpartisan and ultimately decide the fate of state laws and citizen ballot initiatives.The politicized nature of the contests was illustrated starkly on Friday when a Republican-majority appellate panel in North Carolina sided with a Republican state Supreme Court challenger who is seeking to throw out thousands of ballots from last Novembers election. These races have become priorities for both major parties because state high courts have been playing pivotal roles in deciding rules around redistricting, abortion and voting rights while also settling disputes over election outcomes. Some states shifted toward electing justices to bring the process out into the sunlight, to disempower powerful political actors from getting themselves or allies on the bench, or to provide some level of public accountability, said Douglas Keith, senior counsel for the Brennan Centers judiciary program. But with these modern judicial elections, these highly politicized races are not really serving any of those goals. Not every state puts its Supreme Court seats up for a statewide vote. Some use appointment processes that allow candidates to avoid public campaigning and the influence of political donors. Keith said a merit-based selection process can result in Supreme Courts that are not as predictable along political lines. Seven states use partisan elections to select their Supreme Court justices while 14, including Wisconsin, use nonpartisan elections. Meanwhile, nine task governors with appointing justices, two use legislative appointments, four have hybrid models and 14 use a merit selection process that often involves nonpartisan nominating commissions.Kansas is one of the states with an appointment process, a system that has been in place for six decades and has been largely nonpartisan. Bristling at some of the courts rulings in recent years, Republicans in the state now want to change that and move toward a system in which justices have to stand for election.Opponents say Republicans goal is clear in a GOP-leaning state: remaking the court in a more conservative image.When a vacancy on the seven-member court now occurs, applicants for the seat are screened by a nine-member commission. Five are lawyers elected by other lawyers and four are nonlawyers appointed by the governor. The commission names three finalists and the governor currently a Democrat chooses one. The Republican-supermajority Legislature placed a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution on the ballot for the states August 2026 primary election, rejecting arguments that the current system of filling vacancies on the state Supreme Court is notable for its lack of partisan politics and promotes judicial independence.Backers of the proposal have criticized the states top court for years over rulings protecting abortion rights and forcing higher spending on public schools. They argue that the court is too liberal and is out of step with voters, even though Kansas voters opted to protect abortion rights in 2022, just months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.Republicans also say that in making Supreme Court candidates run for election, any politics in the process would be visible instead of a black box.It is an elitist system, and that elitist system was designed by lawyers, Kansas attorney general, Republican Kris Kobach, said of the current system. It is obviously controlled by lawyers. Critics of the Kansas proposal pointed to Wisconsin and the tens of millions of dollars spent on state Supreme Court races in recent years. They say thats just what Kansas should expect to see if voters approve the change next year.With the current system, they say a candidates experience and likely judicial temperament are the most important factors, rather than a candidates skills at campaigning, raising money or creating television ads.There is a reason that goes beyond giving the people a voice. Theres a political reason to change the court, Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka, said of Republicans proposal.Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said he wasnt concerned about Wisconsin-style campaigning for high court seats if the amendment passes. He said opponents were trying to take a one-off and make it something its not. In Oklahoma, the Republican-led Legislature for several years has considered legislation seeking to change its current appointment system for appellate court justices to having them run for election. Some Republicans have brought up the issue in Alaska in recent years, though the efforts have not advanced.In North Carolina and Ohio, Republican-dominated legislatures in recent years have added party labels to the ballot in what many legal experts say is an attempt to benefit conservative judicial candidates and construct a court that aligned more with the legislatures policy goals.North Carolina has been caught up in an ongoing legal saga over a close, highly politicized state Supreme Court race. The Republican candidate, Jefferson Griffin, has challenged more than 65,000 ballots cast in last falls election. On Friday, the Republican majority on a North Carolina appellate panel sided with Griffin, who was 734 votes behind Associate Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat who is likely to appeal.Pennsylvania is bracing for a Wisconsin-style election in the fall. Its another presidential battleground where the state Supreme Court could be called upon to decide election disputes during next years midterms or the 2028 presidential election. Three Democratic justices are running to retain their seats and face a yes-or- no vote for additional 10-year terms.The recently concluded Wisconsin election offers warning signs of what may come in November in Pennsylvania when Democrats 5-2 majority on the court will be on the line, said Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown.Spending exceeded $22 million in Pennsylvanias 2023 Supreme Court contest.It would be silly not to anticipate that in this current environment in a key state like Pennsylvania, Borick said. It is going to be intensified.Making term limits longer and eliminating judicial reelections could be a useful reform because a lot of the influence of money comes from the pressure to get reelected, said Michael Kang, a Northwestern School of Law professor and author of Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections.There is no perfect system, Kang said. But there are things that can be done to improve.___Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.___The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about the APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. JOHN HANNA Hanna covers politics and state government in Kansas for The Associated Press. Hes worked for the AP in Topeka since 1986. twitter mailto

Palestinians pray over the bodies of some of the 15 people, including 5 children and 5 women, killed in two Israeli army strikes during their funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-04-06T11:20:13Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 15 people, including 10 women and children, overnight and into Sunday, according to local health officials.Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war last month. It has carried out out waves of strikes and seized territory in order to pressure the militants to accept a new deal for a truce and hostage release. It has also blocked the import of food, fuel and humanitarian aid.The latest strikes hit a tent and a house in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing five men, five women and five children, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Fifty-nine hostages are still being held in Gaza 24 of whom are believed to be alive after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.Israels offensive has killed at least 50,695 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says another 115,338 people have been wounded. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. ___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

With eight games on the NHL schedule, here's what is at stake. Plus, updated playoff bracket projections.

Shemar Stewart has great traits and plenty of upside. But he also had 4.5 sacks in three seasons.

Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, the Democratic nominee for Mississippi governor, gives a news conference, June 22, 2023, at a locally owned clothing store in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)2025-04-06T04:18:50Z About 45 years have passed since a U.S. state last eliminated its income tax on wages and salaries. But with recent actions in Mississippi and Kentucky, two states now are on a path to do so, if their economies keep growing. The push to zero out the income tax is perhaps the most aggressive example of a tax-cutting trend that swept across states as they rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic with surging revenues and historic surpluses. But it comes during a time of greater uncertainty for states, as they wait to see whether President Donald Trumps cost cutting and tariffs lead to a reduction in federal funding for states and a downturn in the overall economy. Some fiscal analysts also warn the repeal of income taxes could leave states reliant on other levies, such as sales taxes, that disproportionately affect the poor. Which governments charge income tax?The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to levy income taxes. It was ratified by states in 1913. Since then, most states have adopted their own income taxes.Eight states currently charge no personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. A ninth state, Washington, charges no personal income tax on wages and salaries but does tax certain capital gains income over $270,000.When Alaska repealed its personal income tax in 1980, it did so because state coffers were overflowing with billions of dollars in oil money. Though income tax eliminations have been proposed elsewhere, they have not been successful. Its a lot easier to go without an individual income tax if youve never levied one, said Katherine Loughead, a senior analyst and research manager at the nonprofit Tax Foundation. But once you become dependent on that revenue, it is a lot more difficult to phase out or eliminate that tax. What is Mississippi doing? Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves recently signed a law gradually reducing the states income tax rate from 4% to 3% by 2030 and setting state revenue growth benchmarks that could trigger additional incremental cuts until the tax is eliminated. The law also reduces the sales tax on groceries and raises the gasoline tax. If cash reserves are fully funded and revenue triggers are met each year, Mississippis income tax could be gone by 2040. Supporters of an income tax repeal hope it will attract both businesses and residents, elevating the states economy to the likes of Florida, Tennessee and Texas. Their theory is that when people pay less in income taxes, they will have more money to spend, thus boosting sales tax collections. The tax repeal puts us in a rare class of elite, competitive states, Reeves said in a statement. He added, Mississippi has the potential to be a magnet for opportunity, for investment, for talent - and for families looking to build a better life.Mississippi is among the most impoverished states and relies heavily on federal funding. Democratic lawmakers warned the state could face a financial crises if cuts in federal funding come at the same time as state income tax reductions. The income tax provides a huge percentage of what the state brings in to fund things like schools and health care and services that everybody relies on, said Neva Butkus, senior analyst at the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. What has Kentucky done? A 2022 Kentucky law reduced the states income tax rate and set a series of revenue-based triggers that could gradually lower the tax to zero. But unlike in Mississippi, the triggers arent automatic. Rather, the Kentucky General Assembly must approve each additional decrease in the tax rate. That has led to a series of tax-cutting measures, including two new laws this year. One implements the next tax rate reduction from 4% to 3.5% starting in 2026. The second makes it easier to continue cutting the tax rate in the future by allowing smaller incremental reductions if revenue growth isnt sufficient to trigger a 0.5 percentage point reduction.Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear signed the legislation for next years tax cut but let the other measure passed by the Republican-led legislature become law without his signature. Beshear called it a bait-and-switch bill, contending lawmakers had assured the guardrails for income tax reductions would remain in place while pushing for the 2026 tax cut, then later in the session altered the triggers for future years. What actions have other states taken?New Hampshire and Tennessee already did not tax income from wages and salaries, but both states had taxed certain types of income. In 2021, Tennessee ended an income tax on interest from bonds and stock dividends that had been levied since 1929. New Hampshire halted its tax on interest and dividends at the start of this year. Some other states also are pushing to repeal income taxes The Oklahoma House passed legislation in March that would gradually cut the personal income tax rate to zero if revenue growth benchmarks are met. That bill now is in the Senate. New Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, also wants to phase out the income tax. The House and Senate have advanced legislation that would take an incremental step by exempting capital gains income from taxes. DAVID A. LIEB Lieb covers issues and trends in state governments across the U.S. Hes reported about government and politics for The Associated Press for 30 years. twitter mailto

