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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eric Karabell looks into the crystal ball to tell fantasy baseball managers what might come to pass in the not-too-distant future.

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

New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair will be taking time away from the team, head coach Patrick Roy said Thursday.

A push to expand the men's 2030 World Cup to 64 teams is "a bad idea," UEFA president Aleksander eferin said on Thursday.

Tulane quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended following his arrest on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things worth more than $25,000.

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

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

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

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

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

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