Kit Kats from Japan are displayed for sale at Economy Candy in New York's Lower East Side, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2025-04-06T11:09:16Z NEW YORK (AP) Economy Candys shelves brim with sweets from around the world gummies from Germany, lollipops from Spain, chocolates from Japan and a panoply of candies from across the U.S.Standing amid it all, columns of bright jellybeans to his left and exotic Kit Kats to his right, owner Mitchell Cohen is quick with his assessment of how many of this shops 2,000-plus items are affected by the historic round of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.I think all of them, Cohen says at his store on New Yorks Lower East Side.Few corners of the American economy are untouched, directly or indirectly, by the sweeping tariffs being imposed by Trump. Even a little store like Economy Candy.Cohen had just begun to feel a barrage of inflation-driven price increases from suppliers ease when the tariff threats arrived. For a business with a name like Economy Candy, he wants to remain affordable but fears how high some prices may have to climb in the coming months. I think its gonna be another round of this hyperinflation on some items, says 39-year-old Cohen. If were putting tariffs everywhere, it is going to go up. Stepping into Economy Candy feels like a time warp. Its name is emblazoned on a sign in a vintage, blaring red script, and crossing below its green-and-white striped awning, past the bins of Smarties, butterscotches and Lemonheads in the front window, an indecipherable sweetness fills the air, oldies music sounds overhead and customers mill around stacks of candy bars they forgot still existed. It represents just a blip in the countrys $54 billion candy industry. But it was already feeling the weight of surges in prices of cocoa and other ingredients before tariffs were layered on.Candy and gum prices are up about 34% from five years ago and 89% from 2005, according to Consumer Price Index data. Price, according to the National Confectioners Association, has become the top factor in consumers candy purchase decisions, outweighing a buyers mood. About a third of Economy Candys products are imported, crowded on shelves and tables near the stores rear. There arent just more German Haribo varieties than the Haribo store in Germany, as Cohen claims, but gummies the brand makes in France, Austria and Britain. They have every Milka bar they can find in Switzerland, every type of Leone hard candies that Italy churns out and as many exotic Kit Kats from Japan as they can fit.On products like these, the tariffs toll is obvious. Pistachio Snickers bars are from India, now subject to 26% tariffs, while passion fruit mousse Snickers are from Portugal, now under the 20% European Union levies. But even an American-made Snickers isnt immune.While the bars may roll off conveyors in Texas, they rely on ingredients from around the globe. Sourcemap, which tracks supply chains, says Snickers bars are made with chocolate from Guyana, peanuts from Argentina and sugar from Brazil, wrapped up in packaging from Canada. All are now subjected to varying levels of tariffs. Theres a lot of ingredients in there that have to come from other countries, says Andreas Waldkirch, an economics professor at Colby College who teaches a class on international trade. Unless youre talking about something very simple from your local farmers market, almost every product relies on ingredients from elsewhere. Those indirect costs are really whats going to drive up prices.The story repeats with American candies across the store the boxes of Nerds and bags of Sugar Babies and rolls of Smarties are all inextricably tied to the global supply chain.A table teeming with those domestic delicacies takes center stage near Economy Candys entrance. Cohen took over the store from his parents, who took it over from their parents before. He got his first haircut in the store. He was behind the register as a child. He took his wife by on their first date.As a kid, everything on the stores centerpiece table of American treats cost 59 cents. By 2020, the price was $1.29, but customers who bought a whole box paid a discounted rate of $1 per piece. Now, Cohen cant even get them wholesale at that price.Today, he sells the items on the table for $1.59. Cohen calls the selection a loss leader but thinks its important to showcase his stores affordability. Once the tariffs are fully implemented, hes not sure hell be able to put off price increases. When your margins are coming down and your dollar doesnt go as far at the end of the day, you really start to feel it, he says. But I dont want anyone to come into Economy Candy and not think that its economical.The biggest-ticket implications of the tariff blitz understandably gain the most attention the thousands of dollars a cars price tag may grow, the tens of thousands that disappear from a retirement account in a single day. But here among the root beer barrels and licorice strands, youre reminded that small-dollar items are affected too, and so are the families selling them. At its birth, the business Cohens grandfather started focused on shoe and hat repairs. But in the wake of the Great Depression, when few in a neighborhood of crowded tenements had money for such fixes, the business pivoted. Candy, once relegated to a cart out front, took over the store.In the 88 years since, business hasnt always been Chuckles and Zagnuts. The Sept. 11 attacks kept tourists away and had sales sagging and the pandemic closed the store and forced it to pivot to online sales.If tariffs upend things, Cohen isnt sure how he might adapt again. He sells products that arent made in America and he sells American products made with ingredients from across the globe. He had just been making headway on beginning international sales, but the web of tariff rules may make it impossible.The average U.S. tariff could rise to nearly 25% if the import taxes Trump put on goods from dozens of countries are fully implemented Wednesday. That would be the highest rate in more than a century, including tariffs widely blamed for worsening the Great Depression.Trump said imposing the tariffs amounted to a liberation day for a country that has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by friend and foe alike, insisting it was very, very good news for the U.S.Cohen isnt sure how that can be true for a business like his.I can understand bringing manufacturing and bringing things back to America, but you know, we rely on raw materials that just arent native to our country, he says. And its not like I can get a green tea Japanese Kit Kat from an American company.As Cohen stood before mounds of strawberry candies in shiny wrappers and little cubes of caramel in cellophane, the first word of the tariffs concrete impact on him arrived. A French supplier emailed saying it was immediately imposing a 5% surcharge due to the tariffs, expressing regret for the move and hope that the situation will be resolved swiftly.Cohen wore a smile anyway. He wants this to be a happy place for visitors.You travel back to a time when nothing mattered, Cohen says, when you didnt worry about anything.___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

Role-playing video games (RPGs) have long been popular with people who want to craft their own stories. Not only do RPGs allow players to customize their playstyle, but each decision comes with the expectation that the players choices will influence the main narrative, the player characters reputation, or even who lives and who dies. Unsurprisingly, [...]The post Asexuality and the limits of player expression in video games first appeared on GLAAD.

Azzi Fudd has a shot that makes Stephen Curry envious. It's her resilience that lifts UConn to another level.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says torpedo bats are "absolutely good for baseball," noting that they fall within the rules and demonstrate the sport's "unique place in our culture."

Sarah Makowicki sits in the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford, Conn., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Haigh)2025-04-06T12:39:23Z States increasingly struggling to cover the rising cost of popular GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound are searching for ways to get out from under the budgetary squeeze that took them by surprise. One solution some policymakers may try is restricting the number of people on Medicaid who can use the pricey diabetes drugs for weight-loss purposes.Pennsylvanias Medicaid coverage of the drugs is expected to cost $1.3 billion in 2025 up from a fraction of that several years ago and is contributing to projections of a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. The state is thinking about requiring Medicaid patients who want to use GLP-1s for weight loss to meet a certain number on the body-mass index or try diet and exercise programs or less expensive medications first.It is a medication thats gotten a lot of hype and a lot of press, and has become very popular in its use and it is wildly expensive, Dr. Val Arkoosh, Pennsylvanias human services secretary, told a state House hearing in March. At least 14 states already cover the cost of GLP-1 medications for obesity treatment for patients on Medicaid, the federal health care program for people with low incomes. Democrats and Republicans in at least a half-dozen other states floated bills this year to require the same coverage, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. Some bills have stalled while others remain alive, including a proposal in Arkansas requiring GLP-1s to be covered under Medicaid when prescribed specifically for weight loss. Iowa lawmakers are thinking about ordering a cost-benefit analysis before making the commitment. Already, West Virginia and North Carolina ended programs in 2024 that provided coverage for state employees, citing cost concerns. It is very expensive, said Jeffrey Beckham, the state budget director in Connecticut, where Medicaid coverage of the drugs for weight loss may be scrapped entirely. Other states are coming to that conclusion, as well as some private carriers. Overall Medicaid spending on GLP-1 drugs before partial rebates from drug manufacturers jumped from $577.3 million in 2019 to $3.9 billion in 2023, according to a November report from KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. The number of prescriptions for the drugs increased by more than 400% during that same time period. The average annual cost per patient for a GLP-1 drug is $12,000, according to a Peterson-KFF tracker. About half of Americans strongly or somewhat favor having Medicare and Medicaid cover weight-loss drugs for people who have obesity, a recent AP-NORC poll showed, with about 2 in 10 opposed the idea and about one-quarter with a neutral view. But Medicare does not cover GLP-1s, and the Trump administration said Friday that wouldnt put into place a proposed rule by presidential predecessor Joe Biden to cover the medications under Medicares Part D prescription drug coverage. Bidens proposal was expensive: It would have included coverage for all state- and federally funded Medicaid programs, costing taxpayers as much as $35 billion over next decade. States that do provide coverage have tried to manage costs by putting prescribing limits on the GLP-1s. Theres also some evidence that if Medicaid patients lose weight with the drugs, theyll be healthier and less expensive to cover, said Tracy Zvenyach of Obesity Action, an advocacy group that urges states to provide coverage.Zvenyach also stressed how its unclear whether patients will need to regularly take these drugs for the rest of their lives a key cost concern raised by public officials. Someone may have to be on treatment for over the course of their lifetime, she said. But we dont know exactly what that regimen would look like.About 40% of adults in the U.S. have obesity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity can cause hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, which lead to greater risks of things like stroke and heart attacks. Dr. Adam Raphael Rom, a physician at Greater Philadelphia Health Action, a network of health centers in the city, said most of his patients who take GLP-1s are covered by Medicaid and some are non-diabetics who use it for weight loss.I had one patient tell me that its like, changed her relationship to food, Rom said. Ive had patients lose like 20, 40, 60 pounds.But obesity experts have told The Associated Press that as many as 1 in 5 people may not lose the amount of weight that others have seen come off. And in a recent survey of state Medicaid directors conducted by KFF, a health policy research organization, they said cost and potential side effects are among their concerns.The debate over coverage coincides with rising Medicaid budgets and the prospect of losing federal funding with congressional Republicans considering siphoning as much as $880 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. Connecticut is facing a $290 million Medicaid account deficit, and Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont proposed doing away with a 2023 requirement that Medicaid cover GLP-1s for severe obesity, though the state has never fully abided by the law due to the cost.Starting June 14, though, state Medicaid patients will be required to have a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis to get the drugs covered. Lamont also is pushing for the state to cover two less expensive oral medications approved by the FDA for weight loss, as well as nutrition counseling.Sarah Makowicki, 42, tried the other medications and said she suffered serious side effects. The graduate student and statehouse intern is working on a bill that would restore the full GLP-1 coverage for her and others. Sara Lamontagne, a transgender woman with a disability who is on Medicaid, said she regained weight when her coverage for GLP-1 medication was cut off in the past. She said she went from 260 pounds to over 300, heavier than she had ever been. So, its a horrible game to be played, to be going back and and forth, said Lamontagne, whose attempts to appeal the states recent denial of her Ozempic prescription refill have been unsuccessful.Makowicki said GLP-1 drugs combined with weight-loss surgery helped her change her life: Shes had knee-replacement surgery and lost over 200 pounds. I am a different person from what I was five years ago, Makowicki said. Not only in my physical space, but also mentally.___Haigh reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. SUSAN HAIGH Haigh covers the Connecticut General Assembly, state government, politics, public policy matters and more for The Associated Press. She has worked for The AP since 2002. twitter mailto MARC LEVY Levy covers politics and state government in Pennsylvania for The Associated Press. He is based in Harrisburg. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The rising waters of the Licking River touch the basketball hoop at Max Goldberg Park, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Falmouth, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)2025-04-06T11:11:27Z DYERSBURG, Tenn. (AP) A storm system sweeping over large areas of the U.S. South and Midwest resulted in at least 16 weather-related deaths by early Sunday, with overnight tornado and flash flood warnings setting up more severe weather that forecasters say could cause rising waterways for days to come.Many of the impacted areas already are heavily waterlogged by days of severe storms that spawned deadly tornadoes. New tornado warnings were issued overnight in Alabama and Mississippi, along with flash flood warnings for several counties in Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.Saturday included more of the torrential rain and flash flooding that has pounded the central U.S., rapidly swelling waterways and prompting emergencies from Texas to Ohio. The 16 reported deaths since the start of the storms included 10 in Tennessee alone. The National Weather Service said dozens of locations in multiple states were expected to reach what the agency calls major flood stage, with extensive flooding of structures, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure possible.A 57-year-old man died Friday evening after getting out of a car that washed off a road in West Plains, Missouri. Flooding killed two people in Kentucky including a 9-year-old boy swept away that same day on his way to school and a 74-year-old whose body was found Saturday inside a fully submerged vehicle in Nelson County, authorities said. Also Saturday, a 5-year-old died at a home in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a weather-related incident, according to police. No details were immediately provided. Tornadoes earlier in the week destroyed entire neighborhoods and were responsible for at least seven of the deaths. There were 521 flights cancelled and more than 6,400 flights delayed within the U.S. or coming into or leaving the country on Saturday, according to FlightAware.com, which reported 74 cancellations and 478 delays of U.S. flights early Sunday. Interstate commerce also could be affected. The extreme flooding across a corridor that includes the major cargo hubs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis could lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.The outburst comes at a time when nearly half of NWS forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates after Trump administration job cuts, twice that of just a decade ago.Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday that the Ohio River rose 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) in 24 hours and would continue to swell for days.We expect this to be one of the top 10 flooding events in Louisville history, he said.Flash flood threat looms over many statesFlash flood emergency and tornado warnings continued to be issued Saturday across Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, with more heavy rains and damaging winds in the mix. All of eastern Kentucky was under a flood watch through Sunday morning. Hundreds of Kentucky roads across the state were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides. Downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reopened in the morning after floodwaters from the Little River receded, giving a much-needed reprieve, but still more rainfall was on its way, Mayor James R. Knight Jr. said. We got a little rain, but most of it went north of us, Knight said. Thank goodness on that. Gave us a little break. In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River. The warnings were similar to catastrophic flooding nearly 30 years ago when the river reached a record 50 feet (15 meters), resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed.In Arkansas, weather officials pleaded with people to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary due to widespread flooding.BNSF Railway confirmed that a railroad bridge in Mammoth Spring was washed out by floodwaters, causing the derailment of several cars. No injuries were reported, but there was no immediate estimate for when the bridge would reopen. Why so much nasty weather?Since Wednesday, more than a foot of rain (30.5 centimeters) has fallen in parts of Kentucky, and more than 8 inches (20 centimeters) in parts of Arkansas and Missouri, forecasters said Saturday.Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf.At least two reports of observed tornadoes were noted Friday evening in Missouri and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service. One, near Blytheville, Arkansas, lofted debris at least 25,000 feet (7.6 kilometers) high, according to NWS meteorologist Chelly Amin. The states emergency management office reported damage in 22 counties from tornadoes, wind, hail and flash flooding.In Dyersburg, Tennessee, dozens of people arrived Saturday at a storm shelter near a public school in the rain, clutching blankets, pillows and other necessities. Among them was George Manns, 77, who said he was in his apartment when he heard a tornado warning and decided to head to the shelter. Just days earlier the city was hit by a tornado that caused millions of dollars in damage.I grabbed all my stuff and came here, said Mann, who brought a folding chair, two bags of toiletries, laptops, iPads and medications: I dont leave them in my apartment in case my apartment is destroyed. I have to make sure I have them with me.___Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Jonathan Mattise and Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; Hallie Golden in Seattle; and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed.

After a winter of trades that never happened, St. Louis is in a unique spot this season.

Perfection. Magical. Inspirational. Whatever word you used for Max Verstappen's victory, it was something special.

A view of an ilmenite open pit mine in a canyon in the central region of Kirovohrad, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)2025-04-06T15:06:21Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine will send a team to Washington next week to begin negotiations on a new draft of a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraines valuable mineral resources, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko told The Associated Press.The new draft agreement from the U.S. shows that the intention to create a fund or jointly invest remains, Svyrydenko said Saturday, during a trip to northern Ukraine. The delegation from Kyiv will include representatives from the Ministries of Economy, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance. The long-running negotiations over a mineral deal have already strained relations between Kyiv and Washington. The two sides had been preparing in February to sign a framework agreement but the plan was derailed following a contentious meeting in the Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After some Ukrainian lawmakers leaked the new draft, critics slammed it as little more than an attempt to strip Kyiv of control over its own natural resources and infrastructure. According to the leaked document, the new draft includes not only rare-earth minerals but gas and oil. Ukraine holds significant deposits of more than 20 minerals deemed strategically critical by the U.S., including titanium, which is used to make aircraft wings, lithium, key to several battery technologies, and uranium, used in nuclear power. New draft only gives the U.S. side of the dealDespite the disruption following the Oval Office meeting, Ukrainian officials showed interest in signing the framework deal at any time, seeing it as an important step to win the favor of President Donald Trump and shore up U.S. backing in the war against Russias full-scale invasion.After weeks of silence on the status of the deal, the U.S. sent a new draft to Kyiv, which goes further than the original framework.Its unclear why the U.S. chose to bypass the signing of the framework deal and instead moved forward with a more comprehensive draft agreement, which would likely require ratification by Ukraines parliament.However, Ukrainian officials have been cautious about commenting on the contents of the draft, stressing that it currently reflects only one sides position.What we have now is a document that reflects the position of the U.S. Treasury legal team, said Svyrydenko. This is not a final version, its not a joint position.She said that Ukraines task now is to assemble a technical team for negotiations, define its red lines and core principles, and send a delegation to Washington for technical talks as early as next week.Its clear that the full parameters of this agreement cant be discussed online, Svyrydenko said. We need to sit down with the teams and continue the conversation in person.Legal, investment, and financial advisers are being selected, she said. This marks a new stage in relations with the United States one that requires expertise across multiple areas, she said. Ultimately, everything will be decided through the course of negotiations. Ukraine seeks terms acceptable to both sidesSvyrydenko declined to elaborate publicly on Ukraines official evaluation of the new draft, but noted that there is now a more detailed document outlining the funds creation. And while the initial draft focused primarily on the intention to establish the fund, Svyrydenko said the latest version lays out how American advisers envision its structure and operation. It remains unclear what role Ukraine would play in managing the fund under the newly proposed U.S. draft. However, analysts who reviewed the leaked document said Kyivs involvement would likely be minimal a point Ukraine hopes to challenge in upcoming negotiations, using the previously agreed framework as its reference.A previous version of the framework agreement, obtained by The Associated Press, outlined plans for a jointly owned and managed investment fund between the United States and Ukraine, intended to support the reconstruction of Ukraines war-torn economy. Under the terms, Ukraine would allocate 50% of future revenues generated from key national assets including minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable resources to the fund. The framework agreement, which was never signed, stated that revenues from its natural resources would go into the fund and be used for the reconstruction of the country, not that ownership or control of those resources would be transferred to the United States.Were very focused on ensuring that the final draft of the agreement, after negotiations, fully aligns with our strategic interests, Svyrydenko said. I believe the work on the previous memorandum showed that both teams are capable of reaching these goals and agreeing on terms acceptable to both sides. HANNA ARHIROVA Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. She is based in Kyiv. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A measles sign is seen at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, file)2025-04-06T15:08:14Z A second school-aged child in West Texas has died from a measles-related illness, a hospital spokesman confirmed Sunday, as the outbreak continues to swell. Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, said that the child was receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized and was not vaccinated. The hospital declined to say which day the child died.Neither the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the Texas State Department of State Health Services include the death in their measles reports issued Friday. Spokespeople for the state health department and U.S. Health and Human Services Department didnt immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday.A unvaccinated school-age child died of measles in February in Lubbock the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade. In early March, an adult in New Mexico who was unvaccinated and did not seek medical care became the second measles-related death. More than two months in, the West Texas outbreak is believed to have spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas, sickening nearly 570 people. The World Health Organization also reported cases related to Texas in Mexico. The number of cases in Texas shot up by 81 between March 28 and April 4, and 16 more people were hospitalized. A team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the ground in Texas assisting with outbreak response. And nationwide, the U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024.Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has delivered a tepid message on the importance of vaccination against measles, saying it should be encouraged while also sowing doubt in the vaccines safety. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for more than 60 years and is 97% effective against measles after two doses. Experts and local health officials expect the outbreak to go on for several more months if not a year. In West Texas, the vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated people and children younger than 17.With several states facing outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable disease, some worry that measles may cost the U.S. its status as having eliminated the disease.Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the CDC. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years.___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. DEVI SHASTRI Shastri is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Milwaukee. She covers housing access, the social safety net, medical misinformation and other topics that influence the health of communities broadly. twitter mailto

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, from left, Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Sebastian Hansen in a scene from "A Minecraft Movie." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)2025-04-06T16:19:36Z Hollywood needed A Minecraft Movie to be a hit, and it delivered in its opening weekend, significantly narrowing this years box office deficit.No one guessed just how big it would be. In its first few days in theaters, the movie earned a staggering $157 million in ticket sales from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. Internationally, its looking at an additional $144 million for a global debut of $301 million. And with school spring breaks ongoing, A Minecraft Movie is just getting started.Not only is it the biggest opening of 2025, A Minecraft Movie also broke the record for a video game adaptation, a distinction previously held by The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146 million). Going into the weekend, analysts projected Minecraft might hit $80 million. Instead, it nearly doubled that figure. Nothing is guaranteed in the movie business, but an offering based on the best-selling video game of all time makes for a good start. It hardly mattered that the block-based game doesnt exactly have a narrative. Many of its 200 million active monthly players turned out in droves anyway. The PG-rated movie, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), was a co-production of Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. It cost a reported $150 million to make, not including marketing and promotion expenses. Jack Black and Jason Momoa lead the ensemble cast (Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen). Their characters are transported into an imaginative dimension called the Overworld and need to go on a dangerous, and immensely silly, adventure to get home. Critics were largely mixed on A Minecraft Movie, but audiences gave it a more promising B+ CinemaScore and 4/5 stars in PostTrak exit polls. Men made up around 62% of the audience, and 64% were under the age of 25. Warner Bros. went big on its release, opening the film in 4,263 locations domestically and 36,000 screens internationally. Younger audiences love going to the movie theater, believe it or not, said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. We thought this was an audience who would migrate to the small screens, but this is the perfect small screen to big screen alliance. It became a must-see theatrical event. Awareness was off the charts.Video game adaptations have had some pivotal successes in recent years, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Sonic series and Five Nights at Freddys.Video games were once a genre that had very mixed results at the box office, but the code has finally been cracked, Dergarabedian said.Second place at this weeks box office went to the Jason Statham action pic A Working Man, which added $7.3 million in its second weekend. Third place was occupied by the second installment in the episodic The Chosen: Last Supper series. Part two (made up of episodes three through five) earned $6.7 million over the weekend. The third and final batch of episodes arrive in theaters on April 11. Snow White slid to fourth place in its third weekend, bringing in $6.1 million. Its now made over $168 million globally. Its been a difficult start to 2025 for Hollywood and movie theaters, with disappointments including Snow White and Mickey 17. But one hit can change the tides significantly, especially with in-theater marketing pushes in full swing for the pivotal summer movie season, which kicks off the first weekend in May. Before this weekend, the box office was running at a 13% deficit compared with last year. Now the gap is down to 5%. LINDSEY BAHR Bahr has been a film writer and critic for The Associated Press since 2014. twitter instagram mailto

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of a national semifinal Final Four game against Texas during the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)2025-04-06T15:29:44Z 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) Dawn Staley and South Carolina hope to finish off a second straight season with an NCAA championship, which would give the Gamecocks a third title in four years.To do so, theyll need to beat Paige Bueckers and UConn on Sunday.A victory by Staleys squad would give her four titles tying her with Kim Mulkey for the third most behind UConns Geno Auriemma (11) and Tennessees Pat Summitt (8). The Gamecocks would join the Huskies and Lady Vols as the only schools to ever win three championships in a four-year span.Meanwhile, its been nine years since Auriemmas team won the championship, which capped off a run of four consecutive titles from 2013-16.UConn has reached the title game only once since 2016, and during that drought it has come up on the short end of heartbreaking last-second losses in the Final Four on buzzer-beaters. The Huskies last title game appearance came in 2022 when Staleys team beat UConn to start the Gamecocks current run of success, a game that ended Auriemmas perfect record in title games.The only UConn player who saw significant time in the title game three years ago against South Carolina was Bueckers. Shell be playing in her final game for UConn hoping to leave the school with a championship, joining many other Huskies greats who have played for Auriemma. ___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.

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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen delivers her speech during the French far-right party national rally near the parliament in Paris, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)2025-04-06T10:43:47Z PARIS (AP) Convicted of embezzling public funds and banned from running for office, far-right politician Marine Le Pen stood unshaken before a sea of French flags in Paris on Sunday. For 30 years I have fought against injustice, she told the crowd. And I will continue to fight.Thousands of supporters gathered at Place Vauban, near the golden dome of Les Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon, for what was billed as a protest but observers said it had all the markings of a campaign rally.The National Rally, Le Pens party, organized the event in response to what it calls a politically motivated verdict. But with chants of Marine Prsidente! and They wont steal 2027 from us, the message was clear: this was more than a protest. It was a show of populist defiance aimed squarely at Frances institutions. Bardella sharpens the attackAt the heart of that charge stood Jordan Bardella, Le Pens 29-year-old protg and president of the National Rally. His speech was fiery, accusing Frances judges of trying to silence the opposition.March 29 was a dark day for France, he said, referencing the date of Le Pens conviction. The people must be free to choose their leaders without interference from political judges.Though he claimed the party would respect democracy, Bardella denounced magistrates unions and warned of a system determined to crush dissent. Supporters carried signs reading Justice taking orders and Stop the judicial dictatorship. Others wore Je suis Marine (I am Marine) shirts or compared Le Pen to U.S. President Donald Trump, who was convicted of civil fraud: Trump can run why not Marine? The systems not broken its rigged, said Alice Triquet, a 26-year-old bartender. If they can do this to her, what stops them from coming after anyone who doesnt think like them?One woman raised a handmade scale of justice, its arms bent and broken a symbol of what Le Pens supporters see as a justice system turned against the people. A nation divided over justice and powerLe Pen was found guilty of using European Parliament funds to pay party staff in France a scheme the court described as a democratic bypass. She was sentenced to four years in prison, including two under house arrest, and banned from public office for five years, effective immediately. Her appeal is scheduled for next year.The reaction has been sharply divided. While National Rally supporters denounce the ruling as politically motivated, many outside the party see it as legitimate accountability. I challenge the notion that there is a tsunami of support for Le Pen on this issue, said John Goodman, Ph.D., director of Syracuse Universitys flagship program in France.He also criticized the unusually rapid pace of Le Pens appeal. Her appeal has been fast-tracked so it can be heard in the summer of 2026, well before the 2027 presidential election, and significantly faster than a typical criminal case, Goodman said. Warnings of a Trumpist turnOn the other side of the Seine, hundreds gathered for a counter-rally led by left-wing parties, warning that Frances far right is embracing U.S.-style authoritarianism.This is bigger than Marine Le Pen, said Green Party leader Marine Tondelier. Its about defending the rule of law from people who think justice is optional.Placards read No Trumpism in France and Anti-fascist response. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal addressed supporters at a meeting of the center-right Renaissance party in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, calling the moment a test of the Republic. Former PM Edouard Philippe stood by his side.Though police were out in force, only minor clashes were reported.The real message: trust the people, not the courtsBeyond the legal battle, Sundays gathering of the National Rally revealed a deeper strategy. Party leaders have spent the week accusing judges of plotting a judicial coup. Theyve called the sentence a political execution. The goal is not just to overturn the ruling its to convince voters the legal system itself cant be trusted.Its a page from the Trump playbook: paint the courts as biased, the system as broken, and frame any legal setback as an attack on democracy. The ballot box becomes the only authority that matters.The judges wear robes, but theyre just politicians in disguise, said Claude Morel, 68, a pensioner from the southern city of Marseille. Let the people decide. What comes nextLe Pen may be barred from running for now but her political machine is far from finished. Bardella, long seen as her polished understudy, is stepping into the spotlight with growing confidence and sharpened rhetoric.We will be here tomorrow, he told the crowd. And we will be stronger.Sundays rally was more than a show of strength. It was a test: can the far right convince enough French voters that justice is no longer neutral, and that only they can return power to the people?How that question is answered may shape not only the 2027 presidential race but the future of French democracy.

South Sudan soldiers patrol the street in Juba, South Sudan on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)2025-04-06T16:35:38Z The United States once cheered the creation of South Sudan as an independent nation. Now the Trump administration has abruptly revoked the visas of all South Sudanese, saying the countrys government has failed to accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner.The decision means South Sudanese could be returned to a nation again on the brink of civil war or unable to seek the U.S. as a haven.There was no immediate response from South Sudans government, which has struggled since independence from Sudan in 2011 to deliver some of the basic services of a state. Years of conflict have left the country of over 11 million people heavily reliant on aid that has been hit hard by another Trump administration decision sweeping cuts in foreign assistance.Heres a look at South Sudan, whose people had been granted temporary protected status by the U.S. because of insecurity at home. That status expires on May 3. A deadly divideThe euphoria of independence turned to civil war two years later, when rival factions backing President Salva Kiir and deputy Riek Machar opened fire on each other in South Sudans capital, Juba, in 2013.The two mens tensions have been so much at the heart of the countrys insecurity that Pope Francis once took the extraordinary step of kneeling to kiss their feet in one of his pleas for lasting peace.Five years of civil war killed hundreds of thousands of people. A peace deal reached in 2018 has been fragile and not fully implemented, to the frustration of the U.S. and other international backers. Notably, South Sudan still hasnt held a long-delayed presidential election, and Kiir remains in power. His rivalry with Machar, compounded by ethnic divisions, has simmered through multiple attempts to return Machar as a vice president. Machar has long regarded himself as destined for the presidency, citing a prophecy years ago by a seer from his ethnic group. Late last month, the threat of war returned. Machar was arrested and his allies in the government and the military were detained following a major escalation: A militia from Machars ethnic group had seized an army garrison upcountry. The government responded with airstrikes. Dozens of people were killed. A United Nations helicopter was attacked.Following the arrest, Machars opposition political party announced South Sudans peace deal is effectively over.Lets not mince words: What we are seeing is darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 civil wars, which killed 400,000 people, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned days ago.Some Western countries have closed their embassies there while others, including the U.S., have reduced embassy staff. A country in disarraySouth Sudans government has long relied on the countrys oil production. But little of that money has reached the people, in part because of official corruption. Civil servants at times go months without being paid.Conflict in neighboring Sudan has affected landlocked South Sudans exports of oil. Refugees spilling over from Sudan have added to instability at home.Climate shocks including flooding have caused mass displacement and closed schools. South Sudans health and education systems were already among the weakest in the world. Aid organizations have run or supported many. Now that support network has been hit by sweeping cuts in U.S. aid.The Trump administrations announcement Saturday evening revoking visas for all South Sudanese with immediate effect is in sharp contrast to Washingtons past warm embrace as its rebel leaders including Kiir and Machar fought for independence.Educational and other opportunities for South Sudanese have been available in the U.S. for years. On Saturday, hours after the State Department announcement, a freshman from South Sudan was in Dukes starting lineup at the mens NCAA basketball tournament Final Four. Duke spokesman Frank Tramble told The Associated Press the university was aware of the announcement and was working expeditiously to understand any implications for Duke students. It was not immediately clear how many South Sudanese hold U.S. visas or how American authorities will follow up. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on social media the dispute centers on one person, certified by South Sudans embassy in Washington, that Juba has refused to accept. That person was not named.No new visas will be issued, the U.S. said, and we will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation.___Associated Press sports writer Jim Vertuno in San Antonio, Texas, contributed. CARA ANNA Anna is an editor on the APs Global Desk. She has reported from Africa, China, Ukraine, Afghanistan and the United Nations. mailto

Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 against the Islanders on Sunday, passing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time goal scoring leader.

Liverpool's error-strewn 3-2 defeat at Fulham won't jeopardize their Premier League title bid, but it shows how much needs to change in the summer.

President Donald Trump returns to his Mar-a-Lago club from Trump National Golf Club, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-04-06T18:32:27Z FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Top administration officials said Sunday that more than 50 countries targeted by President Donald Trumps new tariffs have reached out to begin negotiations over the sweeping import taxes that have sent financial markets reeling, raised fears of a recession and upended the global trading system.The higher rates are set to be collected beginning Wednesday, ushering in a new era of economic uncertainty with no clear end in sight. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said unfair trade practices are not the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks. The United States, he said, must see what the countries offer and whether its believable.Trump, who spent the weekend in Florida playing golf, posted online that WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy. His Cabinet members and economic advisers were out in force Sunday defending the tariffs and downplaying the consequences for the global economy. There doesnt have to be a recession. Who knows how the market is going to react in a day, in a week? Bessent said. What we are looking at is building the long-term economic fundamentals for prosperity. Trumps tariff blitz, announced April 2, fulfilled a key campaign promise as he acted without Congress to redraw the rules of global trade. It was a move decades in the making for Trump, who has long denounced foreign trade deals as unfair to the U.S. He is gambling that voters will be willing to endure higher prices for everyday items to enact his economic vision. Countries are scrambling to figure out how to respond to the tariffs, with China and others retaliating quickly.Top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett acknowledged that other countries are angry and retaliating, and, he said, by the way, coming to the table. He cited the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as reporting that more than 50 nations had reached out to the White House to begin talks. Adding to the turmoil, the new tariffs are hitting American allies and adversaries alike, including Israel, which is facing a 17% tariff. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House Monday, with his office saying the tariffs would be a point of discussion with Trump along with the war in Gaza and other issues.Another American ally, Vietnam, a major manufacturing center for clothing, has also been in touch with the administration about the tariffs. Trump said Vietnams leader said in a telephone call that his country wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S. And a key European partner, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, said she disagreed with Trumps move but was ready to deploy all the tools negotiating and economic necessary to support our businesses and our sectors that may be penalized.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made clear there was no postponing tariffs that are days away. The tariffs are coming. Of course they, he said, adding that Trump needed to reset global trade. But he committed only to having them definitely remain for days and weeks. In Congress, where Trumps Republican Party has long championed free trade, the tariff regiment has been met with applause but also significant unease.Several Republican senators have already signed onto a new bipartisan bill that would require presidents to justify new tariffs to Congress. Lawmakers would then have to approve the tariffs within 60 days, or they would expire.Wyomings John Barrasso, the No. 2 member of the Senates GOP leadership, said Trump is doing what he has every right to do. But, he acknowledged, there is concern, and theres concern across the country. People are watching the markets. Therell be a discussion in the Senate, Barrasso said of the tariffs. Well see which way the discussion goes.Trumps government cost-cutting guru, billionaire businessman Elon Musk, had been relatively silent on Trumps tariffs, but said at a weekend event in Italy that he would like to see the U.S. and Europe move to a zero-tariff situation. The comment from the Tesla owner who leads Trumps Department of Government Efficiency drew a rebuke from White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. Elon, when he is on his DOGE lane, is great. But we understand whats going on here. We just have to understand. Elon sells cars, Navarro said. He added: Hes simply protecting his own interest as any business person would do.Lawrence Summers, an economist who was treasury secretary under Democratic President Bill Clinton, said Trump and his economic team are sending contradictory messages if they say they are interested in reviving manufacturing while still being open to negotiating with trade partners. If other countries eliminate their tariffs, and the U.S, does, too, he said, its just making a deal, then we dont raise any revenue nor do we get any businesses to relocate to the United States. If its a permanent revenue source and trying to get businesses to relocate to the United States, then were going to have these tariffs permanently. So the president cant have it both ways.Bessent was on NBCs Meet the Press, Hassett and Summers appeared on ABCs This Week, Lutnick and Barrasso were on CBS Face the Nation and Navarro was interviewed on Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures. ______Associated Press writers Giada Zampano in Rome and Fatima Hussein in Jupiter, Florida, contributed to this report. ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Gomez Licon writes about national politics for The Associated Press. She is based in Florida. twitter mailto

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring his 895th career goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)2025-04-06T17:52:16Z NEW YORK (AP) Alex Ovechkin has broken Wayne Gretzkys record for the most goals in NHL history by scoring the 895th of his career.The Washington Capitals captain made history Sunday against the New York Islanders by beating fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on a power play with 12:34 left in the second period. He took a perfect pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson and fired an absolute laser past Sorokin with defenseman Jakob Chychrun screening.Ovechkin had never scored on Sorokin before, making his countryman the 183rd different goaltender he has beaten. He dived onto the ice to celebrate as so many Capitals fans in attendance chanted Ovi! Ovi! from the stands.Just as they did after he scored No. 894, teammates mobbed the 39-year-old Ovechkin to celebrate the accomplishment, which replaced a record that had stood for 31 years. Ovechkin then hugged team equipment and training staff on the bench and went through a handshake line with the Islanders as crew members set up for the 895 ceremony. Gretzkys total of 894 goals had long seemed unapproachable. Ovechkin passed it even after missing 16 games in November and December because of a broken left leg, a testament to his durability and a knack for putting the puck in the net consistently for two decades. He surpassed 40 goals this season for a 14th time two more than Gretzky and also the most in league history. Even before this, Ovechkin owned the NHL records for power-play goals, shots on goal and the most goalies scored against, now adding Sorokin to that list. Only Gretzky has more multi-goal games, and Ovechkin earlier this season became just the sixth player with 700 goals and 700 assists, joining Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito. Ovechkin last moved up the all-time goal-scoring list Dec. 23, 2022, when he got Nos. 801 and 802 to tie and pass Howe. The chase by the Great 8, a nickname honoring his jersey number, captured attention from North America to Ovechkins native Russia, where billboards and goal-counters cheered on and tracked his effort. It helped Ovechkin that his team is one of the best in the NHL this season, defying expectations.Gretzky broke Howes record a little over 31 years ago, since he scored 802 on March 23, 1994. He added 92 more before retiring in 1999 after a total of 1,487 games over 20 seasons.Even with this one falling to Ovechkin which he has said he is excited about Gretzky holds 55 NHL records, and two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, the latter of which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.For NHL playoff goals, which do not count toward the record, Gretzky has the most (122). Ovechkin has 72. Gretzky also had another 56 in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin has 57 from his time in the KHL, Russias top league.Returning to Russia to play in front of family and friends is an option at some point for Ovechkin, who has one season left after this one on the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021, which took him through age 40 to give him enough time to chase Gretzkys record. Instead, he got it done earlier than just about anyone could have realistically expected.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl STEPHEN WHYNO Whyno has covered the NHL, Washington Capitals, the NFLs Washington Commanders and horse racing for The Associated Press since 2016. twitter facebook RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Which of his 895 make the list? Here's a countdown chronicling the future Hall of Famer's highlights.